Biodiversity in Ghanaian Lakes
There are a few lakes in Ghana, however, the biological resources they contain contribute a lot the socio economic development of the country. This file provides some information on the biodiversity on some of the lakes.
| Release date | 27/02/2013 |
|---|---|
| Contributor | Eric Okoree |
| Geographical coverage | Ghana |
| Keywords | Lakes |
Lake ecosystems are scarce in Ghana. The only natural lake system is the Lake Bosomtwi which covers an area approximately 50 square kilometers and has eleven (11) fish species belonging to nine (9) genera and five (5) families. The Volta Lake created in 1964 and inundating some 4,840 square kilometers of pristine natural forest and the two dams on the Volta River at Akosombo and Kpong have indisputably altered the biodiversity and ecology of the river and adjacent areas. The original Volta River was found to consist of at least 100 fish species (Petr, 1967). Studies in Yeji sector of the lake encountered 66 species representing 39 genera belonging to 19 families. Fish species including Brycinus nurse, B. macrolepidotus, Eleotris senegalensis, the bivalve, the Volta clam (Egeria radiate), the shrimp, Macrobrachium spp., the West African manatee, Trichechus senegalensis, etc. are under severe threat of extinction (Ofori-Danson et al, 1995).