Copyright: Christiane Schulze
The Mono Lake is a soda lake; thus, it is either very alkaline as also very salty. It is located in Mono County in central-eastern California, in a runoff-free basin on the western edge of the Great Basin under the eastern flank of the Sierra Nevada. Because of the harsh environmental conditions, animals and plants must be able to adapt to the high pH and tolerate the salt content. Therefore, an ecosystem of very few adapted species with a very high number of individuals has developed, which is particularly important for some bird species.
Mono Lake is a saline soda lake in Mono County, California, formed at least 760,000 years ago as a terminal lake in an endorheic basin. The lack of an outlet causes high levels of salts to accumulate in the lake and make its water alkaline.
The desert lake has an unusually productive ecosystem based on brine shrimp, which thrive in its waters, and provides critical habitat for two million annual migratory birds that feed on the shrimp and alkali flies (Ephydra hians). Historically, the native Kutzadika'a people ate the alkali flies' pupae, which live in the shallow waters around the edge of the lake. When the city of Los Angeles diverted water from the freshwater streams flowing into the lake, it lowered the lake level, which imperiled the migratory birds.
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Christiane W. Schulze was born in Dortmund / Germany
From 2003 - 2007 she studied Art.
Since 2007..
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