1. Brief description of the lakes

1.1 Definition

François-Alphonse Forel, the inventor of limnology, the science of continental waters, proposed in his book that lakes be defined as "stagnant bodies of water, without direct communication with the sea, situated in a depression in the ground closed on all sides". He also likened them to "islands of water" to emphasize their relative isolation, creating ecological specificities for each entity. Several authors have taken up the original definition of lakes. Laurent Touchart's