Lake Tonga of Algeria

It is a lake of freshwater marsh like communicating with the Mediterranean Sea through an artificial canal, the Canal Messida. It caréctérise by dense vegetation mosaic composed of helophytes (bulrushes, cattails and phragmites). wintering site for more 25,000 ducks and coots, this is also an important nesting site for several species, some of which are rare or declining in their habitats, as White-headed Duck (Oxyura leucocephala) Ferruginous Duck (Aythya nyroca) chicken Sultana (Porphyrio Porphyrio), the whiskered tern (Chlidonias hybridus), etc. Its 2 basins cover an area of 15 km2 each. But the northern watershed seems more power to the site since the drainage attempts undertaken during the colonial period.

Justification of the Ramsar Criteria
Criterion 1:
The wilderness area of ​​Lake Tonga is a good example of a representative wetland, rare
and unique type of natural wetland in the Mediterranean region lying in a
wetland complex that would come third after those of the Ebro Delta
Spain and the Camargue in France.
Criterion 2: 
The lake Tonga is a wetland that is home to rare bird species,
vulnerable or declining in their region of the Western Palearctic, among these species we
include the white-headed Duck (Oxyura leucocephala), the Ferruginous Duck (Aythaya
Duck), both listed on the IUCN Red List, the first as endangered species disappearance and the second as a vulnerable species, the Purple Gallinule (Porphyrio porphyrio) and a heron colony. We also mention the presence in large numbers Lutra Lutra the otter.
Criterion 3: 
Due to the quality of its habitats, Lake Tonga houses a biodiversity very important, among the groups of species we quote:
Waterbirds: The Tonga is the most important nesting site in North Africa for a multitude of species of Ardeidae a colony represented by Herons and Egrets. The Harrier Circus aeruginosus reeds, the Moorhen Gallinula chloropus, the Water Rail Rallus aquaticus, the Crested Grebes and the White-headed Duck Oxyura leucocephala, the Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca, the Purple Gallinule Porphyrio porphyrio, the Little Bittern Ixobrychus minimus, the Tern Chlidonias hybridus,
Glossy Ibis Plegadis falcinellus and many other species. It also meets the Marbled Teal Marmaronetta angustirostris and the Garganey Anas querquedula.
Flora: Tonga has eighty two plant species belonging to 31 botanical families, among them 32 species (39% of the total) are classified rare enough rare (Kadid 1989). Among the rare species we quote Marsilea diffusa, Nymphaea alba, Utricularia exoleta.
Insects: 22 species of Odonata are inventoried at the lake Tonga. They belonging to four taxonomic families: Lestidae, Coenagrillonidae, and Aeshnidae Libellulidae. (Saoueche, 1993).
Reptiles and amphibians: Several species of Reptiles and Amphibians of living in Tonga: The pond turtle Mauremys leprous leprosa, the green frog Rana saharica the Discoglossus Discoglossus painted pictus, the toad Bufo mauritanicus Mauritania, Triton poiret Pleurodels poireti of the Psammodrome Algire Psammodromus algirus the September ocellé Chalcides ocellatus, Ocellated Lizard Lacerta pater and viper snake Natrix maura (Rouag, 1999).
Criterion 5: The lake Tonga regularly supports more than 20,000 waterbirds (Table in
annéexe). Criterion 6: The lake is home to the 1% of the world population for several species like
the White-headed Duck oxuyura leucocephala and the Ferruginous Duck Aythya nyroca.

(Boumezbeur, 1993).