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Lugu Lake is a typical plateau lake in Greater Shangri-la in the Hengduan Mountains, located between Ninglang County in northwest Yunnan Province and Yanyuan County in southwest Sichuan Province (27°36'55''-27°47'2''N and 100°43'36'' 100°54'20''E) (Figure 1). It is a deep alpine freshwater lake (42-93.5 m deep) with first class water quality, and is 2690.8 m above sea level, the highest lake in the province, with an area of 50.1 km^sup 2^. Lugu Lake region is in the southwest monsoon climate area, with a low latitude altiplano monsoon climate and distinct dry and wet seasons. In this region, vegetation cover is about 45%, and biodiversity is high. There are 37 hydrophilous and 650 terricolous vascular plant species. The submerged plant community is dominated by Ottelia acuminate var. crispa, which is an important component of the aquatic ecosystem. There are more than 10 species of fish in the lake, including three rare species, Schizothorax labrosus, S. ninglangensis, and S. luguhuensis. At present, the Lugu Lake region is one of the places in China which has been least damaged by human disturbance and contains some of the best preserved natural features.
The Mosuo, a branch of the Naxi nationality with a population of about 16,000, are the main ethnic group and are found in scattered lakeside villages. The Mosuo people are matriachal and have their own ways and customs. Girls and their visiting lovers still practice Axia...