What is Freshwater Biomes?
There are two main types of aquatic biomes, marine and freshwater. Freshwater biomes are defined as having low salt content compared to marine biomes that are saltwater such as oceans.
Types of Freshwater Biomes
There are three main types of freshwater biomes: Ponds and Lakes, Streams and Rivers, and Wetlands. We’ll go into the details of each below.
Ponds and Lakes
Ponds and lakes are often referred to as lentic ecosystems. This means they have calm or stagnant water, not moving like rivers and streams. Go here to learn more about the world’s major lakes.
Lakes are generally divided into four biological communities:
Littoral zone – This is the area nearest to the shore where aquatic plants grow.
Limnetic zone – This is the open water surface of the lake, away from the shore.
Euphotic zone – This is the area below the water surface where there is still enough sunlight for photosynthesis.
Benthic zone – This is the floor or bottom of the lake.
Lake temperatures can change over time. In the tropics, the lakes will stay relatively warm, with the water getting colder the deeper it goes. In the northern lakes, seasonal temperature changes move the water in the lake.
Lake animals – Animals include plankton, crayfish, snails, worms, frogs, turtles, insects and fish.
Lake plants – Plants include water lilies, duckweed, cattail, bulrush, stonewort, and bladderwrack.
Streams and Rivers
Rivers and streams are often referred to as lactic ecosystems. This means they have flowing water, unlike the calm water of a pond. This biome can vary greatly in size, from small murmuring streams to mile-wide rivers that stretch for thousands of miles. Go here to learn more about the great rivers of the world.
The main factors affecting the ecology of rivers and streams include:
Flow – the amount of water and the force with which it flows will affect the plants and animals that may live in the river.
Light – light has an impact because it provides energy to plants through photosynthesis. The amount of light due to seasons or other factors will affect the river ecosystem.
Temperature – The climate of the lands the river passes through will affect the local plant and animal life.
Chemistry – This is related to the type of geology through which the river flows. This affects the type of soil, rocks and nutrients present in the river.
River animals – Animals that live in or around rivers including insects, snails, crabs, fish such as salmon and catfish, salamanders, snakes, crocodiles, otters and beavers.
River plants – Plants that grow around rivers vary widely depending on the river’s location around the world. Trees often live along river edges where water moves more slowly. Plants include ice grass, water star, willow and river birch.
Wetlands Biome
Wetland biomes are a combination of land and water. This can be considered as a land saturated with water. Much of the land can be submerged for part of the year or only flooded at certain times. One of the key features of a wetland is that it supports aquatic plants.
Wetlands include swamps, marshes, and marshes. They are usually located near large bodies of water such as lakes and rivers and can be found around the world.
Wetlands can play an important role in nature. When located near rivers, wetlands can help prevent flooding. They also help purify and purify water. They are home to many species of plants and animals.
Wetland animals – Wetlands have a great diversity of animal life. Amphibians, birds and reptiles live well in wetlands. The biggest predators are the alligator and the alligator. Other animals include beavers, ferrets, raccoons, and deer.
Wetland plants – Wetland plants can grow completely underwater or float on water. Other plants that grow mainly on water, such as large trees. Plants include milkweed, water lily, duckweed, cattail, cypress and mangroves.
Facts about the Freshwater Biome
Scientists who study freshwater bodies such as ponds, lakes, and rivers are called ichthyologists.
Precipitation varies greatly depending on the location of the wetland. It can range from as little as seven inches per year to over a hundred inches per year.
Marshes are wetlands without trees.
Swamps are wetlands where plants grow and can be subject to seasonal flooding.
Tidal swamps are sometimes called mangrove swamps because mangroves can grow in a mixture of freshwater and saltwater.
The largest lake in the world is the Caspian Sea.
The longest river in the world is the Nile.
The largest wetland in the world is the Pantanal in South America.