Freshwater Biome Types, Characteristics and Factors

Freshwater Biome Classification
Types
- Ponds and lakes
- Streams and rivers
- Wetlands
Characteristics and Groups
Factors such as temperature, sunlight, oxygen, and nutrients determine which organisms live in which area of the water.

1. T able of Co n t e n ts O v erv ie w T y p es Cha r ac t er i s tics and G r ou p s F ac t o r s F acts about the F r es hw a t er Biome

2. A F r esh w a t er c an be defined as being w a t er with a l o w salt c on t ent, or salinity and ma k es up ju s t 2.5 t o 3% of the w a t er on earth and a biome is a c ommunity of pla n ts and animals living in, and adap t ed t o , a cer t ain clima t e Ma n y of E arth ’ s biomes a r e aqu a tic, or w a t er-based. The cha r ac t eri s tics of aqu a tic biomes a r e he a vily i n fluenced by the c oncent r a tion of dissolved o x y gen and nutrients in the w a t e r . F r esh w a t er biomes a r e la r ge c ommunities of pla n ts and anima l s cen t e r ed a r ound w a t er with less than 1% salt c oncent r a tion. F r esh w a t er biomes include pond s , la k e s , s t r eams, ri v e r s , wetlands and a r e a vi t al sou r ce of drinking w a t e r . F r es h w a t er biomes a r e divided i n t o 2 classifi c a t i ons • S t anding- w a t er - W a t er does not m o ve in and out but does m o ve within the s y s t em ( l a k es, ponds, s w amps, ma r shes) • Flowing- w at er - W a t er m o ves in, out and th r ough the s y s t em (rive r s, s t r eams) O v ervi e w:

3. P onds and la k es a r e n a tu r al bodies of s t anding w a t e r . P onds a r e smal l er and m a y be seasonal, whe r eas la k es a r e la r ger and mo r e permane n t. St r eams and ri v e r s a r e fl o wing bodies of w a t er th a t d r ain the lands c ape, and a r e impor t ant agents of e r osion. W etland s is a c ombination of land and w a t e r . It c an be thought of as land th a t is satu r a t ed w i th w a t e r . The land m a y be mo s tly under w a t er f or part of the y ear or ju s t flooded a t cer t ain times. One of the k ey cha r ac t eri s tics of a w etland is th a t it supports aqu a tic pla n ts. Bar r acuda la k e in Co r on Loboc Ri v er in Bohol P ond in W rig h t P ark Baguio St r eam in Zambales W e tland in Agusan Ma r sh T ypes:

4. • F ac t o r s such as t empe r a tu r e, s u nl i g h t, o x y g en, and nutrie n ts de t ermine which o r g anisms li v e in which a r ea of the w a t e r . • Aqu a tic e c o s y s t ems c on t ains seve r al types of o r g anisms th a t a r e g r ouped by their loc a tion and by their adap t a tion . • Th r ee g r oups of aqu a tic o r g anisms include neu s t on , p l ank t on, ne kt on, and benthos . ✓ Neu s t on also c al l ed pleu s t on , a r e o r g anisms th a t live a t the sur f ace of a body of w a t e r . Neu s t on c an live on t op of the w a t er sur f ace or subme r sed ju s t bel o w the w a t er sur f ace. ✓ Plan kt on a r e the mass of mo s tly mic r os c opic o r g anisms that flo a t or drift f r eely in the w a t e r , and c an be mic r os c opic anima l s c alled z ooplan kt on or mic r os c opic pla n ts c al l ed p h y t oplan kt on. ✓ Ne kt on a r e al l o r g anisms th a t swim actively in open w a t e r , independent of cur r ents. ✓ Benthos a r e bo t t om-d w el l ing o r g anisms of the sea or ocean and a r e of t en a tt ached t o ha r d sur f aces. Cha r ac t eri s tics and G r oups:

5. F ac t o r s: Both the biotic and abiot i c c omponents of f r esh w a t er e c o s y s t ems shape the c ommunities and c y cles th a t these e c o s y s t ems a r e a part o f . Other F ac t o r s: 1. Amount of dissolved salts. ■ Salinity: amount of dissol v ed salts in a sample of w a t e r . 2. Depth ■ Di r ect l y r el a t ed t o amount of sunlight th a t r eaches the bo t t om of body of w a t e r . ■ Sunlight de t ermines the pla n ts that g r o w on the bo t t om. ■ Bodies of w a t er c an be divided in t o depth z ones ( P hotic, Aphotic & Benthic Z one) Photic Z one: t op l a y er of w a t er th a t r ecei v es enough sunlight f or pho t o s ynthesis t o occu r . Aphotic Z one: bel o w the photic z one. Sunlight never r eaches he r e. Only f ound in oceans and very deep la k es. Be n thic Z one: floor of a body of w a t e r .

6. ❑ Scienti s ts that s tudy f r esh w a t er bodies of w a t er li k e ponds, la k es, and rive r s a r e c al l ed limnolog i s ts . ❑ T w o f ac t o r s th a t a r e used t o c l assify aqu a tic biomes: 1. The amount of salt in the w a t er - salinity 2. The depth of the w a t er and the amount of sunlight that r eaches it ❑ Ma r shes a r e w et l ands w i thout t r ees. ❑ S w amps a r e w etlands th a t g r o w t r ees and h a ve seasonal flooding. ❑ Tidal s w amps a r e sometimes c al l ed mang r o ve s w amps be c ause the mang r o ves c an g r o w in the mix of f r esh w a t er and salt w a t e r . ❑ The la r ge s t la k e in the w or l d is the Caspian Sea . ❑ The longe s t r i ver in the w or l d is the Nile Ri v er . ❑ The la r ge s t w etland in the w or l d is the P an t anal in South Amer i c a F acts about the F r es h w a t er Biome: