Freshwater Biomes Four different freshwater ecosystems o o

Freshwater Biomes

Four different freshwater ecosystems o o Ponds/Lakes Streams Rivers Wetlands: marshes & swamps

Freshwater Biomes n Freshwater contains less than 1% salt. n The main abiotic factors that determine the type of aquatic biome are: sunlight, temperature and salinity. n Sunlight and nutrients determine the distribution of organisms. The warmer the water the more life, the more food the more life.

Ponds and Lakes n n 1. 2. 3. 4. Scattered all over Can be a few square meters to square kilometers Ponds seasonal, lakes can last hundreds of years 4 main zones Littoral Limnetic Profundal Benthic- bottom or floor

Freshwater zones:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Located at the land at the edge of the water, shallow Warmest water Receives the most sunlight Flora: cattails, rushes, water lilies, & weeds, plants rooted to the bottom Fauna: snails, insects & larvae, clams, worms, , frogs, salamanders, turtles, fish, & snails Littoral Zone:

Open Water Zone or Limnetic Zone Located from the littoral zone across the top of water & goes as deep as light can reach, shallow water Fauna: plankton, and fish, algae, microscopic Crustaceans, bass and trout Plankton are small organisms that play a crucial role in the food chain.

Deepest freshwater zone Coldest water No light in this zone Fauna: catfish, carp, worms, insect larvae, fungi, bacteria, crustaceans All of these are bottom feeders and eat the dead things that fall to the bottom Profundal Zone Deep Water Zone

Benthic Zone • Benthic Zone is the area at the bottom of a lake or pond • The bottom is covered with dead and decaying plants and animals • Also covered with a layer of sediment