The freshwater ecosystems they are one of the types of aquatic ecosystems that exist on planet Earth. They are known as"fresh water"because they are formed by bodies of water with low salt concentration. In general, they have less than 1% sodium chloride.
There are different types of ecosystems composed of fresh water, including lakes, lagoons, rivers and flooded plains. In general, these can be divided into two groups: lentic ecosystems and lotic ecosystems.
The lentic ecosystems are those formed by still or slow moving water, as happens with lakes, lagoons, ponds, natural pools, swamps, swamps and other flooded plains.
On the other hand, the lotic ecosystems are those that have fast-moving waters, such as rivers, streams, streams and other water currents.
The fauna and flora in these ecosystems is very rich and varies from one area to another. Includes crustaceans, aquatic plants such as algae, different species of fish, insects such as dragonflies and mosquitoes, waterfowl, among others.
Lagoons and lakes
characteristics
-They are static or semi-static bodies of water.
-Can measure a few square meters or thousands of square kilometers.
. Many are seasonal, which means that they appear and disappear depending on the seasons. Others are permanent and have existed for thousands of years.
. Three zones are distinguished: the littoral zone, the limnetic zone and the deep zone.
-In the littoral zone, the water is warmer. This is because this is the shallowest part of the lake or the lagoon and, therefore, can absorb more solar radiation.
-The limnetic area is under the literal zone. Due to its proximity to the surface, it receives enough sunlight but not so much heat.
-The deep zone is the coldest and darkest of the lake or the lagoon. Also, in this area, the water is denser.
-You can talk about eutrophic or oligotrophic lakes. The first are those that have many nutrients in their waters, while the latter have few nutrients.
Flora and fauna
The fauna and flora vary depending on the layer of the lake. In the littoral zone, there is a great diversity of animal and plant species, including floating and rooted aquatic plants such as some green algae.
Also, you can find aquatic snails, clams, crustaceans, fish, snakes, turtles and birds like ducks. It is also common the presence of insects, such as flies and dragonflies.
In the limnetic area, there is plankton, both the plant (phytoplankton) and the animal (zooplacton). These are small organisms of vital importance to the food chain in lentic aquatic ecosystems.
The presence of these beings allows the survival of different species of fish that inhabit the limnetic area. These fish feed on plankton, invertebrate organisms and sediments found in lakes.
Ponds
characteristics
-The ponds are bodies of lentic water.
-They are shallow water.
There are four zones: vegetation zone, open water, surface and swampy bottom.
-The dimensions of the pond depend on the time of year. Many ponds are produced by the flooding of the rivers during the spring and disappear with the droughts during the summer.
Fauna and Flora
The fauna includes snails, fish, aquatic insects (such as mosquitoes and some species of beetles), frogs, turtles, otters and some species of rats that live near the area.
Also, you can find large fish and alligators. Waterfowl are common, highlighting ducks and herons. As for the flora, green and brown algae are typical.
Flooded plains
characteristics
-The flooded plains are territories covered by shallow waters, which allow the development of aquatic silvers.
-The marshes, swamps and floods are part of this group.
Fauna and Flora
The flooded plains are rich in hydrophytic plant species, which are those capable of living in areas where the humidity concentration is high. Among these species are lilies, bulrushes and sedges.
Of all the aquatic ecosystems, the flooded plains are those that have the greatest diversity of animal species. The fauna includes amphibians such as frogs and toads, reptiles, birds such as ducks and wading birds, insects among which are the dragonflies, mosquitoes, mosquitoes and fireflies.
Rivers and other water currents
characteristics
-The water currents originate in high areas, such as mountains.
-They can arise by the action of groundwater that rise to the surface as springs, by the melting of perpetual snow or glaciers, among others.
- They follow a course that ends in another bigger river, in a lake, in the sea or in the ocean.
-The temperature is lower at the origin of the river than at its mouth. Similarly, it has higher oxygen levels at the source point.
-Water is usually clearer at the source than at the mouth. This is because the river collects sediment in its course, so the water tends to get swampy.
Flora and fauna
The flora and fauna of the water courses varies depending on the river area. At the origin, fish such as trout are found, which withstand very low temperatures and require large amounts of oxygen to live.
In the middle part of the course, there are several plant species, among which green plants and algae stand out.
The water turns dark because of the sediments at the mouth of the river. For this reason, less light can cross the aquatic surface, which causes a decrease in the diversity of flora.
In this area, fish that do not require high concentrations of oxygen live, such as catfish and carp.
References
- Aquatic ecosystem. Retrieved on December 30, 2017, from wikipedia.org
- Fresh-water ecosystem. Retrieved on December 30, 2017, from encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com
- Freshwater and Freshwater Ecosystems. Retrieved on December 30, 2017, from encyclopedia.com
- Freshwater ecosystem. Retrieved on December 30, 2017, from wikipedia.org
- Freshwater Ecosystems. Retrieved on December 30, 2017, from slideshare.net
- Freshwater Ecosystems. Retrieved on December 30, 2017, from web.unep.org
- The freshwater biome. Retrieved on December 30, 2017, from ucmp.berkeley.edu