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• An ecosystem is a large community of living

organisms (plants, animals and microbes) in a
particular area. The living and physical
components are linked together through
nutrient cycles and energy
flows. Ecosystems are of any size, but usually
they are in particular places.
• Ecosystem are of four types :
WHAT IS i. Terrestrial ecosystems

ECOSYSTEM? ii. The forest ecosystem

iii. The dessert ecosystem
iv. Mountain ecosystem
v. Grassland ecosystem
vi. Aquatic ecosystem
vii. Marine ecosystem
viii. The freshwater ecosystem

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 INTRODUCTION TO
FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEM
Freshwater ecology is a specialized sub category of
the overall study of organisms and the
environment. Unlike biology, ecology refers to
the study of not just organisms but how they
react, and are affected by the natural
surrounding environment or ecosystem. By
studying the plants and animals in a body of
water as well as the components of the water
itself, a scientist specializing in freshwater
ecology can discover vital information about the
health and needs of a freshwater system.
Freshwater Ecology is a study of the
interrelationships between freshwater organisms
and their natural and cultural environments.

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There are four main constituents of the living
environment that form the freshwater ecosystem, they
are as follows.
• Elements and Compounds of the ecosystem that are
absorbed by organisms that are required as a food
source or for respiration. Many of these compounds are
required by plants and passed along the food chain.
• Plants which are autotrophic by nature, meaning that
they synthesize food by harnessing energy from
inorganic compounds (plants do so by photosynthesis
and the sun); this is done via photosynthesis. These
plants (and some bacteria) are the primary producers,
as they produce (and introduce) new energy into the
ecosystem.
• Consumers, which are the organisms that feed on other
organisms as a source of food. These may be primary
consumers who feed from the plant material or
secondary consumers who feed on the primary
consumers.
• Decomposers attain their energy by breaking down
dead organic material (detritus), and during this
reaction, release critical elements and compounds
which in turn are required by plants.
Per capita
distribution of
freshwater

ThisThis
Photo
Photo
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by Unknown
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is licensed
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under
CC BY-SA-NC.
CC BY-NC.
Biotic and biotic components –
freshwater ecology
Freshwater includes rivers, lakes and wetlands and
are habitats which are rich in biodiversity. Such
systems provide us with many services such as
our drinking water, food (such as fish), a means
of transport as well as recreational
opportunities.
There are many kinds of freshwater ecosystems,
such as:
1. Rivers: in which the water flows, usually
towards the sea.
2. Lakes: larger areas of standing water (shallow
or deep).
3. Wetlands: areas of land covered either
permanently or temporarily with water,
usually shallow, covered by plants (including
trees) which grow out of the water or mixed
with areas of open water. Examples of
wetlands include swamps, marshes, bogs,
peatlands, estuaries, mangroves and rice
paddies.
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They can be contrasted with marine ecosystems, which have a
larger salt content. Freshwater habitats can be classified by
different factors, including temperature light penetration,
nutrients, and vegetation.

Freshwater

Lintec ecosystem Lotic ecosystem

(still water) (flowing water

 A freshwater biome is a large community of flora and

fauna (plants and animals) that live in water bodies with
low salt content, usually less than 1%
 Climate

• Freshwater biome makes up only 0.8% of the entire water

body on planet earth. The water making up this biome is
also unevenly distributed throughout the world.
• Averagely, summer temperatures in freshwater biomes
range from( 65 – 75 degree) Fahrenheit . The winter
temperatures, on the other hand, range from( 35 degrees –
45 degree)Fahrenheit
• freshwater biome temperatures will drop with deepening
of the water. This phenomenon is more prevalent in lakes
where water movement is relatively less, and water is
deeper compared to a streams or rivers.

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• Precipitation in freshwater biomes depends on the region the
biome is situated.
• Most wetlands in the world are located in temperate zones, which
mean they will receive a lot of precipitation.
• Rivers and lakes situated in valleys and mountains may receive less
precipitation. On average, precipitation in freshwater biome ranges
from 10 to 80 inches per year.
• Plants: Some common plant species on the edges of rivers and
streams include contrails, star grass, and tape grass. Tree species
like cottonwoods, willows, and river birch are supported by these
streams and rivers. These tree species like to grow in shallow areas
characterized by slow moving water.
• In wetland areas like swamps, bogs, ditches, and marshes, the
water is saturated all year round; consequently, the dirt present
here holds in every ounce of water it can, creating mud in the long
run. Plants dominating in wetlands include duckweeds and
cattails. Common tree species here include tamarack, black spruce,
and Cyprus.
• Some other plant species are water lilies and phytoplankton
 FAUNA IN FRESHWATER ECOLOGY

• Freshwater biome supports a huge diversity of

animals with special adaptations and defense
mechanism. Freshwater biome animals include:
I. Crocodile
II. Freshwater turtle
III.Frogs
IV. Black piranhas
V. European eel
 TYPES OF FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEM
• Freshwater biomes are
divided into three:
Ponds and lakes Four zone
of
• Ponds and lakes are freshwater
ecosystem
sometimes referred to as
lentil ecosystems, meaning Literal
benthic
they consist of standing or zone
still waters. Essentially, the
waters don’t flow like
streams and rivers . Lakes
are normally divided into 4
zones of freshwater aquatic limonitic euphoric
communities:
 Four zones of
freshwater ecosystem
• Littoral zone: The area adjacent to the shore
of the lake where plants thrive
• Limnetic zone: Open water surfaces off the
shore
• Euphotic zone: Area near the water surface
that receives some sunlight to aid
photosynthesis
• Benthic zone: The bottom of the lake.
• Animals that live in lakes include different
fish species, frogs, snails, crayfish, worms,
insects, turtles and so on. Plants that thrive
in lakes include duckweed, lilies, bulrush,
bladderwort, stonewort, cattail and so on.

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 • This freshwater biome is a combination of land and
water. It’s, essentially, land saturated with water. The land
may be flooded with water or totally submerged most of the
time.
• However, it supports aquatic plants. Typical examples of
Wetland •
wetlands include swamps, marshes, and bogs.
These wetlands are usually situated in proximity to large
biome water bodies such as lakes and rivers and are pretty much
found all over the world.
• Examples of wetland plants include water lilies, milkweed,
cypress trees, mangroves, and cattails. Examples of wetland
animals include crocodiles, alligators, raccoons, beavers,
deer, and minks.
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