Freshwater Biome
Made by: Bittna Cho and Magnolia Luu 2nd Period
Freshwater
The frehwater biome covers 20% of Earth. It consists of rivers, ponds, lakes, streams, and many more aquatic bodies. They tend to be moving waters that contain thriving animal life including fish and aquatic plants.
Freshwater Biome
Fact #1- 99% of all freshwater is either in the form of ice or located in an aquifer
Organisms and Animal Adaptations
Since there is a lot of variance in the types of animals that live in freshwater ecosystems, the animals of the freshwater biome develop many different and unique adaptations. Mammals that live in these freshwater areas such as otters must learn to swim in order to catch their prey. Reptiles such as turtles and alligators lay their eggs underwater and move onto land when they are older. Insects like dragonflies have developed to skim the surface of the water which allows fish and other aquatic animals to detect and eat them. All of the fish are adapted to the low levels of salt and varying levels of oxygen. Depending on the climate they live in, they are also adapted to the water temperatures and sediment concentration.
Axolotl
Ambystoma mexicanum
(amphibian)
American Alligator
Alligator mississippienisis
(reptile)
Mallard duck
Anas platyrhynchos
(bird)
Yellow-winged Darter
Sympetrum flaveolum
(insect)
Trumpeter Swan
Cygnus buccinator
(bird)
Bellinger River Turtle
Myuchelys georgesi
(reptile)
Brook Trout
Salvelinus fontinalis
(fish)
North American Otter
Lontra canadenis
(mammal)
Watercress
Nasturtium officinale
Cattail
Typha latifolia
Water Pennywort
Hydrocotyle ranunculoides
Marine Naiad
Najas marina
Plant Adaptations
Aquatic plants have adapted to living in and near water in various ways. Plants such as lilypads have thick long roots that burrow into the mud at the bottom of the water body and thick stems that allow the lily pads to reach above the waters surface to undergo photosynthesis. Some floating plants don't develop roots and instead use their large surface area for increased photosynthesis and allow the wind and currents move them around. The plants, like the animals, must be adapted to the temperature, and low salt content of the water. For example, cattails and cypress trees must be adapted to the muggy humid climates in their swamp habitats.
Fact # 2- Finland has the nickname "Land of the Thousand Lakes" due to its over 187,000 lakes
Freshwater succession
This is an example of primary succession. An ecosystem was created from nothing, where no colonization has happened before.
Fact # 3- Global extinction rates for freshwater species are 4 to 6 times higher that those for terrestrial or marine species
Commensalism- The frogs and turtles rush into the cattails to hide from predators.
Parasitism- The leech hurts its host as it sucks its blood.
Mutualism- The shrimp cleans the teeth of the alligator, and in return they are protected from predators.