Freshwater Biome Notes• Freshwater biomes are characterized by the

speed at which the water is moving• Brooks , streams, and rivers are ecosystems

based on moving water• Tributary – a trickle or stream that joins a larger stream.

Freshwater Biomes Organisms that live in fast moving water have

special adaptations to avoid being swept away

Insect larvae live under rocks, and tadpoles use suction disks to hold onto rocks

Zones of Freshwater Systems Ponds and Lakes have different ecosystems

than streams and rivers Lake Superior is the largest lake in the world

Melting Snow

Waterfall

Tributary

Lake or Ocean

Littoral Zone

A) Littoral Zone - area where the water meets the land

- Plants include cattails, rushes, and water lilies

- Animals include snails, small arthropods, insects, clams, worms, frogs, salamanders, turtles, snakes, and various kinds of fish

B) Open-water Zone - extends from the littoral zone across the top of the water. Only goes as deep as light can reach.

- Plants include mostly phytoplankton

- Animals include bass, blue gill, trout, and other fish

C) Deep-water zone - part of the water where no light reaches and organisms feed on dead organic material.

- Plants include none

- Animals include catfish, carp, worms, insect larvae, crustaceans, fungi, and bacteria

Deep-water Zone

Open-water Zone

Types of Freshwater SystemsOther types of freshwater ecosystems that we will discuss are:

1. Wetlands 2. Marshes 3. Swamps

Wetlands An area of land where the water level is near or

above the surface for most of the year Plays an important role in flood control Support a variety of plant and animal life

Marshes A treeless wetland ecosystem where plants such as

cattails and rushes grow Some organisms nest near wetlands to escape

large predators

Swamps Type of wetland characterized by flooded trees Spanish moss and vines grow on the trees Water is very slow moving and causes lots of

growth on top of the water.