Fresh Water and
Wetland Ecosystems
Description
The Freshwater Biome accounts for one fifth of
the area of the Earth and provides half of the
drinking water and one third of the water used
for irrigation. The biome consists of inland lakes,
streams, brooks, creeks, and rivers--as well as
ditches, sloughs, gutters, puddles and canals.
Freshwater wetlands include marshes, ponds,
and swamps.
PLANTS
Pond and lake plants include
shallow water plants such as
cattails, floating plants such
as lily pads, and underwater
plants such as algae.
Plankton are tiny plant
organisms in the water that
play a crucial role in the food
chain. Without plankton,
there would be few living
organisms in the world
because they are the main
producers in many food
chains and webs.
PLANT Adaptations
underwater leaves and stems are
flexible to move with water
currents
some plants have air spaces in
their stems to help hold the plant
up in the water
submerged plants may not have
any roots, they take in water
through their leaves
Some plants have
leaves that float
atop the water,
exposing
themselves to the
sunlight
in floating plants
the surface of the
leaf is waxy to
repel water
Some plants
produce seeds that
can float
Common Animal Adaptations
Some animals like beavers and
otters have oily hair that
helps repel water.
Many freshwater birds have
webbed feet to aid in
swimming or long legs to
wade through the water.
Insects like the pond skater
have special legs so that they
can move across the top of
the water.
Freshwater/Wetland Food web example
Herbivores :
Beavers, small fish,
tadpoles, and snails.
Carnivores:
Otters , mink, ducks, geese,
herons, and storks, frogs,
toads, snakes, and larger fish
like bass.
Omnivores :
Racoons, ducks, crayfish,
dragonflies
Decomposers in Fresh
Water Habitats can
include:
Bacteria, fungi, snails,
algae, and insect
larvae.