Fresh Water Biome
By:Dwayne, Daanish, Cam'ron
Table of contents
Slide #1- Title
Slide #2- Table of Contents
Slide #3- Physical Landscape Background Info
Slide #4-#5- Physical Landscape Examples
Slide #6- Plant Life Background Info
Slide #7-#10- Plant Life Examples
Slide #11- Animal Life Background Info
Slide #12-#14- Animal Life Examples
Slide #15-#17- Physical Landscape Questions
Slide #18-#20- Plant Life Questions
Slide #21-#23- Animal Life Questions
Slide #24- THE END
Physical Landscape
Freshwater biomes cover one fifth of our Earth and they are vital to our survival.
They provide half of our drinking water, a third of the water used for irrigation, and
nearly 90 percent of the world's bathwater. Bodies of freshwater, also known as “
liquid pathways” keep our planet hydrated and provides a habitat for over 700
species of fish, some 1200 amphibians and a variety mollusks and insect life.
Freshwater biomes consists of inland lakes, streams, brooks, creeks, rivers,
ditches, sloughs, gutters, canals and puddles. The average precipitation in a
freshwater biome per month is 30-60 inches or 76.2 cm -152.4 cm. The
temperature in a freshwater biome varies in ponds and lakes seasonally. In the
summer the temperature can range from 4 degrees Celsius near the bottom to 22
degrees Celsius at the top. During the winter, the temperature at the bottom can be
4 degrees Celsius while the top is 0 degrees Celsius or ice. In between the two
layers, there is a narrow zone called the thermo cline where the temperature of the
water changes rapidly. During the spring and fall seasons, there is a mixing of the
top and bottom layers, usually due to winds, which results in a uniform water
temperature of around 4° C. This mixing also circulates oxygen throughout the lake.
Of course there are many lakes and ponds that do not freeze during the winter,
which means the top layer will be a little warmer.
Examples
As you can see there are a lot of physical landforms for example:
a river, plant life and rocks. Plus there is other animal and plant
life which is what my partners are doing.
Examples
As you can see in this picture there is a lake, lots of animal life
and plant life.
Plant Life
A freshwater biome is one that many people overlook the importance of. They are much
smaller bodies of water, but just as important. They all dump water into a marsh area, typically
from the mouth of the rivers. Some that people never consider though include ditches, gutters,
canals, and even puddles. They too can be a freshwater biome due to the fact that life will use
them for survival.The Freshwater biome consists of rivers, ponds, lakes, streams, creeks, and
anything that is made up of fresh water. Because of the purity of the water, the lack of the
harsh salt, and the adaptability of the water, a good some of plant and animal life can be found
in these areas. Because this biome is all over the world, there is no average anything .Some
wetlands are temporary and seasonal. They occur for a few weeks at a time and then
disappear until they are refilled with water. Other wetlands are always under water.Throughout
history, scientists have debated how to classify plants and animals. The classification system
of biomes was developed by scientist Victor Shelford. Shelford's system defines broad biotic
units of plants and the animals that are associated with them. Freshwater biomes are further
classified into two broad types: lentic and lotic. The difference is defined by water flow. Lotic
systems include streams and rivers where water flows. Lentic systems are still waters such as
ponds and lakes. Almost any plant can live in this area. Most common are trees, shrubs, and
grasses.Freshwater biomes cover 1/5 of the Earth and they are vital to our survival. More than
half of the drinking water for humans and animals comes from this resource. When you take
your daily shower you often just turn on the faucet and take it for granted. However, just about
all of that water comes initially from a freshwater biome resource.
Examples
Water lilies, with their familiar heart-shaped leaves, are
common, emergent plants. They can form dense colonies,
providing habitat for macro-invertebrates and fish. Deer,
beaver and other animals will eat the leaves and roots and
shoots of water lilies.
Examples
Arrowhead or duck potato is a perennial, emergent plant
found in the shallow waters of freshwater biomes.
Emergent plants are rooted underwater, with stems and
leaves that will emerge above the water surface.
Arrowhead is an important wildlife plant. Waterfowl,
beavers and muskrat will feed on the nutritious tubers
Examples
There are over 100 species of sedges. Sedges can be
distinguished from grasses by their triangular stems. They
can form thick tussocks, providing habitat for aquatic
organisms. The entire plant provides food for wildlife,
including its seeds, which are consumed by waterfowl and
songbirds.
Examples
Cattails are identified by their characteristic cigar-shaped
flowers called catkins. They are found in shallow shoreline
areas. Roots and shoots provide food for muskrats and
waterfowl. Cattails are typically found in lentic and slowermoving lotic systems.
Animal Life
Fresh water fish are fish that spend some or all of their lives in fresh water, such as
rivers and lakes, with a salinity of less than 0.05%. These environments differ from
marine conditions in many ways, the most obvious being the difference in levels of
salinity. To survive fresh water, the fish need a range of physiological adaptions.41%
of all known species of fish are found in fresh water. This is primarily due to the rapid
speciation that the scattered habitats make possible. When dealing with ponds and
lakes, one might use the same basic models of speciation as when studying island
biogeography. Freshwater fish differ physiologically from salt water fish in several
respects. Their gills must be able to diffuse dissolved gasses while keeping the salts
in the body fluids inside. Their scales reduce water diffusion through the skin:
freshwater fish that have lost too many scales will die. They also have well
developed kidneys to reclaim salts from body fluids before excretion. Many species
of fish do reproduce in freshwater, but spend most of their adult lives in the sea.
These are known as anadromous fish, and include, for instance, salmon, trout and
three spined stickle back Some other kinds of fish are, on the contrary, born in salt
water, but live most of or parts of their adult lives in fresh water; for instance the eels.
These are known as catadromous fish. Species migrating between marine and fresh
waters need adaptations for both environments; when in salt water they need to
keep the bodily salt concentration on a level lower than the surroundings, and vice
versa. Many species solve this problem by associating different habitats with
different stages of life. Both eels, anadromous salmoniform fish and the sea lamprey
have different tolerances in salinity in different stages of their lives.
Examples
Some types of fresh water fishes are, trench fish sturgeons.
This is a common fish in fresh water from all over the world
Examples

Sturgeons are found in both anadromous and fresh water
stationary.
Examples
According to the U.S Environmental Protection agency about
40% of the American fresh water fish and amphibian species,
including the red sided dace are classified as being at risk
Questions: Physical
Landscape
1. What would happen if something were to change the landscape
of a particular biome?
If that happened in a biome, most of the animals in that biome would
have to relocate to another biome which suits its habitat. Also many
plants would die and would not be able to produce oxygen for the
animals in that biome to live.
2. What if the temperature were to raise or lower significantly?
If the temperature rose, some plants could get burned and not grow
anymore. If the temperature lowered, some freshwater biomes could
freeze and animals that live in those biomes wouldn’t be able to live
there anymore and would die?
Questions: Physical
Landscape
3. What if a developer wants to build on the land; what if an
animal becomes extinct?
If a developer wants to build on a freshwater biome, many plants and
animals would lose their homes and their habitat would be destroyed
so they can’t build another home. If an animal becomes extinct, the
whole food chain would be messed up and some animals could die or
become extinct.
4. What if a plant were destroyed, or if the rainfall greatly
increases or decreases?
If a plant were destroyed many animals could lose their main food
supply. Also, there would be a lack of oxygen in that biome. If the
rainfall increases the biome would be over-flooded with water and
many animals would have to move to another biome to live. If the
rainfall decreases, the lakes, rivers, etc. would dry up and animals
Questions: Physical
Landscape
The 2 questions that can be answered from my research
are:
1. How much of the Earth’s surface do freshwater biomes
cover?
2. Are freshwater biomes important to our lives? If so, then
how are they?
Questions: Plant Life
1. What would happen if something were to change
the landscape of a particular biome?
Well if something was to change the landscape of this
biome I think that the plants and animals in this biome
would not have enough time to adapt to the changes and
would die.
2. What if the temperature were to raise or lower
significantly?
Same thing I think the animals and plants would not have
enough time to adapt to those changes.
Questions: Plant Life
What if a developer wants to build on the land; what if an animal
becomes extinct?
I think that if a plant went extinct that it would end or just severally
mess up the food chain killing a lot of animals and if a developer want
to build on the land then he or she would end up draining the lake,
pond stream or whatever it is killing all animal and plant life in that
biome.
What if a plant were destroyed, or if the rainfall greatly increases
or decreases?
If a plant were destroyed then the animals that depend on it would die
and the animals that depend on that animal would die to and so on
and so forth destroying the food chain. If rain were to increase or
decrease it would affect the plants a lot maybe even killing them but
Questions: Plant Life
2 questions that can be answered from my presentation
are:
1.What are four examples of freshwater plants?
2. What do freshwater biomes provide for us as humans?
Questions: Animal Life
What would happen if something were to change the
landscape of a particular biome?
If the water would decrease the freshwater fish would have to go
deeper into the lake or die and animals would not have enough
water to drink.
What if the temperature were to raise or lower significantly?
Climate change, however, may counteract attempts to restore
aquatic ecosystems. It adds additional threats (such as
increase in water temperature) and it interacts in complex ways
with other stressor types, such as eutrophication.
Questions: Animal Life
What if a developer wants to build on the land; what if an
animal becomes extinct?
If a developer builds on a freshwater land, many fish would
become extinct and many animals will have to move to
another biome.
What if a plant were destroyed, or if the rainfall greatly
increases or decreases?
Depending in how much it increases or decreases the bodies of
water may dry up there fore killing all life in the bodies of
water.
Questions: Animal Life
2 questions that can be answered from my research are:
1.Is there a such thing as freshwater fish?
2.Can freshwater fish survive in another biome?
THE END