31 Freshwater Biomes Facts: Unique Details Revealed!

Freshwater biomes refer to bodies of fresh water which are characterized by the large number of wildlife present in and around them.

A freshwater biome has less than 1% of salt content, which makes it the perfect habitat for many aquatic and terrestrial creatures that cannot thrive in saltwater conditions. It is also vital for humans- hence freshwater biomes are an important source of drinking water for many species.

Though 71% of the earth's surface is covered with water- around 97% of this is salt water- which is present in the vast oceans of the planet.

Freshwater areas, which are important for most plant and animal life to survive, accounts for barely 3% of this- out of which 99% of the water is held underground in freshwater aquifers or in glaciers at the poles. This makes the existing surface water water biomes highly important resources, that must be protected at all costs.

Compared to an ocean biome, which hosts mostly marine species- freshwater biomes like ponds and lakes are important for terrestrial species as well.

There are three types of freshwater biomes in the world- ponds and lakes, streams and rivers, and swamps and wetlands. As to how many freshwater biomes there actually are in the world, that number is not possible to calculate as many of these freshwater bodies exist.

Read on to learn some amazing freshwater biome facts!

If you enjoyed this article, you may also like our other pages on biggest freshwater lake in the world and biggest lakes in the USA interesting!

Temperature Range: Freshwater Biomes

Freshwater biomes consist of freshwater environments ranging from lakes and rivers to streams and ponds - found in almost every part of the world.

Due to their wide range, the expected temperature of the water ranges from around 39-71 degrees F (4-21.6 degrees C). This of course depends greatly on where the biome is located, as well as the types of wildlife present in and around the area.

The summer temperature ranges from 65-75 degrees F (18.3-23.8 degrees C), whereas in winter the overall temperature can drop down to 35-45 degrees F (1.6-7.2 degrees C).

Deeper ecosystems like lakes also tend to be much colder as they are often several feet deep and stagnant in nature, compared to the ever flowing rivers and streams which are not that deep.

During winters, the surfaces of lakes also tend to freeze over in winter - however this only applies to the upper layer of the lake. This layer also manages to seal in enough oxygen so that all the fish and other wildlife can sustain themselves until the ice melts.

Aquatic plants also help to keep enough oxygen present in the water for the natural wildlife to thrive.

Freshwater biomes can range greatly in size and depth, with even drains, puddles and canals being considered as small ecosystems of their own. Unlike a marine biome, a freshwater biome is able to support more wildlife species, as they are unable to survive in salt water environments.

The largest freshwater biome in the world is the Florida Everglades - which is a large natural region covered with tropical wetlands. These freshwater wetlands are home to a number of wildlife and plant species like the American alligator, peacocks, egrets, coral snakes, crappie fish and many more.

It is an integral cog in Americas ecosystem, as it hosts a plethora of exotic and endangered wildlife species that thrive in the warm, abundant surroundings.

The largest natural lakes in the world can also be considered biomes - which include Lake Victoria, Lake Baikal, Lake Superior, Lake Ontario and Lake Titicaca. The largest lake is the Caspian sea, despite its confusing name!

The longest river in the world, the Nile river, as well as the largest river, the Amazon river, also come under this classification.

Amounts Of Precipitation: Freshwater Biomes

The precipitation received by a freshwater biome to renew the freshwater present in it depends on the location where it is situated. The average precipitation received by freshwater biomes ranges from 10-80 in (25.4-203.2 cm) per year.

Most rivers and lakes are located in higher altitudes and valleys, which may receive less rainfall during the year, however wetlands and swamps are located in tropical and temperate zones, and receive a lot of precipitation during the dedicated monsoon season.

River and streams however are not at a disadvantage due to the lack of precipitation, as they originate from melting icecaps, lakes or springs in the mountains, which feed the flowing water bodies.

Rivers can form smaller tributaries as they flow on, with all rivers and streams eventually flowing into the ocean.

Some popular plants found in and around rivers are river birch, stargrass and willow trees. They are home to river dolphins, crabs, fish like river sturgeon and cod, beavers, otters, herons and even crocodiles!

Due to the constant flow of the river, most animals live in and around lakes instead, where the water is stagnant and they can survive without being worried about being carried away by the ever changing flow!

Abiotic Factors: Freshwater Biomes

Abiotic factors refers to the non-living components of the ecosystem- this means the climate, water temperature, sunlight received as well as the water of the biome itself!

The temperature of the freshwater biome is one of the most important components out of these.

In larger ecosystems like lakes, their stagnant nature means that there may be different water temperatures at different layers, with the top layers being warmer than those at the very bottom.

There is a layer in between these extreme layers called the thermocline, which is where the top and bottom layers mix and help to circulate oxygen evenly around the whole water body.

Different types of animals and aquatic creatures also inhabit different layers of the stagnant water body, depending on their temperature and dietary needs.

The layer closest to the shore is called the littoral zone- where most aquatic and wetland plants grow. The limnetic zone refers to the open water which is towards the middle of the lake, far from the shores of the water body.

The third zone is the Euphotic zone, which stands below the surface, but still is able to absorb enough of the sun's heat and light for other plants to perform photosynthesis and replenish the oxygen levels of the biome.

The last layer is called the Benthic zone, which refers to the bottom of the lake. It is often the coldest and darkest, where only bottom dwellers live.

Most aquatic animals inhabit the Euphotic, limnetic and littoral zones.

Sadly, many freshwater biomes are under the threat of losing a large portion of their biodiversity due to many factors such as water pollution by the dumping of industrial or human waste into waters, climate change leading up to extreme heat or cold which affects the plants and animals living in the vicinity negatively, and the manipulation of the resources or overuse of water for human consumption.

Due to growing industrialization and the depletion of natural wildlife in cities and towns, many Artificial lakes, ponds and wetlands are being built.

They help to increase natural biodiversity in areas where the natural vegetation is low, as well as help us to observe how freshwater biomes work - giving researchers ideas on how to help increase fish populations as well as what helps the most wildlife to thrive.

Terrestrial: Freshwater Biomes

The wildlife in freshwater biomes is not only just limited to the species inside the water - but to the surrounding terrestrial species as well!

Many animals depends on rivers and lakes for water to drink, as well as for sources of food.

Almost every freshwater system, mostly standing water bodies like lakes, ponds and wetland ecosystems, contain blue and green algae which play a vital role in helping absorb nutrients into the water, as well as serve as a food source for many aquatic insects and fish.

Many lakes have a self contained food chain among the vast expanse of species living in them, making for a good ecosystem.

The plankton in the water serve as food for many freshwater fish species- such as cod, sturgeon, lampreys and eels feed on these- in turn serving as prey for many bird and animal species, which visit the lake for drinking water as well as catching fish in the shallower regions.

Herbivores like wild cattle, rabbits and deer also visit these freshwater ecosystems to feed on the freshwater plants and drink water.

This also attracts predators like wolves, tigers and other jungle cats to the ponds and lakes.

Freshwater biomes actually account for 41% of the fish found in the world, and are also home to marine animals like the river dolphin, otters, crabs, piranhas, salamanders and turtles.

Some plant species which are associated with wetlands and aquatic environments are mangroves, cypress trees, hyacinths, water lilies, lotus flowers and cattails. Special mangrove forests usually grow at tropical coasts, and almost 80 different species of mangroves can be found here!

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for freshwater biomes facts then why not take a look at Lake Chad facts, or characteristics of lakes and ponds.