Freshwater Biome Information

The freshwater biomes are flowing or still areas of water with less than one percent salt. They range from small trickles of water from melting snow to vast, permanent water bodies hundreds of feet deep.

Types

There are five different types of freshwater biomes--rivers, lakes, streams, wetlands and ponds.

Animals

Freshwater biomes contain branch of life, including crustaceans like crayfish, mollusks like clams, birds like ducks, mammals like beavers, fish like northern pike, amphibians like frogs, insects like dragonflies and reptiles like alligators.

Plants

Freshwater biomes contain plant life like the lily pad, which creates cover for fish; cattails, which give birds places to cling when declaring their territory; and algae, which provides food for fish.

Zones

Freshwater biomes contain four zones based on depth and distance from the shore. They are the littoral zone (uppermost layer near shore), the limnetic zone (top layer in open water), the thermocline zone (where the water changes temperature quickly) and the profundal zone (layer below the reach of sunlight to the bottom).

Locations

Freshwater biomes span the globe, many of which connect to marine biomes.

References

• The Freshwater Biome
• Pond Life -- Animal
• Freshwater Biomes