Freshwater Biome Facts

Aquatic biome, which is also referred to as water biome, is broadly divided into two sub-divisions - the marine biome, i.e. oceans and estuaries on the planet, and freshwater biome, i.e. all the freshwater sources on the planet. Basically, a freshwater biome is made up of water bodies such as rivers, lakes, ponds, streams, etc. - all of which make up for a mere 0.08 percent of the total water available on the planet, and this makes it the smallest biome of the world.

Interesting Facts about the Freshwater Biome

Even though the freshwater biome has less than 1 percent of the total water available on the planet, the numerous freshwater sources which come together to form this biome are our major sources of drinking water. In fact, even the glaciers, which act as water reservoirs on the planet, are nothing but frozen rivers, and this makes them yet another component of this biome. This, and other such facts about this biome, make it one of the most crucial biome for existence of life on the Earth.

Location: Unlike other biomes, it is very difficult to determine the longitudinal and latitudinal location of freshwater biome as various freshwater sources which make up this biome, are found all over the world. This biome generally includes all the inland water sources which are typically characterized by salinity of less than 1 percent. Of the various abiotic factors, the location of these freshwater sources is perhaps one of the most important factor as it plays a key role in determining the biodiversity in this biome.

Climate: Basically, freshwater biome weather depends on the location of the freshwater source, its general characteristics such as depth and flow of water and prevailing season. On an average, the temperature fluctuates between 65-75F in summer and 35-45F in winter. You will see a great deal of variation in the climate depending on how the three factors mentioned above - location, general characteristics and season, come into play.

Animals: Even though freshwater biome is one of the smallest biome, there is no dearth of plant and animal species in it. The exhaustive list of animals in this biome consists of approximately 700 species of fish and 1200 species of amphibians, alongside numerous reptiles and insect species which inhabit these water sources. Interestingly, freshwater sources are home to approximately 41 percent of total fish species found in the world - which includes some of the most popular names such as salmon and bass. Similarly, a number of mammals and birds depend on this aquatic biome for their drinking water and food, either directly or indirectly.

Plants: You will see a great deal of diversity when it comes to plants depending on the location and type of the freshwater source. While rivers and streams which are typically characterized by flowing water facilitate the growth of stargrass, tape grass and other such species, marshlands which are characterized by stagnant water will feature plant species such as cattails and duckweed. Other than these species, freshwater biomes also support aquatic plants such as water hyacinth, water spinach, lotus, water cress, etc.

As in case with almost all the biomes of the world, even this biome is threatened by various human activities. On one hand, we have turned all the freshwater sources in our neighborhood into virtual garbage bins, and on the other, we are building dams and hampering the normal flow of water. Even though all the biomes face a serious threat as a result of various human activities, the freshwater biome is by far the most vulnerable of them all - as most of the human settlements can be traced along these freshwater sources.

To sum it up, we are destroying our own life by interfering with the nature - directly or indirectly, and if we don't take the necessary steps right now, the chances are, we may not even get a chance to work on it tomorrow.