Freshwater Ecosystem

Freshwater Ecosystem introduction

Most of the Earth Surface (around 70%) is covered with water, but not all the water is
freshwater. Only 3.5% is freshwater, and the rest 96.5% is saltwater in the form of oceans.
The Freshwater is found in the form of ponds, lakes, streams, frozen water, etc. other than
oceans and seas. The freshwater ecosystem plays an important role in biodiversity. However,
it is less extensive as compared to the saltwater ecosystem. It supports various species of
plants and animals. These species usually will not be able to survive in the saltwater
ecosystem because their body is adapted to low-salt content, unlike saltwater species, which
are adapted to high-salt content. Freshwater bodies are one of the primary sources of water
supply for our daily uses; This ecosystem is known for “lower salt content water bodies”
generally less than 1%.

Freshwater Ecosystem Definition

An ecosystem characterized by low-salt content, making a suitable environment for various

plants and animals is known as a freshwater ecosystem. Freshwater resources vary in terms
of size from very small to large.
Freshwater resources also differ from each other in terms of their movement. Some
freshwater bodies are moving continuously like rivers, whereas some others are stagnant like
ponds.

Types of Freshwater Ecosystem

Based on the presence or absence of flow in its water two main types of aquatic bodies can
be distinguished. These are:

(A) Lentic aquatic system.

(B) Lotic aquatic system.

Lentic Aquatic Systems:

Lentic aquatic systems are those which contain stagnant waters. These are usually
formed in small or large depressions on earth’s surface which possess no exit for the water to
flow out. Lentic systems, therefore, are closed systems. Whatever gets in it, rarely gets out. It
has to decay, decompose or persist as such within the lentic body. Natural processes in the
long run change such a body into a swamp or a marsh, a wetland and finally to dry land.
Small puddles, ponds and lakes are familiar examples of such systems.
The Lotic Aquatic Systems:
Lotic aquatic systems are those systems which contain flowing waters. The mass of water in
these systems is in a state of perpetual motion. Streams and rivers are familiar examples of
such systems. The basic function of these lotic bodies of water is to carry the surplus rain
water back to the sea. The total amount of water which streams and rivers of the world carry
to the oceans amounts to almost 25 cms of rains distributed evenly over the land surface.

Zonation of the lakes

Each pond or lake has several different zones that divide the water column from top to
bottom and side to side. The zones discussed are the Littoral Zone, Limnetic Zone, Profundal
Zone, Euphotic Zone, and Benthic Zone.

The Littoral Zone is the shore area of the lake or pond. The littoral zone consists of the area
from the dry land sloping to the open water and can be very narrow or very wide. Typically
oligotrophic or young ponds have narrow littoral zones due to their steep sides and eutrophic
or old ponds have wide littoral zones due to their gently sloping shoreline and sides. The
littoral zone is shallow and gets a lot of nutrients from runoff and non-point source pollution.
Therefore, it typically has an abundance of aquatic plant and algae growth. Some other
common inhabitants of the littoral zone are cattails, reeds, crawfish, snails, insects,
zooplankton, and small fish.

The Limnetic Zone is generally classified as the open water area of the lake or pond. This is
a much larger section of water in oligotrophic or younger ponds and lakes than it is in
eutrophic or older bodies of water. Within the limnetic zone are two separate sections. The
upper portion of the limnetic zone near the surface of the water is the Euphotic Zone or
Epilimnion (warm water region). This is the portion of water that receives sunlight. The zone
ends where the sunlight fails to penetrate the water. The euphotic zone is where algae and
other aquatic plants thrive (along with the littoral zone). Also this is the typical area of dense
fish populations because oxygen levels are typically higher due to contact with the air.

Below the euphotic zone is the Profundal Zone or Hypolimnion (cold water region). The
profundal zone is located below the thermocline where the sunlight does not penetrate.
Again, the size of this zone depends on the age and water clarity of the pond or lake. The
profundal zone typically has lower fish populations because of the lack of oxygen during
many parts of the year.

The final zone is the Benthic Zone. This is the bottom of the pond or lake and consists of
organic sediments and soil. The benthic zone is the pond or lakes digestive system. This is
where bacteria decompose organic matter from dead algae, aquatic plants, and fish and
animal waste. The more organic matter in the pond, the more decomposition taking place.
Decomposition can take place either aerobically (in the presence of oxygen) or anaerobically
(without oxygen). It is much better to have aerobic decomposition because it is a faster
process and the byproducts are easier to handle. The benthic zone increases as the pond or
lake ages.
Lake Stratification

Intense heating of the surface waters of a lake help create a strong stratification of lake
waters. The upper layer is known as the epilimnion. This layer is affected by winds and
stays fairly well mixed. Just below the epilimnion is the thermocline where the water stops
mixing. It serves as a boundary layer for the cold, deep water below. The hypolimnion is the
cold, deep-water, stagnant layer. This layer often has very low oxygen in the water. This is
often accompanied by dissolved hydrogen sulphide and other sulfurous gases.

Epilimnion:
The upper stratum, which usually has the highest dissolved oxygen concentration and is
characterized by a temperature gradient of less than 1°C per metre of depth, is the epilimnion
(literally the “upon-lake” or the “upper lake”). This stratum contains more or less uniformly
warm, circulating, and fairly turbulent water.

Metalimnion:
It is the transitional stratum of marked thermal change between the epilimnion and
hypolimnion. The middle layer of the lake, characterized by a temperature gradient of more
than 1°C per metre of depth is the thermocline. The term thermocline refers to the plane or
surface of maximum rate of decrease of temperature in the metalimnion

Hypolimnion:
The lower stratum of water characterized by a temperature gradient of less than 1°C per
metre of depth is the hypolimnion (literally the “lake below” or “Bottom Lake”). This part
contains denser, cooler, and relatively quiet water.

Lake Eutrophication: Types and Effects

There are many lakes located all over the world. They differ by geographic location,
pollution rates, environmental conditions and the nutrient contents. Based on the nutrient
content, lakes can be classified as oligotrophic lakes, mesotrophic and eutrophic lakes. The
trophic states of lakes provide reliable information about the pollution status and the
geographical details of the particular area in which the lake situates. When distinguishing
between oligotrophic and eutrophic lakes, the main nutrients considered are Nitrogen and
Phosphorus.

Oligotrophic and Eutrophic Lakes

The key difference between oligotrophic and eutrophic lakes is that the oligotrophic lakes
contain a very low level of nutrient composition while the eutrophic lakes contain a very
high amount of nutrient composition.
Oligotrophic Lakes

Oligotrophic lakes refer to the lakes that have a very less nutrient composition. Thus, the
levels of Nitrogen and Phosphorus in an oligotrophic lake are very low. Highly oxygenated
water can be observed in the oligotrophic lakes. Hence the oxygen levels of the water are
comparatively high. The water in oligotrophic lakes is also very cold. This increases the
dissolution of oxygen in the water, further increasing the oxygen levels. The bottom water of
the oligotrophic lake makes it difficult for the survival of most aquatic organisms due to very
low temperature. The fish found in oligotrophic lakes include whitefish and trout. The algal
content in oligotrophic lakes is very low as they do not have adequate nutrient conditions.
Therefore, light penetration is high, and there is no odour emitting from oligotrophic lakes.
The decomposition process in oligotrophic lakes is very slow as there are very
fewer decomposers due to the less availability of nutrients. Presence of oligotrophic lakes
also suggests that the pollution level and surface runoff containing chemicals is less in that
area.

Eutrophic Lakes

Eutrophic lakes are the lakes that have an excessive algal growth due to the high content of
nutrients. Eutrophication is the process that creates this kind on lakes. In eutrophic lakes,
there is a high content of Nitrogen and Phosphorus. Since eutrophic lakes are rich in
nutrients; they support for the increased growth of algal forms such
as Chlorella and Spirulina. This increases the biological oxygen demand. Thus, the bottom
of the lake is most often anoxic as it doesn’t receive ample amount of oxygen. Due to the
growth of excel algal blooms, the penetration of light into the lake also decreases.
Decomposition rate is high in eutrophic lakes hence, there is an odour coming out from these
lakes.