Freshwater Ecosystem, Types, and Limiting Factors

Freshwater ecosystem, types, and limiting factors A freshwater body is any body of water with a low salt concentration, usually less than 1%. Animals and plants in these freshwaters have adapted to the low salt concentrations and are unable to survive the high salt concentrations found in oceans. Freshwater ecology is the study of the relationship between living organisms and the freshwater environment. Limnology is the study of the physical, chemical, geological, and biological aspects of freshwaters. Freshwater ecosystems are those that rely solely on fresh water for their survival. These systems are often referred to as freshwater ecosystems. There are many different types of freshwater ecosystems, including lakes, rivers, streams, ponds, wetlands, Freshwater Habitat Types Three major categories of freshwater habitats are studied. a. Lentic or standing water (lenis, calm) Lakes, ponds, swamps, and other similar habitats b. Lotic or running water (lotus, washed) Spring, streams, rivers, and so on are examples of habitat. Wetlands include marshes and swamps. There are no distinctions between or within these categories. Geological change produces a gradient in the indicated direction, whereas biological processes frequently work to stabilise or slow down the process of lake filling and stream erosion. As a result, lakes tend to fill up, whereas streams tend to cut down to base level and thus change as a result of water action. Limiting fators of Fresh water ecosystem • Temperature Water's unique properties keep temperature fluctuations in water bodies at bay. The variation is minor, decreasing gradually from the water's surface to the bottom. Some of these thermal properties are as follows: High specific heat: When compared to other substances of the same mass, changing the temperature of water requires a relatively large amount of heat. One gram of heat (gcal) is required to raise one milliliter (ml) of water by one degree Celsius (between 150C to 160C). High latent heat of fusion: it takes 80 calories to convert one gram of ice to water without changing its temperature. The greatest latent heat of evaporation is absorbed during evaporation, which occurs more or less continuously from vegetation, water, and ice surfaces. The evaporation of water from the world's ecosystems consumes a large portion of solar energy. This flow of energy regulates the climate, allowing life to exist on Earth. The highest density, 40 C, aids in the expansion of water from both above and below the surface, making it lighter. This property keeps bodies of water, such as lakes, from freezing. Temperature, on the other hand, is a major limiting factor for aquatic biota because aquatic organisms frequently have a narrow tolerance (Stenothermy). As a result, even minor temperature changes can have far-reaching consequences. Temperature changes cause distinct patterns of circulation and stratification in the water body, which in turn influences the water body. Rivers and other bodies of water also play a role in regulating the climate of the land and its surroundings. • Transparency Transparency is a crucial parameter for determining light penetration. Light penetration is limited by suspended materials, limiting the photosynthetic zone in aquatic habitats with significant depth. Turbidity is caused by either clay and split particles or living organism excretory products. Turbidity caused by suspended clay and split particles is a significant limiting factor. Turbidity caused by living organisms, on the other hand, is a measure of the productivity of a water body. Turbidity has a direct effect on light penetration. Turbid water reduces the amount of light that reaches the bed. Large shallow lakes with a large surface area are more productive than deep lakes because more light reaches the lake bed. Heavily shaded streams in river systems rely on degraded organic matter and leave from the surrounding catchment to fuel the ecosystem. The canopy of larger rivers is open, allowing algal production. Transparency can be measured using a device known as a Secchi disc. It is made up of a white disc about 20 cm in diameter that is lowered from the surface until it is barely visible. The Secchi disc transparency of an unproductive clear lake is approximately 40 meters, whereas for a productive clear lake. • Currents The distribution of salts, vital gases, and small organisms is greatly influenced by current. It is an important limiting factor for lotic systems, particularly streams. • Respiratory gas concentration In freshwater environments, oxygen and carbon dioxide concentrations are frequently limited. Dissolved oxygen content (DO) and biological oxygen demand (BOD) are important determinants for assessing a waterbody's biological and physical health. These are among the most extensively researched physical factors. Productivity is reflected in dissolved oxygen. Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) or Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD) is a measurement of the amount of dissolved oxygen (DO) used by aerobic microorganisms while the decomposing organic matter in a waterbody at a specific temperature and time. The amount of dissolved oxygen (DO) in streams and rivers is affected by BOD. Many variables influence the rate of oxygen consumption, including temperature, pH, the presence of certain microorganisms, and the amount of oxygen consumed. • Biogenic salt concentration Freshwater ecosystems are limited by salt concentrations such as phosphates and nitrates. In some lakes, calcium and other salts may also be limiting factors. The availability of the inorganic form of phosphorus as ion phosphate limits the algal productivity of most freshwater lakes. When lakes are artificially fertilized with phosphorus in the form of phosphates, productivity skyrockets. Phosphate received from agricultural field runoff and sewage supply to lakes also results in increased productivity. Other salts, such as potassium, ammonium, or inorganic carbon, do not affect productivity.