FRESH WATER HABITAT
Fresh water habitat is a body of water formed mainly from inland waters and contain very low level of salinity.
Examples of fresh water habitats are:
rivers, ponds, streams, springs and lakes
Types of Fresh Waters
Fresh waters are classified on the basis of their mobility. Based on this, two types are identified. These are:
1.
Lotic fresh waters :
these include all running waters which can flow continuously in a specific direction. In other words, these are flowing or running waters, e.g. rivers, springs and streams.
2.
Lentic fresh waters :
these include standing or stagnant waters. These waters do not flow nor move. Examples are lakes, ponds, swamps and dams.
Characteristics of Fresh Water Habitats
The following characteristics are associated with fresh water habitats:
1.
low salinity:
fresh water habitats normally contains very low level of salts. It has about 0.5% of salt compared to about 3.5% for sea water.
2.
small in size:
fresh water habitat is usually very small compared to the ocean water which is about 75% of the earth surface
3.
variation in temperature:
the temperature of fresh water habitat usually varies with season and depth.
4.
high concentration of oxygen content:
oxygen is usually available in all parts of fresh water especially in the surface of the water.
5.
shallowness of water:
most fresh water habitats are very shallow hence sunlight can easily penetrate through the water to the bottom.
- g
6.
seasonal variation:
some fresh water habitats like streams and rivers normally dry up during the dry season while others have their volume reduced. The volume of water in rivers also increases during the rainy season. Turbidity and fast flow of rivers are also high during the rainy season than in dry season.
7.
currents:
currents can affect the distribution of gases, salts and small organisms in fresh water habitats such as rivers and streams.
MAJOR ECOLOGICAL ZONES OF FRESH WATER HABITATS
The zones of a lentic fresh water habitat, e.g. lake are similar to those of the marine habitats but there are no Supratidal and inter-tidal zones.
There are two major zones in a lentic fresh water habitat. These are littoral and benthic zones.
1.
Littoral zone:
it is the shallow part of fresh water habitat. It contains several plants and animals. The littoral zone has rooted vegetation at its base. It has the highest level of primary production because sunlight can easily penetrate the zone, hence photosynthetic activities are common.
Plants associated with this zone include spirogyra, Chlamydomonas, water lettuce, water fern, duckweed, diatoms and sedges. Animals associated with this zone include water fleas, water snails, flatworms, frogs, toads, water skaters, ducks, snakes, crocodiles, tadpoles, hydrae, and hippopotamus.
2.
Benthic zone:
benthic zone is the deepest parts of the lentic fresh water habitat. The benthic zone does not have rooted vegetation like the littoral zone although flowering plants may occur at its surface.
Plants associated with the benthic zone have well developed root system in the mud. These plants include water lily, water arum, ferns, crinum lily, commelina and grasses, read more about weeds and their botanical names here. Animals associated with the benthic zone include protozoa, rotifers, hydrae, tilapia fish, mud fish, cat fish, leeches,
caddish fly larvae, larvae and pupae of mosquito
, water snail, water spider, crayfish, water scorpion, water boatman and water bugs.
Lotic Fresh Water Habitat
In a lotic fresh water habitat e.g. rivers, there exist two zones, these are:
1.
pool zone:
in this zone, water is relatively slow and calm.
2.
rapid zone:
in this zone, water is very fast. The lotic fresh water habitat is not as stratified as the lentic fresh water habitat.
ADAPTIVE FEATURES OF SOME ORGANISMS IN FRESH WATER HABITAT
some plants and their adaptive features
1.
Water lily (Nymphaea):
the plant has air bladders, expanded shape and light weight which keep it afloat. It has long petioles attached at the centre of leaf blade which prevent them from being drawn under water by the current.
2.
Water hyacinth (Ipomea grassipis):
they have cavities and intercellular air spaces which give them the ability to float or maintain buoyancy on water.
Spirogyra:
the plant has mucilaginous cover which protect them in water.
Water lettuce (pistia):
water lettuce has hairs on their leaves which help them to trap air and enable them to float.
5.
Hornwort (ceratophyllum):
the plants have submerge or thin dissected leaves which increase their surface area to sunlight and gaseous exchange.
6.
Water weed (elodea):
the plant has a long and flexible submerged petiole which enable it to swing with water currents.
some animals and their adaptive features
1.
Protozoa:
these animals possess contractile vacuole which enable them to carry out osmoregulation in water.
2.
Tilapia fish:
they have swim bladders which enable them to float (buoyancy) in water. They also have gills for respiration.
3.
Duck:
it has webbed digit on its feet for easy locomotion and serrated beak for sieving food in water into its mouth.
4.
Lung fish (protopterus):
he animals obtain oxygen through the gills but when the water dries out during dry season, hey dig into the mud and breathe with lungs until the rain comes again.
5.
Hydra:
it has slippery surface, hooks and suckers for attachment to water particles.
6.
Pond skaters (gerris):
this animal has long legs with which he skates on water surface.
7.
Water boatman:
this animal can carry bubbles of air with it as it goes below the water surface to the bottom and use these as their air supply (respiration) under water.
Food Chain in Fresh Water Habitat
Diatoms, spirogyra, detritus, water lily, and most of the flowering plants are the major producers in fresh water habitat. Some example of food chains are:
i. Diatoms==fish fry==tilapia
ii. Detritus==worm==shrimps==birds
iii. Spirogyra==tadpoles==carps==king fishers.
energy flow in fresh water habitat
- Energy from sun/radiant energy/solar energy is received
- It is then absorbed/trapped by green plants/algae/phytoplanking (of fresh water/pond/stream/river, etc.).
- This is used in photosynthesis, to synthesize/manufacture organic substances.
- Zooplankton/fish/animals of the pond would now depend or feed on the green plants for food.
- The feeding is direct if they are herbivores as the plants are eaten by herbivores.
- The feeding is indirect if they are carnivores as herbivores are eaten by carnivores.
- When plants or animals/organisms die or when animals discharge their droppings/wastes, they are decomposed via the action of saprophytes/fungi/bacteria-decomposers/micro-organisms.
- By sodaing, energy is lost.
Factors Affecting Fresh Water Habitats
Factors which affect fresh water habitats are biotic and abiotic factors.
1.
Biotic Factors
a. Plant/producers
b. Animals/consumers
c. Parasites
d. Decomposers/saprophytes/micro-organisms
e. Predators
2.
Abiotic Factors
a. Temperature
b. Sunlight/light
c. Wind
d. Inorganic compounds
e. Turbidity/suspended particles/transparency
f. Topography
g. Dissolved oxygen
h. pH/dissolved CO
i. water current/currents
j. rainfall/precipitation
Please share if you find our article good and useful
- economic tools for nation building
- budgeting
- factors affecting the expansion of industries
- mineral resources and the mining industries
- demand and supply
- types of demand curve and used
- advertising industry
- factors of production
- entrepreneur
- joint stock company
- public enterprises
- private enterprises
- limited liability companies
- migration
- population
- market concept
- money market
- shares
- how companies raises funds for expansion
WEED AND THEIR BOTANICAL NAMES
1. ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS AFFECTING AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION
2. DISEASES
3. 52. SOIL MICRO-ORGANISMS
4. ORGANIC MANURING
5. FARM YARD MANURE
6. HUMUS
7. COMPOST
8. CROP ROTATION
9. GRAZING AND OVER GRAZING
10. IRRIGATION AND DRAINAGE
11. IRRIGATION SYSTEMS
12. ORGANIC MANURING
13. FARM YARD MANURE
14. HUMUS
15. COMPOST
16. CROP ROTATION
- IRRIGATION AND DRAINAGE
19. IRRIGATION SYSTEMS
20. INCUBATORS
21. MILKING MACHINE
22. SIMPLE FARM TOOLS
23. AGRICULTURAL MECHANIZATION
24. THE CONCEPT OF MECHANIZATION
25. PROBLEMS OF MECHANIZATION
26. SURVEYING AND PLANNING OF FARMSTEAD
27. IMPORTANCE OF FARM SURVEY
28. SURVEY EQUIPMENT
29. PRINCIPLES OF FARM OUTLAY
30. SUMMARY OF FARM SURVEYING
31. CROP HUSBANDRY PRACTICES
32. PESTS AND DISEASE OF MAIZE- ZEA MAYS
33. CULTIVATION OF MAIZE CROP
34. OIL PALM
35. USES OF PALM OIL
36. MAINTENANCE OF PALM PLANTATION
37. COCOA
38.
39. PROCESSES IN COCOA CULTIVATION
HOLING AND LINING
40. YAM
41. LAND PREPARATION FOR YAM
42. DEPT OF PLANTING
43. SPACING OF YAM
44. PLANTING DEPT OF YAM
45. STORAGE OF YAM
46. STAKING OF YAM
47. HARVESTING OF YAM
48. COWPEA
JUTE
49. FORAGE CROP AND PASTURE
50. FORAGE GRASSES
51. SILAGE
52. PASTURE
53. TYPES OF PASTURE
COMMON GRASSES AND LEGUMES
54. GRASSES
55. LEGUMES
56. ESTABLISHMENT OF PASTURES
57. 201. FORAGE PRESERVATION
58. HAY SILAGE
59. FORESTRY IMPORTANCE OF FORESTRY 206. FOREST MANAGEMENT FOREST REGULATION DEFORESTATION AFFORESTATION
60. DISEASES AND PESTS OF CROPS
61. MAIZE SMUT
62. RICE BLAST
63. MAIZE RUST
64. LEAF SPOT OF GROUNDNUT
65. COW-PEA MOSAIC
66. COCOA BLACK POD DISEASE
check out these recent posts
- loans for businesses
- how to establish enterprises
- what is a firm
- price equilibrium
- scale of preference
- concept of economics
- economic tools for nation building
- budgeting
- factors affecting the expansion of industries
- mineral resources and the mining industries
- demand and supply
- types of demand curve and used
- advertising industry
- factors of production
- entrepreneur
- joint stock company
- public enterprises
- private enterprises
- limited liability companies
- migration
- population
- market concept
- money market
- shares
- how companies raises funds for expansion
- BALANCED DIETS
141. LACTATION DIETS
142. MALNUTRITION - RINDER PESTS
148. NEWCASTLE DISEASE
149. BACTERIA DISEASES
150. ANTHRAX
151. BRUCELLOSIS
152. TUBERCULOSIS
153. FUNGAL DISEASES - PROTOZOAN DISEASES
155. TRYPONOSOMIASIS159. TAPE WORM
160. ROUND WORM OF PIGS
161. LIVER FLUKE
162. ECTO PARASITES
163. TICK