Freshwater ecosystems

ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES
Lesson 13: Types of ecosystems

Freshwater ecosystems

Freshwater ecosystems are of two types

  1. Lentic ecosystem: The ecosystems which have running water are streams and rivers known as lotic ecosystem.
  2. Lotic ecosystem: Ponds, tanks and lakes are ecosystems where water does not flow which are known as lentic ecosystems.

Wetlands are special ecosystems in which the water level fluctuates dramatically in different seasons. They have expanses of shallow water with aquatic vegetation, which forms an ideal habitat for fish, crustaceans and water birds.
Marine
ecosystems are highly saline, while brackish areas have less saline water such as in river deltas.
Coral reefs
are very rich in species and are found in only a few shallow tropical seas. A coral reef is a type of biotic reef which develops in tropical waters. The richest coral reefs in India are around the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and in the Gulf of Kutch.

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Last modified: Monday, 2 January 2012, 6:21 AM