In these ecosystems, all the living forms are specially adapted to different rates of flow. Snails and other burrowing animals, can withstand the rapid flow of the hill-streams. Water beetles and skaters, can live only in slower moving water. Some species of fish go upstream from rivers to hill-streams for breeding. The various components of a riverine and stream ecosystems can be arranged as follows:
Producers: The chief producers are green algae. Consumers: The consumers show certain features as permanent attachment to firm substrate, presence of hooks and suckers, sticky undersurfaces, streamlined bodies, and flattened bodies. A variety of animals are found, which are freshwater sponges and caddis-fly larvae, snails and flatworms, fish and stonefly.
Decomposers: Various bacteria and fungi like actinomycetes are present which acts as decomposers.
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