FRESHWATER ECOSYSTEM

A freshwater ecosystem is an ecosystem whose physical nature is dominated by

the presence of water and supports a distinct set of producers and consumers. The
following are examples of freshwater ecosystem; water system that is inland from the
coast, surface water like in stream and rivers; and standing waters like in lakes,
reservoirs, ponds or wetlands. The factors affecting the type of organisms found in fresh
water are; the amount or concentration of nutrients, the depth trough which sunlight can
penetrate, the amount of dissolved oxygen and water temperature. Different of types of
aquatic plants (water hyacinth, hydrilla, algae) and animals (frogs, fish, fresh water
ecosystem are lakes, streams, rivers and wetlands, man-made are reservoir and pond.

Lake
The lake is standing freshwater ecosystem. It is formed when water is collected
from direct precipitation, surface run off or ground water flow. Water fills the basin-like
depression formed from volcanic activity (Examples are Taal lake, Batangas, Tadlac
Lake in Los Banos, Laguna, Bulusan Lake in Sorsogon); glaciations (Great Lakes in
North America) and impact features of meteorites (Crater Lake in Oregon)
Distinct Zones of Lakes
Lakes normally consist of four distinct zones, which provide variety of ecological
niches for different species of plant and animals. These are the littoral zone, limnetic
zone, profundal zone and benthic zone.
The littoral zone is found in the shallow, nutrient rich water near the shore. It
contains rooted aquatic plants and abundant aquatic life dependent on such plants. The
limnetic zone is the open water surface layer that receives sufficient sunlight for
photosynthesis and contains floating phytoplanktons, plant-eating zooplanktons and fish
that depend on such environment. The profundal zone of deep water, which is not
penetrated by sunlights, is inhabited mostly by fish that are adapted to its cooler, darker
water and lower dissolved oxygen. The benthic zone supports the bloodworms and
other decomposers which live on dead plant, animal remains and animal wastes.

Distinct Layers of Lakes

Lakes can be stratified into two distinct layer, the epilimnion and hypoliminion.
The epilimnion is the upper layer with warm water exposed to the atmosphere with high
levels of dissolved oxygen. The hypolimnion is the lower layer of colder, denser water
with lower concentration of dissolved oxygen. The transition zone separating the two
layers is called thermocline, in which the temperature drops sharply. Thermally stratified
lakes undergo mixing cycle during one or more the season. This turnover mixes water
of the top to bottom bringing nutrient and replenish the supply of dissolved oxygen. This
turnover or upwelling occurs because the densities of the top and bottom water changes
as the lake change temperature during various seasons.

Major Types of Lakes

Lakes can be classified into two major types. The oligotrophic lake is a lake
with low supply of plant nutrients. This type is usually deep and has crystal clear water,
cool to cold temperatures and small populations of phytoplankton and fishes. Taal Lake
is an example of this.
Lakes with large or excessive supply of plant nutrients are called eutrophic lake.
This is usually shallow and has cloudy warm water, large populations of phytoplanktons
and zooplanktons and fishes. Eutrophication is a process in which lakes receive inputs
of plants nutrients from the surrounding basin as a result of erosion and runoff. Cultural
eutrophication is caused by affluents from sewage treatment plants, runoff of fertilizers
and animal wastes and soil erosion. This accelerated eutrophication affects the lake.
Laguna Lake is an example.

Lakes that fall somewhere between these two extremes of nutrient enrichment
are called mesotrophic lakes. Lake Naujan in Oriental Mindoro is an example. Lakes
may not always be fresh water. In certain areas, lakes have been formed from
evaporation of bigger bodies of water, leaving salty lakes examples are Dead Sea,
Caspian Sea and the Great Salt Lake.

Reservoir

Reservoirs are man-made bodies of standing water, often built behind dams.
These are built primarily for storage of water. Unlike lakes, the volume of water is
determined by what is required for hydroelectric power production, irrigation and
domestic consumption.

Pond

Ponds are small, shallow, usually human-created impoundments of fresh water

primarily for watering livestock, raising freshwater fish, or for recreational activities.
Because these are shallow, they do not have distinct temperature zone. Photosynthesis
takes place at all depths during daylight unless water becomes clogged with algae
during warm weather. Is there a pond in your community? Can you describe it?

Streams and Rivers

Rain or other form of precipitation that does not infiltrate into ground or evaporate
remains on the earth’s surface water. This run-off flows into streams and rivers and
eventually downhill to the oceans for reuse in the water cycle.

Streams are relatively small flowing bodies of freshwater that empty into rivers.
Rivers are wider and deeper than streams and empty into the oceans. The entire land
area that delivers the water, sediments and dissolved substances via streams to a
major river and to the sea is called a watershed or drainage basin. There are two major
zones in streams; the shallow water or rapid zone and the deeper water or pool zone.
Shallow water has enough velocity to keep the bottom clean of silt and other loose
materials and is occupied largely by benthic organisms. While, deeper zone has a
reduced velocity where materials tend to settle in the bottom providing condition to
burrowing animals.

Inland Wetland

Land that remains flooded with freshwater all or part of the year and located
away from coastal areas are called inland wetland. They include bogs, marshes and
river-overflow lands that are covered with fresh water and found inland. Examples are
Liguasan Marsh in Cotabato, Candaba swamps in Pampanga.

In addition to supporting wildlife, it also serves a variety of other important

ecological functions. They store and regulate stream flow, reducing flooding frequency,
and downstream peak floods level. It also improves water quality.

 Research on the condition of the freshwater/ dams.

MARINE ECOSYSTEMS
Marine ecosystems are among the largest of Earth's aquatic ecosystems.
Includes oceans, saltmarsh and intertidalecology, estuariesand lagoons, mangroves an
d coral reefs, the deep sea and the sea floor. They can be contrasted with freshwater
ecosystems, which have a lower salt content. Marine waters cover two-thirds of the
surface of the Earth. Such places are considered ecosystems because the plant life
supports the animal life and vice-versa. Marine ecosystems are very important for the
overall health of both marine and terrestrial environments.
According to the World Resource Center, coastal habitats alone account for
approximately 1/3 of all marine biological productivity, and estuarine ecosystems (i.e.,
salt marshes, sea grasses, mangrove forests) are among the most productive regions
on the planet. In addition, other marine ecosystems such as coral reefs, provide food
and shelter to the highest levels of marine diversity in the world. Marine ecosystems
usually have a large biodiversity and are therefore thought to have a good resistance
against invasive species.
However, studies do not always correlate with this theory leading researchers to
argue about the mechanisms responsible in determining the success of an invasion.
Figure 3.3 marine ecosystem

Marine ecosystem is distinguished from the freshwater ecosystem because of its

higher level of salinity. Salinity is the concentration of dissolved salts like sodium
chloride in water. It is a limiting factor that affects the distribution and growth of various
aquatic plants and animals.

The relatively warm, nutrient rich, shallow water zone that extends from high tide
mark on land to the edge of continental landmasses or continental shelf is called the
coastal or neritic zone. It contains 90% of plants and animals. It is also the site of most
major marine fisheries. The sharp increase in the depth of water at the edge of the
continental shelf marks the separation of the neritic zone from the open seas.

The open seas are divided into three vertical zones. The surface layer, through
which enough sunlight can penetrate for photosynthesis is called euphotic zone. It
supports phytoplanktons which in turn support other fishes.

Below this zone, is the bathyal zone, a colder, darker layer where there is some
penetration of sunlight but not enough to support photosynthesis. Organisms like
clams, oysters, crustaceans, sponges and some fishes can be found.
Going deeper into the ocean, we can find the abyssal zone, a layer of deep,
pitch-dark, usually near freezing water and the ocean bottom.

Estuary and Coastal Wetland

Estuaries are found along coastlines where fresh water from rivers mixes with
salty oceanic waters. The saltiness of water changes with tides and current. Estuaries
are productive ecosystems because of the large amount of nutrient from rivers. They
serve as nursery sites for fish and crustaceans. They also serve as barriers to pollution
as they trap sediments that prevent pollutants from reaching oceans. Extending inland
from estuaries are coastal wetlands. In temperate areas, coastal wetlands usually
consist of a mix of bays, lagoons and salt marshes where grasses are the dominant
vegetation.
In tropical areas, we find mangrove swamps. The coastal zone of warm tropical and sub
tropical oceans often contain coral reefs. This reefs support marine organisms. In many
populated coastal areas, human activities are increasingly threatening the abundance of
plant and animal life in estuaries and coastal wetlands. They destroy some of the
important services these ecosystems provide. Figure 3.4 layers of ocean