Freshwater Biome Facts

Aquatic biome, which is also referred to as water biome, is broadly divided into two sub-divisions - the marine biome, i.e. oceans and estuaries on the planet, and freshwater biome, i.e. all the freshwater sources on the planet. Owing to some similarities that these biomes share, and lack of knowledge about some of the basic freshwater biome facts of course, this biome has become what we can refer to as the 'most underrated biome in the world'. Basically, a freshwater biome is made up of water bodies such as rivers, lakes, ponds, streams, and other such freshwater sources - all of which make up for a mere 0.08 percent of the total water available on the planet, and this makes the freshwater biome one of the smallest biomes of the world.

Interesting Facts about the Freshwater Biome

Even though freshwater biomes consists less than one percent of the total water available on the planet, the numerous freshwater sources which come together to form this biome are our major sources of drinking water. In fact, even the glaciers, which act as water reservoirs on the planet, are nothing but frozen rivers, and this makes them yet another component of freshwater biome. This, and other such freshwater biome facts, make it one of the most crucial biome for existence of life on the Earth. Given below is a compilation of some interesting freshwater biome information which is bound to leave you amazed.

Freshwater Biome Location
Unlike other biomes, it is very difficult to determine the longitudinal and latitudinal location of freshwater biome as various freshwater sources which make up this biome, are found all over the world. This biome generally includes all the inland water sources which are typically characterized by salinity of less than 1 percent. Among the various freshwater biome abiotic factors, the location of these freshwater sources is perhaps one of the most important factor as it plays a key role in determining the biodiversity in this biome.

Freshwater Biome Climate
Basically, freshwater biome weather depends on the location of the freshwater source, its general characteristics such as depth and flow of water and prevailing season. On an average, the temperature in freshwater biomes tends to fluctuate between 65-75 °F in summer and 35-45 °F in winter. You will see a great deal of variation in freshwater biome climate depending on how the three factors mentioned above - location, general characteristics and season, come into play.

Freshwater Biome Animals
Even though freshwater biome is one of the smallest biome, there is no dearth of plant and animal species in it. When it comes to freshwater biome animals, the exhaustive list consists of approximately 700 species of fish and 1200 species of amphibians, other than the numerous reptiles and insect species which inhabit these water sources. Interestingly, freshwater sources are home to approximately 41 percent of total fish species found in the world - which includes some of the most popular names such as salmon and bass. Similarly, a number of mammals and birds depend on this aquatic biome for their drinking water and food, either directly or indirectly.

Freshwater Biome Plants
You will see a great deal of diversity when it comes to freshwater biome plants depending on the location and type of the freshwater source. While rivers and streams which are typically characterized by flowing water facilitate the growth of stargrass, tape grass and other such species, marshlands which are characterized by stagnant water will feature plant species such as cattails and duckweed. Other than these species, freshwater biomes also support aquatic plants such as water hyacinth, water spinach, lotus, water cress, etc.

These were some of the most amazing freshwater biome facts intended to highlight the importance of this biome for various lifeforms on the planet, including human beings. As in case with almost all the biomes of the world, even this biome is threatened by various human activities. On one hand, we have turned all the freshwater sources in our neighborhood into virtual garbage bins, on the other, we are building dams and hampering the normal flow of water. This and other such activities have been playing a key role in destruction of biodiversity of this biome. Even though all the biomes of the world face a serious threat as a result of various human activities, the freshwater biome is by far the most vulnerable of them all owing to the fact that most of the human settlements can be traced to the vicinity of these freshwater sources. To sum it up, we are destroying our own life by interfering with the nature - directly or indirectly, and if we don't take the necessary steps right now the chances are, we may not even get a chance to work on it tomorrow.