Freshwater Biome Weather

It is kind of surprising to see that a large number of people are unaware of some of the most simple freshwater biome facts even though it is one of the most important biomes of the world. The fact that we derive our drinking water from this very attribute of the Earth's ecosystem adds to its importance from the human point of view. One can see a great deal of confusion in differentiating the two attributes of the aquatic biome - marine biome and freshwater biome, and our ignorance about the latter can be attributed to this very fact. While the marine biome consists of saline water sources, such as oceans and estuaries, freshwater biome consists of freshwater sources, such as rivers, lakes, ponds, etc. Other than water, you can also see a significant difference in the weather conditions that prevails over these two biomes. When it comes to freshwater biome, weather conditions are typically guided by a range of factors, including the location and climatic condition of the region.

Freshwater Biome: Difference between Weather and Climate

Before we move on to see the weather conditions that prevail in freshwater biome, let's take a brief look at the difference between the two concepts - weather and climate. While the word 'weather' is used to refer to the atmospheric condition prevailing in a certain area for a specific period of time (most often a day), the word 'climate' is used to refer to the weather conditions that prevail over a longer duration (throughout the year). Freshwater biomes are spread across the Earth, with largest concentration between tropical and temperate region. In polar regions, freshwater is stored in form of huge glaciers. With such vast geographical span, the diversity that one can see in freshwater biome climate is not at all surprising. For instance, the wetlands, which are one of the most important component of the freshwater biome, of Southeast Asia receive approximately 200 inches of rainfall, while those of Europe merely receive 50-60 inches of rainfall in a year.

Freshwater Biome: Weather Conditions

The diversity that one can observe in freshwater biomes across the world makes it difficult to ascertain specific weather conditions that prevail here. The weather conditions prevailing near two different freshwater sources, one in the Indian subcontinent and other in Greenland are bound to differ by a significant extent. Basically, climatic factors, such as precipitation and temperature, and geological factors, such as landforms and source of water, play a crucial role in determining the weather conditions prevailing in the freshwater biome. In general, the atmospheric temperature near these freshwater sources can go up to 71.6 °F in summer and 39.2 °F in winter. On an average, the freshwater biome receives about 10-80 inches of rainfall, with water sources in some regions even receiving 100 inches with ease. The temperature of water in these sources decreases with depth. In a lake, the temperature can be as low as 4 °F at the bottom. In summer season, the temperature will grow on increasing as you come to the surface of the water body. In winter, the tables are turned as the bottom of the lakes still record a temperature of 4 °F but the surface records a temperature of 0 °F or less as a result of ice cover caused by extremely low temperature in the region.

That explained the details of freshwater biome weather conditions. These conditions play a crucial role in providing a suitable habitat for numerous species of animals and plants which thrive in these freshwater sources. Some of the most popular freshwater biome plants include star-grass, tape grass, cattails, duckweed, lily pads, etc. The list of freshwater biome animals on the other hand in quite lengthy, and includes a wide variety of freshwater fish, amphibians, reptiles, etc. The freshwater biome also supports various other lifeforms, including several species of mammals and birds, indirectly, and thus is considered one of the richest biome in the world.