Basic Definition on Freshwater * Freshwater is area of water with little to no salt in it * Areas are Ponds, Lakes, Rivers, Streams, and glaciers * Possibly polar ice caps * They are much smaller bodies of water, but important just the same

Ponds

* Climate: Changes with air temperature * Little wave action * water temp during winter is uniform/all depths same temp * In ponds, all water freezes over * water temp similar but not uniform during the summer * Geography: The bottom is generally covered with mud. There are usually no waves. * * Plants: Plants generally grow around the edges of the pond, and often right across the whole pond. * Water lilies * lotus * algae * Japanese Cress/ Chinese Ivy

* Animals: * Grazing Snails, clams, crustaceans, fishes, and amphibians. * Insects: * Dragonflies and midgets * These animals and vegetation are food for other creatures such as turtles, snakes, and ducks. * Dominated by plankton; phytoplankton and zooplankton * Plankton-crucial role in the food chain; no humans without plankton * Fish also present.

Lakes * Climate: Has 3 main layers * First layer: 65 deg^F- 75 deg^F * Second layer: 45 deg^F- 65 deg^F * third layer: 39 deg^F- 45 deg^F * In lakes, water is deep enough not to freeze * Geography: Some lakes are so big that there are waves. * Plants: Plants can only grow along the shoreline because the water is too deep away from the edges * Water lilies * Lotus * algae * Animals: * Trout * trout, salmon, bass, catfish and perch
Streams/Rivers
* Climate: * From 39^F to 71^F * Like lakes, they have 3 layers of temperature | |

* Geography: Streams and rivers can be found everywhere — they get their starts at headwaters, which may be springs, snowmelt or even lakes, and then travel all the way to their mouths, usually another water channel or the ocean. The characteristics of a river or stream change during the journey from the source to the mouth. The temperature is cooler at the source than it is at the mouth. The water is also clearer, has higher oxygen levels, and freshwater fish such as trout and heterotrophs can be found there * The bottom of the channel is called the bed and the sides of the channel are called banks. * Rivers and streams make up about 3% of the earth's total fresh water. * Rivers and streams drain the earth of excess water * Most water runs off the surface and eventually joins a creek or stream. Small streams join together to form rivers. * A watershed is an area of land where rain water, streams and small rivers all drain into one large area of water such as a large river, lake or ocean. Because ground water also drains from a watershed, all kinds of pollution can find its way to the ocean from many kilometres away. The biggest rivers have the biggest watersheds. Therefore, biomes with lots of consistent rain have more rivers and streams. * Plants: Algae * * Animals: Trout
Wetlands:
* Climate: Vary depending on the location: −58 °F, 51 °F or 122 °F. * Geography: * The wetland biome is one that many people don’t really see as being important. In fact, in many areas they consider it to be a nuisance. * Swampland is the most common type of wetland biome you will find. * Plants: * pond lilies, cattails, sedges, tamarack, and black spruce. Marsh flora also include such species as cypress and gum. * Animals: * Wetlands have the highest species diversity of all ecosystems. * Amphibians, Alligators, turtles, snakes, Insects Winterkill and Summer Kill * Occurs only in Lakes * Winterkill * When Winter, Lake might not completely freeze over, but top layer freezes * When surface area of lake freezes, sunlight is blocked * Oxygen levels