Freshwater Ecology

Freshwater Ecology is a term used for the study of interrelationships between freshwater organisms and their natural environment. Not only is it the study of their environment, it also goes in depth about how the organism reacts and is affected by their habitat. By learning about plants and animals in the body of water as well as the system of the water itself, a scientist majoring in freshwater ecology can discover valuable information about the health and needs of a freshwater structure. The information that freshwater ecologists can collect is beneficial to conservation efforts and data that affect humans too.

This ecology study includes bodies of water, such as lakes, ponds, and rivers. Rivers and ponds might have similarities like freshwater, but there are differences too. A pond is a little circle of water that doesn’t lead to a bigger body of water, whereas a river does lead to the sea or ocean. A pond is part of the lentic system that has defined boundary lines and divided into three major zones. A river is part of the lotic system characterized by flowing water and currents. A pond is also defined by light penetrating to the bottom, whereas a river is based on the quickness of water. No matter what body of water it is, it’s still part of freshwater ecology.