Smith, V. H. (1983). Low nitrogen to phosphorus ratios favor dominance by bluegreen algae in lake phytoplankton. Science, 221, 669–71. River ecosystems are flowing waters that drain the landscape, and include the biotic (living) interactions amongst plants, animals and micro-organisms, as well as abiotic (nonliving) physical and chemical interactions of its many parts. [12] [13] River ecosystems are part of larger watershed networks or catchments, where smaller headwater streams drain into mid-size streams, which progressively drain into larger river networks. The major zones in river ecosystems are determined by the river bed's gradient or by the velocity of the current. Faster moving turbulent water typically contains greater concentrations of dissolved oxygen, which supports greater biodiversity than the slow-moving water of pools. These distinctions form the basis for the division of rivers into upland and lowland rivers. The community of plants present in the saltwater habitat are termed as halophytes. Simply put, a halophyte is a salt-tolerant plant that thrives in saline soil (or waters). They include seaweeds, algae, planktons, seagrass, mangrove trees, kelp and sargassum.

The concept of freshwater ecosystem refers to the interaction of living (biotic) factors, and non-living factors (abiotic) within the freshwater. Freshwater ecosystems are of different types. They include the following: They include all standing water habitats. Lakes and ponds are the main examples of Lentic Ecosystem. The word lentic mainly refers to stationary or relatively still water. These ecosystems are home to algae, crabs, shrimps, amphibians such as frogs and salamanders, for both rooted and floating-leaved plants and reptiles including alligators and other water snakes are also found here. Prakash, Sadguru (2021). "Impact of Climate Change on Aquatic Ecosystem and ITS Biodiversity: An Overview" (PDF). International Journal of Biological Innovations. 03 (2). doi: 10.46505/IJBI.2021.3210. S2CID 237639194. Free-floating macrophytes are found suspended on water surface with their root not attached to the substrate, sediment, or bottom of the water body. They are easily blown by air and provide breeding ground for mosquitoes. Example include Pistia spp. commonly called water lettuce, water cabbage or Nile cabbage. [29] Morphological classification [ edit ]Chemosynthetic bacteria are found in benthic marine ecosystems. These organisms are able to feed on hydrogen sulfide in water that comes from volcanic vents. Great concentrations of animals that feed on these bacteria are found around volcanic vents. For example, there are giant tube worms ( Riftia pachyptila) 1.5m in length and clams ( Calyptogena magnifica) 30cm long. [26] Heterotrophic organisms [ edit ] The biotic characteristics are mainly determined by the organisms that occur. For example, wetland plants may produce dense canopies that cover large areas of sediment—or snails or geese may graze the vegetation leaving large mud flats. Aquatic environments have relatively low oxygen levels, forcing adaptation by the organisms found there. For example, many wetland plants must produce aerenchyma to carry oxygen to roots. Other biotic characteristics are more subtle and difficult to measure, such as the relative importance of competition, mutualism or predation. [23] There are a growing number of cases where predation by coastal herbivores including snails, geese and mammals appears to be a dominant biotic factor. [24] Autotrophic organisms [ edit ] a b Krause-Jensen, Dorte; Sand-Jensen, Kaj (May 1998). "Light attenuation and photosynthesis of aquatic plant communities". Limnology and Oceanography. 43 (3): 396–407. Bibcode: 1998LimOc..43..396K. doi: 10.4319/lo.1998.43.3.0396. ISSN 0024-3590. S2CID 85700950. Bottom: habitats at great depths with almost no penetration of light and, therefore, lower temperatures. These habitats are often a refuge for dark-adapted carnivorous and detritivorous species. We recommend you read these other articles about the Seabed: what they are, types and photos and the Abyssal Plains: what they are and characteristics.

Fish: without a doubt, when we think of aquatic habitats, the first thing that comes to mind is fish . They breathe through their gills, so they don’t need to surface for air. The introduction of non-native aquatic plants has resulted in numerous examples across the world of such plants becoming invasive and frequently dominating the environments into which they have been introduced. [39] Such species include Water hyacinth which is invasive in many tropical and sub-tropical locations including much of the southern US, many Asian countries and Australia. New Zealand stonecrop is a highly invasive plant in temperate climates spreading from a marginal plant to encompassing the whole body of many ponds to the almost total exclusion of other plants and wildlife [40]

Examples of aquatic habitat

Lotics: habitats with moving waters, often carrying sediment. Generally its waters are turbid which reduces the passage of light. They are the refuge of many species of animals and, in shallower areas, of plant species. In this other post you can learn more about lotic ecosystems: what they are and examples. The saltwater habitat is often termed as a marine habitat. On average, they have a salinity of 35ppt to 37ppt (ppt means parts per thousand). In simple terms, salinity refers to the amount of dissolved salt within a body of water. You can think of it as the concentration of salt in water. Aquatic plants have adapted to live in either freshwater or saltwater. Aquatic vascular plants have originated on multiple occasions in different plant families; [6] [11] they can be ferns or angiosperms (including both monocots and dicots). The only angiosperms capable of growing completely submerged in seawater are the seagrasses. [12] Examples are found in genera such as Thalassia and Zostera. An aquatic origin of angiosperms is supported by the evidence that several of the earliest known fossil angiosperms were aquatic. Aquatic plants are phylogenetically well dispersed across the angiosperms, with at least 50 independent origins, although they comprise less than 2% of the angiosperm species. [13] Archaefructus represents one of the oldest, most complete angiosperm fossils which is around 125 million years old. [14] These plants require special adaptations for living submerged in water or floating at the surface. [14] Aquatic adaptation [ edit ] Reproduction [ edit ] Different types of living organisms are found in different regions of the world. In this article, we will be studying different kinds of living creatures and how they survive in different types of climates. How is the habitat different for different living organisms? Najrana, Tanbir; Sanchez-Esteban, Juan (2016-12-26). "Mechanotransduction as an Adaptation to Gravity". Frontiers in Pediatrics. 4: 140. doi: 10.3389/fped.2016.00140. ISSN 2296-2360. PMC 5183626. PMID 28083527.