Freshwater Regions

Freshwater regions are made up of less than one percent of salt.  Therefore, the plants and animals that have adjusted to this lifestyle would not be able to survive living in saltwater environments.

Lakes and Ponds
This region varies greatly in size, from either a few square meters to thousands of square meters.  Many ponds are seasonal and last for a few months, while lakes can last several hundred years or longer. Lakes and ponds often have limited species living in their regions, the reason is that these freshwater regions are usually cut off from rivers and other flowing regions.

Lakes and Ponds have three zones. The topmost zone littoral zone, the warmest zone. This zone has a pretty wide variety of species living.  There are algae, rooted and floating plants, snails, clams, insects, and a variety of fish, etc.  The middle layer is limnetic, this layer is well lighted and manly contains plankton as it's main species. The final layer is profundal zone. This zone is colder and denser than the other two zones and very little light gets through.


Streams and Rivers
These bodies of water flow in one directions. The usually start at a head of water, either a snow melt  springs, or lakes.  They then further travel all the way down to mouths, for instance channels or the ocean.  There is not a set characteristics to describe these regions. They are always changing from the journey to the mouths. The water is usually clearer, has higher oxygen levels, and freshwater fish can be found in here.

Wetlands
Wetlands are defined to be areas of water that are standing and support aquatic plants. Marshes, swamps, and bogs are considered wetlands. Many species of amphibians, reptiles, and birds live in these areas.  There are many plants living in this region, such as lilies, cattails, and black spruce.  Not all wetlands are freshwater because some marshes do contain salt water.