Water Quality Unit 5: Freshwater Ecosystems

freshwater ecosystems

vital aquatic environments characterized by low salt content (e.g., lakes, wetlands, groundwater habitats)

wetlands

(lentic) areas where soil is saturated or submerged for significant portions of the year, support plant life (e.g., marshes [dominated by grasses] and swamps [dominated by trees]

lotic systems

water is moving continuously

streams and rivers

• usually part of larger watershed networks

• higher amount of dissolved oxygen (DO)