Knowra Freshwater habitat Freshwater habitat A freshwater habitat is an aquatic environment with low concentrations of dissolved salts, including rivers, lakes, ponds, and wetlands. Its organisms live under conditions shaped by water flow, depth, temperature, and nutrient supply.
Freshwater : Water containing low concentrations of dissolved salts, found in rivers, lakes, wetlands, and groundwater. Its low salinity is the defining chemical condition of these habitats.
River continuum concept : A model describing how river ecosystems change continuously from headwaters to their mouths. It explains how flowing water links habitat conditions along a river.
Drinking water : Water treated or otherwise suitable for human consumption. Lakes, rivers, and groundwater-connected wetlands can supply drinking-water sources.
Freshwater biodiversity : The variety of genes, species, and ecosystems found in inland waters. Habitat diversity helps support the exceptionally varied life of inland waters.
Marine ecosystem : An ecosystem in ocean or sea water, generally characterized by high salinity. Marine ecosystems share aquatic life processes but have much saltier water.
Salinity : The concentration of dissolved salts in water or soil. Salinity separates freshwater environments from brackish and marine ones.
Thermal stratification : The formation of distinct water layers at different temperatures and densities. Layering in lakes changes oxygen and nutrient availability with depth.
Freshwater fisheries : The capture or cultivation of fish in inland waters. These habitats sustain fisheries that provide food, livelihoods, and recreation.
Habitat fragmentation : The division of continuous habitat into smaller, isolated patches. Dams and other barriers can fragment rivers and obstruct aquatic movement.
Estuary : A coastal water body where river freshwater mixes with seawater. Estuaries occupy the salinity transition between rivers and the sea.
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