Dive into freshwater ecosystems: vital habitats including rivers, lakes, ponds, and wetlands. These diverse environments teem with unique plant and animal life,...
Freshwater ecosystems are aquatic environments characterized by low salt concentration (typically less than 0.5 ppt). They encompass various habitats like rivers, lakes, ponds, wetlands, and streams, supporting distinct flora and fauna.
They provide crucial services including drinking water, irrigation for agriculture, food sources, flood control, water purification, and support a vast array of biodiversity essential for ecological balance.
Major threats include pollution from industrial and agricultural runoff, habitat degradation, over-extraction of water, invasive species, and the adverse effects of climate change, such as altered water cycles and increased temperatures.
Protection involves reducing pollution, restoring degraded habitats, managing water resources sustainably, controlling invasive species, establishing protected areas, and raising public awareness about their ecological value.