Freshwater Ecosystems Nick Wood

Lentic Ecosystem Includes lakes, ponds, dammed rivers, and other static freshwater habitats

Latic Ecosystem Includes rivers, streams, springs, waterfalls, and other habitats with a constant flow of water

Primary Producers Lentic habitats, as well as some slow moving latic habitats, are abundant with aquatic plant life

Primary Producers Freshwater microplankton Water hyacinth

Primary Producers Benthic plants Water grass

Primary Producers Few producers are able to survive in faster moving latic habitats. But such habitats are rich in nutrients and scarce in predators for those that can survive

Primary Producers River moss Periphyton

Invertebrates The vast majority of freshwater invertebrates are insects Found near the shore of almost any aquatic habitat As many insects lay eggs in freshwater, aquatic ecosystems are a necessity for insect life Many species of insects that live in non-aquatic ecosystems rely on ponds, slow rivers, or sheltered eddiess to lay eggs and raise larva

Invertebrates Mayfly Damselfly

Invertebrates Microvelia Water beetle

Vertebrates Freshwater vertebrates include fish, amphibians, reptiles and waterbirds

Fish Many freshwater fish are benthic, and live in the murky depths of lakes and deep rivers. Others are migratory, and travel up and down rivers, and often in and out of seawater Guapope chichlid Rainbow trout

Amphibians As all amphibians lay eggs in the water, and spend the first half of their life living in the water, amphibians are key species in lentic and latic ecosystems Golden toad

Reptiles Numerous species of turtles, lizards, snakes, and crocodiles inhabit the rivers and lakes of Costa Rica. The majority of land based reptiles in Costa Rica live in or near freshwater Caimen crocodile Basilisk lizard

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpXHpXKZtws

References Anderson, K. M. (n.d.). River life: The ecology of flowing water. Retrieved from http://www.austintexas.gov/sites/default/files/files/Water/CER/river_life_june2013s.pdf Anchored water hyacinth. (2014). Retrieved from http://weeds.dpi.nsw.gov.au/Weeds/Details/150 Butler, R. (2013). List of freshwater fishes for Costa Rica. Retrieved from http://fish.mongabay.com/data/Costa_Rica.htm The reptiles of Costa Rica. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.travelcostarica.nu/reptiles Springer, M. (2008, December). Aquatic insect diversity of Costa Rica: State of knowledge. Revista de Biología Tropical, 56(4). Retrieved from http://www.redalyc.org/pdf/449/44919934022.pdf