Freshwater & Wetlands Guide
Rivers, lakes, marshes and mangroves — where water and land meet, and the species that depend on them.
An introduction to freshwater and wetland habitats: their main types, why they matter, and species in Biosphere that depend on them.
- Organization
- Biosphere
- Type
- habitat guide
- Format
- guide
- Audience
- general, students
- Topics
- freshwater, wetlands, ecology
Fresh water makes up a small share of the water on Earth, yet rivers, lakes and wetlands support a remarkable variety of life.
Main types
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Rivers and streams | Flowing water that carries oxygen, sediment and nutrients downstream |
| Lakes and ponds | Still water, often layered by temperature in deeper lakes |
| Marshes | Wetlands dominated by grasses, reeds and sedges |
| Swamps | Wetlands dominated by trees or shrubs |
| Bogs | Acidic, waterlogged peatlands, home to plants like the Venus flytrap |
| Mangroves | Salt-tolerant coastal forests in tropical and subtropical regions |
Species to explore
- The axolotl is endemic to the canals and lakes of Xochimilco, Mexico.
- The Venus flytrap is a carnivorous plant that gets nutrients by trapping insects in nutrient-poor bogs.
- The red mangrove stabilises tropical coastlines with its prop roots.