Question

How do plants and animals adapt to the freshwater biome?

Answer 1

Hint: Freshwater biomes like rivers and lakes have water with a salt concentration of less than $1\%$. Additionally, most water bodies have movement. Hence, this means that the plants and animals adapt themselves accordingly.

Complete answer:
- To adapt to any changes in an ecosystem, species evolve or adapt over time by a process of selection. The most suitably adapted individuals survive and reproduce more successfully.
- Freshwater biomes have salt concentrations of less than 1%. Hence, plants and animals living in these areas can survive only in these concentrations.
- In fast-moving water bodies, some animals need movement for their survival and some develop suction cup structures on their bodies to hold onto rocks.
- Animal species such as crayfish are adapted to low oxygen concentrations and exposure to air.
- The freshwater plants are characterized by the presence of aerenchyma, a spongy tissue composed of holes made by disintegrating cells. These holes run longitudinally up the root system of plants allowing the plant to siphon air from the parts of the plant above the water surface in order to receive necessary gasses. This adaptation occurs in plants that live in flooded areas like riverbeds.
- The leaves of freshwater plants have very thin leaves that can absorb most of the diffused sunlight. Some plants also have floating leaves. These leaves are broad and have lacunae containing gas to make leaves buoyant.

Additional information:
- Plants and animals adapted to the freshwater biome cannot survive in water with a salt concentration greater than $1\%$.
- Examples of freshwater bodies are ponds, lakes, streams, and rivers.
- The flora and fauna composition of moving water bodies like rivers and streams differs in every location as they usually start at springs, lakes, or glaciers. The turbulence of water and the temperature change at different locations leading to the difference in the living beings.

Note:
- Other forms of aquatic biomes are marine and wetland ecosystems.
- The start of the rivers and streams are also known as headwaters.