Lotic Ecosystems

Lotic ecosystems are characterized by rapidly flowing water that is moving in one general
direction. Examples of lotic ecosystems are rivers and streams. Organisms that live in lotic
ecosystems have to withstand the force of moving water and include insects, fish, crayfish,
crabs and mollusks.
PONDS
LOCATION
A freshwater pond has a specific ecosystem relevant to the pond setting,
and is composed of various plants, aquatic animals and even bacteria. As
with all ecosystems, each element of a freshwater pond's ecosystem is
dependent on the other elements and organisms for survival.
DEFINING FEATURES
A defining feature of a pond is the presence of standing water, which provides
habitat for wetland plants and animals. Often, the entire margin of the pond is
fringed by wetland, and these wetlands support the aquatic food web, provide
shelter for wildlife, and stabilize the shore of the pond. The open water may
allow algae to grow, and these algae may support yet another food web that
includes aquatic insects and minnows. A pond, therefore, may have
combinations of three different food webs, one based on larger plants, one
based upon decayed plants, and one based upon algae. Hence, ponds often
have many different animal species using the wide array of food sources. They,
therefore, provide an important source of biological diversity in landscapes.
PLANTS THAT CAN BE SEEN
1. Creeping Jenny Pond Plants
Often used as a ground cover in terrestrial gardens, Creeping Jenny fares excellently when used in
water gardening applications. Growing approximately 2 inches in height, it’s a great filler to soften
edges of rocks with its bright leaves creating a vivid contrast against the cool gray of wet stone. Tiny
yellow flowers appear on the plant throughout summer, giving it added appeal. Creeping Jenny is a
perennial and best used in Zones 3-10.
2. Pickerel Pond Plants

Available in blue, white, and pink lavender spiked flowers, Pickerel is a great choice for ponds with
its shiny, green heart-shaped foliage. The blooms are long lasting and create a beautiful display
when planted in masses. It grows about 24-30″ in height and performs well in Zones 4-10.
3. Horsetail Pond Plants

Horsetail Reed provides a striking architectural presence in your pond with its segmented reeds,
growing to 24″in height, while the dwarf version grows to 8″. Hardy to Zone 4, it’s a fast spreader and
you’ll want to thin the plant in the summer. In the fall, cut the plant all the way down to the ground to
keep the spores from spreading.
4. Taro Pond Plants

Several varieties of Taro are available for your pond and do well in full to part sun. This is a tropical
plant suited for Zones 8-11, but colder climes can bring the plant inside during the winter months.
This impressive, leafy water lover grows to about 48″ and always makes a striking appearance in the
water garden.
5. Cardinal Flower
Plant this pretty flower along the shallow edges of your pond and watch the birds flock to it. Deep
burgundy foliage sets off the vibrant red flowers. The leaves are up to 8″ long and the plant can grow
as tall as three feet. Cardinal Flower performs best in Zones 5-9.
6. Water Lettuce
ANIMALS THAT CAN BE SEEN
More than 1,000 species of animals live in ponds – although you are unlikely to
find all of them in any single pond. Almost every group of living creature is
represented, except starfish which live only in the sea. In a large pond you may
find mammals such as water voles and water shrews – and birds like ducks,
herons and kingfishers.
Even the smallest pond will have a population of amphibians (frogs, toads and
newts), small fish e.g. sticklebacks, and a huge variety of invertebrates
(minibeasts). Some of these are herbivores such as water fleas and snails,
whereas others are aggressive carnivores, hunting down their prey, the
unfortunate herbivores! One of the largest invertebrate predators in a pond is the
great diving beetle – no tadpole is safe when one of these hunters is
around! Find out about another pond dwelling creature on our factsheet
Dragonflies.
A lake is an area filled with water, localized in a basin, surrounded by land, apart from any river or
other outlet that serves to feed or drain the lake.[1] Lakes lie on land and are not part of the ocean,
and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are also larger and deeper than ponds, though there are
no official or scientific definitions.[2] Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams, which are usually
flowing. Most lakes are fed and drained by rivers and streams.
DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS OF LAKE

Typically, a lake is a water body deep enough to become stratified in summer; that is, to exhibit
distinct layers based upon temperature. The upper layer (the epilimnion) warms in summer and
is mixed by the wind, which helps keep nutrients and plankton near the lake surface.
PLANTS THAT CAN BE SEEN IN LAKES
Floating Plants & Algae
Algae
Algae is commonly referred to as "pond scum" or "pond moss" and typically forms greenish mats upon the
water's surface.
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Duckweed
Duckweed floats wherever the wind or currents take it, absorbing nutrients from the leaf undersurface and a
very fine root hanging from it.
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Watermeal
Watermeal is small in size and free floating. It is the world’s smallest flowering plant and resembles small
grains of green cornmeal.
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Water Hyacinth
Water Hyacinth can grow in height to 1 meter above water the surface and is supported by an erect stalk with a
single spike of 8 to 15 flowers.
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Water Lettuce
Water lettuce is an aquatic weed commonly found in the southeast region of the United States. It grows in
expansive mats that block sunlight to submerged aquatic plants, leading to lowered levels of bio-diversity.
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Submerged Plants
Milfoil
Eurasian milfoil is an exotic invasive submersed perennial. It reproduces both vegetatively and, less
commonly, sexually (seeds). A single piece of fragmented Eurasian milfoil can multiply into 250 million new
plants in one year!
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Hydrillia
Hydrilla is a submerged aquatic plant from the genus Hydrilla. Hydrilla stems are up to 25 feet long and
branched with oppositely arranged leaves at the bottom. Upper portions of the Hydrilla plant can have 2 to 8
whorls of leaves around the stem.
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Curly-Leaf Pondweed
ANIMALS THAT CAN BE SEEN IN LAKES
Fish
•••
Too many fish varieties live in lakes to be listed here. Lake fish include trout, salmon,
bass, catfish and perch. The northern pike is a common freshwater fish found in lakes
all over the world. In the United States, major northern pike populations live in the
Great Lakes Basin, New England, Alaska, Arizona and even northern New Mexico.
According to Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, pikes live in almost all of
the state’s streams and lakes. Pikes are meat-eaters and are a favorite of fishermen
because they are so voracious that they will easily take the bait of a lure. Most pikes
weight around two or three pounds, but trophy pikes have been caught weighing more
than 20 pounds.
Snakes
•••
Several kinds of snakes live near lakes. The most feared is the poisonous water
moccasin, also known as a cottonmouth. Water moccasins are the only poisonous
water snake in North America, and are essentially pit vipers. The Lake Erie water
snake should not be confused with the highly deadly water moccasin. Though the
Lake Erie water snake will defend itself by biting if threatened, it is nowhere near as
dangerous. Adults can grow to be between 18 and 42 inches long. It typically has a
gray coloring with a white underside, although it can also be green or brown. The Lake
Erie water snake does not actually live in the lake but rather near the edges of the
water. Its favorite sunning spots are rocks and other handy surfaces on the shore.
Lake Erie water snakes can and will swim, however. These snakes can swim both
across the surface of the water as well as dive to the bottom of the lake. Lake Erie
water snakes usually eat fish and may interbreed with the Northern water snake.

Lotic Ecosystems

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Lotic ecosystems are characterized by rapidly flowing water that is moving in one general

2. Pickerel Pond Plants

3. Horsetail Pond Plants

4. Taro Pond Plants

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS OF LAKE

Floating Plants & Algae

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