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How to Locate Freshwater Biomes

Freshwater biomes are areas of plants and animals living in water with a low salt concentration. Typically, freshwater has less than 1 percent salt. In freshwater biomes, the animals and plants present live only in water with low salt concentrations. Several types of freshwater bodies exist such as ponds, lakes, wetlands, streams and rivers. Animals and plants within a freshwater biome would not be able to survive in brackish or salty water.

Things You'll Need

Maps
Aerial photos

Instructions

- 1
  Look for likely areas of freshwater using maps or aerial photographs. Some freshwater areas such as lakes and ponds have standing freshwater, while wetlands, streams and rivers likely have moving water. Regardless, the biome is isolated from saltwater.
- 2
  Evaluate the animals and plants in the area. Determine if the animals and plants live and thrive in freshwater. Plants and animals in standing water zones will be less diverse than wetlands, streams and rivers since the areas are often more isolated from outside influences. Each different type of freshwater biome will likely have different sets of plants and animals; however, the species will be common to the area.
- 3
  Determine the extent of the biome by mapping the extent of the freshwater and the common plants and animals.

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