Freshwater Ecosystem

Freshwater ecosystems occur in in-land bodies of water and may either be flowing, standing, or man-made. Rivers and streams, lakes and reservoirs, and artificial fishponds are examples that fall into the three respective categories. All of these are distinguished by low-salinity water that flow from the natural rainwater catch basins created by forests. 

Freshwater ecosystems serve many practical benefits to people, including being a cheap and convenient source of water for domestic and industrial use, a natural waste disposal system, and a reservoir for the natural water cycle. Freshwater bodies also can serve as transport routes.

This type of ecosystem is commonly put in peril by the need for draining to serve the purposes of fisheries and agriculture.