- large, natural bodies of standing fresh water
- formed when precipitation, runoff, groundwater seepage fills depressions in earth’s surface
- depressions can be formed by
- glaciation (Great Lakes, NA)
- crustal displacement (Lake Nyasa, East Africa)
- volcanic activity (Crater Lake, Oregon)
- large lakes may have many of same characteristics as oceans
- Lakes are often divided up into four zones of biotic communities:
- Littoral zone - This is the area closest to the shore where aquatic plants grow.
- Limnetic zone - This is the open surface waters of the lake, away from the shore.
- Euphotic zone - This is the area below the surface of the water where there is till enough sunlight for photosynthesis.
- Benthic zone - This is the floor, or bottom, of the lake.
- The temperature of lakes can change over time. In tropical, areas the lakes will stay the same relative temperature with the water getting colder the deeper you go. In northern lakes, the change in temperature due to the seasons will move the water in the lake
Plants
- Plants and algae are important to freshwater biomes because they provide oxygen through photosynthesis, and food for animals
- Many animals live in freshwater ecosystems. Some need the movement of the stream or river water to survive. In fast moving waters animals that have to hold onto rocks and the bottom may have suction-cup like structures on their bodies. They thrive in still water environments like lakes. There are a variety of fish, birds, insects, amphibians, and crustaceans that make freshwater biomes their home.
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Great Lakes
It's the largest of the Great Lakes of North America. The lake is bounded by Ontario and Minnesota to the north and west, and Wisconsin and Michigan to the south. It is generally considered the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area. It is the world's third-largest freshwater lake by volume and the largest by volume in North America.
To learn more visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Superior
Lake Michigan
It's one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. The other four Great Lakes are shared by the U.S. and Canada. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume. and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron (and is slightly smaller than the U.S. state of West Virginia). To the east, its basin is conjoined with that of Lake Huron through the wide Straits of Mackinac, giving it the same surface elevation as its easterly counterpart; the two are technically a single lake. Lake Michigan is bounded, from west to east, by the U.S. states of Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. The word "Michigan" originally referred to the lake itself, and is believed to come from the Ojibwa word mishigamimeaning "great water".
To learn more visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Michigan
Lake Huron
It's one of the five Great Lakes of North America. Hydrologically, it comprises the easterly portion of Lake Michigan–Huron, having the same surface elevation as its westerly counterpart, to which it is connected by the wide Straits of Mackinac. It is bounded on the east by the Canadianprovince of Ontario and on the west by the state of Michigan in the United States. The name of the lake is derived from early French explorers who named it for the Huron people inhabiting the region. The huronian glaciation was named due to evidence collected from Lake Huron region.
To learn more visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Huron
Lake Erie
It's the fourth largest lake (by surface area) of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the tenth largest globally or twelfth largest globally if measured in terms of surface area. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. It is bounded by Ontario to the north, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York to the south, and Michigan to the west. The lake is named after the Erie tribe of Native Americans who lived along its southern shore. The outflow from the lake provides hydroelectric power to Canada and the U.S. as it spins huge turbines at Niagara Falls. The lake's environmental health has been an ongoing concern for decades, with issues such as overfishing,pollution and more recently algal blooms and eutrophication generating headlines.
To learn more visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Erie
Lake Ontario
It's one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south and east by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot (Huron) language, ontarío means “Lake of Shining Waters”. It is the last in the Great Lakes chain and serves as the outlet to the Atlantic Ocean via the St. Lawrence River. Lake Ontario is also the only one of the five Great Lakes not to share a shoreline with the state of Michigan.
To Learn more visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Ontario
