Fresh+Water+Block+2

=**Fresh Water Boimes**= = = Rivers and streams cover a very small portion of the Earth. Less than 0.03% of the Earth. Alot of plants and animals live here.
 * The ecosystem in the fresh water region are rivers and streams, ponds and lakes ans wetlands.**
 * The usual teperature of the top of the lake if 22 degrees Celcus in the summer. The rainfall in the U.S is about 6 inches a year.**

**Wetlands are low land areas along lakes rivers and streams. Some are always under water are some are seasonal. ** **﻿**
 * Ponds and lakes can be very big like the Great Lakes or very small. Some feed rivers and some are a drain for rivers.**

=**Plants**=
 * Plants play a very important role in the fresh water biome. They support life and provide shelter.**

**Cattails**

 * Cattails are stiff plants that can get to 10 feet tall. The leaves look like giant blades of grass about 1 inch wide. they flower in late May and June.[[image:cattail1.jpg width="161" height="193"]]﻿**

**Pod Lilies**

 * Pond Lilies have leaves that are usually heart-shaped and up to 12 inches wide. The flowers are usually pink or yellow with thick petals.[[image:pond_lily.jpg width="233" height="186"]]﻿**

**Swamp Rose Mallow**

 * They need lots of sulight and have reddish veins. They are about 8 inches tall. Wood ducks and Ruby-throated﻿ Hummingbirds eat it.[[image:swamp_rose_mallow.jpg width="276" height="204"]]**

**Lizards Tail**

 * Lizards Tail usually grow in marshes and are up to 5 feet tall. The leaves are heart-shaped and are dark green.[[image:lizard_tail.jpg width="273" height="189"]]﻿**

=**Animals**=
 * There are many types of animals that live in the fresh water ecosystem, but here are just a few.**

**Wood Duck**

 * Wood Ducks nest in holes in trees and they can grip bark with thier strong claws. They eat Wild Rice, Large Diving Beetles and Pond Lilies.**

**Fish- Bluegill**

 * There are many types of fish like Trout, Catfish, Sunfish and Bass. I will just talk about the Bluegill. The Bluegills predators are larger fish, turtles and birds. They either have fiery orange or yellow bellies. Their prey are small insects such as bugs, crickets and worms.**

**Green Darner**

 * Green Darners are one of the largest dragonflies. Their bodies are about 3 inches long and their wingspan is about 4.5 inches long. They eat bees butterlies and wasps.**

**Barred Owls﻿**

 * They have a wingspan of 20 inches and are almost 4 feet tall. They also have sharp yellow talons on their feet. They live in Pine Trees usually near water. They hunt their prey at night which usually consists of Raccons, Bullfrogs and Copperheads.**

**Otters**

 * Otters can stay under water for 5 minutesand are mammals. They have webbed feet. Also nales can weigh up to 95 pounds and can live from 15 to 20 years.**
 * [[image:otter.jpg width="356" height="214"]]﻿**

3 Things I Wanted You To Learn

 * What do bluegill eat?
 * What is the climate like in the fresh water biome?
 * What are 5 types of plants that live in the fresh water biome?