Freshwater Ecoregion

the amazon river in brazil.

a freshwater ecoregion large area encompassing 1 or more freshwater systems contains distinct assemblage of natural freshwater communities , species. freshwater species, dynamics, , environmental conditions within given ecoregion more similar each other of surrounding ecoregions , form conservation unit. freshwater systems include rivers, streams, lakes, , wetlands. freshwater ecoregions distinct terrestrial ecoregions, identify biotic communities of land, , marine ecoregions, biotic communities of oceans.

a map of freshwater ecoregions of world, released in 2008, has 426 ecoregions covering virtually entire non-marine surface of earth.

world wildlife fund (wwf) identifies twelve major habitat types of freshwater ecoregions: large lakes, large river deltas, polar freshwaters, montane freshwaters, temperate coastal rivers, temperate floodplain rivers , wetlands, temperate upland rivers, tropical , subtropical coastal rivers, tropical , subtropical floodplain rivers , wetlands, tropical , subtropical upland rivers, xeric freshwaters , endorheic basins, , oceanic islands. freshwater major habitat types reflect groupings of ecoregions similar biological, chemical, , physical characteristics , equivalent biomes terrestrial systems.

the global 200, set of ecoregions identified wwf conservation achieve goal of saving broad diversity of earth s ecosystems, includes number of areas highlighted freshwater biodiversity values. global 200 preceded freshwater ecoregions of world , incorporated information regional freshwater ecoregional assessments had been completed @ time.