Fresh Water Microbiology: Course Code: MB-344

Fresh Water Microbiology
Course Code: MB-344
By:
Ms. Jawairia Kiran
Environmental Factors
and
their Influence on distribution
of microorganisms
Lake Ecosystem
 Biotic (living)
components:
– Plants, Animals and
micro-organisms
 Abiotic (nonliving)
components:
– Physical and Chemical
interactions
Important Abiotic factors
1. Light
• Light provides the solar energy required to

drive the process of photosynthesis
• The amount of light received depends upon a

combination of several factors
– Small ponds may experience shading by
surrounding trees
– Cloud cover may affect light availability
– Seasonal and diurnal considerations also play a
role in light
– Once light has penetrated the surface, it may also
be scattered by particles suspended in the water
column.
Lakes are divided into:
– Photic region: receiving sunlight
– Aphotic region: below the depths of light
penetration.
Pelagic and Photic region

Benthic zones
Profundal zone Aphotic region
2. Temperature
• Most of the Biota are Poikilothermic
– internal body temperatures are defined by the
surrounding system
• Water can be heated or cooled through radiation at the

surface and conduction to or from the air and surrounding
substrate.
• Shallow ponds often have a continuous temperature gradient

from warmer waters at the surface to cooler waters at the
bottom.
Temperature regimes are very different in
large lakes
Wind
• In exposed systems, wind can create
turbulent, spiral-formed surface currents
called Langmuir circulations
• This turbulence circulates nutrients in the water
column, making it crucial for many pelagic species
• however its effect on benthic and profundal

organisms is minimal to non-existent
• The degree of nutrient circulation is system specific, as

it depends upon such factors:
– Wind strength and Duration
– Lake or Pool depth and productivity
Oxygen
The amount of oxygen present in standing
waters depends upon:
– Area of transparent water exposed to the air
– Circulation of water within the system and
– Amount of oxygen generated and used by
organisms present
• In shallow, plant-rich pools there may be
great fluctuations of oxygen
• high concentrations occurring during the day
– due to photosynthesis
• very low values at night
– Respiration is the dominant process of primary
producers.
• Thermal stratification in larger systems can also affect
the amount of oxygen present in different zones.
• The Epilimnion is oxygen rich because it circulates

quickly, gaining oxygen via contact with the air.
• The Hypolimnion circulates very slowly and has no

atmospheric contact.
– Additionally, fewer green plants exist in the hypolimnion,
so there is less oxygen released from photosynthesis
• In spring and fall when the Epilimnion and
Hypolimnion mix, oxygen becomes more
evenly distributed in the system.
Low oxygen levels are characteristic of the

profundal zone due to :
– Accumulation of decaying vegetation and animal
matter
– Inability to support primary producers
Phosphorus
• Phosphorus is a component of DNA and RNA
• involved in cell metabolism as a component of

ATP and ADP
• Main determinant of lentic system production
• Phosphorus mainly enters a pond or lake through

runoff from the watershed or by atmospheric
deposition.
• Upon entering the system, a reactive form of phosphorus is
usually taken up by algae and macrophytes
• This phosphorus can drift downwards and become part of

the benthic or profundal sediment
• or Remineralized to the reactive form by microbes in the

water column
• Sediments are generally richer in phosphorus than lake

water
Freshwater Biota
Bacteria
Bacteria are present in all regions of lentic waters
– Free-living forms are associated with decomposing
organic material
– Biofilm on the surfaces of rocks and plants
– suspended in the water column
– in the sediments of the benthic and profundal zones
– Other forms are also associated with the guts of
lentic animals as parasites or in commensal
relationships
Primary producers
• Alga (phytoplankton and periphyton ) are the
principle photosynthesizers in ponds and lakes.
• Phytoplankton are found drifting in the water column

of the Pelagic zone.
• In lakes and ponds, they can cover all benthic surfaces.
• Both types of plankton are important as food sources

and as oxygen providers.
Aquatic plants live in both the benthic and pelagic
zones
• Grouped according to their manner of growth:
– Emergent = rooted in the substrate but with leaves
and flowers extending into the air
– Floating-leaved = rooted in the substrate but with
floating leaves
– Submersed = growing beneath the surface and
– Free-floating macrophytes = not rooted in the
substrate and floating on the surface
• The main producers in pond or lake ecosystem
are algae and other aquatic plants
– such as Azolla, Hydrilla, Potamogeton, Pistia,
Wolffia, Lemna, Eichhornia, Nymphaea, Jussiaea,
etc.
The green plants convert the radiant energy into
chemical energy through photosynthesis.
The chemical energy stored in the form of food is

utilized by all the organisms.
Oxygen evolved by producers in photosynthesis is

utilized by all the living organisms in respiration.
Invertebrates
• Zooplankton are tiny animals suspended in
the water column.
• The invertebrates that inhabit the benthic

zone are numerically dominated by small
species.They include:
– Crustaceans (e.g. crabs, crayfish, and shrimp),
– molluscs (e.g. clams and snails)
– and numerous types of insects.
• Very few invertebrates are able to inhabit the
cold, dark, and oxygen poor Profundal zone
• Most species construct tunnels or borrows in

which they can hide
Fish and other vertebrates
• Fish have a range of Physiological tolerances
that are dependent upon which species they
belong to
• Fish are highly mobile, they are able to deal

with unsuitable Abiotic factors in one zone by
simply moving to another.
• Other vertebrate taxa inhabit lentic systems as
well. These include:
– Amphibians (e.g. salamanders and frogs)
– Reptiles (e.g. snakes, turtles, and alligators)
• Many fish species are important as consumers

and as prey species to the larger vertebrates
Consumers
• In a pond ecosystem, the primary consumers are tadpole
larvae of frogs, fishes and other aquatic animals which
consume green plants and algae as their food.
• These herbivorous aquatic animals are the food of

secondary consumers.
• Frogs, big fishes, water snakes, crabs are secondary

consumers.
• In the pond, besides the secondary consumers, there are

consumers of highest order, such as water-birds, turtles,
etc..
Decomposers and Transformer
• When aquatic plants and animals die, a large
number of bacteria and fungi attack their dead
bodies and convert the complex organic
substances into simpler inorganic compounds and
elements.
• These micro-organisms are called decomposers
• chemical elements liberated by decomposers are

again utilized by green plants in their nutrition
Suggested readings
1. https://www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/li
brary/ponds-and-lakes-a-journey-through-the-
25982495/
2. http://www.biologydiscussion.com/ecosystem/p
ond-and-lake-as-ecosystem-with-diagram/6683
3. David Sigee, D., 2012. Freshwater Microbiology:
Biodiversity and Dynamic Interactions of
Microorganisms in the Aquatic Environment.
Wiley, John & Sons.

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Fresh Water Microbiology

Course Code: MB-344

• Light provides the solar energy required to

• The amount of light received depends upon a

Pelagic and Photic region

• Water can be heated or cooled through radiation at the

• Shallow ponds often have a continuous temperature gradient

• however its effect on benthic and profundal

• The degree of nutrient circulation is system specific, as

• The Epilimnion is oxygen rich because it circulates

• The Hypolimnion circulates very slowly and has no

Low oxygen levels are characteristic of the

• involved in cell metabolism as a component of

• Main determinant of lentic system production

• Phosphorus mainly enters a pond or lake through

• This phosphorus can drift downwards and become part of

• or Remineralized to the reactive form by microbes in the

• Sediments are generally richer in phosphorus than lake

• Phytoplankton are found drifting in the water column

• In lakes and ponds, they can cover all benthic surfaces.

• Both types of plankton are important as food sources

The chemical energy stored in the form of food is

Oxygen evolved by producers in photosynthesis is

• The invertebrates that inhabit the benthic

• Most species construct tunnels or borrows in

• Fish are highly mobile, they are able to deal

• Many fish species are important as consumers

• These herbivorous aquatic animals are the food of

• Frogs, big fishes, water snakes, crabs are secondary

• In the pond, besides the secondary consumers, there are

• These micro-organisms are called decomposers

• chemical elements liberated by decomposers are

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