and inventive value of a particular Aquatic ecosystem. Aquatic habitats nurture wide
variety of organisms providing them with nutrition, materials, breeding ground etc.
which are essential for sustaining life in the ecosystem. (King and Brown 2010).
These critical elements of dynamic processes of Earth are the fundamentals for
human economies and health. Humans rely on food, medicines and other materials
available in aquatic habitats since long. Rivers, lakes, and estuaries are hubs for
wildlife and are important for navigation, industries and recreation (Article, National
Geographic, Aquatic ecosystem).
Habitat diversity and their resources shows absolute correlation with the biodiversity of a particular ecosystem which is true for Aquatic ecosystem as well. They
perform multiple functions and are the most precious and are essential for the
integrity of biotic communities. The earth’s biological diversity is substantially
supported by Aquatic ecosystems and they share a huge proportion of biological
productivity. The quality of human life is also corelated with the resources of
Aquatic ecosystems. For instance, to process our waste products, we depend on
inhabitants (like fungi and bacteria) of surface water that continuously degrades
hazardous toxins and nutrients that we flush into nearby water resources or into our
sewage systems.
Aquatic plants in fresh waters are the most essential components of food web
dynamics. Though phytoplankton and epiphytic algae are present in almost all fresh
water systems, much of the food is derived from the aquatic plants after they are
dead. Detritus that are formed after the death of these plants is consumed by
detritivores like insects, invertebrates and larger crustaceans which are in turn
being eaten up by bluegill sunfish which is the dominant littoral forage fish. The
top predators depend on this forage fish for food. Thus, to sustain Aquatic food
chain, Aquatic plants play a key role.
Freshwater ecosystems like ponds and lakes, streams and river and wetlands have
many uses to humans including his way of living. For e.g. to harness powers to
generate electricity, dams are built across these resources. They serve as important
resources in economic activity of the any country/state where farmers transport
surface and groundwater resources to their fields. This generate huge income in
terms of fiscal value every year. The building of dams and barrages helps controlling
flood and movement of goods respectively. Moreover, sustaining crops via irrigation
practices, fresh water ecosystems provide food through fisheries. Apart from this,
Freshwater ecosystems naturally share resources between habitats. The ecosystems
in rivers and streams from higher elevation carry nutrients and other salts from other
fresh water bodies like streams and wetlands located at lower elevation which
subsequently get deposited to the ocean. The ecosystem of freshwater type help
enabling many migrating species like salmon to bring nutrients from the marine
ecosystem to upstream freshwater systems. Seasonally, these fresh waterways can
also exchange nutrients. Having high density than warm water, cold water sinks to
the bottom where temperature is comparatively steady. With the commencement of
winter season, the temperature of air drops and the water closer to the surface fall
below the temperature at bottom. As a consequence of this, heated water from the
15 Potential of Free Floating Macrophytes for Bioremediation of Heavy Metals. . .
317
variety of organisms providing them with nutrition, materials, breeding ground etc.
which are essential for sustaining life in the ecosystem. (King and Brown 2010).
These critical elements of dynamic processes of Earth are the fundamentals for
human economies and health. Humans rely on food, medicines and other materials
available in aquatic habitats since long. Rivers, lakes, and estuaries are hubs for
wildlife and are important for navigation, industries and recreation (Article, National
Geographic, Aquatic ecosystem).
Habitat diversity and their resources shows absolute correlation with the biodiversity of a particular ecosystem which is true for Aquatic ecosystem as well. They
perform multiple functions and are the most precious and are essential for the
integrity of biotic communities. The earth’s biological diversity is substantially
supported by Aquatic ecosystems and they share a huge proportion of biological
productivity. The quality of human life is also corelated with the resources of
Aquatic ecosystems. For instance, to process our waste products, we depend on
inhabitants (like fungi and bacteria) of surface water that continuously degrades
hazardous toxins and nutrients that we flush into nearby water resources or into our
sewage systems.
Aquatic plants in fresh waters are the most essential components of food web
dynamics. Though phytoplankton and epiphytic algae are present in almost all fresh
water systems, much of the food is derived from the aquatic plants after they are
dead. Detritus that are formed after the death of these plants is consumed by
detritivores like insects, invertebrates and larger crustaceans which are in turn
being eaten up by bluegill sunfish which is the dominant littoral forage fish. The
top predators depend on this forage fish for food. Thus, to sustain Aquatic food
chain, Aquatic plants play a key role.
Freshwater ecosystems like ponds and lakes, streams and river and wetlands have
many uses to humans including his way of living. For e.g. to harness powers to
generate electricity, dams are built across these resources. They serve as important
resources in economic activity of the any country/state where farmers transport
surface and groundwater resources to their fields. This generate huge income in
terms of fiscal value every year. The building of dams and barrages helps controlling
flood and movement of goods respectively. Moreover, sustaining crops via irrigation
practices, fresh water ecosystems provide food through fisheries. Apart from this,
Freshwater ecosystems naturally share resources between habitats. The ecosystems
in rivers and streams from higher elevation carry nutrients and other salts from other
fresh water bodies like streams and wetlands located at lower elevation which
subsequently get deposited to the ocean. The ecosystem of freshwater type help
enabling many migrating species like salmon to bring nutrients from the marine
ecosystem to upstream freshwater systems. Seasonally, these fresh waterways can
also exchange nutrients. Having high density than warm water, cold water sinks to
the bottom where temperature is comparatively steady. With the commencement of
winter season, the temperature of air drops and the water closer to the surface fall
below the temperature at bottom. As a consequence of this, heated water from the
15 Potential of Free Floating Macrophytes for Bioremediation of Heavy Metals. . .
317