2.2 Types of Aquatic Ecosystems
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2.2.3 Rivers and Streams
Rivers serve as a means of transportation, food, recreation and biodiversity. Large
bodies of freshwater which flow are referred to as rivers. Generally, a flowing body
of water that spans a relatively large area can be classified as a river. The Nile River
is the longest river in Africa and possibly in the world; it is measured 6825 km in
length and runs through 11 countries including Rwanda, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda,
Tanzania, Sudan and others (Abd-Elbaky and Jin 2019). Other examples are the
Volga River, which is the largest river in Europe; the Danube River, which is the
second largest river in Europe and runs through the heart of Europe; the Amazon
River, which is crucial water flow for the Amazon rain forest and contends with the
Nile River in length as the Amazon River also measures over 6000 km in length.
Figure 2.1 shows Mbagathi River in Kajiado County in Kenya. The image also shows
the terrestrial plants and trees on the land through which the river flows.
The constant flow of a river is due to the force of gravity as a river flows over a
sloped floor. It is important for a river to flow rather than be stagnant as flowing water
allows air to mix into the water to support life-forms which require a level of dissolved
Fig. 2.1 Mbagathi River, Kajiado county, Kenya. August 2019. Photograph courtesy of Ross van
Horn
11
2.2.3 Rivers and Streams
Rivers serve as a means of transportation, food, recreation and biodiversity. Large
bodies of freshwater which flow are referred to as rivers. Generally, a flowing body
of water that spans a relatively large area can be classified as a river. The Nile River
is the longest river in Africa and possibly in the world; it is measured 6825 km in
length and runs through 11 countries including Rwanda, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda,
Tanzania, Sudan and others (Abd-Elbaky and Jin 2019). Other examples are the
Volga River, which is the largest river in Europe; the Danube River, which is the
second largest river in Europe and runs through the heart of Europe; the Amazon
River, which is crucial water flow for the Amazon rain forest and contends with the
Nile River in length as the Amazon River also measures over 6000 km in length.
Figure 2.1 shows Mbagathi River in Kajiado County in Kenya. The image also shows
the terrestrial plants and trees on the land through which the river flows.
The constant flow of a river is due to the force of gravity as a river flows over a
sloped floor. It is important for a river to flow rather than be stagnant as flowing water
allows air to mix into the water to support life-forms which require a level of dissolved
Fig. 2.1 Mbagathi River, Kajiado county, Kenya. August 2019. Photograph courtesy of Ross van
Horn