A diverse and important ecosystem, rivers are one of the smaller bodies of water. All the rivers in the world would only make up 1% of the water in aquatic systems.
River Records:
Asia carries the most material(sand, remains and the like) in its rivers.
South America has the most dilute water as most of its rivers are in the Amazon which is a rainforest. As rain is plentiful in rainforests, it will naturally dilute the water there.
Africa has the most concentrated water as rain is little and sediments like salt are plentiful in the desert and can easily get collected by the river. Of course, there is still the rainforest in the middle of Africa that has more dilute water but it still has the most concentrated water.
Oxygen production:
Fast rivers generally produce more oxygen compared to slower ones.
Slow rivers also produce fair amounts of oxygen during the day but the amount of oxygen produced grows to very little as night approaches. The reason for this is photosynthesis, which works during the day and pauses at night. Then, rivers will have to make their own oxygen without relying on photosynthesis.
Organisms:
Rivers contain many diverse and adaptive organisms. Mayflies, Stoneflies and Nymphs live and flourish in rivers. Many have adapted to the current of the river. One of the most notable species are in fact larvae of the fly family Simaliidae. They anchor themselves to something stable, using the current for food. The larvae use silk and the current to catch and overturn prey. This method is similar to how we use a fishing rod to catch fish.
Beetles also live in rivers. Younger ones do not need to come up to the surface and breath while the adults must.
Many other diverse species live in rivers including the following species. (Does not include all the species that live in rivers)
- Nematodes
- Mites
- Crustaceans
- Segmented worms
- Other worms
- Limpets
- Some fishes and frogs
- Midges
- Larvae of diverse types and species
- Tadpoles
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