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The primary zones of a lake, including the limnetic (photic) zone
Lake zones
Littoral zone
Limnetic zone
Profundal zone
Benthic zone
Lake stratification
Epilimnion
Metalimnion
Hypolimnion
Destratification
Lake types
Holomictic lake
Monomictic lake
Dimictic lake
Polymictic lake
Meromictic lake
Amictic lake
See also
Aquatic ecosystems
Wild fisheries
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The limnetic zone is the open and well-lit area of a freestanding body of freshwater, such as a lake or pond. Not included in this area is the littoral zone, which is the shallow, near-shore area of the water body. The key difference between the littoral zone and the limnetic zone is the presence of rooted plant growth.[1] The floor under the limnetic zone cannot sustain plant growth due to a lack of sunlight for photosynthesis. In extremely shallow bodies of water, light may penetrate all the way to floor even in the deepest center parts of the lake. In this situation, there is an absence of a limnetic zone and the littoral zone spans the entire lake.[2] Together, these two zones comprise the photic zone.
There are two main sources of oxygen to the photic zone: atmospheric mixing and photosynthesis. Oxygen is dissolved when air interacts with water on the surface, and is increased with wave and wind action.[3] Unlike the profundal zone, the limnetic zone is the layer that receives sufficient sunlight, allowing for photosynthesis.[4] For this reason, it is often simply referred to as the photic zone. The limnetic zone is the most photosynthetically-active zone of a lake since it is the primary habitat for planktonic species.[5] Because phytoplankton populations are densest here, it is the zone most heavily responsible for oxygen production within the aquatic ecosystem.[5]
Limnetic communities are quite complex. Zooplankton populations often consist of copepods, cladocerans, and rotifers occurring in the open water of lakes. Most limnetic communities will consist of one dominant species of copepod, one dominant cladoceran, and one dominant rotifer.[6] Zooplanktons are able to move more freely through the limnetic zone than in the littoral zone, both vertically and horizontally. This is because the bottom of a lake's debris and substrates provide rich habitat niches.[6] A limnetic zooplankton population will usually consist of two to four species, each in a different genus.[6]
In addition to zooplankton, organisms in the limnetic zone include insects and fish. Many species of freshwater fish live in the limnetic zone because of the abundance of food, though these species often navigate into the littoral zone as well.
^"Inland lake habitats critical to maintaining healthy lake ecosystems". MSU Extension.
^"limnetic zone". Oxford Reference. Oxford University Press.
^Rudolf, Rosen (2016). Texas Aquatic Science. Texas A&M University Press.
^Bhateria, Rachna; Jain, Disha (2016-06-01). "Water quality assessment of lake water: a review". Sustainable Water Resources Management. 2 (2): 161–173. doi:10.1007/s40899-015-0014-7. ISSN 2363-5045.
^ abHavens, Karl E. (1991-06-01). "Summer zooplankton dynamics in the limnetic and littoral zones of a humic acid lake". Hydrobiologia. 215 (1): 21–29. doi:10.1007/BF00005897. ISSN 1573-5117. S2CID 39398719.
^ abcPennak, Robert W. (July 1957). "Species Composition of Limnetic Zooplankton Communities1". Limnology and Oceanography. 2 (3): 222–232. Bibcode:1957LimOc...2..222P. doi:10.1002/lno.1957.2.3.0222.
The limneticzone is the open and well-lit area of a freestanding body of freshwater, such as a lake or pond. Not included in this area is the littoral...
descriptions of redirect targets Intertidal zone – Area of coast exposed only at low tide Limneticzone – Zone in a freestanding body of water Littoral combat...
sulfide in the profundal zone. Ecology portal Environment portal Marine Life portal Benthic zone Littoral zoneLimneticzone Lake stratification Dodds...
dragonflies, and herons both in the littoral zone and the limneticzone. The open water limneticzone may allow algae to grow as sunlight still penetrates...
pelagic zone, the photic zone may be called the limneticzone and the aphotic zone may be called the profundal zone. Inland from the littoral zone, one can...
feeders (i.e. Micropterus) generally feed in more open areas known as the limneticzone. Centrarchids diet consists of macro-invertebrates (e.g. insects, snails...
live in rivers and streams, and brackish waters. They reside in the limneticzone, and can comprise up to 80% of fish biomass in certain lake systems...
on lake bodies as a physical shift in geographic location, with tropical zones being particularly sensitive. These changes can further alter the fish,...
insects, fish, crustaceans, and amphibians. The limneticzone is found below the littoral zone. This zone has lower temperatures, is fairly well-lit, and...
suspension-feeding bivalves. Freshwater mussels were common in the river's limneticzone, but populations have been decreasing for decades, probably from altered...
(Cyathura polita, Chiridotea almyra, Almyracuma proximoculi) in the limneticzone of the Lower Hudson River, New York. Estuaries 8: 373–380. Sourinstay...
differences in metabolic rates in the open water limneticzones and the more benthic-dominated littoral zones. Littoral areas are usually more complex and...
"Phytoplankton". In Patrick E. O'Sullivan; Colin S. Reynolds (eds.). Limnology and Limnetic Ecology. The Lakes Handbook. Vol. 1. Wiley-Blackwell. pp. 251–308. ISBN 978-0-632-04797-0...
Analyses, 3rd ed. (Springer-Verlag, 2000) Patrick E. O'Sullivan and Colin S. Reynolds The Lakes Handbook: Limnology and limnetic ecology ISBN 0-632-04797-6...
Patrick; Reynolds, C. S., eds. (2008). The Lakes Handbook: Limnology and Limnetic Ecology. John Wiley & Sons. p. 57. ISBN 978-0-470-99926-4. "Water level...
Paves, Héctor; Pequeno, Germán; Bertran, Carlos & Vargas, Luis (2005). "Limnetic feeding in eleginops maclovinus (valenciennes, 1830) in the valdivia river...
ISSN 1040-2381. S2CID 229389829. Bull, L.A. (1995). "Fish distribution in limnetic areas of Lake Okeechobee, Florida". Archiv für Hydrobiologie, Advances...
Patrick; Reynolds, C. S. (2004-01-26). The Lakes Handbook: Limnology and Limnetic Ecology. Wiley. ISBN 978-0-632-04797-0. U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet...
clarkii), and steelhead salmon (O. mykiss). Introduced fish impact the limnetic and benthic communities, as they are the primary prey of non-native fish...
M. (2006). "Life History Traits". Trends in Antarctic Terrestrial and Limnetic Ecosystems: Antarctica as a Global Indicator. Springer Netherlands. p. 107...
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