Theme 1: Water & Catchments

Topic: Freshwater Ecosystems

What are the different types of inland freshwater ecosystems?

Freshwater ecosystems include rivers, streams, lakes and ponds, floodplains and wetlands. Of all the continents in the world, Australia is the driest inhabited continent, with the least amount of water in rivers, the lowest run-off and the smallest area of permanent wetlands.

Why are freshwater ecosystems important?

Freshwater resources form an essential part of the earth's hydrological cycle and are an indispensable part of all ecosystems. Rivers, wetlands and streams support unique communities of plants and animals that are not found elsewhere, and they also provide many of the natural ecological functions that support life and our economic activities. Some of the functions of healthy rivers and wetlands include:

• purifying water
• recharging underground aquifers
• store water and slow down floodwaters
• providing critical habitats for birds, fish, amphibians, mammals and reptiles during times of drought
• providing important habitats for migratory birds that fly to Australia from Siberia, Russia, Japan, China and Korea
• stabilising shorelines and riverbanks
• supporting sustainable populations of threatened species, and
• cycling nutrients.

Freshwater ecosystems in South Australia

Rivers and catchments in South Australia are influenced by its largely semi-arid climate. The climate produces some of the most variable rainfall and surface water flows (runoff) in the world.

The State's largest surface water resources are in the Murray-Darling and Lake Eyre Basins. The catchments for both extend beyond the State's borders. These two catchments have most of their river flows generated by interstate rainfall, stressing the importance of interstate agreements on how water resources in these catchments are managed. Apart from the River Murray, the major surface water resources within South Australia are located in the Mount Lofty Ranges and Mid North Catchments.

South Australia's surface waters (rivers and streams) support important aquatic ecosystems that sustain a diverse range of plants and animals and they supply drinking water for most of the State's population. They also sustain much of our irrigated agriculture, manufacturing, food processing and winemaking industries and provide a focus for water-based recreational activities and eco-tourism.

Freshwater: A limited resource

Worldwide, freshwater consumption rose six times between 1900 and 1995 – more than twice the rate of population growth. Humans already use more than half of all accessible freshwater run-off in the world. At present, approximately one-third of the world's people live in countries with moderate to high water stress, and more than 5 million people die every year as a result of poor water quality.

What frogs are found in the freshwaters of South Australia?

The most common frogs include the Southern Bell frog, the Spotted Grass frog, the common froglet, the Brown Tree frog, the Eastern Banjo frog, the Bibron's toadlet and the Painted frog. To find out more about SA's frogs go to: www.epa.sa.gov.au/frogcensus/sa_frogs.html

Student Activity Ideas

• Using the Water~Learning and Living poster, identify the freshwater systems and the impacts that human activity is having on them.
• 2005-2015 has been proclaimed the International Decade on 'Water for Life' by the United Nations. What does 'water for life' mean for your students? What activities can you create to promote 'water for life' in your community?
• Have your students produce a project involving the freshwater found near their school or home. It may be a creek, freshwater lake or a wetland. The project may be to produce a drawing, an essay, a play or a model. Students could investigate where the water comes from and where it ends up, the quality of the water and the habitat, the animals, fish, birds and bugs found there, sources of pollution and who has been given responsibility for looking after it etc.
• Activities - United Nations Environment Program 'cyber school-bus' – water activities and facts www.cyberschoolbus.un.org/worldenvironmentday2003/index.asp

Enquiry Learning

• What are the different types of inland freshwater ecosystems? What role do these ecosystems play in the environment?
• What is the importance of maintaining biodiversity and water quality?
• What ecosystem services, such as nurseries for aquatic life and water quality maintenance, do they provide?
• How are inland freshwater ecosystems connected from the top of catchments to the sea?

Internet Resources

Type	Description	Resources Covering the Topic
Easy	The riparian zone.	NAB Catchment Board www.nabcatchment.net/ publications/factsheets/ what_are_riparian_zones.pdf
	Ecological processes in the riparian zone. Brief overview of issues.	www.rivers.gov.au/forum02/ day2sess.htm#daviesbunn
More Comprehensive	Freshwater ecology. Thorough site with much information on the biology of freshwater ecosystems.	Biology Online www.biology-online.org/6/ 1_producers_consumers.htm
	Water backgrounder. Surface waters, rivers (and floodplains), lakes, riparian zones and wetlands. Comprehensive look at the different environments.	NSW EPA www.epa.nsw.gov.au/soe/soe2000/ bw/bw_1.htm#bw_1_h010
	Fish need trees. Explaining the benefits of riparian zones.	Qld Government Forestry www.forests.qld.gov.au/educat/btl/ fish.htm#Riparianvegetation
	Vegetation, trees on the riverbank. PDF download.	Murray Issues www.murrayusers.sa.gov.au/pdfs/ MIssues4vegetation.pdf
	River Ecosystems. The role of native vegetation in maintaining river ecosystems.	Land and Water Australia www.rivers.gov.au/manage/ is4rivereco.htm
	River Ramblers. Experiments to demonstrate the role of native vegetation in riparian ecosystems.	Land and Water Australia www.rivers.gov.au/training/ramblers/ activities/rivram_activities.htm

Activities

Band	Activity	Contact
Early Years	'A Bug's Life'. Learn how aquatic invertebrates are used as indicators of water health.	KESAB Patawalonga and Torrens Waterwatch www.cwmb.sa.gov.au/kwc/programs/ living_waterways.htm
	'Something Fishy'. Find out why native fish populations are threatened. Understanding the importance of habitat, pollution and exotic animals.	KESAB Patawalonga and Torrens Waterwatch www.cwmb.sa.gov.au/kwc/programs/ living_waterways.htm
	EPA Frog census Frogs of South Australia.	EPA Frog Census www.epa.sa.gov.au/frogcensus/ sa_frogs.html
	Introduction to macroinvertebrates, frogs, fish and more. Background information and activities.	Onkaparinga Catchment Water Management Board Catchment Connections www.onkaparinga.net/education/ folder_2.shtml#wild
Primary Years	Macroinvertebrate monitoring. Outdoor sampling and indoor lessons involving video microscopes. Look at bioindicators and water quality.	North Adelaide and Barossa Catchment Water Management Board www.nab.waterwatch.org.au/
	Freshwater Ecosystems resources and activities on fish, frogs, wetlands, macroinvertebrates and more	Onkaparinga Catchment Water Management Board Catchment Connections www.onkaparinga.net/education/ folder_2.shtml#wild
	Gutter Guardians. Concepts of water pollution.	SA Waterwatch www.sa.waterwatch.org.au/ sessions.htm#gutter
	Gutter Guardians. Sweep your street and examine the types of pollutants that can enter the waterways.	North Adelaide and Barossa Catchment Water Management Board www.nab.waterwatch.org.au/
	Gutter Guardians. Sweep your street and examine the types of pollutants that can enter the waterways.	KESAB Patawalonga and Torrens Waterwatch www.cwmb.sa.gov.au/kwc/ programs/gutter_guardians/
	Gutter Guardians. Sweep your street and examine the types of pollutants that can enter the waterways.	Onkaparinga Catchment Water Management Board www.onkaparinga.net/caring/ waterwatch.shtml#aquatic
	Habitat assessment. Assessing the habitat value of a waterway.	North Adelaide and Barossa Catchment Water Management Board www.nab.waterwatch.org.au/
	River habitats. Classroom and outdoor activity session that focuses on what a habitat is, why they are important, different types and conducting habitat surveys. Lower Murray region only.	River Murray Waterwatch www.rivermurray.sa.gov.au/work/ curric_resource.html
	'Funky Fish'. Look at native and introduced fish and talk through the issues involved in exotic species.	North Adelaide and Barossa Catchment Water Management Board www.nab.waterwatch.org.au/
	'A Frog's Life'. Learn about biological monitoring and why frogs are used as indicators of water health. Participate in an activity to investigate the mating calls of frogs and information about the EPA's frog census. Offered in Upper and Lower Murray.	River Murray Waterwatch www.rivermurray.sa.gov.au/work/ curric_resource.html
	'A Bug's Life'. Learn about biological monitoring and how aquatic invertebrates are used as indicators of water health.	KESAB Patawalonga and Torrens Waterwatch www.cwmb.sa.gov.au/kwc/programs/ living_waterways.htm
	'A Frog's Life'. Learn about biological monitoring and why frogs are used as indicators of water health.	KESAB Patawalonga and Torrens Waterwatch www.cwmb.sa.gov.au/kwc/programs/ living_waterways.htm
	Explore your wetland. Organise a trip to your local wetland and we will assist you in learning about how they work.	Onkaparinga Catchment Water Management Board www.onkaparinga.net/caring/ waterwatch.shtml#aquatic
	'Something Fishy'. Find out why native fish populations are threatened. Provides an understanding of the importance of habitat, pollution and exotic animals.	KESAB Patawalonga and Torrens Waterwatch www.cwmb.sa.gov.au/kwc/programs/ living_waterways.htm
	Coastal environments. How do our actions in the catchment impact on the coast?	KESAB Patawalonga and Torrens Waterwatch www.cwmb.sa.gov.au/kwc/programs/ catchment_to_coast/index.htm
	What is a macroinvertebrate? Discover why macroinvertebrates are bioindicators of water health.	Onkaparinga Catchment Water Management Board Catchment Connections www.onkaparinga.net/education/ folder_2.shtml#wild
Middle Years	'A Bug's Life'. Learn about biological monitoring and how aquatic invertebrates are used as indicators of water health.	KESAB Patawalonga and Torrens Waterwatch www.cwmb.sa.gov.au/kwc/programs/ living_waterways.htm
	'A Frog's Life'. Learn about biological monitoring and why frogs are used as indicators of water health. Participate in an activity to investigate the mating calls of frogs and obtain information about the EPA's frog census. Offered in Upper and Lower Murray.	River Murray Waterwatch www.rivermurray.sa.gov.au/work/ curric_resource.html
	'A Frog's Life'. Learn about biological monitoring and why frogs are used as indicators of water health.	KESAB Patawalonga and Torrens Waterwatch www.cwmb.sa.gov.au/kwc/programs/ living_waterways.htm
	What is a macroinvertebrate? Discover why macroinvertebrates are bioindicators of water health.	Onkaparinga Catchment Water Management Board www.onkaparinga.net/caring/ waterwatch.shtml#aquatic

Who Can Help?

Organisation	Who Can Help?
Catchment Water Management Boards	Catchment Water Management Boards (CWMB): North Adelaide & Barossa Catchment Water Management Boards (CWMB): Onkaparinga Catchment Water Management Boards (CWMB): Torrens Catchment Water Management Boards (CWMB): Patawalonga Catchment Water Management Boards (CWMB): River Murray Catchment Water Management Boards (CWMB): South East
Waterwatch SA	Waterwatch State Office Waterwatch: Broughton Wakefield Waterwatch: KESAB Patawalonga & Torrens Waterwatch: North Adelaide & Barossa Waterwatch: River Murray (Upper) Waterwatch: River Murray (Lower) Waterwatch: South East Onkaparinga Waterwatch Network

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