Limnology divides lakes into three zones: the littoral zone, a sloped area close to land; the photic or open-water zone, where sunlight is abundant; and the deep-water profundal or benthic zone, where little sunlight can reach.
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Summary. English: The three primary zones of a lake are the littoral, open-water (also called the photic or limnetic), and deep-water (also called the aphotic or profundal) zones. If the above link no longer works, visit http://www.ck12.org and search for CK-12 Earth Science.
Typically the hypolimnion is the coldest layer of a lake in summer, and the warmest layer during winter. In deep, temperate lakes, the bottom-most waters of the hypolimnion are typically close to 4 °C throughout the year. The hypolimnion may be much warmer in lakes at warmer latitudes.
The Benthic Zone is the bottom of the pond or lake and consists of organic sediments and soil. As the body of water ages, this zone will increase. It is considered the pond or lake's digestive system. This zone is where bacteria decompose organic matter from dead algae, aquatic plants, and fish and animal waste.
The shallow down-sloping shelf of a lake or pond is commonly referred to as the lake's “littoral zone”. The zone is an area where the water meets the land. Plants here support wildlife such as wading birds, turtles and crabs. Littoral Zones are crucial components of healthy ecosystems, hence are protected by law.
Every Pond or lake has several different zones that divide the water column from top to bottom and side to side. These zones consist of the Littoral Zone, Limnetic Zone, Profundal Zone, Euphotic Zone, and Benthic Zone.
Epilimnion. This is the upper, less dense layer of warmer water, that is readily mixed by wind. ...
Metalimnion. Also called the thermocline, this is the middle layer characterized by a steady drop in water temperature, that prevents water mixing between the epilimnion and hypolimnion. ...
In freshwater ecosystemsThe three primary zones of a lake are the littoral zone, the open-water (also called the photic or limnetic) zone, and the deep-water (also called the aphotic or profundal) zone.