Food Web Structure and Biodiversity in Lake Ecosystems

Aquatic ecosystems are different from terrestrial ones in many aspects, and their existence increases the biodiversity of the earth. Littoral ecosystems are structured around solid substrata, particularly for aquatic plants and algae, and consequently resemble terrestrial ones. In contrast, pelagic ecosystems are unique in being suspended in the water. In addition, aquatic ecosystems involve complex interactions (Carpenter 1988) that may promote biodiversity within the systems.