The majority of fresh water biomes in North America are located in variant climate systems that contain both warm or hot spring and summer months, along with cold and sometimes freezing temperatures during the fall and winter. Because of this variance, growing seasons follow the traditional course of blooming, then fade every year with the climate. Exceptions to the rule exist in the African, South American or Asian continents in areas around the equator, like the Amazon River where temperatures remain warm throughout the majority of the year. These locales exhibit a wide variety of life forms -- in many cases, more than any other area on the planet.
Most plant and animal life are located around the edges of lakes and ponds. The actual water is limited to fish, algae, occasional amphibians and micro organisms. Because many lakes or ponds freeze over during the winter, their growing season is limited to the warmer summer and spring months. During the fall, plants start to die off or stagnate, and many animals head for hibernation or leave for warmer areas, like migratory birds. Lakes in warmer climates may have nearly year-round growing seasons, if the temperature never reaches freezing. These areas are higher in population for both plants and animals.
Rivers and streams are the feeders for most larger, stationary bodies of water. Because moving waterways continually flow, the local life is generally limited. Fish and other animals may pass through on their way to a lake or an ocean, but few remain in one area except when the water does not flow. The growing season is similar, in that not much plant life is local, except on the edges of rivers and streams. Most plant life goes dormant in the colder winter months, then returns for the thaw and the warmer months. As with any wide-ranging biome, vegetation is limited by climate.
Wetlands are vegetative hot-spots because they are equal parts waterway and land mass. Traditional wetlands most often exist in warmer climates, like Florida where the growing season is persistent well into the fall and winter months, compared to other areas further north. According to the Colorado State University website, "Other terms for wetland include marsh, bog, flood plain, prairie pothole and swamp." Wildlife is abundant in these areas due in large part to the warmer temperatures and large amount of plant life.
