The littoral zone refers to the shallow area of a body of water, such as a lake or pond, where sunlight reaches the bottom and supports plant growth. It is the zone closest to the shore.
Imagine you're at a beach party near the shoreline. The littoral zone is like the area where people can stand comfortably in the water, enjoying the sun and playing beach games.
Limnetic Zone: This term refers to the open water area beyond the littoral zone, where sunlight penetrates but plants cannot grow due to its depth.
Profundal Zone: The profundal zone is located below both the littoral and limnetic zones. It is deeper and receives no sunlight, making it dark and devoid of plant life.
Benthic Zone: The benthic zone is at the very bottom of a body of water. It includes both sediment and organisms that live on or in it.
Study guides for the entire semester
200k practice questions
Glossary of 50k key terms - memorize important vocab
© 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.
AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.