stratification

Examples of stratification in the following topics:

• Abiotic Factors Influencing Aquatic Biomes

  • Abiotic factors that influence aquatic biomes include light availability, depth, stratification, temperature, currents, and tides.
  • In freshwater systems, stratification due to differences in density is perhaps the most critical abiotic factor and is related to the energy aspects of light.

• Marine Biomes

  • Within the oceanic zone there is thermal stratification where warm and cold waters mix because of ocean currents.

• Freshwater Biomes

  • In the summer, thermal stratification of lakes and ponds occurs when the upper layer of water is warmed by the sun, but does not mix with deeper, cooler water.