How do freshwater lake communities differ across continents?

Freshwater lake communities share fundamental ecological roles and processes across the globe, such as the presence of primary producers, consumers, and decomposers organized into complex trophic webs. However, while these ecosystems function through similar biological and chemical pathways, they exhibit significant taxonomic differences across continents.1

For example, the fish species inhabiting freshwater lakes in Africa are distinct from those found in similar ecosystems in North America. Similarly, the plankton communities in lakes across Asia differ from those in Australia. These variations in composition, structure, and adaptation reflect the unique evolutionary and geographic histories of different regions, even when the lakes themselves share comparable physical characteristics like vertical stratification or thermal patterns.12