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The Coastal Area Ecosystem. By: Adam (Mr. Richardson’s Class). Table of Contents. The Habitat Habitat Field Notes Abiotic & Biotic Plants Woody Groundcover Herbaceous Plants Water Plants Animals Invertebrates Vertebrates. Table of Contents. Food Web Symbiotic Relationships
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The Coastal Area Ecosystem By: Adam (Mr. Richardson’s Class)
Table of Contents • The Habitat • Habitat Field Notes • Abiotic & Biotic • Plants • Woody • Groundcover • Herbaceous Plants • Water Plants • Animals • Invertebrates • Vertebrates
Table of Contents • Food Web • Symbiotic Relationships • Pyramid of Energy- Water Organisms • Pyramid of Energy- Land Organisms • Yearly Temperature – Summerland Key • Yearly Precipitation- Summerland Key • Water pH • Unique Site Factors • Limiting Factors
Table of Contents • Ecologically Sensitive/Endangered Organisms • Human Impact • Levels of Biological Organization • Bibliography • The End
Coastal Area Sacarma Bay Two Square Miles 8 Visits Snorkeling, Net, Camera, Boat, Land Approximately 15 points of observation Snorkeling The Habitat
Abiotic The non-living physical features of the environment. Biotic Living or once-living organisms in the environment. Abiotic & Biotic
Plants Groundcover Water Herbaceous Woody
Green Buttonwood Sea Grape Woody • Conocarpus erectus • 3-8 m tall • 2.5 cm to 9 cm long leaves • 1-3 cm wide leaves • Coccoloba uvifera • Grows up to 40 ft. • Fruit hangs down in clusters • Shiny, leathery leaves
Groundcover • Water Sprite (Ceratopteris thalictroides) • Skinny leaves • All Green • Found around water
Water Plants Turtle Grass (Thalassia testudinum) • Found in up to 100’ of water • Average growth is 2-4 mm per day • Will grow in temperatures of 20 to 40 degrees C
Water Plants • Neptune’s Shaving Brush • (Penicillus capitatos) • 3 inches tall • Underwater plant • All green color
Water Plants • Sea Fan (Gorgonia ventalina) • Flexible • Flat • Spread out to as much as 5’ & as tall as 6’
Water Plants • Sargassum Weed (Sargassum hystrix) • a.k.a. Gulfweed • Asexual reproduction • Type of brown algae
Animals Invertebrate • Animals without backbones are invertebrates. Sea Cucumber
Invertebrates • Hermit Crab • (Pagurus bernhardus) • Large claw is always on right side • Eats scraps and worms • Shells from 1” to 5”
Invertebrates • Horseshoe Crab • (Limulus polyphemus) • Considered “living fossil” • Spines all over • Light brown color
Vertebrates • Animals with a backbone are called Vertebrates. Great White Heron
Food Web Shark Osprey Barracuda Seagull Pelican Heron Grey Snapper Lobster Horseshoe Crab Schoolmaster Needlefish Snails Pink Shrimp Hermit Crabs Pinfish Sea Cucumber Algae Plankton Seagrape Green Buttonwood
Pyramid of Energy- Water Organisms Shark (top predator) Bigger Fish (predator) Fish (consumer) Algae, Plankton (producer)
Pyramid of Energy- Land Organisms Birds (Top Predator) Reptiles (Predator) Bugs (Consumer) Plants (Producer)
Water pH • The pH of a substance is based on the basic or acidic level. • The pH scale ranges from 0 – 14. 7 is neutral, any anything below is acidic, anything above is basic. • The higher the number the more basic the substance is, the lower the number the more acidic. • The habitat’s pH remained constant at 8.4
Unique Site Factors • Diversity of plants and animals • Hardly any pollution in the air or water (pollution exists on land) • Various organisms in the site (not apparent at first glance) • Accessible by water or land • The Upside Down Jelly Fish (Cassiopea medusa) is most abundant organism
Ecologically Sensitive/Endangered Organisms • No Sensitive or endangered organisms were noted at the habitat site.
Human Impact • Trash – Negative Impact • It can kill animals; i.e. plastic can be swallowed or entangle species • Motor props - Negative Impact • Kill organisms on sea floor • Mangroves – Positive Impact • Under protection by law • Diving/snorkeling – Negative & Positive Impact • May interfere with the sensitive species due to touching, gathering specimen, etc. • Humans increase their knowledge and awareness of sensitive environment • Fishing – Negative Impact • May over fish and deplete species, interfering with food web cycle
Human Impact • At Habitat Site: I found lots of dead fish. These provided food for other animals, making it a positive impact for them, but too many were killed for no apparent reason and would lay there and rot. This is a negative impact.