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Pond Life. Vocabulary. Habitat- A place in an ecosystem where a population lives Ecosystem- A community and its physical environment together. Habitats. Must provide each species present with all of its life needs Food Water Oxygen Space Protection from predators
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Vocabulary • Habitat- A place in an ecosystem where a population lives • Ecosystem- A community and its physical environment together
Habitats • Must provide each species present with all of its life needs • Food • Water • Oxygen • Space • Protection from predators • Protection from temperature extremes • Breeding places
Limiting Factors • The lack of any of species’ life needs becomes a limiting factor • Limiting factor effects size of population and size of species
Surface • Surface= The top part of the pond • Surface film- the boundary between the water and the air • Different groups of organisms can be found living on the upper surface clinging to the underside • Insects- renew their supply of oxygen • Terrestrial insects- provide a food source
Open Water • Open Water= Deeper water away from the shore • Contains free swimming organisms • Fish • Free floating plants and animals
Pond Animals • Mammals- Beavers, raccoons, muskrats • Birds- ducks, red winged blackbirds, swallows • Reptiles- turtles, snakes • Amphibians- frogs, toads, newts, salamanders • Fish • Insects- mosquitoes, dragonflies, mayflies, etc. • Crayfish, clams, snails, spiders, worms
Bottom • Bottom= The lower area where dead material settles and decomposes • Receives dead material (detritus) • Feces • Dead plants • Dead animals • Material from land organisms that live near by • Many living things reside on bottom taking advantage of dependable quantities of food • Temperatures more consistent toward bottom • Oxygen levels low
Shore Region/Zones • Contains many zones • Zone of emergent vegetation • Cattails, rooted plants that raise their leaves above surface • Zone of Floating Leafed Plants • Water is too deep for emergent plants • Zone of Submerged Vegetation • Plants living on the bottom • All of these zones form a distinct habitat for animals
Life Cycle of a Pond • A pond is a community of plants and animals which has a definite life span • May be built by beavers, humans, or glaciers • Young ponds are relatively deep, but have a limited supply of nutrients for plant growth • As a pond ages, nutrients are added as plants and animals die and decay • Types of plants and animals living in the pond depend change as environmental conditions change
Succession • Eventually the pond will be completely filled in and become a meadow • All communities of plants and animals go through this process
Interrelationships • Green plants produce their own food (photosynthesis), which uses energy from the sun and inorganic chemicals from the environment • All other inhabitants of a pond get food by consuming other living things or products of living things • Herbivores eat plants • Carnivores, or predators, eat animals • Omnivores eat both plants and animals • Decomposers eat dead organisms and waste products
Energy Flow/Food Chain • Green plants (algae) herbivores (tadpoles) Carnivores (giant water bugs)
Any change in the environment which affects one part of the community will have an effect on every other part of the community