1 / 25

Aquatic Ecosystems

Aquatic Ecosystems. Chapter 3. Freshwater Ecosystems. Ponds, Lakes, Streams, Rivers, and Wetlands Plants and animals living here are adapted to low salt concentrations and are unable to survive in areas of high salt concentrations Only 2.5% of the water on Earth is freshwater.

slade
Download Presentation

Aquatic Ecosystems

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Aquatic Ecosystems Chapter 3

  2. Freshwater Ecosystems • Ponds, Lakes, Streams, Rivers, and Wetlands • Plants and animals living here are adapted to low salt concentrations and are unable to survive in areas of high salt concentrations • Only 2.5% of the water on Earth is freshwater

  3. Rivers and Streams • Water flows in one direction • Begins at a source called a headwater and flows to be a bigger body of water • Can start from underground springs or from snowmelt • The slope of the landscape determines the direction & speed of the water flow

  4. Rivers and Streams Fast-Moving Rivers and Streams Slow-Moving Rivers and Streams • Not much organic material or sediment accumulates • Few species living here • More organic material or sediment can accumulate here • Insect larvae are the primary food for organisms living here • American eel, brown bullhead catfish, and trout live here • Crabs and worms are sometimes found here

  5. Lakes and Ponds • An inland body of standing water • Can be as small as a few square meters to as big as thousands of square meters • Some ponds can be filled with water for only a few months out of the year • In the winter the water is the same temperature throughout usually • In the summer the water on the top of the lake or pond is warmer and colder on bottom

  6. Lakes and Ponds • Oligotrophic lakes: Nutrient-poor lakes, found high in the mountains. • Few plants and animal species are found here • Eutrophic lakes: Nutrient-rich lakes, usually found at lower altitudes • Many plant and animal species are present as a result of organic matter and many nutrients

  7. Oligotrophic or Eutrophic?

  8. Lakes and Ponds • Lakes and ponds are divided into three zones based on how much sunlight penetrates the water. • 1. Littoral Zone • The area closest to the shore • Water is shallow, and sunlight reaches the bottom • 2. Limnetic Zone • The open water area that is well lit and dominated by plankton • Many species of freshwater fish live here because food (like plankton) is readily available. • 3. Profundal Zone • The deepest area of a large lake • Colder and lower in oxygen than the other two zones • Little light penetrates here • Not many species of animals live here

  9. Transitional Aquatic Ecosystems • Wetlands • Areas of land that are saturated with water • ex. Marshes, swamps, and bogs • Support aquatic plants • Duckweed, pond lilies, cattails, sedges, mangroves, willows, etc. • Have high levels of biodiversity • Many amphibians, reptiles, birds, and some mammals live in wetlands

  10. Transitional Aquatic Ecosystems • Estuaries • Second to tropical rainforests they are the most diverse ecosystem • Formed where freshwater merges with salt water • Algae, seaweeds, and marsh grasses are the dominant producers • Many animals depend on estuaries for nesting, feeding, and migration rest areas

  11. Where is the estuary?

  12. Marine Ecosystems • Intertidal Zones • a narrow band where the ocean meets land • Organisms in this zone are adapted to the constant changes that happen daily as the tides change • Divided into 4 zones : • 1. Spray zone • Dry most of the time • 2. High-tide zone • Underwater only during high tides; receives more water than the spray zone so more plants can live here • 3. Mid-tide zone • Undergoes severe disruption twice a day (high-tide and low-tide) • Organisms here must be adapted to long periods of air and water • 4. Low-tide zone • Covered with water unless the tide is unusually low • The most populated area in the intertidal zone

  13. Open Ocean Ecosystems • Divided into 3 zones: 1. Pelagic Zone 2. Abyssal Zone 3. Benthic Zone

  14. The Pelagic Zone • The Pelagic Zone is divided into smaller zones: • Photic zone (or euphotic zone)is the area to about 200m of the pelagic zone • Shallow enough that sunlight can penetrate • Plants: seaweeds and plankton • Animals: fish, sea turtles, jellyfish, whales, dophins • Aphotic Zone is below the photic zone • Sunlight cannot penetrate here • Remains in constant darkness and is generally cold • Organisms that depend on light energy can not live here

  15. The Benthic Zone • Area along the ocean floor that consists of sand, silt, and dead organisms • In shallow benthic zones sunlight can penetrate to the bottom of the ocean floor • Many species of fish, octopus, and squid live in the benthic zone

  16. The Abyssal Zone • Deepest region of the ocean • Very cold water • Most organisms here rely on food materials that drift from the zones above • Hydrothermal vents (near the intersection of two plates) can spew large amounts of hot water into this zone

  17. Coastal Ocean and Coral Reefs • Coral reefs are among the most diverse ecosystems • Widely distributed in warm shallow marine waters • Coral reefs form natural barriers along continents that protect shorelines from erosion • Coral reefs are sensitive to changes • Naturally occurring events • Human activities

More Related