Ecology Chapter 7

1. Ecology Chapter 7 Aquatic Ecosystems

2. Standard 5 - Biomes • Examine the major freshwater and marine ecosystems • {CLE 3255.5.3,.4,.5} • Obj: • Describe the factors and characteristics that determine each water biome and the organisms that live there • Freshwater Biome*

3. Sec. 1: Freshwater Ecosystems • Wetland - land that is periodically under water • Factors that determine which organisms live in an area are: • salinity, temperature, oxygen, sunlight, and nutrients • Include: lakes, ponds, swamps, and marshes

4. Types of Organisms • Plankton: float near the surface • 2 Types: • 1.) Phytoplankton - microscopic plants; • 2.) Zooplankton - microscopic animals • Nekton: free swimming organisms - fish, turtles, whales, etc. • Benthos: bottom dwellers - muscles, worms, bacteria, etc.

5. Lakes and Ponds • Lakes, ponds, wetlands, rivers, streams • 2 Zones: • 1.) Littoral - near the shore; • 2.) Benthic - bottom of the lake or pond - decomposers, insect larvae, and clams • Eutrophication - increase in the amount of nutrients in an aquatic ecosystems • Can cause damage to the lake and life

8. Swamps and Marshes • Swamps: dominated by woody plants such as trees and shrubs • Occur on flat, poorly drained land often near streams • Variety of plant and animal life exists

9. Swamp

10. Marshes • Contain non-woody plants such as cattails • Florida Everglades is the largest freshwater wetland in US • Occur in low, flat lands and have little water movement • Several kinds of marshes each with it’s own characteristics and salinity

11. Freshwater Marsh

12. Rivers • Most originate from snow melt in mountains • Changes with the land and climate through which it flows • Runoff effects the growth and health of the water and organisms • Life adapts to the different parts of the river (flow, temp, etc.)

13. Standard 5 - Biomes • Examine the major freshwater and marine ecosystems • {CLE 3255.5.3,.4,.5} • Obj: • Describe the factors and characteristics that determine each water biome and the organisms that live there • Marine Biome*

14. Sec. 7-2: Marine Ecosystems • Located mainly in coastal areas and in the open ocean • Organisms in coastal areas adapt to changes in water level and salinity • In open ocean they adapt to temperature, amount of sunlight and nutrients

15. Coastal Wetlands • Covered by salt water for all or part of the time • Estuaries, Marshes, and Swamps • Provide habitat and nesting for many fish and wildlife • Absorb excess rain, protects areas from flooding

16. Estuaries • An area in which fresh water from rivers mixes with salt water from the ocean • Very productive ecosystems because they constantly receive fresh nutrients

17. Estuaries: Plants and Animals • Receives lots of sunlight and plenty of nutrients for plants and animals • Provide protected harbors and access to the ocean, and connection to the river

18. Threats to Estuaries • In populated areas, used as places to dump wastes • Pollutants can destroy; breaks down over time, but estuaries cannot cope with the amounts produced by large human populations

19. Salt Marshes • Develop in estuaries where rivers dump mineral rich mud • Breeding ground for clams, fish, birds, shrimps, and crabs • Absorb pollutants and protect inland areas

20. Mangrove Swamps • Located along coastal areas of tropical and subtropical zones • Mangrove trees dominate these areas • Grow partly submerged in warm shallow waters • Help protect the coastline from erosion and reduce damage from storms

22. Rocky and Sandy Shores • Rocky shores have more plants and animals than sandy shores • Rocks provide anchors and protection to the organisms • Sandy shores often dry out and organisms get stranded

23. Coral Reefs • Built by tiny coral animals that secrete limestone which slowly accumulate to form the coral reef • Live only in clear and warm salt water with sunlight for photosynthesis • Among the most diverse ecosystem on Earth

25. Two types of Corals Hard Coral Soft Coral Sea fingers and sea whips Do not build coral reefs • Brain Coral and elkhorn coral • Build coral reefs

26. Types of Reefs • Fringing reefs are reefs that form along a coastline. They grow on the continental shelf in shallow water. • Barrier reefs grow parallel to shorelines, but farther out, usually separated from the land by a deep lagoon. • Coral Atolls are rings of coral that grow on top of old, sunken volcanoes in the ocean.

27. Humans and coral reefs • Fragile ecosystem • 27% of coral reefs in the world are in danger of destruction from human activities • Oil spills, sewage, pesticides, and silt runoff have been linked to coral reef destruction

28. Human interaction (cont.) • Over fishing can deplete fish populations and upset the reefs balance • Reefs grow slowly so may not be able to overcome repair the damage

29. Oceans • Sunlight that is usable only goes to about 100m (330ft) into the ocean before the sunlight is absorbed • Much of the oceans life is concentrated in the shallow, coastal waters • Seaweed and algae grow anchored to rocks, phytoplankton float near the surface, invertebrates that feed on these are also concentrated near the shore

30. Plants and Animals of the Ocean • In open ocean; least productive of all ecosystems • Phytoplankton only grow in area where there is enough sunlight • Zooplankton live near the surface with the phytoplankton they feed on • The larger organisms come closer to the surface to feed on these organisms • Decomposers, filter feeders that do not depend on sunlight dwell in the depths

32. Sunlit zone or the Euphotic zone Plants Animals include most ocean fishincluding: sharks and rays, man-o'-war, jellyfish, sea turtles, seals, coral, and zooplankton • Primary Producers • Free-floating algae -- often called seaweed • Red algae • Green algae • Brown algae • Phytoplankton -- tiny, one-celled photosynthetic plankton like diatoms, dinoflagellates,

33. Intertidal zone: where the land and sea meet

34. Threats to Oceans • Steadily becoming polluted • Most pollution come from activities on land due to runoff • Over-fishing and certain fishing methods also destroying fish populations • Nets can drown or strangle animals that must return to the surface to breathe when they get caught in them

35. Artic & Antartic Ecosystems • Artic Ocean gets nutrients from the surrounding land masses • Supports whales, seals, ocean birds, polar bears, and provide food for people • Antartic only continent never colonized by humans - used mainly for research • Only a few plants grow • Artic plankton feed the fish, whales, and penguins that live there