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watersheds

a land area that delivers water into a stream or river system

what play a role in how watersheds drain?

vegetation, soil composition, slope

how does vegetation affect watershed drainage?

more vegetation\=more infiltration and groundwater recharge

How does slope affect the rate of watershed drainage?

greater slope\=faster velocity of runoff and more soil erosion

how does soil composition affect the rate of watershed drainage?

soil permeability determines runoff vs. infiltration rates

true or false: human activities of a watershed impact H2O quality

true

example of human activities impacting H2O quality of watershed

agriculture, clearcutting, urbanization, dams, mining

what are some solutions to watershed pollutants?

cover crops, riparian buffers, animal manure management, septic tank upgrades, biological nutrient removal, enhanced nutrient removal

what are the effects of clearcutting on watersheds?

soil erosion and increase soil and stream temperature

why does soil erosion occur when clearcutting?

loss of stabilizing root structure, loss of organic matter and nutrients from forest, deposits sediments in local streams

why does increase soil and stream temperature occur when clearcutting?

loss of tree shade, soil has lower albedo than leaves of trees, erosion of sediments warms rivers

what is our local watershed?

Delaware estuary watershed

what characteristics change from source to mouth of a river system?

dissolved oxygen, temperature, water speed, organisms

what do freshwater ecosystems provide?

major ecosystems and economic services

true or false: freshwater ecosystems are irreplaceable reservoirs of biodiversity

true

what percent of freshwater is utilized by agriculture?

70%

what percent of freshwater is utilized by industry?

20%

what percent of freshwater is utilized by domestic/residential?

10%

Lentic

standing water

lotic

flowing systems

examples of lentic bodies of freshwater

lakes, ponds, inland wetlands

examples of lotic systems of freshwater

streams, rivers

where are the headwaters of the Delaware Watershed?

Catskill Mountains

what is the total length of the Delaware River?

330 miles

what are major water quality concerns in the Delaware watershed?

acid rain (limits life) and atmospheric deposition of mercury (restricts fish consumption)

what is the effect of withdrawing and releasing water in the Delaware River?

changes the natural flow of the river

where does most of the water for rivers and streams originate from?

snowmelt mountains

river's flood plain

areas nearest a river's course that are flooded periodically

at the headwaters a river is usually...

very cold and highly oxygentated

as a river flows down the mountain and into lower lying land it will become...

broader, warmer, slower, and decrease in oxygen content

what are the three zones in the downhill flow of water?

source zone, transition zone, floodplain zone

source zone

headwaters streams found in highlands or mountains that are shallow, cold, clear, swiftly flowing

source zone have \___ DO and \____ nutrient levels

high, low

sources zones are populated by \______fish like trout

cold-water

transition zone

headwater streams merge to form wider, deeper, warmer streams that flow down gentler slopes

transition zone have more \_____

turbidity

transitions zones have \____ DO

less

transition zones have \___ and \___ fish species such as black bass

cool-water and warm-water

floodplain zones

streams join into wilder, deeper rivers that flow across broad, flat valleys

floodplain zones have \____temperatures and \______ DO

higher, less

true or false: flood plain zones are muddy with high levels of silt

true

delta

an area at the mouth of a river that was built up by deposited sediment and contains costal wetlands and esturaries

coral reefs are one of the world's \_____, most \______, and productive \_____

oldest, diverse, ecosystems

coral reefs form in...

clear, warm coastal waters in tropical areas

How are coral reefs formed?

polyps secrete a protective crust of calcium carbonate which becomes coral reeg

what two creatures have a symbiotic relationship in coral?

zooxanthellae and polyps

how do zooxanthellae and polyps show mutualism?

algae provide polyps with food and oxygen (photosynthesis) and polyps provide algae with home and nutrients

what are important ecological and economic services coral reef provide?

moderate atmospheric temperatures, provide habitats, support fishing and tourism businesses

what is causing degradation and decline of coral reefs?

pollution, overfishing and invasives, increasing ocean acidity

coral bleaching

algae inside coral dies, causing the coral to turn white

what are the key factors that determine biodiversity in aquatic systems?

temperature, DO, availability of food and light, nutrients necessary for photosynthesis

saltwater and freshwater aquatic life zones cover almost \______ of the earth's surface

3/4

true or false: endemism is more common in water habitats than on land

false

endemism

The restriction of species to one location or habitat

true or false: aquatic food chains and food webs tend to be less complex and have fewer trophic levels than terrestrial food chains and webs

false

true or false: aquatic species have a higher reproductive output and short life cycle

true

true or false: aquatic species are more separated from their parents earlier in life

true

true or false: aquatic ecosystems are easier to monitor and study

false

true or false: most aquatic systems have a smaller number of distinctly different habitats than terrestrial systems

true

saltware covers \____% of the earth's surface

71

freshwater covers \_________% of earths surface

2.2

5 oceans

Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, Arctic, Southern

what is the largest ocean?

Pacific

saltwater life zone

oceans and estuaries, coastlands and shorelines, coral reef, mangrove forests

freshwater life zones

lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, inland wetlands

phytoplankton

primary producers for most aquatic food webs

ultraplankton

tiny photosynthetic bacteria

zooplankton (heterotrophic)

Secondary consumers, Single-celled to large invertebrates like jellyfish

nekton

consumers, strong swimmers (fish, turtles, whales)

benthos

bottom dwellers (oysters, sea starts, clams, lobsters, crabs)

decomposers

mostly bacteria

what are the four types of aquatic life forms

plankton, nekton, benthos, decomposers

turbidity

degree of cloudiness in water, inhibits photosynthesis

how much money per year does the ocean provide us?

$12 trillion

Three major life zones in the ocean

coastal zone, open sea, ocean bottom

coastal zone

Warm, nutrient rich, shallow; shore to edge of continental shelf; usually high NPP from ample sunlight and nutrients. Contains 90% of all marine species. (estuaries, coastal marshes, and coral reefs)

open sea

sharp increase in depth

what are the three vertical zones of open sea

euphotic zone, bathyal zone, abyssal zone

thermocline

area where water temperature drops rapidly between euphotic zone and abyssal zone

estuaries

where river meet the sea

coastal wetlands

coastal land areas covered with water all or part of the year

true or false: where seawater mixes with freshwater there are very productive ecosystems with high nutrient levels, rapid circulation of nutrients by tidal flow and ample sunlight

true

intertidal zone

area of shore between high and low tides

coral reefs are the marine equivalent to...

tropical rain forests

ocean acidification

oceans absorb CO2 which reacts with ocean water to form acid that decreases carbonate ion levels needed to form coral

euphotic zone

Phytoplankton, Nutrient levels low, Dissolved oxygen levels high, Upwelling brings nutrients from below

bathyal zone

dimly lit middle zone. No photosynthesis, zooplankton and smaller fishes

abyssal zone

dark and cold, high levels of nutrients from marine snow, little dissolved oxygen, deposit feeders, filter feeders

deposit feeders

take mud into their guts and extract nutirents

filter feeders

pass water through or over their bodies and extract nutrients

NPP is \___ in the open sea

low

on what basis is the deep sea divided into?

penetration of sunlight

what is the largest estuary in the US

Chesapeake Bay

since when has the Chesapeake Bay been polluted

1960

why has pollution occurred at Chesapeake Bay?

large population increase, pollution increase, phosphate and nitrate levels too high, excess sediments from runoff and decreased vegetation

what is a keystone species in the Chesapeake Bay?

oysters

1983 Chesapeake Bay Program

Integrated coastal management with local, state, and federal governments, as well as citizens' groups

2008 update: Chesapeake bay

25 years and $6 billion, program failed to meet goals

costal deltas, mangrove forests, and coastal wetlands provide natural protection against \______

storms

Dams and levees reduces \_____ in deltas and sink

sediments