Bolded Aquatics words

Envirothon 2024

limnology

study of freshwater ecosystems

ecology

The study of how living things interact with each other (in freshwater systems in this case)

reservoir

artificial lake

vernal ponds

form after spring thaw or large storm events but go away before becoming permanent - the transition between lakes and wetlands in a way

wetlands

unique habitat that forms the transition between the lake and the surrounding land

anaerobic

without oxygen

groundwater

freshwater found beneath the earth's surface that is often connected to surface waters

glaciation

a process by which glaciers form and spread

glacial margin

a zone of near equilibrium where the rate of ice melting is balanced by new ice moving into the zone

terminal moraine

when water from the melting ice flushes rock debris beyond the ice margin - this marks the glacier's maximum advance

isostatic adjustment

the response to loading and unloading the weight on the earth (the earth rebounds upward when the weight is removed)

kettle lakes

a shallow, sediment-filled body of water formed by retreating glaciers or draining floodwaters

chlorophyll

the major pigment in plants

algae

microscopic plants that float in the water

humic matter

naturally occurring organic compounds formed by the breakdown of wood and other organic matter by decomposers such as bacteria and fungi

hard water lakes

lakes that are high in calcium and magnesium compouds

catchment basin, lake basin, or drainage basin

other names for watershed

runoff

moving water on the surface of the ground

water or hydrologic cycle

continuous movement and recycling of water

pollutants

dissolved substances and particles that can be carried into waterways and can impair the use of water by humans, aquatic life or both

hydraulic retention time

a calculated measurement that represents the time that it would take to fill the lake it it was drained completely, assuming normal precipitation and runoff and no outflow

lake effect storms

happens in regions with large lakes - the regions tend to be more humid and they experience more rain and snow (The larger finger lakes produce these lake effect storms)

epilimnion

the upper layer of water in a stratified lake

hypolimnion

the lower layer of water in a stratified lake, typically cooler than the water above and relatively stagnant.

metalimnion

a very thin layer that sits in the middle of a stratified lake (between the epilimnion and hypolimnion)

thermocline

a layer in a large body of water, such as a lake, that sharply separates regions differing in temperature

creates a thermal barrier to the mixing of surface and bottom waters because different densities created by temperature differences resist mixing

dimictic lake

a lake where the water has gone through a complete lake mixing twice a year

turnover

the process by which thermal layers break down and the lake mixes again

photosynthesis

the process by which sunlight, carbon dioxide and water are used to produce oxygenated organic compounds, such as sugars

photic zone

the area of water where photosynthesis occurs

euphotic zone

the portion of the photic zone near the surface where light is bright enough for photosynthesis to occur

anoxic

without oxygen

fishkill

occurs when a large number of fish in an area of water die off

pH

the measure of acidity or alkalinity

acid rain

rainfall with a pH below 5.0

alkalinity in water

the buffering capacity of water

biogeochemical cycle

the movement of a specific element in a lake ecosystem

limiting factor

when something is in short supply and limits the ability of something (plants in lake ecosystems) to use any of the other elements

Liebig's Law of the Minimum

a law that says if more of the element that is the limiting factor becomes available, more photosynthesis can take place and there is more algal growth

macrophytes

algae and rooted aquatic plants

primary producers in lake ecosystems

the organisms that initially capture the sun's energy (algae and rooted aquatic plants)

food web

interactions between communities of plants and animals

phytoplankton

free-floating photosynthetic algae and cyanobacteria that form the base of most aquatic food webs

periphyton

collection of algae, animals, and fungi attached to rocks, dock pilings, and macrophytes

epiphytes

periphytons that attach to macrophytes

filamentous algae

stringy masses of algae that attach to boats and submerged objects

algal bloom

the rapid growth of algae on the surface of lakes, streams, or ponds, which is generally stimulated by nutrient enrichment

diatoms

symmetrical, silica-based, mostly unicellular algae that are as fragile as glass, although their cell walls can remain intact in sediments for thousands of years - they form a significant portion of diatomaceous earth and the "skeletal" base of fossil fuels

bryophytes

A moss, liverwort, or hornwort; a nonvascular plant that inhabits the land but lacks many of the terrestrial adaptations of vascular plants.

zooplankton

small free-floating animals that form part of plankton (the microscopic animals found in every drop of water) - they provide food for waterfowl and other creatures and they hold sediment in place, dampen wave action, control flow patterns, and reduce erosion and the transit of turbidity and nutrients in open waters

emergent plants

plants that grow out of the water at the water's edge, in the boundary between dry land or wetlands and the shallow open-water area known as the littoral zone

invasive plants

plants that disrupt the natural ecological diversity or cause harm to the environment

exotic

a plant or animal that is not native to the area but has been introduced by animal or human activity (non-invasive)

floating leaf plants

Plants with long stems and floating leaves on water surface - found just beyond the emergent plants - they grow in water ranging from a few inches to as much as six to eight feet deep (water lilies, duckweed, etc)

submergent plants

plants with the majority of their mass below the water's surface - these are perhaps the most diverse of the aquatic plants, ranging in size from tiny grass-like plants 20 feet under water to very tall, conspicuous leafy plants that look like redwoods when viewed from the lake bottom

omnivores

consume both plants and animals (they consume both primary producers and primary consumers)

planktivores

organisms that eat zooplankton (the majority of fish are planktivores)

piscivores

organisms that eat fish and typically also algae

second-order consumers

organisms that feed on primary consumers

creates a thermal barrier to the mixing of surface and bottom waters because different densities created by temperature differences resist mixing

third-order consumers

the organisms that eat the second-order consumers

decomposers

the bacteria and fungi that break down all living things and are mostly invisible to the naked eye

nutrient recycling

the process in which decomposers convert large quantities of organic matter back to carbon dioxide and nutrients, the basic elements needed to support photosynthetic organisms

habitats

a zone where environmental conditions are rather uniform spatially - supports a food web made up of certain types of plants and animals

littoral zone

the shallow zone of soil and water in lakes and ponds where most algae and emergent plants grow - near the shore

limnetic zone

the open water area that is well lit and is dominated by plankton

profundal zone

deepest, coldest area of a large lake with little light and limited biodiversity

invertebrates

Animals without backbones

larvae

immature form of insects

benthic algae

Algae that grow on the sediment at the bottom of a body of water

lake trophic levels

the levels of nutrients and productivity in a lake

oligotrophic

describes a lake with nutrient-poor conditions

mesotrophic

describes a lake with intermediate nutrient levels

eutrophic

Describes a lake with a high level of productivity and nutrients

geomorphology

relates to the geology and shape of the lake basin

cultural eutrophication

human activities that increase nutrient and sediment loadings to a lake

tidal marshes

occur along coastlines and are influenced by the tides

nontidal (inland) marshes

dominated by herbaceous plants and frequently occur in poorly drained depressions, floodplains, and shallow water areas along the edges of lakes and rivers

freshwater marshes

characterized by periodic of permanent shallow water, little or no peat deposition, and mineral soils - they typically derive most of their water from surface waters, including floodwater and runoff, but do receive ground water inputs

wet meadows

commonly occur in poorly drained areas such as shallow lake basins, low-lying depressions, and the land between shallow marshes and upland areas. Precipitation serves as their primary water supply, so they are often dry in the summer

wet prairies

similar to wet meadows but remain saturated longer. May receive water from intermittent streams as well as ground water and precipitation

prairie potholes

develop when snowmelt and rain fill the pockmarks left on the landscape by glaciers. ground water input is also important

playas

small basins that collect rainfall and runoff from the surrounding land. These low-lying areas are found in the Southern High Plains of the United States

vernal pools

have either bedrock or a hard clay layer in the soil that helps keep water in the pool. They are covered by shallow water for variable periods from winter to spring, but may be completely dry for most of the summer and fall.

swamps

fed primarily by surface water inputs and are dominated by trees and shrubs. They occur in either freshwater or saltwater floodplains and are characterized by very wet soils during growing season and standing water during certain times of the year

forested swamps

found in broad floodplains of the northeast, southeast, and south-central United states and receive floodwater from nearby rivers and streams. Common deciduous trees found in these areas include bald cypress, water tupelo, swamp white oak, and red maple

shrub swamps

similar to forested swamps except that shrubby species like buttonbush and swamp rose dominate

mangrove swamps

coastal wetlands characterized by salt-tolerant trees, shrubs, and other plants growing in brackish to saline tidal waters

bogs

freshwater wetlands characterized by spongy peat deposits, a growth of evergreen trees and shrubs, and a floor covered by a thick carpet of sphagnum moss. These systems, whose only water source is rainwater, are usually found in glaciated areas of the northern US

fens

ground water-fed-peat-forming wetlands covered by grasses, sedges, reeds, and wildflowers. Tend to occur in the glaciated areas of the northern US

watershed ecology

The study of watersheds as ecosystems, primarily the analysis of interacting biotic and abiotic components within a watershed's boundaries.

longitudinal

in an upstream and downstream direction

headwaters

the flow of water is usually lowest of anywhere along the system. slope is often steepest, and erosion is greater than sediment deposition

transfer zone

middle range of the stream where slope usually flattens somewhat, more flow appears, and deposition and erosion are both significant processes

depositional zone

the downstream's end where flow is highest but slope is minimal and deposition of sediment significantly exceeds erosion most of the time

lotic

flowing water

lateral

across the channel, floodplains and hillslopes

thalweg

deepest part of the channel

low floodplains

areas that are flooded frequently

terraces

former floodplains that a downcutting stream no longer floods

hillslopes

other upland areas extending up-gradient to the watershed boundary