3.4.1: Aquatic Biomes

what is the only circumstance where water is chemically altered? what happens during that process?

photosynthesis breaks H2O apart

they hydrologic cycle is mainly a _____ interaction between _______

physical; gaseous-liquid-solid

many of the processes of the hydrologic cycle do what to water?

purify it

list the biotic aspects of the hydrologic cycle- plants

water uptake by roots and out leaves by transpiration

list the biotic aspects of the hydrologic cycle- animals

move through by drinking, perspiration, and urination

list the 8 abiotic parts of the hydrologic cycle

evaporation

transpiration

precipitation

runoff

watershed

percolation

aquifer

condensation

Evaporation

movement of water from liquid in bodies of water to gas in the air

Transpiration

release of water from plants to atmosphere

Condensation

accumulation of water vapor into droplets

Precipitation

rain of water droplets

runoff

movement of water from soil in bodies of water

watershed

area of land that drains into a specific river

seepage/ percolation

movement of water into soil

aquifer/ groundwater

water sunk through soil and into rock/ sand/ gravel

Humans alter the water cycle in three ways: aquifers

withdraw freshwater faster than it is replaced

Humans alter the water cycle in three ways: vegetation

clearing land for agriculture/ mining/ building increases runoff

what happens to the water cycle when vegetation is removed

increases flooding and erosion and decreases seepage

reduces transpiration, altering weather patterns

Humans alter the water cycle in three ways: wetlands

draining wetlands that clean and absorb runoff, so flooding increases

how much of earth is covered by water

73%

how much of the water on earth is saltwater? how much is freshwater?

71%. 2%

global ocean

continuous body of saltwater

the global ocean is divided into four main oceans:

Atlantic, Arctic, Indian, and Pacific

salt concentration of freshwater

1% or less

salt concentration of estuaries

1-3%

salt concentration of marine water

3% or more

list the 5 aquatic organism types

phytoplankton

zooplankton

Nekton

Benthos

Decmposers

Phytoplankton

prokaryotic and eukaryotic photosynthetic producers

Zooplankton

consume phytoplankton and other zooplankton

Nekton

strong swimming consumers

Nekton examples

fish, aquatic mammals, sea turtles

Benthos

bottom dwellers that burrow or anchor the sea floor

Benthos examples

worms, oysters, crabs, sea urchins

Decomposers

break down organic matter into nutrients that are used by primary producers

Decomposer examples (specific to aquatic ecosystems)

bacteria

list the 5 factors that determine where an organism is found

temperature

dissolved oxygen content

food availability

sunlight availability

nutrient availability

what is the limiting factor of water aquatic ecosystems?

sunlight

Photic zone; what takes place?

where light penetrates; photosynthesis

Turbidity; how does it affect the photic zone

cloudiness of water; can reduce depth of the zone

what can cause turbidity to occur

excessive algae or plankton growth of silt/sediment runoff from cleared land

what is the second biggest factor of organisms location

nutrient availability

where are nutrients in an aquatic ecosystem typically found?

bottom, and shores

describe the sunlight and nutrients of top portion of open ocean and large lakes

high in sunlight but little nutrients

what is the exception to where nutrients are found in oceans or large lakes?

upwellings

what can freshwater ecosystems be divided into

Ionic or lentic

Iotic

moving bodies of water

Lentic

standing bodies of water

how much of the surface do freshwater ecosystems cover?

2.2%

what are the lentic bodies of water

lakes and ponds

what are lentic bodies of water filled by?

precipitation, runoff, groundwater springs

what can the depressions of lentic bodies of water be formed by?

glaciation, crustal displacement erosion, volcanic activity

what factors can vary in lentic bodies of water

size, depth, nutrient content

how many zones do the deepest lakes have? what are they determined by?

four; depth and distance from shore

littoral zone location

close to shore and shallow

describe the size of the littoral zone in oligotrophic vs eutrophic lakes

narrow in oligotrophic, wide in eutrophic

describe the biological diversity of littoral zones

high because of sunlight and nutrients from runoff

limentic zone location

photic zone farther from shore

what organisms is the limnetic zone high in

phytoplankton algae, cyanobacteria, and fish

what is the limnetic zone high in

dissolved oxygen

profundal zone location

aphonic zone below limentic zone

describe characteristics of the profundal zone

low dissolved oxygen, less fish

benthic zone location

bottom of the lake

benthic zone characteristics

low dissolved oxygen

benthic zone organisms

bacteria and detritivores

the benthic zone may be aphotic depending on

lake depth

Eutrophication

increase in nutrient load and productivity of a lake, making it shallower

oligotrophic characteristics

nutrient poor, deep with steep slopes

describe phytoplankton levels in oligotrophic lakes

low because of lack of nutrients

what does lack of phytoplankton in oligotrophic lakes mean for the lake?

low turbidity

what sources feed into oligotrophic lakes

glaciers or mountain streams with little sediment

Mesotrophic characteristics

moderate nutrients and phytoplankton, medium depth

Eutrophic lake characteristics

shallow and nutrient rich, high in phytoplankton, productivity, and turbidity

Cultural eutrophication

human caused, speeds up eutrophication process

cultural eutrophication examples

fertilizer runoff, agricultural waste, pet waste, sewage

what factors of cultural eutrophication cause increase erosion

deforestation and construction

surface water

precipitation that does not seep into the ground

runoff

surface water that flows into rivers

watershed/ drainage basin

land and runoff that flows into ionic bodies of water

where do most streams and rives begin, and where do they end

mountains to ocean

The source zone (headwaters) water characteristics

shallow, clear, cold

source zone sediment, nutrients, productivity, and dissolved oxygen

low sediment, low nutrients, low productivity, high dissolved oxygen

source zone organisms

adapted fishes for cold and fast water

source zone organism adaptations examples

streamlined body or flattened to live under rocks

the transition zone water characteristics

wider and deeper rivers

transition zone sediment, nutrients, productivity, and dissolved oxygen

higher sediment, higher nutrients, higher productivity, less dissolved oxygen

why is the transition zone higher in sediment and nutrients

larger watershed

transition zone turbidity

warmer, higher turbidity

Floodplain zone characteristics

lower lying, more slow moving

floodplain zone sediment, nutrients, productivity, dissolved oxygen, turbidity, and temperature

high sediment, high nutrients, high productivity, low dissolved oxygen, high turbidity, warm

silt at the end of floodplain zones form what?

deltas

what forms where floodplain zones meet ocean

estuaries

National Wild and Scenic Rivers Act

protects portions of rivers with value

Wild rivers as defined under the NWSRA

relatively inaccessible

Scenic rivers as defined under the NWSRA

free of dams, mostly undeveloped, relatively inaccessible by road

what does the NWSRA prevent

straightening, dredging, filling, or damming

how much of rivers does the NWSRA protect?

less than 2% of US rivers and 0.2% of total river length

What biomes do inland wetlands include? What is their primary characteristic?

marshes, swamps, floodplains, vernal pools, and arctic tundra. covered by water year-round or seasonally, high in nutrients and productivity

what do wetlands filter

toxic waste and pollution

what do wetlands reduce, how?

reduce flooding and erosion by absorbing storm water

how do wetlands help during dry periods?

replenish aquifers and streams

how do wetlands help biodiversity?

serve as feeding and breeding grounds