limno Estuaries, salt marshes, and the intertidal zone

salt wedge

where the less dense freshwater floats above the dense salt water

dense sea water, brackish water, sinking flocculated particles, less dense freshwater

salt wedge parts, from sea to river

euryhaline

type of species that can withstand a wide range of salinities

marine species pool>freshwater sources>estaurine species

species diversity in estuary parts, from high to low

water sports and marines

biggest damages to estuaries and their ecology

Deserts

Not a location of estuaries. they drain a diversity of interior habits except these

allochthonous

What type of materials are ESTUARIES typically receivers of, autochthonous (primary production) or allochthonous (washed in from somewhere else)?

autochthonous

What type of materials are LAKES typically receivers of, autochthonous (primary production) or allochthonous (washed in from somewhere else)?

river mouth estuaries

• year round freshwater runoff with occasional flooding

• brackish lagoons

• cobble or sand bar

• brackish (“mixohaline”) layer of water on the bottom with low dissolved oxygen

Canyon Mouth Estuaries

• lagoons of fluctuating salinity

• series of incised, parallel canyons that drain a variety of landscapes

• extremely variable flushing rates

• animal species diversity is low

• little runoff during dry seasons, so all the water except in channels evaporates

Structural Basin Estuaries

• steep but short watersheds

• occasional catastrophic flooding and sedimentation (especially after fires)

• lack extensive subtidal habitat

• lack salt marsh plants

• rich fish fauna

Bay Estuaries

• large areas of subtidal habitat and low elevation salt marshes

• strong marine influence since they are open to the ocean. tidal flushing

• eel grass

Cordgrass

plant in the lower salt marsh zone. called halophytes because they can withstand salty soils/conditions

Ridgeway rail

salt marsh bird. brown and elegant

Mesopredator Release

phenomenon in which populations of medium-sized predators like raccoons rapidly increase in ecosystems after the removal of larger, top carnivores like coyotes. also results in population declines of ground nesting birds

Neap tides

lowest ties, where the moon, earth, and sun are at right angles

Spring tides

the highest of ties, where the moon, earth, and sun are in line

splash zone, high tide zone, mid tide zone, low tide zone, subtidal zone

intertidal zonation high to low

supralittoral zone, supralittoral fringe, midlittoral zone, infrolittoral fringe, infralittoral zone

rocky intertidal zone high to low

subtidal zone

zone white san dollars, heart urchins, sea cucumbers, and horseshoe crabs

low tide zone

zone with clams, sand crabs, lugworms, sand stars, and ice cream cone worms

middle tide zone

zone with bristle worms

high tide zone

zone with ghost shrimp

supratidal zone

zone with beach hoppers and ghost crabs

wave shock

adaption: adherent threads, tight adhesion, conical shape, flexible stalks, seeking refuge in cracks, motility

dehydration

adaptation: motility, operculum, tight adhesion, sealed openings, valves shells that can close to avoid water loss

temperature extremes

adaptation: motility, evaporative cooling, tolerance, nocturnal behavior

salinity extremes

adaptations: tolerance, motility

feeding

adaptation: filter feeding, grazing, detritus consumption, absorption of DOM, predation

predation

adaptation: hard shells, motility, toxins, protective coloration

competition

adaptation: aggression, rapid growth, opportunistic larval establishment, large numbers of offspring, good ability to disperse

NO

are nitrates and orthophosphates limiting in the intertidal?

difficulty in pollination

limiting factors for vascular plants in the intertidal