Aquatic Ecosystems (Chat)

Main categories of aquatic ecosystems

Saltwater (>0.05% salt) and Freshwater (<0.05% salt)

Factors determining stream size

Amount of precipitation and watershed size

Stream flow characteristics

Flows one direction, streams meander, velocity varies

Pools in streams

Deeper areas with slower-moving water, sites of organic deposition and decomposition

Riffles in streams

Shallow, turbulent areas; sites of primary production

Aufwuchs (Periphyton)

Slimy community on submerged surfaces: algae, cyanobacteria, protozoans, invertebrates

Types of particulate organic matter

CPOM, FPOM, UPOM, and DOM

Functional feeding groups

Shredders, Wood Gougers, Collectors, Scrapers, Predators

Biological adaptations in streams

Holdfasts, broad flat bodies, sticky undersurfaces, streamlined forms

Definition of wetlands

Lands saturated with shallow water promoting aquatic life

Wetland types based on hydrology

Basin, Riverine, Fringe wetlands

Vegetation types in wetlands

Marshes, Swamps, Vernal pools, Peatlands

Difference between fen and bog

Fens: nutrient-rich, alkaline; Bogs: nutrient-poor, acidic

Lake life zones

Pelagic, Benthic, Littoral

Lake thermal stratification layers

Epilimnion (warm), Metalimnion (thermocline), Hypolimnion (cold)

Oligotrophic vs. Eutrophic lakes

Oligotrophic: nutrient-poor, clear; Eutrophic: nutrient-rich, murky

Lake formation processes

Glaciers, Tectonics, Volcanoes, Riverine processes, Impoundments

Vertical zones of ocean

Epipelagic, Mesopelagic, Bathypelagic, Abyssopelagic, Hadal

Ocean salinity changes

Increases with depth, most variable at surface

Hydrothermal vent ecosystems

Based on chemosynthetic bacteria; primary consumers are clams and tube worms

Definition of estuary

Area where freshwater meets saltwater; important nursery grounds

Importance of salt marshes

Trap sediments, filter pollutants, high productivity, low diversity

Key salt marsh organisms

Spartina grass, Fiddler crabs, Ribbed mussels

Adaptations of mangrove trees

Prop roots, pneumatophores, no seed stage (propagules)

Types of coral reefs

Fringing reefs, Barrier reefs, Atolls