Ecology Fill in the Blank Notes

Ecology Fill in the Blank Notes Freshwater and Marine Biomes

Voc. List: Aquatic Biomes, Plankton, Phytoplankton, Zooplankton, Nekton, Benthos, Detritus, Freshwater Biomes, Standing-Water Ecosystem, Wetlands, Vernal pool, Glacial lake, Barrier lake, Crater lake, Tectonic lake, Flowing-Water Ecosystem, Rhizoids, Sediments, Estuary, Marine Biome, Hypersaline Lakes, Salt Marshes, Photic zone, Disphotic zones, Aphotic zones, Eurythermal zone, Disthermal zone, Sunlit Layer, Thermocline Layer, Deep Thick Layer, Salinity, Pelagic zone, Neritic zone, Oceanic zone, Intertidal Littoral zone, Supralittoral zone, Sublittoral zone, Bathyal zone, Benthic zone, Nekton zone, zooxanthellae, Filter feeders

Characteristics of Aquatic Ecosystems Organisms are categorized by their location and by their adaptations. Three groups:

1. Plankton are marine algae and animals that drift with the currents. Most are microscopic like Diatoms but some are as big a Portuguese man-of-war Two types: . Phytoplankton: plant-like plankton (producers) . Zooplankton: animal-like plankton (consumers)

2. Nekton are animals that actively swim. Example: Blue whale is the largest animal (averaging between 21-23 meters)

3. Benthos (bottom-dwellers) are algae, animals, and plants living on the ocean floor or near the ocean floor. Examples: . Horseshoe Crabs (shallow waters)-have changed very little over the last 250 million years. They tolerance temperature changes and salinity ranges and can live without food for up to a year. . Coral (shallow waters) . Giant tube worms (Deep water) o Detritus are tiny pieces of dead organic matter that are food for organisms at the base of an aquatic food web such as coral and sponges

The amount of dissolved salts in a sample of water is called salinity o Measured in parts per thousand o There is salt in fresh water but only a little  0.5 parts per thousand

Aquatic Biomes . Nearly 75% of the Earth’s surface is covered by water. It is the largest part of the biosphere and without water most life could not exist. There is a large diversity of aquatic plants and animals large and small in size some even microscopic in nature. There are two basic forms of aquatic biomes:

I. Freshwater (wetlands, ponds, lake, rivers, and streams) i. Divided into two main types-standing and flowing-water ecosystems  Lakes, ponds and wetlands (marsh, swamp, bogs): standing-water ecosystems  Wetlands-in general are ecosystems in which the roots of plants are submerged under water at least part of the year o Example: Vernal pools-is a seasonal basin depression lacking a permanent above ground outlet o Very important for the biosphere because they act as filters, detoxifying chemicals in the water that passes through them. o Important in breeding, feeding, resting grounds, for migratory water fowl, such as ducks, great blue heron, and geese, and habitat for commercial fish and shellfish such as oysters and clams o Provides a habitat for rare, threatened, and endangered species o Wetlands along the banks of rivers act as flood protection regions o Buffer shorelines against erosion

1 o Lots of recreational activities such as fishing, bird watching, and photography o Wetlands are being destroyed by man because of urban development, reactional use, and pollution

Types of Freshwater Standing-Water Ecosystems

Body of water Abiotic Factors Biotic Factors Lake Deepest; may have an Main producers are floating algae in 1. Glacial lakes-formed by the action of glaciers aphotic zone; may be fed the photic zone and benthic plants 2. Barrier lakes-formed by landslides or glacial by groundwater aquifers. along the shoreline; complex food tills that block streams or rivers webs. 3. Crater lakes-Water that filled up a crater from a volcano 4. Tectonic lakes-Water that filled up a rift valley . Lake Baikal in Russia is the world’s oldest lake (650 km long and 80 km wide) 5. Artificial lakes-formed by animals (including humans). Depressions in in the land or from dams

Pond Light reaches benthic Main producers are plants and algae zone; fed mostly by that grow on the bottom; food web rainfall; may be seasonal. usually simpler than in lakes. Marsh Very shallow water with Plants have roots under water, but land occasionally exposed; leaves are above the water soil is saturated, water (emergent); mostly grasses, cattails, often lacks oxygen; may be and rushes; ducks, waterfowl, and freshwater, saltwater, or benthic animals are common. brackish; often tidal; Florida Everglades is the largest freshwater marsh in the United States. Swamp Land is soaked with water Dominated by large trees and shrubs; because of poor drainage; plants are adapted to grow in muddy, usually along low oxygen-poor soil; cypress trees streambeds and flat land; common in the south, willow and mangrove swamps are dogwood common in the northern salty and found along United States. coastlines. Bog Inland wetland with little Sphagnum moss is the dominant inflow or outflow; soil is organism; partly decayed moss acidic; decay is slow; accumulated as peat. carbon is stored in dead plants.

Rivers, streams, creeks, and brooks: flowing-water ecosystems . Near the headwaters rootlike rhizoids are used to anchor organisms like mosses to rocks . Organisms include many types of fish such as salmon and catfish . Stream-flow causes erosion . Sediments are small particles that settle on the bottom of these bodies of water from erosion

Most lakes, rivers, ponds are freshwater but there are exceptions . Great Salt Lake in Utah and Mono Lake in California 2 o They are saltier than the oceans: 40 parts per thousands o Called hypersaline lakes

II. Marine (salt marshes, estuaries, oceans, and coral reefs) . In the ocean water the salinity the average is 35 parts per thousand

There are salt marshes as well as fresh-water marshes . Salt Marshes are flat, muddy wetlands that often surround estuaries, bays, and lagoons o Most are influenced by tides o Very common in the east coast of the United States and the shores of the Gulf of Mexico o Role: Supporting migratory bird populations

An estuary is a region where a freshwater source, usually the mouth of a river, meets the salt water of the ocean. ◊ It functions as buffer zones, filtering sediments and pollutants from the water ◊ It also eases the effects of storms and floods by slowing the flow of water. ◊ Estuaries often are spawning grounds for commercial fish

Chesapeake Bay Estuary The Chesapeake Bay is the largest and most productive marine ecosystem in the United States.  It receives fresh water from many tributaries ranging from large rivers to thousands of smaller creeks.  All the land that drains water into the Bay is the estuary’s watershed. . The Chesapeake watershed includes six states and the District of Columbia: Virginia, Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, and New York . 50 % of the fresh water that flows into the Bay comes from the Susquehanna River at the Bay’s northern end  The bay is home to nearly 300 species of fish including important commercial species such as striped bass, bluefish, summer flounder, American eel, and Atlantic menhaden.  This bay is famous for its blue crab and oysters.

Estuaries across the globe have similar characteristics and threats. Below is a list of characteristics and organisms: 1. SAV-Submerged Aquatic Vegetation: These plants are sources of food for shellfish, finfish, birds, amphibians, reptiles, invertebrates, and mammals. a. SAV provide nurseries for young fish. b. The plants trap sediment by slowing water currents. This causes the suspended particles (sediments) to drop to the bottom 2. Wetlands: The high primary productivity in the wetlands fuels food webs. a. Wetlands are a source of food and shelter for juvenile aquatic organisms and filter sediment, nutrients, and contaminates. b. They are important to the carbon and nitrogen cycles. c. Wetlands are important habitats for birds, reptiles, mammals, and invertebrates and protect the land from eroding and flooding, 3. Filter feeders: These organisms filter suspended particles to obtain food by straining the water. a. Anything not eaten is bound with mucus and discarded. b. The heavier waste pellets fall to the bottom. c. If not consumed by decomposers, sediment covers the organic material, becoming a natural sink. 4. Pit-Stops for Migratory Birds: The North American migratory flyways describe the routes followed by migratory birds. a. Though the routes vary with each species, they often intersect at estuaries. b. Estuaries are important stop-overs for the birds to rest and eat so they can refuel from their long journeys. 5. Habitat for Endangered Species: Estuaries and their tributaries often sheltered habitats for species now endangered of becoming extinct like sea turtles and manatees. 6. Natural, Economic, and Aesthetic Values: The sheltered access to the sea offers people commercial and recreational fishing, boating, tourism, and other coastal industries. a. Estuaries provide spawning and nursery grounds for commercial fisheries.

The Role of Aquatic Plants There are three types of aquatic plants in the Chesapeake Bay: floating plants, emergent plants, and submerged aquatic vegetation 3 1. Floating plants have roots that dangle in the water or anchor in the bottom sediment. a. Long stems allow the leaves to float on the water’s surface. b. Water lilies and water hyacinths are commonly seen 2. Emergent plants are rooted at the water’s edge, but their stems and leaves grow above the surface of the water. a. Cattails, cord grass, and rushes are examples. 3. Submerged aquatic vegetation are critical for maintaining the cycle of gases in the water through t he process of photosynthesis. a. There are more than 15 dominant species of SAV in the Chesapeake Bay such as Eelgrass, Horned Pondweed, Muskgrass, and Wild Celery. b. SAV are important food source to ducks, fish, muskrats, beavers, turtles, and a large number of invertebrates. c. SAV slows the movement of water and that causes suspended particles to fall to the bottom. d. Roots hold the particles in place.

Challenges to Estuaries Dead Zones: Animals can suffocate in the water without the proper dissolved Oxygen levels.  As water flows over the gills of an aquatic animal, dissolved oxygen is absorbed and enters its bloodstream. . The blood carries the oxygen to every cell of its body for the process of cellular respiration. . This is how the animal uses the energy obtained from eating.  Eutrophication increases the amount of nitrogen and phosphates in the water. . Chemical compounds containing these elements act as nutrients for algae and are found in fertilizers and sewage. . SAV depend on small amounts of these but large amounts are pollutants. . This pollution changes the chemistry of the water and fertilizes the algae. . This explosive growth leads to algae bloom. . The algae take all of the dissolved oxygen and none is left for the other organisms especially fish-killing the fish.

Restoration efforts  Fisheries  Managing Lands: Laws are being passed to limit or restrict wetland construction  Replanting SAV  Reducing Runoff of farming chemicals  Comprehensive Monitoring of chemicals in the water  Aquaculture farming aquatic organisms underwater. . Provides seafood for the human market and reduces the need to catch wild specimens.

Problems for Aquatic ecosystems:  Pollution  Overfishing  Areas being overtaken by water due to Global warming

Barrier islands: . Usually run parallel to sandy shorelines . Often created from hurricanes or other bad storms . Protect the mainland and coastal wetlands from storms and erosion from ocean waves . Provide habitat for wildlife

Oceans: Atlantic, Pacific, Indian, Arctic, and Southern (Antarctic) . We are located near the Atlantic Ocean (2nd largest ocean)

Arctic (North Pole area) and Southern Oceans (South Pole area) Arctic Ocean . Rich in nutrients . Supports a large population of plankton, which feed a lot of wide variety of fish. . Open water and Ice . Animal Examples: Beluga whales and Polar Bears

Southern Ocean 4 . Humans explore the area in the summer months . Rich in nutrients . Supports a large population of plankton . Open water and Ice . Animal Examples: Penguins, Puffins, and Sea lions

Ocean Zones Classification by Light 1. Photic zone- Sunlit top layer of the ocean that extends in the tropics about 200 meters in depth (660 ft.) and in productive mid-latitude water about 100 meters (330 ft.)  Upper ½ is where most of biological productivity occurs called euphotic zone 2. Disphotic zone- very small amounts of light penetrates 3. Aphotic zone- lowest zone  Dark  90% of the space  extends to the bottom

Classification by Temperature 1. Uppermost layer where temperature changes with seasons  Eurythermal zone-usually missing in high latitudes 2. Most stable temperatures below the thermocline is the disthermal zone

Layers by Temperature 1. Sunlit-Layer with sunlight and the warmest 2. Thermocline-Only a little light and temperature varies and salinity increases 3. Deep thick layer-usually the coldest (except in underwater volcanic and hydrothermal vent areas) and greatest salinity

Classification by Location Pelagic Zone-The Open Ocean 2 subdivisions:  Neritic zone(shallow) near the shoreline over the Continental Shelf (<600 ft. deep) . Continental Shelf is the area between the shore and about 200 meters below the surface of the water.  Oceanic zone (deep water) beyond the Continental Shelf

Further division by Light  Epipelagic zone-Lit photic zone where photosynthesis occurs  Mesopelagic zone-top of aphotic area little to not light  Bathypelagic zone-deep and no light  Abyssopelagic zone –water in trenches  Hadalopelagic zone-deepest

Division from the Shoreline to the bottom 1. Intertidal littoral zone- Starts at the Shoreline and is the band of coast alternately covered and uncovered by tides.  This area is constantly being pounded by the surf so organisms that live here adapt by either burrowing themselves in the sand (like clams and crabs) or attaching themselves to the rocks (like barnacles) 2. Supralittoral zone-Splash zone 3. Sublittoral zone-Below splash zone and has further divisions  Inner sublittoral-Ocean bottom near the shore  Outer sublittoral-Ocean floor out to the edge of the Continental Shelf 4. Bathyal zone-Covers the sea bed on the slopes and down to great depths.  Abyssal zone-The beginning where Abyssal plains are found  Hadal zone-Where trench walls and ocean floors lie 5. Benthic zone-Deepest (floor bottom)  The organisms seen depends on the depth  In shallow water, sunlight reaches the benthic zone so plants can grow. 5 . Common freshwater benthic animals include zooplankton, snails, catfish, and turtles  In deep ocean water there is no sunlight . Animals can present special features like bioluminescence . Some animals are so unique that they can live over a hundred years-Giant tubeworms

CORAL  There are hard and soft coral.  Only hard coral colonies form reefs. . A reef is a natural structure built on a continental shelf.  Form in water that is high in salt (salinity), no more than 30 meters from the surface, and warm water near the equator.  Coral habitats contain the most diverse creatures and without the coral reefs millions of species of fish and other organisms would be extinct. . Rough 1/3 of all bony-fish live on or depend on coral reefs  The ecology of the coral reef is unique and fragile. . The reef itself is made of the Calcium Carbonate skeletons of millions of tiny corals  Coral bleaching occurs when the algae dies and the coral then dies leaving only the white shell . Only the top layer of the reef is alive.  Must live in salty warm water where photosynthesis can occur  Corals depend on a symbiotic relationship with a form lf alga, called zooxanthellae that live inside the tissue of the coral. The algae carry out photosynthesis and provide the coral with food.  Human activities are harming the coral reefs-water pollution and reef structural damage

MANGROVE SWAMP  In the United States are for three of the 50 species of Mangrove trees abundant in Florida and the Florida Keys.  The species found in these areas are Red, Black, and White.  They form a unique ecosystem essential for certain organisms to live.  Each species has its unique way to protect itself and the environment for excess salt, provide a save haven for organisms, and to reproduce.

The Mangrove Swamp provides a food chain resource and storm protection.  The leaves on the trees last roughly a year before falling.  The bacteria and fungus cause the leaves to decompose once in the water causing these leaves to form the base of the food chain.  After decomposing, this material provides food for the marine organism like crabs and shrimp.  From there larger organisms eat the crabs and other smaller creatures.  These trees also provide protection from waves and winds produced by storms.  This buffer system reduces winds and harmful waves that would erode the area.

The structures of the Mangroves provide everything it needs to balance it ecosystem.  The Mangroves all have leathery evergreen leaves, some type of root system, and fruit.  For a Mangrove swamp ecosystem to work the falling leaves from the trees and their roots themselves have to create a barrier between the land and water.  This system allows small organisms the protection they need from larger organism that can’t get through the barrier and it also allows the mangrove trees to filter out the salt so the salinity levels will not get too high.  In addition, the fruit from the mangroves also has the ability to germinate and form roots quickly.

Power points

Creatures of the Deep

Mangrove Swamp

6 Our Seashores

Ocean Environments

Marine Life