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Aquatic Ecosystems
Freshwater
Ponds & Lakes
Streams &
Rivers
Wetlands
Marine
Oceans
Coral Reefs
Estuaries
Freshwater
Ponds & Lakes
Streams & Rivers
Wetlands
Freshwater
Freshwater is defined as having a
low salt concentration—usually
less than 1%
Plants and animals in freshwater
regions are adjusted to the low
salt content and would not be
able to survive in areas of high
salt concentration (i.e, ocean)
Ponds and Lakes
range in size from just a few square meters to
thousands of square kilometers
ponds may be seasonal, lasting just a couple
of months (such as sessile pools)
lakes may exist for hundreds of years or
more
may have limited species diversity since
they are often isolated from one another and
from other water sources like rivers and
oceans
Ponds and Lakes
divided into three different “zones”
determined by depth and distance
from the shoreline
littoral zone
limnetic zone
profundal zone
Littoral Zone
warmest since it is shallow and can absorb more of
the Sun’s heat
sustains a fairly diverse community, which can
include several species of algae (like diatoms),
rooted and floating aquatic plants, grazing snails,
clams, insects, crustaceans, fishes, and amphibians
the egg and larvae stages of some insects are found
in this zone
vegetation and animals living in the littoral zone are
food for other creatures such as turtles, snakes, and
ducks
Limnetic Zone
near-surface open water surrounded by the
littoral zone
well-lighted (like the littoral zone) and is
dominated by plankton, both phytoplankton
and zooplankton
plankton are small organisms that play a
crucial role in the food chain – most life
would not be possible without them
variety of freshwater fish also occupy this
zone
Profundal Zone
Plankton have short life spans—when
they die, they fall into the deep-water
part of the lake/pond
much colder and denser than the other
two
little light penetrates all the way through
the limnetic zone into the profundal zone
animals are decomposers
Ponds and Lakes
Temperature
varies seasonally.
Summer
from 4° C near the bottom to 22° C at the top
Winter
from 4° C while the top is 0° C (ice)
between the two layers is a narrow zone
called the thermocline where the temperature
of the water changes rapidly with depth
Ponds and Lakes
during the spring and fall seasons is a
mixing of the top and bottom layers
resulting in a uniform water temperature
of around 4° C
mixing also circulates oxygen
throughout the lake
many lakes and ponds do not freeze
during the winter resulting in the top
layer being a little warmer
Ponds and Lakes
ice can develop on the top of lakes
during winter
blocks out sunlight and can prevent
photosynthesis
oxygen levels drop and some plants
and animals may die
called "winterkill."
Streams & Rivers
bodies of flowing water moving in one
direction
found everywhere—they get their start
at headwaters, which may be springs,
snowmelt or even lakes
travel all the way to their mouths,
usually another water channel or the
ocean
Streams & Rivers
characteristics change during the
journey from the source to the mouth
temperature is cooler at the source
than it is at the mouth
water is also clearer, has higher
oxygen levels, and freshwater fish such
as trout and heterotrophs can be found
there
Watershed
describes an area
of land that
contains a common
set of streams and
rivers
drains into a single
larger body of
water, such as a
larger river, a lake
or an ocean
Streams &
Rivers
Wetlands
Wetlands are areas of standing
water that support aquatic plants
Marshes, swamps, and bogs are
all considered wetlands
Wetlands
highest species diversity of all ecosystems
many species of amphibians, reptiles, birds
(such as ducks and waders), and furbearers
can be found in the wetlands
not considered freshwater ecosystems as
there are some, such as salt marshes, that
have high salt concentrations—these
support different species of animals, such
as shrimp, shellfish, and various grasses
River Otter
Wetlands
Crayfish
Catfish
Damselfly
Dragonfly
Snails
Leech
Bluegill
Sculpin
Minnow
Snakes
Frog
Great Blue Heron
Canadian Goose
Mayfly
Bass
Turtle
Aquatic Ecosystems
Marine
Oceans
Coral Reefs
Estuaries
Marine
cover about three-fourths of the Earth’s
surface and include oceans, coral reefs,
and estuaries
algae supply much of the world’s
oxygen supply and take in a huge
amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide
evaporation of the seawater provides
rainwater for the land
Oceans
largest of all the ecosystems
dominate the Earth’s surface
separate zones
Intertidal
Pelagic
Abyssal
Benthic
great diversity of species
richest diversity of species even though it
contains fewer species than there are on land
Oceans
Intertidal Zone
where the ocean meets the land
sometimes submerged and at other
times exposed
waves and tides come in and out
communities are constantly
changing
Wave Regions
much stronger than wind
decide what grows where
shores classified by amount of wave action
Exposed shores – receive full brunt of the ocean for most or at
least some of the time
Semi-exposed shores – sheltered by barrier islands but still
have to cope with waves
Sheltered shores – shelter of peninsulas and inshore islands
Enclosed shores


river mouths and estuaries
completely sheltered by either a protective rocks or a sand bar
Epipelagic – Open Ocean
extends down to around 200m
lowest depth that light can penetrate
flora in the epipelagic zone include
surface seaweeds
fauna include many species of fish and
some mammals, such as whales and
dolphins
many feed on the abundant plankton
Mesopelagic Zone
http://oceanlink.island.net/oinfo/deepsea/meso.html
"twilight zone" of the ocean
photic zone above
darkness below
food becomes scarce – some animals
migrate up to the surface at night to feed
rely on food that falls down from above
eat each other

sometimes the only things to eat may be bigger
than the hunter
• developed long sharp teeth,
• expandable jaws and stomachs
Big Scale - ambush predator
ctenophore – related to jellyfish
cilia can be illuminated
Firefly squid
three kinds of photophores
Hatchet Fish
only a few inches long
Viperfish
specially adapted hinged skull
Dragonfish - stomachs hold big meals
Snipeel
up to 1.2m
Siphonophores are colonies of animals
related to jellyfish
best known is Portugese Man of War
http://oceanlink.island.net/oinfo/deepsea/meso.html
Bathypelagic Zone
extends down from 1000 to 4000m
only light is from bioluminescent organisms
only food is what trickles down from above, or
from eating other animals
water pressure at this depth is considerable
(~100 – 400 atmospheres)
most animals are either black or red in color
very little blue/green light penetrates this deep –
red is not reflected and looks black
Narcomedusa
Vampire Squid
Snake Dragon
Angler Fish
Amphi - crustacean
Ctenophore – voracious predator
Deepstaria very slow swimmers,
no tentacles, close flexible bells
(up to a meter across) around
their prey
Big Red
grows to over
a meter across
Abyssopelagic Zone - the Abyss
4000m to the sea floor
only zone deeper than this is the hadal
zone
areas found in deep sea trenches and
canyons
home to pretty inhospitable living
conditions
near- freezing temperatures
crushing pressures
Deep Water Squid
Basketstar
Sea Pig
Sea Spider
Shrimp
Winged Sea Cucumber
Medussa
Deep Sea Smoker - 648°F
Deep-sea Anemone
Hydrothermal Vent
Estuaries
http://www.epa.gov/owow/estuaries/about1.htm
enclosed body of water formed where
freshwater from rivers and streams flows into
the ocean, mixing with the salty sea water
estuaries and the lands surrounding them are
places of transition from land to sea, and from
fresh to salt water
although influenced by the tides, estuaries are
protected from the full force of ocean waves,
winds, and storms by the reefs, barrier islands,
or fingers of land, mud, or sand that define an
estuary's seaward boundary
Estuaries are semi-enclosed bodies of water where
fresh water from the land mixes with sea water.
Estuaries originate as: drowned
river valleys, fjords, bar-built
estuaries, and tectonic estuaries.
Salinity typically grades from
normal marine salinity at the tidal
inlet to fresh water at the mouth of
the river.
The Coral Reef Biome
What Is a Coral Reef?
A structure formed by coral polyps,
tiny animals that live in colonies.
Coral polyps form a hard, stony,
branching structure made of
limestone.
New polyps attach to old coral and
gradually build the reef.
Types of Coral Reefs
Fringing reefs
Submerged platforms of living coral
extending from the shore into the sea
Barrier reefs
Follow the shore but are separated from
it by water
Great Barrier Reef is world’s largest
Types of Coral Reefs
Atolls
Ring-shaped islands of coral in open sea
Form on submerged mud banks or
volcano craters
Surround a seawater lagoon
Channels connect lagoon to the sea
A World of Coral Reefs
= Coral Reef
Coral Reef Climate
Usually found near land in shallow,
warm salt water
Lots of light
Tropical temperatures, averaging 70°85° F
Most coral cannot survive below 65° F