Download Aquatic Ecosystems

Aquatic Ecosystems
Composed By:
Mrs. Perlowski
&
Mr. Bronico
 The
types of organisms in
an aquatic ecosystem are
mainly determined by the
water’s Salinity
 What is Salinity? The amount
of dissolved salts that water
contains
What are two types of Aquatic
Ecosystems
Freshwater Ecosystem
Marine Ecosystem
Examples of Freshwater ecosystems
 Lakes
 Ponds
 Freshwater
wetlands
(marshes,swamps)
 Rivers
 Streams
Biotic factors in an aquatic Ecosystem
1.
Plankton: organisms that cannot swim
against the current, so they are called
drifters.
Phytoplankton
Phytoplankton- Drifting plants that are the
food base for most aquatic ecosystems; Most
are microscopic
Zooplankton
 Zooplankton:
Drifting animals,
which man be microscopic or a
large as jellyfish.
Nekton
 Free swimming organisms.
 This includes fish, turtles and
whales to name a few.
Benthos



Bottom dweller organisms
Mussels, worms & barnacles
Many benthic organisms live attached to hard
surfaces.
Organisms called
decomposers are also
present in aquatic
ecosystems. They break
down dead organisms
Sit back and enjoy the show!
Lakes & Ponds

Structured into Horizontal and vertical Zones

Littoral Zones-Nutrient rich; aquatic life is
diverse and abundant; plants are rooted in the
mud underwater.

Benthic Zone: The bottom of the pond or lake;
cooler water ; little sunlight, bacteria and
decomposers live on dead plants and animals
that drift down from above
How do nutrients affect a lake

Eutrophication- is an increase in the amount
of nutrients in an aquatic ecosystem. Algae
and plants grow due to nutrients in the body
of water. As the amount of algae and plants
grow, so does the amount of bacteria and
decomposer. These bacteria use the oxygen
dissolved in the lake, eventually reducing the
amount available for oxygen-loving
organisms.
Freshwater wetlands


They are covered with fresh water for at least
part of the year.
There are two types:


Marshes-contain non-woody plants such as
cattails
Swamps- dominated by woody plants, such as
trees and shrubs.
Marsh
Swamp
 Many
Wetlands have been
drained filled, or cleared for farms
or residential/commercial
development