Aquatic Ecosystem Flashcards
(110 cards)
1
Q
Abiotic Factors
A
Salinity
Hardness
Temperature
Availability of Sunlight
Dissolved Oxygen
pH
Nutrients
Turbidity
2
Q
It is the amount of dissolved salt in the water
A
Salinity
3
Q
Salinity is formed by the ______ of ____
A
Weathering of rocks
4
Q
Biotic Factor
A
Aquatic Organisms
5
Q
Higher salinity water is more _____
A
dense
6
Q
It is the amount of minerals (calcium and magnesium) in freshwater
A
Hardness
7
Q
It measures the average kinetic energy of the water molecules
A
Temperature
8
Q
Warmest at the _______ and near the _______
A
- surface
- equator
9
Q
It decreases with water depth
A
Availability of sunlight
10
Q
It is the amount of oxygen gas per mL of water
A
Dissolved oxygen
11
Q
A measurement of the acidity or alkalinity of water
A
pH
12
Q
pH below 7
A
Acids
13
Q
pH
Rainwater:
A
5.6 due to mixing with CO2
14
Q
pH
Acid rain:
A
<4.5 due to mixing with sulfur
15
Q
- pH is exactly 7
- pure water
A
Neutral
16
Q
pH above 7
A
Bases
17
Q
pH
Ocean Water:
A
8.1 due to carbonate (CO32-) ions
18
Q
- are nitrates and phosphates that runoff from land
- needed for algae growth
A
Nutrients
19
Q
It measures water cloudiness, and also increases with soil runoff
A
Turbidity
20
Q
Aquatic organisms
A
Plankton
Nekton
Benthos
Decomposers
21
Q
Small, freefloating or weakly swimming
A
Plankton
22
Q
Plankton that are plantlike
A
Phytoplankton
23
Q
Plankton that are animal-like
A
Zooplankton
24
Q
Large, independent swimmers
A
Nekton
25
- Bottom-dwellers
- Many do not move, or move very seldom
Benthos
26
Break down dead organisms and waste, cycling nutrients back into the water
Decomposers
27
An ecosystem that includes rivers, ponds, and lakes with low salinity
Freshwater Ecosystems
28
Areas naturally filled with water
Lakes and Ponds
29
Ponds are _______, lakes ______
- smaller
- bigger
30
It is nearest the shore
Littoral zone
31
Waters in the littoral zone
warm, shallow, and sunlit
32
It root at the bottom and pass through the water surface
Emergent plants
33
An open water area too deep for emergent plants
Limnetic zone (Photic)
34
Water in the Limnetic zone
- warm and sunlit
- supports phytoplankton
35
It is cold and aphotic
Profundal zone
36
- lakes that have low nutrient levels, limiting algae and phytoplankton growth
- low turbidity
Oligotrophic
37
- lakes that have high nutrients levels and excessive algae growth
- very high turbidity
Eutrophic
38
Narrow channels that carry runoff water towards rivers
Streams
39
Wider and carry more water
Rivers
40
Each section of a river has different ______ _______
abiotic properties
41
The headwaters or river source has:
- High dissolved oxygen (O2)
- Low nutrients (NO3, NO2, PO4)
- Cold water temperatures
- Low turbidity (oligotrophic)
- No salinity
42
In the transition zone, the river...
- Widens and deepens
- Becomes warmer
- Decreases dissolved oxygen
- Increases nutrient levels
43
Within the transition zone are _________ that regularly flood
floodplains
44
Floodplains
- high in soil nutrient levels
- very fertile
45
It is where the river enters the ocean
Mouth
46
Mouth (river)
Abiotic properties:
- Low dissolved oxygen (O2)
- High nutrients (NO3, NO2, PO4)
- Warm water temperatures
- High turbidity (eutrophic)
- Moderate salinity
47
Areas containing soils that are usually waterlogged
Wetlands
48
Completely saturated in water
Waterlogged
49
Soil tends to be __________ due to the lack of ___ _______
- oxygen-poor
- air exposure
50
Found in low-lying, treeless areas
Marshes
51
Low-lying wetlands dominated by trees
Swamps
52
Have floating mats of plant matter that living plants grow on.
Bogs
53
Bogs:
It is where living plants grow on
Floating mats
54
Slow rates of ____________ result in nutrient-poor water
decomposition
55
Adaptations of Wetland Organisms
- Floating
- Carnivorous
- Emergent
56
Floating
Fewer vascular tissues needed since water is abundant, making them lighter
57
Carnivorous
Capture and digest insects to increase nitrogen and phosphorous absorption
58
Emergent
Many empty spaces in tissues to allow oxygen to flow through the plant and into the submerged root
59
Example of Floating plant
Water lily
60
Example of Carnivorous plant
Venus flytrap
61
Example of Emergent plant
Cattail
62
It includes wetlands that are found along the shoreline and in shallow seas
Coastal Ecosystem
63
Saltwater wetland areas that are continually covered and uncovered by the tides
Tidal flats
64
Saltwater pools that are separated from the ocean by sandbanks or coral reefs
Coastal lagoons
65
Partially-enclosed bodies of water where river water mixes with sea water, forming brackish water
Estuaries
66
Landforms at river mouths formed by deposited sediment
Deltas
67
As rivers reach the ocean, their ______ slows
current
68
Slow-moving waters cannot ______ as much _________
carry as much sediment
69
The sediment is deposited at the _____ _____ _____
shallow ocean shore
70
Eventually the sediment ______ the coastline and forms large ________
- expands
- landmasses
71
Tidal flats dominated by herbs and grasses
Salt marshes
72
Contain submerged plants that resemble grass
Seagrass beds
73
have trees with roots that can filter salt
Mangrove forests
74
Purpose of mangrove forests
Coastal protection
75
How does the mongrove forests protects the coast?
By dissipating up to 90% of wave energy
76
It includes shallow seas, open ocean, and the sea floor in its ecosystem
Ocean Ecosystem
77
The ______ ____ alternates from submerged during high tide to dry during low tide
intertidal zone
78
It is the result of the gravitational pull of the sun and moon
Tides
79
During this tide, the sun and moon's gravity align, creating the greatest tidal range
Spring tides
80
During this tide, the sun and moon’s gravity are perpendicular, resulting in the smallest tidal range
Neap tides
81
Intertidal Zone Ecosystems
- Rocky Shores
- Sandy Shores
82
Rocky Shores
- Substrate is hard and stable
- Erosion is slow
83
Sandy Shores
- Substrate is shifting and unstable
- Erosion is rapid
- Color depends on source
84
Common Types of Sand
- Black
- Brown
- White
85
Example of Black sand
Volcanic rock
86
Example of Brown sand
Quartz
87
Example of White sand
Coral
88
It is a shallow sea ecosystem immediately above the continental shelf
Coastal zone
89
In coastal zone:
- abundant in sunlight and nutrients
- contains 90% of ocean's biodiversity
90
Ecosystems that are built on the exoskeletons of coral polyps
Coral reefs
91
Coral reefs are mostly found in what type of water?
Warm, shallow, sunlit water
92
It is a symbiotic relationship between two organisms
Coral
93
What are the organisms that are involved in the symbiotic relationship of corals?
Polyps and Algae
94
It build the calcium carbonate exoskeleton
Polyps
95
It photosynthesize most of the coral's food
Algae
96
It is an important sink in the carbon cycle and helps to maintain ocean pH
Calcium carbonate
97
The ____ _____ includes all areas beyond the
continental shelf
Open ocean
98
Open ocean is also called as
Marine Desert
99
What are the Ocean light zones
- Photic zone
- Aphotic zone
100
A zone that contains sunlight; enough to perform photosynthesis in the topmost layer
Photic Zone
101
It has no sunlight at all
Aphotic zone
102
Abundant species in the aphotic zone
Bioluminescent species
103
It can produce and emit light
Bioluminescent
104
It is the result of chemical reactions by symbiotic bacteria
Light
105
The light can help to find _____ or _____ _____
prey or attract mates
106
It receives no light, and all food webs are based around scavenging and decomposition
Abyssal plain
107
It is received by the abyssal plain from the upper layer of the water column
Marine snow
108
A constant flow of detritus from above
Marine snow
109
Fissures in the abyssal plain where heated water and minerals are released
Hydrothermal vents
110
Organisms that can generate food from these chemicals perform ___________
Chemosynthesis
