Ecology Part II Flashcards
Major communities
Aquatic
Terrestrial
Aquatic communities
Marine
Freshwater
Marine communities
estuaries, intertidal, sub-tidal kelp beds, pelagic, deep sea, coral reefs
Terrestrial communities
tundra, temperate coniferous forests, temperate deciduous forests, grasslands, deserts, tropical forests
temperate coniferous forests
Boreal/Taiga
Estuaries are
partially enclosed body of water where freshwater flows into the ocean and mixes with salt water
Estuaries have
variable salinity, pH, sediments, nutrients, temperature
large # niches, biodiversity, productivity
important estuary ecology
major stopover for migratory birds throughout world
ex. fraser estuary
Different types of tides
MHWS, MHWN, MLWN, MLWS
Mean high/low water neap/spring
smaller high/low tides
neap tide
larger high/low tides
spring tides
Emersion curve
MHWS, MHWN, MLWN, MLWS (ft) vs. % exposure to air (0-100)
MLWS- pretty much 0%
curve tends towards 100 towards MHWS
Subtidal kelp bed ecology
high PP on planet
physical protection to shoreline communities
foraging/shelter for large # species
Types of benthic communities
Hot vents
Glass Sponge reefs
Deep water coral reefs (bioherms)
Arctic marine communities
frozen ocean surrounded by land ~4000m depth, ~3m ice upper 15m low salinity layering of Atl./Pac. water high summer plankton, cod, seals
Antarctic communities
frozen continent surrounded by ocean ~98% ice up to 2km thick mountainous- up4500m low diversity- bacteria, lichen, penguins ocean high PP and diversity
lake classifications
oligotrophic
dysotrophic
mesotrophic
eutrophic
oligotrophic
clear water - low productivity
dystrophic
stained lakes - low productivity
mesotrophic
intermediate productivity
eutrophic
high productivity
lake stratification
separation of lakes into three layers- Epilimnion, Metalimnion, Hypolimnion
due to density change with temperature
epilimnion
top of the lake
metalimnion
thermocline
middle layer- may change depth throughout the day