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GEOL200 > Week 11: Classifying organisms, productivity and rocky intertidal communities > Flashcards

Week 11: Classifying organisms, productivity and rocky intertidal communities Flashcards

(75 cards)

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1
Q

Plankton

A

DRIFTERS
- surface
-most of earth’s biomass

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2
Q

Nekton

A

SWIMMERS
-can move around all throughout water

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3
Q

Benthos

A

BOTTOM DWELLERS
-touching bottom

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4
Q

Phytoplankton

A

Autotrophic- produce own food via photosynthesis (primary producers)

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5
Q

Zooplankton

A

Heterotrophic- cant produce own food

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6
Q

Plankton- classification

A

Life cycle
1. Holoplankton: organisms that spend entire life as plankton
2. Meroplankton: organisms that spend their juvenile or larval stages as plankton, then mature (ex squid)

Size
1. Picoplankton
2. Macroplankton

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7
Q

Benthos- Classification

A
  • Epifaunal- on sediment
  • Infaunal- in sediment
  • Nekobenthos- swimming just above ocean bottom
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8
Q

Benthos- Life strategies

A
  • Burrowers (infaunal): wiggle into sediment
  • Epifaunal: attatch to sediment via byssal threads
  • Borers: bore into hard rock
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9
Q

Divisions of the marine environment- based on sunlight

A

Photic zone
Aphotic zone (no sunlight)*below 600m

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10
Q

Photic zone

A
  1. Euphotic zone: bulk of biological productivity in the ocean; sunlight for photosynthesis (70m)
  2. Disphotic: not enough sunlight for photosynthesis (600 m)
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11
Q

Divisions of the marine environment - pelagic zones

A
  1. Epipelagic (200m)
  2. Mesopelagic (1000m)
  3. Bathypelagic (4000m)
  4. Abyssopelagic (6000m)
  5. Hadopelagic
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12
Q

Epipelagic

A

Light present
High O2

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13
Q

Mesopelagic

A

Twilight zone - little light
Low O2 levels

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14
Q

Bathylpelagic and abyssopelagic

A

Dark, create own light via bioluminescence
High pressure
Live on detritus (remains of organisms)

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15
Q

Divisions of the marine environment- Benthic environment

A

Intertidal
Sublittoral
Bathyal

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16
Q

Primary productivity

A

Rate at which organisms store energy through the formation of organic matter (carbon-based compounds) from inorganic carbon
*Biomass formation

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17
Q

Measuring primary productivity

A

gC/m2/yr

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18
Q

What effects primary productivity?

A
  1. Solar radiation
  2. Nutrient availability
  3. Water temp
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19
Q

Solar radiation and productivity

A

Light reaches 1000m deep but not enough for photosynthesis, has to be euphotic zone
- more nutrients, light doesn’t travel as deep
- less nutrients, light travels deep

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20
Q

Limiting factor

A

A biotic or abiotic factor that restricts number or production of an organism

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21
Q

Red light and phytoplanktons

A

Phytoplankton absorb red light wavelengths which doesn’t extend far into the ocean so they stay at surface
Limiting factors bc it keeps primary productivity at surface

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22
Q

Gross and net primary productivity

A

Gross primary productivity= total amount of organic material created by producers
Net production ( gross productivity -respiration)

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23
Q

Compensation depth for photosynthesis

A

Gross photosynthesis is balanced by respiration
Water depth at which light is limited so that net photosynthesis =zero
- amount used= amount produced

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24
Q

Nutrient availability- phosphorus

A

Phytoplankton cant reproduce without it

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25
Nutrient availability- nitrogen
Needed for nitrogen fixation Supports photosynthesis, aquatic plant growth and protein synthesis
26
Nutrient availability -nitrate
Increased abundance w depth bc of upwelling Brings deep water nutrients to surface
27
Nutrients- Redfield ratio
Nutrient concentrations in tissue of phytoplankton 106 carbon: 16 nitrogen: 1 phosphorus
28
Why are conditions optimal with 16:1 ration of N:P
Organic processes tend to control proportions of these elements in the water ex. denitrification and nitrogen fixation by diazotrophs
29
Nutrient availability- Limiting factor
Can be too much or too little of nutrients (ex. N, P, Fe)
30
Eutrophication
Excessive loading of water w nutrients ex. N and P
31
Effects of eutrophication
Increased biomass production Increased O2 consumption and O2depletion Algal blooms lead to hypoxic conditions and creates dead zones
32
Impacts of eutrophication
Food security Ecosystem health Disruptions in tourism Fisheries and health industries
33
Iron (Fe)
Essential micronutrient; controls phytoplankton productivity
34
Iron limitation
HNLC High nutrient, low chlorophyll areas but bioavailable Fe is scarce
35
Why is iron low in seawater?
Limiting nutrient High reactivity of Fe2+ w O, so less Fe2+ Low solubility of Fe3+
36
Sources of Fe
Hydrothermal activity releases Fe to be upwelled Dust
37
Carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technique
Artificially add Fe to the ocean's surface to stimulate growth of phytoplankton which capture CO2
38
Will CDR work?
Wont be able to make enough phytoplankton Over oxygenation creating dead zones
39
Direction of energy flow in marine ecosystems
Unidirectional
40
Producers
Autotrophic
41
Consumers
Heterotrophic; herbivores, carnivores, omnivores
42
Decomposers
Break down organic compounds
43
Energy flow in marine ecosystems
Energy transferred up to higher trophic levels Primary producer- primary consumer- secondary consumer- tertiary consumer
44
Microscopic algae- Phytoplankton
Autotrophic- create glucose through photosynthesis Occupy the euphotic zone 90-96% of surface ocean's carbohydrate
45
What are the types of Phytoplankton- microscopic algae
Coccolithophores Diatoms Dinoflagellates
46
Coccolithophores
Moderate to low nutrient conditions Tend to live in waters that are brightly lit, warm
47
Phytoplankton blooms
Exponential growth, reproduce asexually Seasonal (bloom in spring and fall) and depend on latitude (higher) Factors: - Favourable winds and currents - Overfeeding - High water conditions
48
Dinoflagellates
Flagella: allow organism to adjust its orientation and vertical position in the water to obtain best light and nutrients -Bioluminescent - explosive growth causes red tides and harmful algal blooms
49
Where are phytoplankton?
Phytoplankton distribution corresponds to nutrient distribution in the water (upwelling areas)
50
Phytoplankton- Marine cyanobacteria
Smallest known photosynthesizers (Prochlorococcus) Nutrient poor water (oligotrophic)
51
Macroscopic algae (seaweed)
Unicellular/ multicellular algae (not plants) - photosynthesize - diverse shape and size - non-vascular -dont grow below euphotic zone, can thrive in shallow water
52
Limiting factors of algae
Temp Nutrient supply Substrate Light
53
Green seaweed- Chlorophyta
Intertidal, shallow water
54
Red seaweed- Rhodophyta
Most abundant Widely distributed Attached to substrate or encrusting
55
Brown seaweed- Phaeophyta
ex. rock weed and kelp
56
Marine angiosperms
Plants that reproduce w flowers and seeds Sea grasses and mangroves Autotrophic, vascular plants (hydrophytes, macrophytes)
57
Mangroves
Trees that grow in water Grow in intertidal zone Lower latitudes (dont like cold) Can expel salt **kelp and mangroves never in same place
58
Chemosynthesis
Conversion of one or more C-containing molecules into organic matter Oxidation of inorganic compounds as a source of energy No light -aphotic zone
59
Who performs chemosynthesis?
Deep ocean or hydrothermal vent communities ex. gutless giant tube worms have symbiotic relationship w bacteria ex. yeti crabs
60
Intertidal community
Area above water at low tide and underwater at high tide
61
Who lives in the intertidal community?
Invertebrates (benthic)- The molluscs Gastropods, bivalves, cephalopods
62
Molluscs- gastropods (snails)
Periwinkles Limpets Dog whelks
63
Arthropods
Lobster, crabs, shrimp, barnacles
64
Arthropods - Barnacles
Cementers Sessile suspension feeders (use cirri) Stalkless- acorn barnacles Stalked- goose barnacles
65
Types of barnacles
Semibalanus (light colour)- lower intertidal, long life, high mortality Chthamalus (dark colour)- upper intertidal, fast growing, short life)
66
Competition of barnacles
"Competitive dominance" Semibalanus outcompetes chthamalus by crowding or smothering Chthamalus occupy higher tide levels resistant to dessication
67
Echinoderms
Sea stars and urchins
68
Cniadaria
Sea anemones
69
Difficulties of rocky intertidal communities
- Rapid temp changes - Dessication - Salinity changes - Moving substrate - Wave shock - Exposure to marine and terrestrial predators
70
Ways to combat dessication
Hide in low lying area Clam up to preserve moisture Protect body by covering w shells Lose an arm (starfish)
71
Ways to combat wave shock
Well anchored Find shelter Wedge in cracks
72
How do sea anemones combat wave shock?
Can adjust height based on wave action ex. shorter in high wave activity
73
Why live in rocky intertidal communities?
Abundant food Many nutrients Abundant dissolved gases Numerous places to live
74
Biotic community
Assemblage of organisms that live together within some definable area or habitat
75
Ecosystem
Biotic plus abiotic community- organisms exchange energy

GEOL200 (10 decks)

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