Aquatic biome chart PDF

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Summary

Aquatic biome information organized into a helpful chart, Dr. Dean...

Description

Lakes

Oligotrophic lake

Eutrophic lake

Wetlands

Physical environment Standing body of water Large to small Deep to shallow Depth creates light stratification temperate lakes undergo semiannual mixing of water tropical lowland lakes have yearround mixing of water depth causes light stratification

Chemical environment

nutrient-poor and oxygen-rich not much decomposable organic matter in bottom sediment

nutrient-rich and oxygenpoor at bottom in summer/winter nutrient-rich habitat and often inundated by oxygen-poor water at least high capacity to sometimes supports plants filter dissolved nutrients and adapted to water-saturated chemical

Geologic features Surface area to depth ration

Photosynthetic organisms Littoral zoneshallows; rooted plants Limnetic zonedeeper water; phytoplankton, cyanobacteria

Heterotrophs

Human impact

limnetic zooplankton feed on phytoplankton benthicinvertebrates, based on oxygen content

nutrient enrichment algal blooms; oxygen depletion fish kills

most productive biomes on earth pond lilies, cattails, cypress, sedges, spruce adapted to wet soils, anaerobic

DIVERSE invertebrates, birds, insects, muskrats, gators, dragonflies, otters

purify water and prevent flooding Europe has drained 90% of its wetlands

less surface area relative to depth compared to eutrophic lake

large surface area, but not deep

basin wetlandsin shallow basins and filled-in lakes/ponds riverine wetlands –

soils

Streams and rivers

Estuaries

along rivers and streams fringe wetlands – along coasts of lakes and oceans; marine/fresh Headwater Moving body of Salinity and streams narrow, water = current nutrients rocky bottom, Headwatersincrease from shallows/deep cold, clear, headwater to pools turbulent, swift, mouth high O2, narrow, Organic material Downstream wide slow with usually rocky originates from silty bottom Downstreamwarmer, turbid, forested streams well oxygenated, wide, slow, silt Stratified Transition area between river and ocean Salt water flows up estuary at high tide; returns at low tide Higher density saline water at

pollutants

Salinity is high near ocean, freshwater at other end; fluctuates with tides High nutrient high content; very productive like wetlands

Complex flow patterns and sediment from network Tidal channels, islands, natural levees, mudflats

soil/water swamps= woody plants; bogs= sphagnum moss

Phytoplankton and rooted aquatic plants in dessert and grassland

DIVERSE Fish, invertebrates Distributed throughout vertical zones Nutrients from temperate and tropical forest vegetation

Saltmarsh grasses and algae, including phytoplankton major producers

DIVERSITY Filling, dredging, and pollution disrupt worldwide

Municipal, agricultural, industrial pollution Degrades water quality Kills organisms Dams/floods impair natural ecosystems and threaten migration

bottom; less dense freshwater on top Intertidal zones Periodically submerged and exposed by tides Variation in salinity and temperature Causes stratification

Oxygen and nutrients restores each high tide

Rock versus sand substrate define organisms Configuration of bays and coastline influence wave magnitude

High diversity and biomass of attached marine algae-lower rocks Sandy areas with waves lack plants/algae Sandy areas protected from waves have seagrass and algae

Most organisms attach to rocks or burry in sand Some small fish, sponges, echinoderms

Oil spills have disrupted many areas Rock walls and barriers to prevent wave erosion disrupt zone

Oceanic pelagic Open water, zone constantly mixed by winddriven currents

Oxygen level high Nutrient levels lower than coastline Tropical oceans lowest; temperate/high latitude renewed fall/spring

70% of earth’s surface Average depth pf 4000m, up to 10000m

Phytoplankton dominate, including photosynthetic bacteria Spring surge with turnover Account for half of the photosynthetic activity on earth

Zooplankton dominate; protists, worms, krill, larvae, fishes Squids, fish, sea turtles, marine mammals

Overfishing has depleted fish stocks worldwide Pollution, ocean acidification, global warming

Oxygen level

coral require

Unicellular and

DIVERSITY

Overfishing;

Coral reefs

Largely formed

Marine benthic zone

from calcium carbonate skeletons of corals Shallow reefs near islands along edge of continents Sensitive to temperature below 18C and above 30C Deep sea reefs at 200m1500m

high

solid substrate for attachment Begins as fringing reef, then barrier reef, then coral atoll

multicellular algae Unicellulars from mutualistic bond with coral-organic matter Multicellulars grow on reef

Corals, diverse fish, invertebrates Diversity rivals level in a rainforest

collecting coral has depleted fish stocks worldwide Pollution, ocean acidification, global warming

Consists of the seafloor below surface waters of coastal, neritic zone Seafloor of offshore pelagic zone Netitic zone receives sunlight Pressure increases and temperature decreases with

Oxygen usually present at concentrations to support life High organic enrichment depletes oxygen

Majority is soft sediment, some rocky substrates on reefs

Seaweed and filamentous algae only in neritic zones Autotrophschemoautotrophs, prokaryotes oxidize H2S for energy

Neritic zone has small fish and invertebrates Deep zone depends on organic matter raining down from above Tube worms have chemoautotrophs as symbols

Overfishing; dumping organic creates oxygendeprived areas

depth...