4.4 AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
Aquatic ecosystems are determined primarily by the depth, flow, temperature, and chemistry of flowing water. The depth of the could determine how much sunlight will reach the bottom of area in the sea, which mean how much food an organism will get. Water chemistry refers to the amount of dissolved minerals and chemicals such as salt, nutrients, and oxygen. Freshwater ecosystem can be divided into two main types: standing water ecosystems and flowing water ecosystems. Flowing water ecosystems are places such as streams, rivers, brooks, creeks. Organisms that live here must adapt to the flow rate, which means that they must have hookers or suckers that allow them to hold on rocks or aquatic plants. This flowing water ecosystem will have a source on the mountain or hill. Standing still ecosystems are places like lakes and ponds. Rather than flowing water, they have circulation within them to help distribute oxygen, nutrients, and heat. Some of the bacteria here are: Phytoplankton are plankton living autotrophic, heterotrophic and mixes, they live in the group. Plankton is a general term for the tiny, floating organisms that live in both freshwater and saltwater environment. Zootoplankton is the animal that live in the ocean and freshwater.
Wetlands is an ecosystem in which water either covers the soil or is present at or near the surface of the soil for at least part of the year. Wetlands can be divided into 3 main types: Bogs which are dominated by sphagnum mosses and are very acidic, marshes are shallow wetlands along the rivers. Swamps are where water flow slowly in an aquatic forest making it look like a flooded forest. Estuaries are wetlands formed where river meet the sea. Detritus is made up of tiny piece of organic material that provide food for organisms at the base of the estuary's food web.
Salt marshes are temperate-zone estuaries dominated by salt-tolerant grasses above the low-tide, and by seagrasses under water. Mangrove Swamps: are coastal wetlands that are widespread across tropical regions, including southern Florida and Hawaii. Photic Zone: Photosynthesis is limit to this well-lit upper layer. Below the photic zone is the aphotic zone which is permanently. Chemosynthetic autotrophs are the only producers that can survive here. In addition to the division between the photic and aphotic zones, marine biologists divide the ocean into zones based on depth and distance from shore.
The intertidal zone is where organisms must be exposed to regular and extreme changes in their surroundings. They are submerged once or twice a day and the rest of the day they are exposed to the air and sunlight. There are many different types of intertidal communities. Because there are different types of intertidal zones, there are competition among each other. Competition often leads to zonation which is the prominent horizontal banding of organisms that live in a particular habit.
The coastal ocean extends from low tide mark to the outer edge of the continental shelf. The coastal ocean is shallow enough for photosynthesis to occur. This place have kelp forests which are giant brown alga that can grow to 50 centimeters a day. These kelp forests can be found in California and the Pacific Northwest and can support a complex web for the ecosystem
The coral reefs are named for the coral animals whose hard, calcium carbonate skeletons make up their primary structure. These algae carry out photosynthesis using the coral animal's waste as nutrient. In return,they give coral hosts essential carbon compounds. These coral reef only thrive in brightly lit areas.
The open ocean often referred to as the oceanic zone, begins at the edge of the continental shelf and extends outward. It is the largest marine zone, covering more than 90% of the surface area of the world's ocean. Organisms live in here must face high pressure, frigid temperatures and total darkness. This place have low levels of nutrients and productivity is generally low.
The Benethic zone is also called the ocean floor. Scientists refer to these organisms as the benthos. The ocean flood extends from the coastal ocean to the open ocean. Benthic zone often depends on food from organisms that grow in the photic zone, particular the producers. The animals don't move much. Near deep sea vents, where super heated water boils out of cracks on the ocean floor. Animals live here are chemosynthetic producers that support life without life and photosynthesis.
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