Chapter 4 Ecosystems & Communities

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Chapter 4Ecosystems Communities

• Section 4-4
• Aquatic Ecosystems

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4-4 Aquatic Ecosystems

• Key Concept
• Aquatic ecosystems are determined primarily by
  the depth, flow, temperature, and chemistry of
  the overlying water.

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4-4 Aquatic Ecosystems

• NOT Geographical like land biomes
• Grouped by Abiotic Factors e.g.
• Depth
• Distance from shore
• Light
• Water Chemistry
• Latitude (Temperature)

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Freshwater Ecosystems

• ONLY 3 of the Biospheres Water
• Key Concept
• Freshwater ecosystems can be divided into two
  main types
• Flowing Water Ecosystems
• Standing Water Ecosystems

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Freshwater Ecosystems

• Flowing Water Ecosystems
• Rivers, streams, creeks
• Organisms adapted to flow rate

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Usually Turbulent Near Source
Usually Turbulent at the Source
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Meanders At Lower Elevations
Becomes Meandering at Lower Elevations
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Standing Water Ecosystems

• Lakes Ponds
• Water flows in and out
• Water also circulates within

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Standing Water Ecosystems

• Support plankton
• General term for weakly swimming organisms
• Phytoplankton
• Algae, Producers, Food Web Base, Photoautotrophs

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Freshwater Wetlands

• Water is on or very near the surface
• Bogs
• Acid, thick sphagnum moss
• Marshes
• Shallow wetlands along rivers, flows slowly
• Swamps
• Marsh with trees shrubs

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Peat Bog
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Peat Bog
Tollund ManDenmark
400 B.C. 400 A.D.
ROPE
Throat Cut
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Marsh
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Swamp
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Estuaries

• Wetlands formed where rivers meet the sea
• Both Salt Fresh Water
• Mixed by tides
• Few Herbivores, energy enters food web as
  detritus.
• Tiny pieces of organic material

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Estuaries

• Vast amounts of biomass
• Spawning nursery grounds
• Fish, crabs, shellfish shrimp
• Salt Marshes
• Temperate zone estuaries
• Salt tolerant grass above low tide
• Sea grass below

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SALT MARSH
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Estuaries

• Mangrove Swamps
• Tropical coastal wetland
• Salt tolerant trees
• Nurseries for fish, shellfish shrimp

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Mangrove Swamp
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Marine Ecosystems

• Immense Deep
• Photic Zone
• Photosynthesis possible, Light Penetration
• 0-200 meters Deep
• Aphotic Zone
• Permanently dark
• Contains Chemosynthetic Autotrophs

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Marine Ecosystems

• Key concept
• Marine ecosystems are divided by
• Distance from shore
• Depth
• Intertidal Zone
• Coastal Ocean
• Open ocean

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Intertidal

• Organisms exposed to regular and extreme changes.
  (tides)
• Zonation
• Permanent Horizontal Banding of lifeforms In The
  Intertidal Zone

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Intertidal Zonation
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Coastal Ocean Neritic Zone

• From Low Tide Mark to edge of Continental Shelf.
• Usually In Photic Zone
• Contains Kelp forests
• Most Productive Coastal Ocean Communities
• Giant Brown Algae
• Grow 50 cm per Day

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Kelp Forest
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Kelp Forest
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Coral Reefs

• Warm shallow water of tropical, coastal oceans
  support coral reefs.
• Calcium Carbonate Shells
• Related to jellyfish
• Symbiotic relationship with algae

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Coral Reefs
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Open Ocean

• Oceanic Zone
• Continental shelf to deep water
• 500 to 11,000 meters deep
• High pressure
• Low Temperatures
• Total Darkness

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Benthic Zone

• Ocean floor
• Organisms are called benthos
• Organic Rain
• Thermal Vents

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Benthic Zone
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