Climate and Biomes

1
Climate and Biomes IV. Aquatic Systems
2
Climate and Biomes IV. Aquatic Systems A.
Overview
Characterized by physical characteristics and
general biological parameters like productivity,
not plant growth form (algae)
3
IV. Aquatic Systems B. Freshwater Habitats 1.
Lotic Systems (moving waters)

• Headwater Streams

Where precip gt evaporation, excess soil water
runs to water table. Where water table is
expressed above land stream.
4
IV. Aquatic Systems B. Freshwater Habitats 1.
Lotic Systems (moving waters)

• Headwater Streams
• - High gradient

5
IV. Aquatic Systems B. Freshwater Habitats 1.
Lotic Systems (moving waters)

• Headwater Streams
• - High gradient
• - low primary productivity no upstream source of
  
• nutrients, organics from riparian zone
  (allochthonous)

6
IV. Aquatic Systems B. Freshwater Habitats 1.
Lotic Systems (moving waters)

• Headwater Streams
• - High gradient
• - low primary productivity no upstream source of
  
• nutrients, organics from riparian zone
  (allochthonous)
• - usually with a complete canopy that reduces
  photosynthesis

7
IV. Aquatic Systems B. Freshwater Habitats 1.
Lotic Systems (moving waters)

• Headwater Streams
• - High gradient
• - low primary productivity no upstream source of
  
• nutrients, organics from riparian zone
  (allochthonous)
• - usually with a complete canopy that reduces
  photosynthesis
• - sequence of riffle (production) and pool
  (decomposition)

8
IV. Aquatic Systems B. Freshwater Habitats 1.
Lotic Systems (moving waters)

• Headwater Streams
• - High gradient
• - low primary productivity no upstream source of
  
• nutrients, organics from riparian zone
  (allochthonous)
• - usually with a complete canopy that reduces
  photosynthesis
• - sequence of riffle (production) and pool
  (decomposition)

9
- Communities driven by detritivores consuming
allochthonous inputs, not aquatic primary
productivity
10
IV. Aquatic Systems B. Freshwater Habitats 1.
Lotic Systems (moving waters)

• Headwater Streams
• Rivers

Rivers order 6-12 Ohio 8 Mississippi
10 Amazon 12
11
IV. Aquatic Systems B. Freshwater Habitats 1.
Lotic Systems (moving waters)

• Headwater Streams
• Rivers
• - lower gradient more volume and force

12
IV. Aquatic Systems B. Freshwater Habitats 1.
Lotic Systems (moving waters)

• Headwater Streams
• Rivers
• - lower gradient
• - Higher productivity, fed by nutrients from
  upstream
• - wider waterway allows sunlight to feed local
  productivity and
• decomposition (autochthonous)

13
IV. Aquatic Systems B. Freshwater Habitats 1.
Lotic Systems (moving waters)

• Headwater Streams
• Rivers
• - lower gradient
• - Higher productivity, fed by nutrients from
  upstream
• - wider waterway allows sunlight to feed local
  productivity and
• decomposition (autochthonous)
• - meanders dominate, creating lateral habitats
  from cut bank and pool to sand bar and riffle
  across the course of the river.

14
(No Transcript)
15
Oxbow Lake
16
IV. Aquatic Systems B. Freshwater Habitats 1.
Lotic Systems (moving waters)

• Headwater Streams
• Rivers
• - lower gradient
• - Higher productivity, fed by nutrients from
  upstream
• - wider waterway allows sunlight to feed local
  productivity and
• decomposition (autochthonous)
• - meanders dominate, creating lateral habitats
  from cut bank and pool to sand bar and riffle
  across the course of the river.
• - in large, deep rivers, the amount of sediment
  carried in the river, coupled with water depth,
  may reduce algal photosynthesis at depth and
  decrease productivity.

17
IV. Aquatic Systems B. Freshwater Habitats 1.
Lotic Systems (moving waters)

• Headwater Streams
• Rivers

18

• Headwater Streams
• Rivers
• River Continuum Concept
• Moving downstream
• NPP increases, changes from periphyton (attached
  algae) to phytoplankton (floating).
• Proportional E input by CPOM declines, shredders
  decline.
• FPOM and UFPOM increase, and collectors
  (filterers) increase
• downstream succession of increasing
  productivity
• Upstream, P/R lt 1
• Downstream, P/R gt 1

19
IV. Aquatic Systems B. Freshwater Habitats 1.
Lotic Systems (moving waters)

• Headwater Streams
• Rivers
• Marshes and Swamps
• - these are habitats that are flooded
  periodically, either by rainfall, rivers, or
  tidal inundation (though these would be saline
  salt marshes).

20
(No Transcript)
21
(No Transcript)
22
(No Transcript)
23
IV. Aquatic Systems B. Freshwater Habitats 1.
Lotic Systems (moving waters)

• Headwater Streams
• Rivers
• Marshes and Swamps
• - They are highly productive habitats, receiving
  nutrients from both aquatic and terrestrial
  sources. They are often shallow, also, so there
  are high autochthonous productivity. This high
  biological productivity can reduce oxygen levels
  in the water and sediment, however. Also, the
  high biological activity serves to detoxify and
  filter surface and ground water.

24
IV. Aquatic Systems B. Freshwater Habitats 1.
Lotic Systems (moving waters) 2. Lentic
Systems a. Lakes
- temporary habitats, as they will eventually
fill with sediment carried by stream inputs or
surface runoff. - formed by natural dams (beaver,
mudslide), glacial retreat, limestone erosion,
changes in river channels (oxbows), continental
drift (rift lakes), and man-made dams
25
(No Transcript)
26
IV. Aquatic Systems B. Freshwater Habitats 1.
Lotic Systems (moving waters) 2. Lentic
Systems a. Lakes

• - Littoral Zone edge with rooted plants
• - Limnetic/Pelagic Zone no rooted plants in
• deep lakes this may be further subdivided
• subdivided by temperature stratification
  epilimnion
• thermocline
• hypolimnion
• subdivided by light penetration
• euphotic zone
• compensation depth
• aphotic zone
• - Benthic zone sediments where decomposition
  occurs and nutrients accumulate

27
Lentic Systems Ponds and Lakes
28
(No Transcript)
29
IV. Aquatic Systems B. Freshwater Habitats 1.
Lotic Systems (moving waters) 2. Lentic
Systems a. Lakes
- In deep lakes, the spatial separation of
nutrients beneath the photic zone means that
algae are nutrient limited until turnover occurs
in fall and spring. - Deep lakes often have low
productivity oligotrophic. Shallow lakes have
more productivity eutrophic. The release of
nutrient limitation eutrophication.
30
(No Transcript)
31
IV. Aquatic Systems B. Freshwater Habitats 1.
Lotic Systems 2. Lentic Systems b. Ponds
and bogs

• A smaller water body, often later in lake
  succession
• Lake
• Pond
• Bog
• Marsh
• Meadow

32
IV. Aquatic Systems C. Marine Habitats 1.
Estuaries
- Place where rivers meet the ocean often made
discrete by barrier islands offshore.
33
IV. Aquatic Systems C. Marine Habitats 1.
Estuaries
- Place where rivers meet the ocean often made
discrete by barrier islands offshore. - direction
of water flow, depth, and salinity changes with
the tides
34
IV. Aquatic Systems C. Marine Habitats 1.
Estuaries
- highest productivity aquatic habitat nutrients
accumulate and feed surrounding salt marshes or
mangroves, which add nutrients to the estuary.
Truly a highly connected mix of terrestrial,
marine, and aquatic habitats.
35
IV. Aquatic Systems C. Marine Habitats 1.
Estuaries 2. Intertidal (littoral) - habitat
between high and low tide - zonation of
organisms based on desiccation tolerance and
frequency and length of exposure.
36
IV. Aquatic Systems C. Marine Habitats 1.
Estuaries 2. Intertidal (littoral) 3. Neritic
Zone (Cont. Shelf) - usually to a depth of 200m
- productive because benthic nutrients are close
to the photic zone and the habitat is well
mixed.
37
Marine Systems
38
IV. Aquatic Systems C. Marine Habitats 1.
Estuaries 2. Intertidal (littoral) 3. Neritic
Zone (Cont. Shelf) 4. Oceanic (Pelagic) - open
ocean to depth of 5 miles in trenches. - photic
and aphotic zones - very low productivity
except in upwelling areas where nutrients are
brought up into the photic zone, or hydrothermal
vent communities where chemosynthetic bacteria
are the primary producers.
39
IV. Aquatic Systems C. Marine Habitats 1.
Estuaries 2. Intertidal (littoral) 3. Neritic
Zone (Cont. Shelf) 4. Oceanic (Pelagic) 5.
Coral Reefs - typically shallow, tropical
habitats with high productivity of algal symbiots
in coral polyps. - also, structural complexity
of the reef increases habitat variation and
diversity. - most diverse marine systems.
40
IV. Aquatic Systems C. Marine Habitats 1.
Estuaries 2. Intertidal (littoral) 3. Neritic
Zone (Cont. Shelf) 4. Oceanic (Pelagic) 5.
Coral Reefs 6. Hydrothermal Vent Communities -
primary producers are chemosynthetic sulphur
bacteria some of which have become endosymbionts
of giant polychaete worms (Riftia sp.).
41
(No Transcript)
42
(No Transcript)
43
(No Transcript)