Aquatic Ecosystems

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Aquatic Ecosystems

• Composed By
• Mrs. Perlowski
• Mr. Bronico

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• The types of organisms in an aquatic ecosystem
  are mainly determined by the waters Salinity
• What is Salinity? The amount of dissolved salts
  that water contains

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What are two types of Aquatic Ecosystems

• Freshwater Ecosystem Marine Ecosystem

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Examples of Freshwater ecosystems

• Lakes
• Ponds
• Freshwater wetlands (marshes,swamps)
• Rivers
• Streams

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Biotic factors in an aquatic Ecosystem

1. Plankton organisms that cannot swim against the
   current, so they are called drifters.

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Phytoplankton

• Phytoplankton- Drifting plants that are the food
  base for most aquatic ecosystems Most are
  microscopic

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Zooplankton

• Zooplankton Drifting animals, which man be
  microscopic or a large as jellyfish.

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Nekton

• Free swimming organisms.
• This includes fish, turtles and whales to name a
  few.

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Benthos

• Bottom dweller organisms
• Mussels, worms barnacles
• Many benthic organisms live attached to hard
  surfaces.

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• Organisms called decomposers are also present in
  aquatic ecosystems. They break down dead organisms

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Sit back and enjoy the show!
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Lakes Ponds

• Structured into Horizontal and vertical Zones
• Littoral Zones-Nutrient rich aquatic life is
  diverse and abundant plants are rooted in the
  mud underwater.
• Benthic Zone The bottom of the pond or lake
  cooler water little sunlight, bacteria and
  decomposers live on dead plants and animals that
  drift down from above

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How do nutrients affect a lake

• Eutrophication- is an increase in the amount of
  nutrients in an aquatic ecosystem. Algae and
  plants grow due to nutrients in the body of
  water. As the amount of algae and plants grow, so
  does the amount of bacteria and decomposer. These
  bacteria use the oxygen dissolved in the lake,
  eventually reducing the amount available for
  oxygen-loving organisms.

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Freshwater wetlands

• They are covered with fresh water for at least
  part of the year.
• There are two types
• Marshes-contain non-woody plants such as cattails
• Swamps- dominated by woody plants, such as trees
  and shrubs.

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• Marsh

Swamp
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• Many Wetlands have been drained filled, or
  cleared for farms or residential/commercial
  development