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Chapter 7 (Part 1) - Aquatic Ecosystem

The document describes different aquatic ecosystems. It discusses freshwater ecosystems like rivers, lakes, and wetlands. It describes the various zones in lakes and ponds. It also discusses estuaries, which are where freshwater meets saltwater, and contain environments like salt marshes and mangrove forests. Finally, it begins to cover the marine ecosystem, which has zones from the intertidal area to the open ocean. The document provides details on the key characteristics and inhabitants of different aquatic biomes.

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Haziq Iskandar Shamsul
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201 views35 pages

Chapter 7 (Part 1) - Aquatic Ecosystem

The document describes different aquatic ecosystems. It discusses freshwater ecosystems like rivers, lakes, and wetlands. It describes the various zones in lakes and ponds. It also discusses estuaries, which are where freshwater meets saltwater, and contain environments like salt marshes and mangrove forests. Finally, it begins to cover the marine ecosystem, which has zones from the intertidal area to the open ocean. The document provides details on the key characteristics and inhabitants of different aquatic biomes.

Uploaded by

Haziq Iskandar Shamsul
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 35

CHAPTER 7

Aquatic Ecosystem
(Part 1)

1
Aquatic Ecosystem

A. Freshwater ecosystem
❖ Flowing water ecosystem
❖ Fresh water lakes
❖ Fresh water wetlands

B. Estuaries
❖ Salt marshes
❖ Mangrove forest

C. Marine ecosystem
❖ Intertidal zone
❖ Neritic zone
❖ Pelagic and benthic zone
❖ Oceanic zone

2
LESSON OUTCOMES

AT THE END OF THIS LECTURE STUDENT SHOULD


BE ABLE TO :

✓ Briefly describe the characteristics of each aquatic


biomes.

✓ Distinguish between freshwater, estuaries, and marine


biomes.

3
Aquatic biomes

- water ecosystems, divided into:


❖ Freshwater biome
❖ Estuaries
❖ Marine biome

 >70% of Earth surface is water


<3% (fresh water); >97% (marine)
 Fresh water source: frozen in glaciers; pack ice;
buried in aquifers; lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams

4
 Abiotics factors – affecting the distribution of
organisms found in the aquatic biomes:

1. light intensity

2. amounts of oxygen and carbon dioxide


dissolved in the water

3. concentration of dissolved salts (salinity)

4. availability of organic and inorganic


nutrients

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Freshwater Ecosystem

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1) FRESHWATER BIOME

❖ Rivers, streams, Lakes, ponds, marshes and


swamp
❖ Water source; food source
❖ Transportation
❖ Agriculture and vegetation
❖ Survival of land organisms and human being is
highly dependent on the amount of fresh water
❖ Contamination/pollution cause severe health
problems
❖ Possible cause for future warfare

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 Lakes and Ponds

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 3 distinct zones in lakes/ponds

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Zonation Description
Littoral close to shore; light reaches all the way to the bottom;
zone plants rooted to the bottom and algae attached to the plants and to
any other solid substrate; consumers such as crustaceans, flatworms,
insect larvae, snails, frogs, fish, and turtles
Limnetic open water area; amount of light decreases until a depth is reached
zone where the rate of photosynthesis becomes equal to the rate of
respiration; less plant grow compare to littoral zone
-dominated by plankton (microbes) + nekton (animals)
-producer – algae
- consumer – crustaceans; rotifers; insects; fishes
Profundal zone depends for its calories on the drifting down of organic matter
zone from the littoral and limnetic zones (less light penetrate – low
photosynthesis)
chief inhabitant: benthos (crawling at the bottom)
also support a large population of bacteria and fungi – as decomposer
nutrients are not efficiently recycled (no photosynthesis organisms);
nutrient rich zone and anaerobic

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The zones of a lake

Benthic zone

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Classification of lakes and ponds

❑ Oligotrophic
✓ Deep, cold and nutrient-poor. BOD

❑ Mesotrophic
✓ Clear water, medium-level nutrients.

❑ Eutrophic
✓ Shallow, warm, nutrient-rich. BOD

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Oligotrophic vs Eutrophic lake

Eutrophic lake

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Alkaline lake

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Abandoned mines
that has turned into
beautiful lakes
but regarded
dangerous! Why?

20
 Rivers and Streams

❖ Flowing water ecosystem


❖ Water more oxygenated – presence of water current
❖ Photosynthesis organisms play a minor role - large
fraction of the energy available for consumers as in
falling leaves (from lands)
❖ E.g. Nile River; Amazon River

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 Freshwater Wetlands

❖ Normally covered by shallow


water for at least part of the year
❖ Have characteristics soil and
water-tolerant vegetation
❖ Consist of marshes (grasslike
plants dominate)
❖ In swamps dominated by woody
trees and shrubs
❖ Wetlands plants –very
productive; supply enough food Freshwater swamp in northeastern Texas
(various kinds of organisms)

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Wetlands

❖ Habitat for various kind of animals - migratory


waterfowl; monkey; bird; beaver; otter and game
fishes (ecotourism)
❖ Have characteristics soil and water-tolerant
vegetation
❖ Help in control flooding - holding areas for excess
water when river overflow the banks
❖ Recharging groundwater areas – filter and clean
water by trapping and holding pollutants in the
flooded soils (ecosystem services)

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 2) ESTUARIES

❖ Mixture of both fresh and salt water where rivers


connect to the ocean.
❖ Coastal body of water, partly surrounded by land, with
access to the open sea and a large supply of fresh water
from rivers
❖ Boundary of fresh water and marine water (sea-river)
❖ Example: salt marshes, mangrove swamps, lagoons, and
the mouths of rivers
❖ Water level - rise and fall with tides
❖ Salinity fluctuates with tidal cycles and amount of
rainfall or precipitation.
❖ Greater productivities than the ocean and freshwater
river.

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ESTUARIES

❖ Support variety of aquatic lives – aquatic plant


(photosynthesis); fishes, shrimps, crabs, birds
❖ Breeding, nesting/hatching, nursing, resting
and food source
❖ Salt marshes, shallow wetlands with salt
tolerant grasses (temperate region)
❖ Mangrove forests (tropical region) cover 70%
of tropical coastline – provide ecosystem
services

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Mangrove forest

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❖ Function of mangrove forest:

❖ Breeding and nursing place for various fishes /


shellfishes - intertwining roots
❖ Nesting and resting places for birds -
intertwining roots
❖ Food source/ habitat for mammals such as
monkey
❖ Stabilize sediment and reducing coastal
erosion;
❖ providing barrier against the sea during storm

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To be continued..

Thank you

35

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