ch.7 environmental

environmental functions of wetlands

-trapping and filtering sediments, nutrients, and pollutants, which keep these materials from entering lakes, reservoirs, and oceans; -reducing the likelihood of a flood, protecting agriculture, roads, buildings, and human health and safety; -buffering shorelines against erosion; -providing spawning grounds and habitat for commercially important fish and shellfish; -providing habitat for endangered species and migratory wildlife; -providing recreational activities for humans

land and climate

A river changes with the ________ & ________ through which it flows.

eutrophic

A(n) ______ lake has a large amount of plant growth due to nutrients.

the ocean

An arctic ecosystem depends almost entirely on ______ for its available food.

27

An estimated ______ % of all coral reefs are threatened by human activities.

benthos

Barnacles are a type of ________, or bottom dwelling, organisms.

absorbs

Because water ________ sunlight, photosynthesis is limited to the upper 100 meters of the ocean.

calcium carbonate and limestone

Coral polyps secrete skeletons of __________ that slowly accumulate & form coral reefs.

warm

Corals live only in shallow, _______ water where there is enough light for photosynthesis.

slowly

Downstream, a river often widens & flows more ______.

runoff

Excessive nutrient growth in an aquatic ecosystem can be accelerated by ________.

nekton

Fish are a type of ________, or free-swimming, organisms.

nutrient

In estuaries, fresh water & saltwater mix, forming a(n) ______ trap.

barrier

Long, thin _________ islands typically run parallel to a shore.

snow melt

Many rivers originate from _______ in mountains.

nonwoody and woody

Marshes are dominated by ________ plants while swamps contain mainly _______ plants.

rhiziods

Mosses use ________ to anchor themselves to rocks near churning river headwaters.

land

Most ocean pollution can be traced to activities on __________.

phytoplankton

Most of the food in aquatic ecosystems is produced by _____

What mainly distinguishes nekton from benthos?

One swims freely and the other often lives attached to a hard surface.

base

Plankton form the _____of the marine food web.

salinity

The amount of dissolved salts in water is known as _________.

open ocean

The least productive marine ecosystem is the ______.

brakish

The water in salt marshes is saltier than the water in _______ marshes.

nekton

Three groups of aquatic organisms include plankton, ________, and benthos.

phytoplankton and zooplankton

Two types of plankton are microscopic plants called ________ and microscopic animals called

swiftly

Upstream, a river is usually cold & flows _______ through a shallow riverbed.

marshes

contain nonwoody plants such cattails

benthic zone

dead and decaying organisms reach-- the bottom of a pond or lake, which is inhabited by decomposers, insect larvae and clams

mangrove swamps

dense growths of mangrove trees in swampy areas--found in tropical and subtropical zones---help to protect the coastline from erosion and reduce the damage from storms

zooplankton

drifting animals which may be microscopic or as large as a jellyfish

limnetic zone

farther from the shore, in the open water-- there are no rooted plants

swamps are commonly found on

flat, poorly drained land

Phytoplankton

food base for most aquatic ecosystems

nekton

free swimming organism such as fish and whales

alkaline fens

ideal habitat for many amphibians, such as frogs, because of the continuously moist environment

coral bleaching

if the water is too hot or cold for too long, or it is too muddy, polluted, or high in nutrients, the algae that live in the corals will leave or die-- as a result the coral tune white

salt marshes, form

in estuaries, where rivers deposit their load of mineral-rich mud

acidic bogs

in freshwater swamps--- filled with sphagnum or peat moss, which are found in warmer areas and cypress swamps

through photosynthesis

in the limnetic zone, phytoplankton make their own food

wetland

includes area where land is periodically under water

runoffs

is precipitation that can carry pollutants like fertilizers from land into bodies of water

eutrophic lake

lakes with large amounts of algae and plant growth from excessive nutrients

freshwater ecosystems

lakes, ponds, wetlands, rivers, and streams

coral reefs

limestone ridges built by tiny coral animals called coral polyps and the algae that live inside them

In which aquatic zone would you be likely to find cattails and reeds?

littoral

rhiziods

near the headwaters, mosses anchor themselves to rock by using rootliked---

littoral zone

near the shore, aquatic life is diverse and abundant

barrier islands

often run parallel to sandy shores-- they help to protect the mainland and the coastal wetlands from storms and oceans waves and often provide habitat for wildlife

plankton

organisms that cannot swim against currents, they are also drifters

Chemosythetic

organisms that derive nutrients from chemicals in the water or substrate

the type of plankton that produces most of the food in an aquatic ecosystem is called

phytoplankton

base of marine food web

plankton

runoff

potential threat to an estuary

the majority of organism are found in

shallow, coastal water

why doesn't photosynthesis occir in deep ocean water

there is no sunlight

organism that live in estuaries must adapt to changes in

water level and salinity

temperature

a factor that determines where aquatic organism live

estuary

an area in which fresh water from a river mixes with salt water from the ocean

eutrophication

an increase in the amount of nutrients

coastal wetlands

are covered by salt water for all or part of the time--- also filter out pollutants and sediments, protect shorelines from erosion, and provide recreational areas for boating, fishing, and hunting

swamps

are dominated by woody plants, such as flood-tolerant trees and shrubs

freshwater wetlands

areas of land with special soils and plants, that are covered with fresh water for at least part of the year

benthos

bottom dwelling, such as mussels, worms, and barnacles

rivers

can originate from underground springs, snow melts in mountains, or where smaller streams merge together