BIO 121 Chapter 12
tributary
A smaller river flowing into a larger river
kelp, forests
Along many temperate coasts, large brown algae called ____ grow from the floor of the continental shelves, reaching toward the sunlit surface. Dense stands form underwater ____, which provide food and shelter for many animals.
recharge zone
Any area where water can infiltrate through the surface and reach the aquifer is a ___ ___.
groundwater
Any water that does not evaporate, flow into waterways, or get taken up by organisms will infiltrate into ____.
floodplain -Frequent flooding and deposition of soil makes floodplain soils especially fertile. -Agriculture thrives in flood plains, and riparian forests near riversides are especially rich in species.
Areas near a river's course that are flooded periodically are within the river's ____.
aqueducts or canals
Artificial rivers that channel water from rivers and lakes to homes and farms
jellyfish
Coral are related to ____ and can capture passing food with their tentacles.
zooxanthellae
Coral forms symbiotic relationships with algae called _____, which produce food through photosynthesis.
shoreline, barrier island, atoll
Coral reefs may be found in three areas: -Extensions of a ___. -A ___ ___ paralleling a shoreline. -A ring around a submerged island called an ___.
that half of the world's major rivers remain "seriously depleted and polluted, degrading and poisoning the surrounding ecosystems, threatening the health and livelihood of people who depend on them."
Despite major improvements in recent decades, the World Commission on Water recently concluded...
9-12
El Niño and La Niña episodes typically last ____ to ____ months
salt marshes, mangrove forests
Estuaries create ___ ___ at temperate latitudes and ___ ___ at more tropical latitudes
aquatic succession -fills a body of water with sediments and organic matter to first become wetlands then solid ground
Eventually, water bodies fill in completely through the process of ___ ____
springs
Groundwater becomes surface water through ____, keeping rivers flowing and wetlands moist even in dry conditions.
pelagic zone
Habitats and ecosystems occurring between the ocean's surface and floor
introducing toxic substances and disease-causing microorganisms.
In addition to overwithdrawing water, people can affect aquatic ecosystems by...
photic zone
In the open ocean, most primary productivity occurs in the ____ zone.
cold, west
La Niña events are the opposite of El Niño events; unusually ____ waters rise to the surface and extend westward, causing winds blowing to the ___ to strengthen.
valley
Over thousands or millions of years, the shifting course of a meandering river can carve out a flat ___.
infiltration
Surface water becomes groundwater by ____.
drainage basin or wastershed
The area of land drained by a river system and all of its tributaries makes up that river's...
current
The most prominent physical characteristic of rivers and streams is ____
2-8
Their frequency can be quite irregular but El Niño and La Niña events occur on average every ___ to ___ years.
false •Water is unevenly distributed in space and time •Different areas possess different amounts of water
True or False: The distribution of the human population matches the distribution of water.
aquifers
Underground reservoirs of sponge-like regions of rock, sand, gravel, or soil that hold groundwater
tidal creeks
Water from rising and falling tides flows in and out of salt marshes through channels called ___ ____.
•People are withdrawing water at unsustainable rates •Surface and groundwater are being depleted •One-third of the world's people are affected by shortages
Water is a renewable resource as long as we use it sustainably BUT...
surface water •Comprises 1% of freshwater
Water on Earth's surface
infiltration
Water soaks down through rock and soil to recharge aquifers
runoff -converges in low-lying areas, forming streams, which can merge into rivers, which eventually reach a lake or ocean
Water that falls from the sky or melts from snow or a glacier that flows over a land surface is called ____.
photic zone
Well-lit top layer of ocean that supports many autotrophs / producers
vernal pools
Wetlands can be seasonal, such as ___ ___ that form in the snowmelt of early spring and dry up later in the summer.
slowing runoff, reducing flooding, recharging aquifers, and filtering pollutants
Wetlands provide what ecosystem services?
confined, unconfined
___ aquifers are trapped between impermeable clay, while ___ aquifers are not.
rocky
____ intertidal zones are highly diverse because environmental conditions such as temperature, salinity, and moisture change dramatically from the high to low reaches.
67
____% of all people live <100 miles of the ocean
wetlands
a habitat that is inundated by water at least some of the time and that supports plants adapted to water-saturated soil
coral reefs •shallow corals live in the warm, clear water •deep sea corals live at depths of 200-1,500 m
a mass of calcium carbonate composed of the skeletons of millions of tiny, invertebrate corals
flooding
a normal, natural process in which water spills over a river's banks
estuaries -Salinity fluctuates daily due to the rise and fall of the tides -Mixing fresh water with saltwater ' -Shallow water nurtures plants that provide critical habitat for shorebirds and shellfish
a transition area between river and sea/ocean; where rivers flow into the sea/ocean
ions from dissolved salts (the salts arise from runoff that carries salts and sediments from continents into the oceans)
about 96.5% of the ocean is water, while the rest is
-host tremendous biodiversity (complex physical structure produces many habitats) -provide shelter from waves -valuable ecotourism destinations
benefits of coral reefs
-Restore ecosystems. -Reestablish fisheries. -Revive river recreation, such as fly-fishing and rafting. -Return shellfish and fish habitats in and around the mouths of rivers disrupted by the dam.
benefits of dam removal
-Provide shelter and food for organisms -Absorb wave energy and protect shorelines from erosion -Kelp serves as food, thickeners in cosmetics, paints, paper, and soaps
benefits of kelp forests
evaporation
conversion of liquid to gaseous water
-normally, winds blow from east to west along the equator, forming a large convective loop in the atmosphere -causes a "pile-up" of warm water to form near Indonesia, fueling storms in that region -El Nino triggered when air pressure decreases in the eastern Pacific and increases in the western Pacific -weakens the equatorial winds, allowing warm water to flow eastward, and suppressing upwelling along the Pacific coast of the Americas -can create storm activity in normally arid regions like California and drier conditions in Indonesia & can devastate fisheries
describe El Nino--Southern Oscilation (ENSO)
•Warm water from the Gulf Stream flows across the Atlantic Ocean, warming Europe •Water cools, becomes saltier, and sinks •Creating a region of downwelling
describe North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW)
•A process that occurs when zooxanthellae (symbiotic algae that produce food to help feed the corals) lose color and die, depriving the coral of nutrition •Results from warmer water from climate change, pollution, and/or eutrophication
describe coral bleaching
-high-nutrient and low-oxygen conditions -can result from human-caused nutrient pollution -given enough plant growth, the water body may eventually fill in completely
describe eutrophic lakes and ponds
-occur at tropical and subtropical latitudes -Salt-tolerant trees with unique roots -Habitat for fish, shellfish, birds -Protect coastlines from storms -Filter pollutants, stabilize soils, protect coral reefs -Produce food, medicine, tools, and wood -50% of mangroves have been destroyed for resorts or shrimp farms
describe mangrove forests
•Oceans absorb excess CO2 •Lowers the pH of seawater •Reduces carbonate ions and dissolves calcium carbonate in coral shells/skeletons •Makes it difficult for shell-forming animals to use carbonate (CO32−) ions to produce shells •Sells also start to erode faster than they are made once the concentration hits a certain level
describe ocean acidification
low in nutrients and high in oxygen
describe oligotrophic lakes and ponds
-Occur along coasts at temperate latitude -Tides wash over gently sloping, sandy, or silty substrates -Have salt-tolerant plants -Filter pollution and stabilize shorelines -Provides critical habitat for birds and commercial fish and shellfish species
describe salt marshes
•Underwater volcanoes •Steep canyons and deep trenches •The planet's longest mountain range is under water
describe seafloor typography
-not enough light penetrates this deep to support photosynthetic autotrophs -organisms in the very deep are adapted to continuous cold, dark, and extremely high water pressure -most organisms scavenge carcasses or detritus, are predators, or get food from mutualistic bacteria
describe the aphotic zone
-periodically submerged and exposed by tides -between the farthest reaches of the high and low tides -organisms spend part of their time submerged in water and part of their time exposed to sun and wind
describe the intertidal/littoral zone
-near surface, high in primary production and animal populations around nutrient-rich upwellings -warm, shallow waters of continental shelves are the most productive and support the highest biodiversity -phytoplankton, zooplankton, fish, jellyfish, whales -predators include larger fish, sea turtles, and sharks
describe the photic zone of the ocean
littoral zone: nutrient-rich, shallow area along the edges where aquatic plants can grow limnetic zone: the upper layer of water that is shallow enough to receive sunlight and allow photosynthesis by phytoplankton aphotic/profundal zone: between the benthic and limnetic zones and lacks photosynthesis benthic zone: extends along the bottom of the water body & home to many invertebrates
describe the zones of lake and pond water
a worldwide current system in which warmer, lower-salinity water moves along the surface and colder, saltier (denser) water moves horizontally below the surface
describe thermohaline circulation
benthic zone
habitats and ecosystems occurring on the ocean floor; mainly soft sediments; some areas are rock
by forcing water to stay in channels, which then overflow
how can dikes and levees make flooding worse
floods are ecologically beneficial and spread nutrient-rich sediment over large areas
how can flooding be beneficial in the long-term
floods are damaging to the property of people who live in floodplains
how can flooding be harmful in the short-term
•Interrupting the thermohaline circulation can trigger rapid climate change •Global warming could melt Greenland's ice sheet •Freshwater runoff into the North Atlantic would make surface waters less dense •This could stop the NADW formation •Europe would cool rapidly
how can global warming affect thermhaline circulation
Nutrient pollution promotes algal growth, smothering corals
how does eutrophication affect coral reefs
draining and filling for agriculture, withdrawing water for irrigation, and construction of dams -as a result, the U.S. has lost over half of its wetlands
how have humans impacted wetlands?
Changed precipitation patterns Melting glaciers Droughts
how will climate change worsen water availability?
deep-sea hydrothermal vents example: tubeworms and others get energy from chemicals emitted from hydrothermal vents
in the aphotic zone, ________________ of volcanic origin on mid-oceanic ridges have abundant life
aphotic zone
layer of ocean in which not enough light to support autotrophs, producers; not enough life penetrates this deep
dikes & levees
long, raised mounds of earth along the banks of rivers hold water in channels
71, 97
oceans cover approximately ___% of Earth's surface and hold ___% of surface water
damming
reduces river meandering
El Niño
refers to the large-scale ocean-atmosphere climate interaction linked to a periodic warming in sea surface temperatures across the central and east-central Equatorial Pacific
transpiration
release of water vapor by plants
La Niña
represent periods of below-average sea surface temperatures
precipitation
return of water to Earth's surface in the form of rain/snow
The majority (97.5%) of Earth's water resides in the oceans and is too salty to drink or use for irrigation. Only 2.5% is considered fresh water, water that is relatively pure and free from salts, most of which is tied up in glaciers, ice caps, and aquifers.
salt water vs freshwater abundance
Surface water is •Warmer and is less dense •affected by wind, storms, sunlight, and temperature Deeper water is •colder, more dense, sluggish •unaffected by winds, storms, sunlight, and temperature
surface water vs deep water in oceans
phytoplankton and zooplankton
the dominant organisms in oceans
hydrologic cycle Water is renewed and recycled as it passes through the water cycle. -Precipitation falling from the sky sinks into the ground or acts as runoff to surface water bodies. -Rivers interact with ponds, wetlands, and coastal aquatic ecosystems. -Underground aquifers exchange water with surface waters. These interactions create a web of interconnected freshwater and marine aquatic ecosystems. What happens in one system affects others, even those far away.
the flow of liquid/gaseous/solid water through environment
tides
the periodic rising and falling of the ocean's height at a given location due to the gravitational pull of the sun and moon
•70% of our water use is for agriculture (Crop irrigation, watering of livestock) •20% goes to industry, 10% for residential use
top three uses of water
mangroves
trees that are salt tolerant, with roots that grow upward to gather oxygen and others that grow down to support the tree like stilts
El Niño
typically, does el nino or la nina occur more often?
zone of saturation
underground: Spaces are filled with water (all water)
Zone of aeration
underground: pore spaces are partly filled with water (water & air)
ocean currents
vast, riverlike flows of water that are driven by differences in density, heating, cooling, gravity, and wind and the Coriolis effect
goundwater •20% of the Earth's supply of fresh water •Groundwater can remain underground for thousands of years at a time.
water beneath the surface held in pores in soil or rock
freshwater marshes
wetland that consist of cattails and bulrushes that grow above the water's surface
bog
wetland that contains ponds covered in thick floating mats of vegetation
swamp
wetland that contains standing water in forested areas
-created by converging surface currents -transport warm surface water to deeper waters -provides an influx of dissolved oxygen and "burying" carbon dioxide from the atmosphere
what is downwelling in the ocean?
•The upper limit of groundwater held in an aquifer •Boundary between the two zones (zone of aeration & saturation)
what is the water table?
•The rising of cold, deep water to the surface •Rich in nutrients •High primary productivity and lucrative fisheries
what is upwelling in the ocean?
People divert water from rivers and lakes to farm fields, homes, and cities for supplies, transportation, and flood control -Dams, levees, diversion canals -Example: The Colorado River, for example, is diverted to provide water for Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Diego, and farmland throughout the Imperial Valley.
why do people divert water?
dam
•Any obstruction placed in a river or stream to block the flow of water •Erected to prevent floods, provide drinking water, allow irrigation, and generate electricity
reservoirs
•Artificial lakes created by dams •Store water for human use
La Niña
•Usually cold ocean temperatures in Eastern Pacific •Summers in Ohio tend to be drier and warmer •Causes wetter weather on the West Pacific seaboards and drier weather in East Pacific
El Niño
•Usually warm ocean temperatures in Eastern Pacific •Usually more intense effect •Summers in Ohio tend to be wetter and cooler •Causes drier weather on West Pacific seaboards and wetter, humid weather in East Pacific
