12.1 Flashcards
Factors affecting the plants and animals found in all freshwater environments.
How far down sunlight reaches, the depth of the water, the oxygen content of the water, the nutrient content of the water, and the speed at which the water is moving.
Phytoplankton
Plants that produce their nutrients through photosynthesis
Zooplankton
Tiny animals that eat other plankton for food
How do lakes and ponds contribute to the enviroment?
They store run-off, they provide a habitat for many organisms and they support rooted plants, which clean the water through natural processes.
Wetlands
An area where shallow water remains still for much of the year.
Lentic
Still water
Lotic
Flowing water
How do wetlands contribute to the enviroment?
The vegetation acts as filters for removing pollutants from the water, they prevent flooding, they are a spawning ground, they are a habitat to many animals, their thick vegetation keeps shorelines stable and prevent erosion, and many endangered species visit here.
What do the types of organisms found in rivers and streams depend on?
The temperature of water, the speed of the water and the amount of sediment in the water (turbidity).
Estuary
An are of water where a river meets the ocean, creating brackish water. Nutrients, spread by the wind, currents and tides accumulate here.
Brackish water
A mixture of salt water and fresh water.
What is the use of tides in estuaries?
They flush nutrients in and pollutants and debris out.
