1.3 - Aquatic Biomes Flashcards
What is salinity?
Salinity refers to how much salt there is in a body of water.
How does temperature affect dissolved oxygen in water?
The warmer water is, the less dissolved oxygen it can hold.
What role does flow play in water oxygen levels?
Flow determines how much oxygen can dissolve in water.
How does depth influence aquatic plants?
Depth influences how much sunlight can penetrate and reach plants.
What are the characteristics of rivers?
Rivers have high oxygen flow and carry nutrient-rich sediments.
What type of water do lakes contain?
Lakes contain fresh water.
What is the littoral zone in lakes?
The littoral zone is shallow water with emergent plants.
What is the limnetic zone in lakes?
The limnetic zone is where light can reach phytoplankton only.
What is the profundal zone in lakes?
The profundal zone is too deep for sunlight, meaning no photosynthesis occurs.
What is the benthic zone in lakes?
The benthic zone is the murky bottom where bugs live and is nutrient-rich.
What defines wetlands?
Wetlands are areas with soil submerged or saturated in water for at least part of the year, but shallow enough for emergent plants.
What are the benefits of wetlands?
Wetlands store excess water during storms, recharge groundwater, filter pollutants, and contain lots of organic matter.
What type of tree is commonly found in swamps?
Cypress trees are commonly found in swamps.
What plants are typically found in marshes?
Marshes typically contain reeds and cattails.
What is a bog?
A bog is characterized by spruce and sphagnum moss.
What are estuaries?
Estuaries are areas where rivers empty into the ocean, mixing fresh and saltwater, and are highly productive.
What is a salt marsh?
Salt marshes are estuaries along coasts in temperate climates and serve as breeding grounds for many fish.
What are mangrove swamps?
Mangrove swamps are estuaries along the coast of tropical climates, where mangrove trees stabilize the shoreline and provide habitat.
What is a coral reef?
Coral reefs are found in warm shallow water beyond the shoreline and are the most diverse marine biome on Earth.
What is the intertidal zone?
The intertidal zone is a narrow band of coastline between high and low tide.
What does desiccation refer to?
Desiccation refers to the drying out of organisms.
What is the open ocean characterized by?
The open ocean is a low productivity area where only algae and phytoplankton can survive.
What is the photic zone in the ocean?
The photic zone is where sunlight can reach in the ocean.
What is the aphotic zone (abyssal) in the ocean?
The aphotic zone is the area too deep for sunlight in the ocean.
