2.4. (9/4) Oceans, lakes, streams, & wetlands Flashcards
What is turnover time?
the time required for the entire volume of a reservoir to be renewed
what is the turnover time for the atmosphere?
9 days
What is the turnover time for rivers?
12 days
What is the turnover time for the ocean?
8,000 years
How much of the Earth’s surface is covered by water?
71%
How is the water divided amongst oceans, polar ice caps and glaciers, and freshwater?
97% in ocean
2% in polar ice caps and glaciers
1% in lakes, streams, and ground water
How do we classify aquatic systems?
with physical and chemical factors like flow, depth, and salinity
What are the reservoirs in the hydrologic cycle?
- ocean is the largest
- smallest in atmosphere (quickly regenerated)
- large amount in ice
What is ocean diversity based on?
Depth, distance from continent, latitude
Where are most species found?
continental shelf, shallow water, near land, 8% of total ocean area
What is the intertidal zone?
inundation by tides, different species are found along tidal gradient
- defined by highest and lowest tide
What is the neritic zone?
beyond intertidal zone to continental zone
-productive
What is the oceanic zone?
everything else
- photic and aphotic zone
what is the photic zone?
where light penetrates
- depth of light penetration
What is the aphotic zone?
light does not reach this area
How do oceanic conditions vary?
temperature, depth, current, substrate, tides
What is another factor that decides how light travels?
particle concentrations
Why are there chemical differences at certain depths
temperature -> solubility of gasses
* decreased solubility as temperature rises
What are the abyssal and hadal zones?
- deeper than 3000 m
- bioluminescent creatures
- scarce prey
- high diversity
Why can we find the highest salinity in subtropics?
when evaporation exceeds precipitation
- melting of freshwater ice at higher latitudes
- landlocked dry areas like the Mediterranean
How does salinity vary in the open ocean?
34 ppt to 36.5 ppt
What are the most important organisms?
photosynthetic phytoplankton (1/4)
What occurs near undersea hot springs?
chemosynthesis
What are two prominent shallow-water ecosystems?
(coral) reefs and kelp beds
*productive and diverse
Describe coral reefs
- thousands of species (only some build reefs)
- reef building is important: provide habitat
- eat zooplankton
- gain their color from algae living in symbiosis with them