Aquatic Environment Flashcards
essential substance of life
water
- heat Earth’s atmosphere
- provides energy for the evaporation of water
solar radiation
land
lithosphere
water
hydrosphere
living things
biosphere
air
atmosphere
falling motion of water in the form of rain and snow
precipitation
process when water intercepted by vegetation, dead organic matter on the ground, and urban structures and streets
interception
examples that intercept water
- vegetation
- dead organic matter on ground
- urban structures and streets
precipitation that reaches the soil and move into the ground
infiltration
water changes phase depending on the __ _ __
amount of energy
excess water flows across the surface of the ground
surface runoff
water entering the soil seeps down to an impervious layer of clay or rock
groundwater
evaporation of water from internal surfaces of leaves, stems, and other living parts
transpiration
amount of water vapor in the air
Humidity
may serve as surface for water vapor to condense
particles
underground boundary between the soil surface and the area where groundwater saturates spaces between sediments and cracks in rock
water table
- naturally occurring inorganic element or compound
- have an orderly internal structure and characteristic chemical composition, crystal form, and physical properties
mineral
- stored in the body of water
- change from liquid to water vapor
evaporation
bonding between the two hydrogen atoms and the oxygen atom is via shared electrons
covalent bond
exists when atoms with different electronegativities share electrons with covalent bond
polar covalent bond
- special type of dipole-dipole attraction between molecules
- not a covalent bond to a hydrogen atom
hydrogen bonding
property of the surface of a liquid that allows it to resist an external force, due to the cohesive nature of its molecules.
Surface Tension
examples of animals that use surface tension of water
- water strider
- water spider
tendency of an object to float in a fluid.
Buoyancy
- source of frictional resistance to object moving through water
- property that measures sport to separate molecules and allow object to pass through the liquid
viscosity
viscosity is the source of __ __ to object moving through water
frictional resistance
water likes to stick to itself
Cohesion
water absorbs a lot of heat before it begins to get hot
high specific heat capacity
high specific heat capacity of water prevents the wide __ __ in temperature of aquatic habitats
seasonal fluctuation
high specific heat of water is also important in the __ __ of organisms
thermal regulation
percent of water weight of all living cells
75-95%
also moderated relative to changes in ambient temperature
temperature variation
change with water depth
quantity and quality of light
in pure water, what colors are absorbed first
- red
- infrared
absorption of red and infrared light reduces solar energy by __
half
in pure water, what colors are absorbed second
- yellow
- green
- violet
in pure water, what color penetrates deepest
blue
characteristics of organisms in deep water
- typically silver grey or deep black (deep ocean)
- lack pigment (deeper ocean)
- large eyes, or no eyes
- produce light (bioluminescence)
Two additional process after light hits water
- scattering of light
- absorbs light
what does the scattering of light increase
- length of path through water
- results further attenuation
as water go deeper, temperature gets __
colder
experience seasonal shifts in temperature
- lakes
- ponds
steep temperature gradient in a body of water such as a lake, marked by a layer above and below which the water is at different temperatures
thermocline
general tendency of molecules to move from a region of higher concentration to one of lower concentration
diffusion
gives greater contact to stream water with the atmosphere
constant swirling
constant swirling of stream water gives greater contact with atmosphere and allows it to maintain a __ __ __
high oxygen content
how does oxygen enters the surface waters from the atmosphere
process of diffusion
What happens to oxygen during summer
become stratified
during summer, why does oxygen decrease with depth
decomposition in bottom sediments
What happens to oxygen during spring and fall turnover
becomes replenished
where is oxygen replenished during spring and fall turnover
deep water
influences the availability of nutrients and restricts the environment of organisms sensitive to acid situations
acidity
CO2 + H2O = ?
H2CO3 (carbonic acid)
those that have a large number of H+
acidic
those that have a large number of OH-
alkaline (basic)
measurement of acidity and alkalinity
pH
how does increased aciditiy affect organisms directly
influencing physiological processes
how does increased aciditiy affect organisms indirectly
influencing concentrations of toxic heavy metals
most organisms cannot survive and reproduce at pH below __
~4.5
what does the movement of water in surface currects of ocean affect?
deep water circulation patterns
what generates waves on large lakes and on open sea
wind
what creates large ripples on the surface of water
friction of wind blowing
wave is a __ of __ and not the __ of __
- propagation of energy
- mass of water
what affects the motion of water
elevation gradient
- faster
- scours stream bottom
- leave large bedrock material
steep elevation gradient
in steep elevation, what happens on the bottom of the stream
scoured
what is left in the bottom of steep elevation stream
bedrock material
- slow
- meanders through a growth of willows
- allows finer sediments to build up on stream bottom
flat elevation gradient
in flat elevation, what happens on the bottom of the stream
finer sediments build up
slow-moving stream __ through a growth of __
- meanders
- willows
makes high tides of those periods exceptionally large
earth, moon, and sun are nearly in line
- result from the gravitational pull of the Moon
- profoundly influences the rhythm of life on ocean shores
tides
area where the ocean meets the land between high and low tides
intertidal zone
refers to brimming fullness and active movement of water
spring tides
when sun, moon, and earth form a rigt angle causing regular high and low tides become lower than usual
neap tides
where does all streams and rivers eventually drains into
sea
place where freshwater joins and mixes with saltwater
estuary
- the seawater on the surface tends to sink as lighter freshwater rises
- mixing takes place from the surface to the bottom
tidal overmixing
what must organisms have to survive in estuaries
evolved physiological or behvaioral adaptatoin to changes in salinity
what influeces the salinity of estuarine environments
interaction of inflowing freshwater and tidal saltwater
what fluctutates considerably, both daily and seasonally, in estuaries
temperatures
what caused the increased concentrations of carbon dioxide in the surface waters of the oceans
rising atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide
what is the result of increased carbon dioxide concentrations of the surface waters
- decline in pH
- reduced carbonate concentrations
what is the result of the reduction in carbonate concentrations
reduced calcium carbonate mineral concentrations
what is the calcium carbonate mineral concentrations essential for
calcifying marine species
what organisms benefit from ocead acidification
- algae
- seagrasses
