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XEnvirothon > Aquatics > Flashcards

Aquatics Flashcards

1
Q

Water: def

A

medium of which all chemical processes occur; aquatic organisms depend heavily on water

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2
Q

Water: molecular composition

A

polar: good solvent

hydrogen bonds: surface tension

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3
Q

Water: specific heat

A
  • water has high specific heat capacity

- strong hydrogen bonds are able to absorb lots of thermal energy before changing temperature

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4
Q

Water: density

A
  • like all liquids, density increases as it cools
  • max density: 3.98 degrees C
  • however water becomes less dense when it freezes because of hydrogen bonds
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5
Q

Water: why is ice less dense than water?

A
  • H bonds: molecules arrange into crystalline structure that increases spaces between individual molecules
  • ice will float on top of liquid before extending down
  • so in winter, ice will reach 2-5 meters max
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6
Q

Water: turbidity def

A

the greater amount of total suspended solids (TSS) in water, the murkier it appears and the higher the turbidity

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7
Q

Water: sources of turbidity

A
  • sources of turbidity include phytoplankton, clays from erosion, etc.
  • increased flow rates, floods, or too many bottom feeding fish may stir up bottom sediments
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8
Q

Water: impact of turbidity on aquatic organisms

A
  • modify light penetration affecting photosynthesis = less oxygen in water & growth of macrophyth (food chain)
  • organic materials collect at bottom, suffocating eggs
  • may also damage gill structure, decrease organism’s resistance to disease, prevent proper egg development
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9
Q

Water: impact of turbidity on humans

A
  • we don’t like the aesthetic

- costs $ to treatment of surface water for drinking (must get rid of heay metals)

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10
Q

Water: types of junk for turbidity

A
  1. Algae
  2. Detritus (dead organic material from dead algae, bacteria, plants, fungi)
  3. Silt (inorganic mineral, suspended sediment)
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11
Q

Water: nephelometric turbidity units (NTUs)

A
  • how we measure turbidity (400+ is real turbid)

- nephelometric: turbidimeter estimates amount of TSS

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12
Q

Water: ways to measure turbidity

A
  1. Secchi disk
    - circular plate divided into quarters painted black and white
    - attached to rope and lowered into water until no longer visible
    - higher secchi readings = clearer water
    - in spring, lower secchi readings because algae flourish
  2. Turbidity tube
    - look through tube at black and white disk and record how much water is needed to make disk disappear
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13
Q

Water: stream flow def + factors + affects

A
  • volume of water that passes through specific point in river/stream
  • affects temp of water + concentration of various substances in water + oxygen levels (low flow = higher temperatures, higher temperatures = liquids cannot dissolve O2)
  • factors include precipitation and vegetation (increases time for water to reach stream by infiltrating it)
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14
Q

Water: carbon dioxide

A
  • sources: atmosphere, biological activity, breakdown of limestone
  • carbon isn’t limited but may fluctuate as photosynthesis cycles come and go (high photosynthesis = lower C, high decomposition = higher C)
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15
Q

Water: buffering capacity (carbon dioxide from breakdown of limestone)

A
  • CO2 is often from bicarbonates from limestone
  • benefits by buffering water against shifts in pH
  • eg. acid + water = hydrogen ions will combine to bicarbonate to prevent change in pH
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16
Q

Water: pH

A
  • determines solubility and biological availability (nutrients that can be used that can be used by organisms)
  • pollution + photosynthesis changes pH
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17
Q

Water: hardness

A

amount of dissolved solids (calcium, calcium carbonate, magnesium)

water is soft = less than 10 ppm
water is hard = more than 40 ppm (therefore more living matter)

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18
Q

Water: temperature

A
  • aquatic organisms are poikilothermic (unable to regulate body temperature)
  • higher temp = greater biological activity
  • temperature influences what organisms will thrive and water chemistry (more chemical reactions when hotter)
  • reasons for variation: seasonal temperature which causes thermal stratifcation
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19
Q

Water: thermal stratification

A
  • surface water is warmed by sun but bottom of lake is cold
  • epilimnion: top water layer
  • hypolimnion: deep cool layer
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20
Q

Water: dissolved oxygen

A
  • in summer, DO concentration is high because of photosynthesis
  • in some cases, hypolimnion is cut off from DO while organisms continue to use it = anoxic (devoid of oxygen)
21
Q

Water: nutrient cycling

A
  • C, N, and P are necessary for productive system
  • C enters through soil runoff and atmosphere
  • P enters through soil runoffs and decomposition of organic matter
  • N enters through atmosphere, run offs, decomposition of organic matter, and nitrogen fixation
  • Nitrogen fixation: natural and important process where certain bacteria & algae transform unavailable nitrogen into water form
22
Q

Water: limiting factors

A
  • N & P are in short supply = LIMIT GROWTH OF PLANTS
  • Eutrophication: natural process where release of nutrients stimulates aquatic plant growth
  • however, increasing limiting factors may = growth of algae = less sunlight = no photosynthesis = algae die = decomposition = uses up DO = anoxic conditions
23
Q

Aquatic Systems: lotic systems

A
  • running water habitats

- oxygen rich, cooler waters, fast flowing

24
Q

Aquatic Systems: streams

A
  • Small, feeds into rivers
  • Cooler than rivers = more DO
  • Organisms are adapted to swift currents
  • Agricultural streams: agricultural lands = lots of sun, algae
  • Woodland streams: shaded, less plant growth
  • Benthic Macroinvertibrates give streams lots diersity
25
Q

Aquatic Systems: rivers

A
  • Larger than streams
  • Slow currents = organic matter
  • Organisms adapted to still water (worms, clams)
26
Q

Aquatic Systems: lentic systems

A
  • standing water
  • warmer than streams and rivers
  • water current minimals
27
Q

Aquatic Systems: lakes types

A
  1. Oligotrophic Lakes: least productive, low photosynthesis, low organic matter, fewest organisms
  2. Eutrophic Lakes: shallower + warmer than oligotrophic lakes, most productie, DO decrease in depth due to decomposition of detritus
  3. Mesotrophic Lakes: intermediate condition
28
Q

Aquatic Systems: pond

A
  • smaller and warmer than lakes

- allow rooted plants to grow

29
Q

Aquatic Systems: lakes trophic status

A
  • describes lakes’ productivity

- rate of nutrient supply, climate (sunlight, temperature), shape of lake basin (depth)

30
Q

Aquatic Systems: lakes regions

A
  1. Lake Surface: phytoplankton, water lilies
  2. Littoral Zone: shoreline until place of rooted plants; greatest biodiversity (lots of oxygen, warm)
  3. Limnetic Zone: open water (not rooted plants),, divided into trophogenic zone (high DO levels and high temperatures) and tropholytic region (no photosynthesis, no DO, low oxygen organisms)
  4. Benthic Zone: littoral zone to tropholytic zone
31
Q

Aquatic Systems: lotic samplers

A

Qualitative: kick net (net attacked to 2 rods) is stretched and traps benthods / D-frame net is swept in front of person to collect organisms

Quantitative: Surber sampler: metal frame with netting to trap benthods

32
Q

Aquatic Systems: lentic samplers

A

Qualitative: D-frame net
Quantitative:
- Plankton net: net towed by boat to capture plankton
- Macan sampler: box with sharp jaws for plants
- Ekman grab: metal box with spring jaws to collect benthods on shallow waters
- Ponar grab: like ekman grab
- Hester-Dendy: measure of organisms that attach to solid surfaces

33
Q

Ecological Succession: carrying capacity

A

if species grows above carrying capacity then population crash (limiting factors determine carrying capacity)

34
Q

Ecological Succession: plant zones

A
  • Shoreline Zone: plants that tolerate moist soil
  • Emergent Zone: closest to shoreline with shallowest water; plants need to be immersed in water
  • Floating-Leaved Zone: plants have leaves that float (stomata to obtain CO2)
  • Submerged Zone: deepest area that allow rooted plant growth
35
Q

Ecological Succession: pond succession

A
  • basin is mostly open water
  • plants slowly invade shallow regions; organic matter is accumulating on bottom
  • depth of basin slowly decreases
  • more plants because of organic matter
  • bushes invade; submerged + floatleaved plants are replaced by rooted plants
  • basin has organic matter and silt
  • grasses are replaced with fast growing trees which are replaced by older trees
36
Q

Ecological Succesion: lake succession

A
  • geological events lead to the creation of lakes in uneven land depressions
  • landscapes surrounding lakes = infertile (oligotrophic lake)
  • shoreline supported organisms that decomposed materials into fertile
  • active biological communities developed
  • lake basins became more eutrophic and shallow and decaying matter accumulated on bottom
  • shallow lakes = more productive because nutrients remain in circulative
37
Q

Ecological Succession: water quality impacts associated with eutrophic lakes

A
  • excess macrophyth growth
  • more turbidity
  • low DO
  • excess organic matter (smother eggs)
  • carcinogens from increased organic matter reacting with disinfectants
38
Q

Biodiversity: def

A

number and abundance of species that live in an ecosystem; measured by samplers

39
Q

Biodiversity: importance

A
  • support human industries (paper, cosmetics, agriculture)
  • recreation (fishing, hiking, photography, camping)
  • increased resiliency of ecosystem (more species to perform vital functions)
40
Q

Biodiversity: threats to

A
  • habitat destruction
  • overhunting, overfishing, overharvesting (food chain)
  • pollution (acid, heavy metals accumulation)
  • invasive species
  • climate change (change in temperatures = food chain)
41
Q

Wetlands: def & traits

A

areas that are covered by shallow water

  • nutrient rich
  • lots of life
  • sponges (soaking up water or slowly releasing water = floods, droughts)
42
Q

Wetlands: types

A
  1. Marshes
    - wetlands covered by still water, lots of grasses and rooted plants
    - most productive
  2. Swamps
    - dominated by trees, tall shrubs, herbs, mosses
  3. Bogs
    - wet, spongy, peaty soil due to permanant flooding
  4. Fens
    - similar to bogs but have better drainage and less peat accumulation
    - can support plants and animals found in marshes but lower biodiversity
  5. Ephemal Wetlands
    - temporary wetlands that become flooded with rainwater and snow melt that dry out
    - important resting areas for migrating waterfowl
43
Q

Wetlands: benefits

A
  • habitat for wide variety of wildlife and plants
  • buffer between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems
  • traps soils before entering lakes+streams
  • protect shorelines from erosions
  • less flood/drought damage
  • provide economically valuable products like wood, wild rice, cranberries, fish
44
Q

Wetlands: threats to

A
  • being drained for urban development / agricultural lands
  • overabundance of toxic compounds for wetlands to filter out = make wetlands toxic and kill animals
  • invasive species
45
Q

Wetlands: ways to save them!

A
  • leave wetlands alone
  • protect from future human activities
  • restore native vegetation by planting native grasses
  • create buffer strips around wetlands to buffer from surrounding land uses
  • encourage plant growth
  • control + prevent invasive species
46
Q

Benthic Macroinvertebrates: def

A
  • food chain “producers”
  • eaten by macroinvertebrates which are eaten by larger organisms
  • some cannot survive in polluted water
47
Q

Benthic Macroinvertebrates: kick seine

A
  • hold net upright facing flow
  • one person brushes all cobbles away
  • lift with forward scooping motion to avoid losing specimens
48
Q

Indigenous Peoples

A
  • Aboriginals wanted to continue hunting and fishing but federal laws restricted this
  • 1990 Supreme Court of Canada ruled in RV Sparrow that regulations can’t interfere
  • Ontario implemented Interim Enforcement Policy to minimize number of instants where Aboriginals are in conflict with fisheries
  • Ontario-Anishinabek Conservation and Fishing Agreement (1993): shared responsibility to protect environment

XEnvirothon (2 decks)

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