Bio 346 - Freshwater Eco. (Chpt 21) --> Phytoplankton Flashcards
How many divisions of algae are there in freshwater ecosystems?
6
Meroplankton
Planktonic algae that spend a part of their life on substrate
Benthic algae
Associate with shallow water sediments or its vegetation
How are sediments/ macrophytes resuspended?
By windy periods
What kind of algae are in rapid flushed streams?
Tycholankton
What king of algae are in slow flushed rivers?
True phytoplankton
Potamoplankton
The suspended algae of lotic systems
True phytoplankton
Are those that reproduce within the water column
What does wind speed do?
It increases mixture but does not produce more algae
What is specie richness determined by? (3 things)
- Physical environment
- Chemical environment
- Biological environment
What is abundance not a good measure of?
- Growth rate
- Importance of a species in energy flow
- Small species reproduce fast but also are removed fast
- Large species reproduce slow but are removed less frequently
What dominates the algal biomass of nutrient rich temperate lakes and slow flowing rivers?
- Large colonies
- Clusters of intertwined cells
- Single filament of cyanobacteria
–> also dominate on ice covered polar lakes and polar meltwater streams that freeze solid in winter
What dominates slow flowing rivers and lakes at lower latitudes?
Large cyanobacteria
What predominates among benthic algae of hot springs and antarctic pools?
Large cyanobacteria
What dominates oligotrophic lakes
Tiny cyanobacteria
What 7 factors determine the dominate of particular species?
- Nutrients
- Light
- Co2
- pH
- Temperature
- Turbulence
- Grazers
Where is variation in particular species is most dominant?
In high nutrient lakes because there is more P but limited by N
–> smaller algae can out compete larger algae
What forms water columns?
Dissolved nutrients
What are 3 negative effects of highly visible blue-green blooms?
- Aesthetically displeasing
- Interfere with drinking water plants
- Interfere with the production of toxins that can cause illness in humans and death in livestock and wildlife
What are sand filters used for?
Used in the plants to remove the algal particles from the water
What happens when water is affected by blue-green blooms?
Requires special and expensive treatment to make is acceptable, otherwise is causes illness or even death (due to the production of toxins)
What is the main nutrient linked to the algal blooms and toxins in water source?
P
What are the major sources of P? (3 things)
- Septic and sewage
- Storm water
- Fertilizers
Neurotoxins (alkaloids)
Cause neurodegenerative symptoms through disruption in communication between neutrons and muscles
Hepatotoxin (peptides)
Causes weakness, vomiting, diarrhea, respiratory blockages
Lipo-Polyssachrides
Cause skin irritation
What are toxins in cyanobacteria found linked to? (2 things)
- Neuro-degenerative disease
2. Hapato-degenerative disease
What re the top 3 places with toxic blooms?
- Finland
- UK
- Scandinavia
What is chl-a composed of?
- Unicellular flagellated cells
- Non-flaggellated cells
- Colonies
- Filaments
- macroscopic charophyceans