Chapter 25: Coastal and Wetland Ecosystems

Question 1

The terrestrial zone adjacent to the shoreline (supralittoral fringe)

Answer 1

supratidal or supralittoral zone

Question 2

The highest zone on the intertidal shore, bounded below by the upper limit of barnacles and above by the upper limit of Littorina snails

Answer 2

supralittoral fringe

Question 3

Area of the shoreline between the high tide and low tide lines that is covered and uncovered daily by the tides

Answer 3

intertidal or littoral zone

Question 4

Region below the littoral region of the sea

Answer 4

infralittoral fringe

Question 5

Region below the littoral zone and infralittoral fringe;

This zone is covered by water even at low tide and dominated by algae

Answer 5

infralittoral or subtidal zone

Question 6

Benthic animals that live on or move over the surface of a substrate

Answer 6

epifauna

Question 7

Organisms living within a substrate

Answer 7

infauna

Question 8

Benthic organisms within the size range from 1 to 0.1 mm;

Interstitial fauna

Answer 8

meiofauna

Question 9

Communities of emergent vegetation rooted in a soil alternately flooded and drained by tidal action

Answer 9

salt marshes

Question 10

2 conspicuous features of a salt marsh

Answer 10

• salt pans

- creeks

Question 11

Feature of a salt marsh that forms an intricate system of drainage channels that carry tidal waters back out to sea;

Its exposed bank supports a dense population of mud algae, diatoms, and dinoflagellates that are photosynthetically active all year

Answer 11

creek

Question 12

Circular to elliptical depressions flooded at high tide;

If they are shallow enough, the water may evaporate completely, leaving an accumulating concentration of salt on the mud;

The edges of these salt flats may be invaded by glasswort and spikegrass

Answer 12

salt pans

Question 13

Tropical inshore communities dominated by several species of mangrove trees and shrubs capable of growth and reproduction in areas inundated daily by seawater

Answer 13

mangrove forest

Question 14

Wetland dominated by grassy vegetation such as cattails and sedges

Answer 14

marsh

Question 15

Wooded wetland in which water is near or above ground level

Answer 15

swamp

Question 16

Woodland bordering along the bank of a river or stream;

It is occasionally or seasonally flooded by river waters but dry for most of the growing season

Answer 16

riparian or bottomland woodland

Question 17

Wetland characterized by an accumulation of peat (partially decayed organic matter)

Answer 17

mire or peatland

Question 18

Wetland ecosystem characterized by an accumulation of peat, acid conditions, and dominance of sphagnum moss

Answer 18

bog

Question 19

Plants adapted to grow in water or on soil that is periodically anaerobic because of excess water

Answer 19

hydrophytic plant

Question 20

Wetland ecosystems continue to be drained and converted to other land uses such as agriculture.

The extent of both freshwater and coastal wetlands continues to decline the greatest losses occurring in the tropics and subtropics, where population growth and agricultural expansion is the greatest

Answer 20

wetland loss