L3 - Freshwater Ecosystem Contents Flashcards

1
Q

What are examples of provisioning ecosystem services

A

food (freshwater, aquaculture), fibre and fuel, medicine, handicraft and construction materials, biochemicals and genetic materials

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2
Q

what are examples of supporting ecosystem services

A

primary production, photosynthesis, soil formation and nutrient cycling

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3
Q

what are examples of regulating ecosystem services

A

water purification
flood regulation
nutrient cycling
climate regulation
pollination
effluent disposal

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4
Q

what are examples of cultural ecosystem services

A

recreational
spiritual
educational
aesthetic values

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5
Q

what is the largest component of the hydrosphere

A

oceans
volume = 1322 million km3

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6
Q

what % of continental water is in polar ice caps and glaciers

A

54.57%

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7
Q

what % of continental water is in exchangeable groundwater

A

44.85%

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8
Q

what organisms are categorised as plankton

A

floating organisms whose movement depends on currents, such as phytoplankton and zooplankton

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9
Q

what are nekton organisms

A

swimming organisms that can navigate at will, like fish, squids and whales

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10
Q

what are neuston organisms

A

organisms resting or swimming at the water surface, such as beetles

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11
Q

what are benthos organisms

A

organisms attached to or living on bottom sediments, like insect larvae and worms

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12
Q

what are the main types of freshwater plants based on their growth habits

A

emergent, floating-leaved, free-floating and submerged plants

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13
Q

what are emergent macrophytes

A

rooted plants with aerial leaves, such as water lilies, that can remove nutrients like phosphate from water

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14
Q

why are macrophytes important

A

they act as a substrate for macroinvertebrates, provide food for fish and wildlife and improve water quality

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15
Q

what are benthic macroinvertebrates

A

organisms inhabiting bottom substrates for part of their lifecycle, essential for aquatic food webs

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16
Q

what is the importance of dissolved oxygen (DO) in water

A

it is crucial for aerobic organisms and can limit biota in high-temperature or polluted waters

17
Q

how does temperature affect water in aquatic ecosystems

A

it influences stratification, mixing, sedimentation and dissolved oxygen levels

18
Q

why is light important in aquatic ecosystems

A

it is required for photosynthesis, determines primary production rates and separates photic and aphotic zones

19
Q

what are the 2 main types of organic matter in aquatic ecosystems

A
  • particulate organic matter (POM)
  • Dissolved organic matter (DOM)
20
Q

what is coarse particulate organic matter (CPOM)?

A

organic material larger than 1mm such as leaf litter and twigs

21
Q

what is fine particulate organic matter (FPOM)?

A

organic material between 0.2 um and 1mm, often broken down from CPOM by macroinvertebrates

22
Q

What is dissolved organic matter (DOM)?

A

organic matter smaller than 0.45 um, available for microbial assimilation

23
Q

what are the characteristics of lentic ecosystems

A

standing water, often classified by nutrient richness (oligotrophic, mesotrophic and eutrophic)

24
Q

what are eutrophic lakes

A

lakes with high nutrient input (N+P), low light penetration and high phytoplankton biomass

25
what are oligotrophic lakes
lakes with low nutrient input, high light penetration, and low primary productivity
26
what are lotic ecosystems
running water systems, such as rivers and streams, characterized by continuous and unidirectional flow
27
how are rivers classified
by length, drainage area and source
28
what is a wetland
areas of standing water that support aquatic plants and serve as a transition between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems
29
why are wetlands important
store carbon clean water reduce floods support biodiversity provide habitats for wildlife
30
what challenges threaten wetlands
pollution agriculture urbanisation invasive species climate change
31
what international treaty protects wetlands
the Ramsar Convention signed in 1971