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Ecology and conservation > L3 - Freshwater Ecosystem Contents > Flashcards

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
Q

what are oligotrophic lakes

A

lakes with low nutrient input, high light penetration, and low primary productivity

26
Q

what are lotic ecosystems

A

running water systems, such as rivers and streams, characterized by continuous and unidirectional flow

27
Q

how are rivers classified

A

by length, drainage area and source

28
Q

what is a wetland

A

areas of standing water that support aquatic plants and serve as a transition between terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems

29
Q

why are wetlands important

A

store carbon
clean water
reduce floods
support biodiversity
provide habitats for wildlife

30
Q

what challenges threaten wetlands

A

pollution
agriculture
urbanisation
invasive species
climate change

31
Q

what international treaty protects wetlands

A

the Ramsar Convention signed in 1971

Ecology and conservation (20 decks)

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