Lecture #5 - Watersheds Flashcards
What are some repeatable units that are present in both aquatic and terrestrial systems?
Temp
Nutrients
Stratification
What is the Littoral Zone?
Zone closest to the shore
-with vegetation, lots of light, primary productivity
What is the Limnetic Zone?
Further out int he system but just the top part
-some light can get through, some primary production via photosynthesis
What is the Benthic Zone?
Zone below limnetic zone but way deeper
-no light penetration
Definition of a Watershed?
An Area of land that drains water, sediment and divulged materials o a common receiving body
What is the primary factor causing movement in a watershed?
Gravity
What are some factors that would influence what the watershed looks like?
Rock
Climate
Geomorphology
What happens to precipitation in higher streams?
Water accumulates. There isn’t high flow but gravity pulls the water down, creating straighter channels at steep slopes
What is Special Autocorrelation?
Toblers Law
Locations closer together are more similar than locationS further apart
What is an Ecotone?
Abrupt transition
What is the River Continuum Concept?
a model for classifying and describing flowing water, in addition to the classification of individual sections of waters after the occurrence of indicator organisms.
What are the purpose of grazers and shredders?
Found in different levels of the watershed
-at each level they break down organic matter for the next macroinvertebrates to take up
What are the 3 ways in which water can go when it hits the surface?
Water can be
- Stored
- Infiltrate
- Runoff
What are the 3 types of infiltration?
- Throughflow
- Perolation
- Groundwater
What is the Soil Catena?
A sequence of soil profiles on a downhill slope
