unit 8 PT Flashcards
_____ are the most common type of coral.
fringing
One of the aspects of an ecosystem is water column, what is this criterion based on?
where the ecosystem is found in the water column, whether by the shore or at a specific depth in the open ocean noting the layer, temperature, and salinity of the water in which the ecosystem is found
The most productive part of the photic zone is the ____ meters of the water column.
first 80 meters
In Hawaii mangroves are considered a(n) ___________ species.
invasive
What is a salt-wedge estuary?
It has a distinct layer of freshwater above a wedge-shaped layer of saltwater. This is because saltwater is denser than freshwater and sinks to the bottom of the estuary. It contains a river that flows into the ocean at a high speed, causing the ocean to experience weak currents.
What is dredging?
is a process that involves the digging up and removal of bottom sediments from an environment
What is most important to the existence of mangrove trees? Why?
water temperature, they can be found in areas where water is warm enough even if it is a temperate region
The splash zone is ____.
the area of the shore above the high tide level, which is wetted only by spray from the crashing waves
The Great Barrier Reef is located in the ____.
Coral Sea
The Antarctic also contains _____ % of the world’s ice and ____ % of the world’s freshwater.
90; 70
Why does dredging impact the health of coastal wetlands ecosystems?
It can kill organisms or make them vulnerable to predators. ; It can release trapped toxins in the sediment harming both water and organisms. ; It is a process that involves the digging up and removal of bottom sediments from an environment.
What is a fjord?
It is a long, narrow inlet surrounded by cliffs. A type of estuary that has restricted flow due to channels carved by glaciers; freshwater and saltwater only mix in one direction.
How much of the U.S. population lives within a 100-mile radius of the coast?
more than half
What are tidal pools?
coastal ecosystems that are characterized by pools of water that form in rocky areas along the coastline
What is an estuary?
where rivers meet the oceans
where freshwater mixes with saltwater
Almost ____ % of commercially harvested fish come from estuaries and coastal wetlands.
50
Corals that sit on top of volcanoes that are submerged underwater are ____.
atolls
Which is NOT true about mud flats?
they give access to low-lying land
In the 48 states of the continental United States, about ____ % of all wetlands are coastal wetlands.
40
What is chemosynthesis?
the process of converting chemicals into an energy form usable by organisms
The ____ receives enough light but not enough nutrients to be a productive ecosystem.
photic zone
What are mud flats?
coastal ecosystems that are found in the tide zone that are full of sediments and clay from rivers
What is a vertically mixed estuary?
Estuaries have an equal mixing of saltwater and freshwater at all depths of the water column. Estuaries are formed when the river flow is weak and the tidal currents are relatively strong.
Which of the following statements is false?
Shingle shores contain more life the sandy beaches.
The tidal zone is ____.
the area of the shore that experiences daily high and low tides, and therefore periods of both submersion and exposure
How do scientists use hydric soils?
Scientists use them for wetland classification.
Why are coral reefs called the rainforests of the ocean?
because so many species live in the cracks of the skeletons making them one of the most diverse ecosystems on earth
How is sand’s color determined?
The color of the sand is dependent upon the type and color of the rocks and corals near the shore.
Mangroves are called __________, which are salt-loving plants.
halophytes
How are rocky shores ecosystems?
productive ecosystems, consist of rocky ledges, cliffs, boulders, pools of saltwater within the rocks, and pebbles that experience the pounding of the waves as they crash on the shore
What are sand dunes?
Sand dunes are cliffs of sand created by wind.
What type of relationship does the algae zooxanthellae have with coral?
symbiotic
What is anaerobic?
able to live or survive in an environment with little or no oxygen
What is productivity?
the rate at which new biomass is produced
Cockles, spire shells and lugworms can be found in _____.
mud flats
What is a slightly stratified estuary?
Estuaries circulate the freshwater and saltwater at all depths of the water column. However, due to the density of saltwater, the water in the bottom layers of the estuary tends to have a higher salinity than the layers at the top.
Why are the aerial roots of mangroves important?
Aerial roots allow plants to avoid the toxic salt levels of the water and mud in the swamps.
What is coral bleaching?
is the result of zooxanthellae becoming damaged or dying, leaving the white skeletons of the corals exposed ; is caused by disease, too much shade, and therefore not enough light to carry out adequate photosynthesis, changes in temperature, changes in salinity, and sedimentation
Sandy beaches make up ____ % of the world’s coastlines.
75
The ___________ is one of the largest ecosystems in the world.
Arctic
Why do wetlands have extremely low oxygen levels?
because they have no currents, tides or rapids to oxygenate the water
What is a coastal wetland?
a place where open water transitions into vegetated land
What is a substrate?
a surface in which an organism lives or grows on
What are estuarine systems?
those that exist where freshwater meets saltwater and are one of the most productive ecosystems on earth
One of the aspects of an ecosystem is biogeographic, what is this criterion based on?
refers to the distribution of organisms in their physical setting, describes where an ecosystem is on the earth, what type of climate it has, the amount and types of precipitation it has, and its overall geology
How is the shape and texture of the sand directly related to the slope of the beach?
the flatter the beach, the finer the sand ; the steeper the beach, the coarser, or more grating, the sand
What factors are required for an ecosystem to have high productivity?
nutrients ; sunlight
What are salt marshes?
coastal ecosystems that are characterized by vegetation that is flooded by tidal seawater
One of the aspects of an ecosystem is geomorphology, what is this criterion based on?
looks at the characteristics of the sea floor or the coastal area in order to better define the ecosystem,whether the sea floor is sandy, muddy, or rocky
