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Biological Conservation > Water Quality - Aquatic Ecosystems > Flashcards

Water Quality - Aquatic Ecosystems Flashcards

1
Q

What four things contribute to the subjective definition of water quality?

A

Wholesomeness
Appearance
Odour
Abundance of life

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2
Q

What 3 thing make up the objective definition of water quality?

A 
Physical parameter (temperature, turbidity)
Chemical parameters (salinity, pH, hardness)
Biological parameters (species richness and composition, abundance, health)
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3
Q

Characteristics of a river

A

Characterised by a unidirectional flow of water
Conditions determined by surrounding catchment and upstream inputs
Current primary determinant of community structure
Ensure most species are benthic

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4
Q

In which river system would pollution a siting organisms live?

A

Swift flowing with eroding substrata

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5
Q

Which river system would a naturally tolerant organism of organic pollution live?

A

Slow moving, silted region

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6
Q

What is the benthic zone?

A

The ecological region at the lowest level of a body of water

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7
Q

Key points about benthic organisms

A

Diversity of microhabitats on river bed and margins determines species diversity
Sediment type and water chemistry are key influences on river species
Benthic organisms entering water current drift downstream
Downstream drift can be active or passive

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8
Q

What types of pollution are there?

A

Natural processes

  • chemical reactions between water and rocks
  • sedimentation by flowing water
  • percolation (movement) of surface water into groundwater
  • residence time of reservoirs
  • weathering of rocks (crustal)

Human related

  • point source pollution
  • non point source pollution
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9
Q

Name ten sources of water quality deterioration

A 
Agriculture
Sewage
Urban storm water
Industrial discharges
Acidification
Forestry
Mining and quarrying
Contaminated land
Fish farming
General development
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10
Q

Sources of point source pollution?

A

Contaminant discharge (eg pipe)
- easy to spot and quantify
- immediate evaluation of impacts
Factories and wastewater treatment plants
Former or abandoned mines
Landfills
Underground tanks and above ground storage tanks

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11
Q

What kinds of pollution can underground storage tanks cause?

A

Groundwater contamination and soil pollution

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12
Q

What are the sources of non point source pollution?

A 
Broad or dispersed contaminant discharge 
Agricultural practises or processes 
Gardens and golf courses
Waste disposal 
Construction
Surface water runoff
Dredging
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13
Q

Why and to what are gardens parks and golf courses a non point source of pollution?

A

Risk to surface and ground water
Excessive use of manure, fertilisers and pesticides
Insufficient cleaning and disposal of animal refuse

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14
Q

How is construction a non point source of pollution?

A

Erosion - sedimentation into local streams

  • improper site management
  • inadequate storing of materials
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15
Q

What is dredging and why is is harmful to water quality?

A

Dredging is an excavation activity or operation usually carried out at least partly underwater with the purpose of gathering up water sediments and disposing of them at a different location

  • can be ingested by aquatic organisms
  • water temperature can be changed due to increased suspended sediments
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16
Q

What is organic pollution?

A

Oldest and most widespread form of water pollution
One of the main causes of pollution in Scottish waters
Sources include - sewage, agricultural waste, food processing waste, waste from manufacturing of natural textiles and paper, aquaculture waste

17
Q

Why does an increase in aerobic microbes have a negative effect on a water system?

A

Dissolved oxygen is used up and can not be replaced by photosynthesis or aeration and so the area of water becomes a dead zone

18
Q

What effects does organic pollution have on the biota?

A

Organic pollution changes the physical and chemical environment
- dissolved oxygen levels decrease
- suspended solids and silt increase
- toxic waste products of decomposition increase (ammonia, acetic acid)
Organisms which cannot tolerate these changed conditions disappear

19
Q

What are the 4 zones in organic pollution effects?

A

Polysaprobic zone
Alpha-mesosaprobic zone
Beta-mesosaprobic zone
Oligoaprobic zone

20
Q

What is the polysaprobic zone and what organisms exist there?

A

Very low oxygen
High levels of solids and silts
High ammonia
Contains sewer fungus, Protozoa, tubificids

21
Q

What is the alpha-mesosaprobic zone and what organisms exist there?

A

Low-mid oxygen
High nitrates
High phosphates
Contains chironomids, cladophora, asselius, algae

22
Q

What is the beta-mesosaprobic zone and what organisms exist there?

A

Mid-slightly reduced oxygen

Contains Chironomids, cladophora, asselius,algae, some clean water fauna

23
Q

What is the oligoaprobic zone and what organisms exist there?

A

Normal oxygen levels
No evidence of pollution
Contains clean water fauna

24
Q

Name some pollution tolerant species

A 
Chironomidae
Tubificidae
Platyhelminthes (free living flatworms)
Asellus (water louse)
Leeches
25
Q

Name some pollution sensitive species

A

Mayfly nymph
Stone fly nymph
Cased caddis fly larvae
Freshwater pearl muscle

26
Q

Why use biological criteria for water quality?

A

Detects intermittent pollution
Chemical sampling often based on spot samples but variables such as BOD, O2 and NH3 can vary rapidly in time and space
Cannot test for all chemicals
Some chemicals toxic below existing analytical detection limits
Bioaccumulation may concentrate toxins
Essentially interested in quality of water to sustain life

27
Q

What are the properties of an ideal indicator species?

A 
Readily identified
Easily sampled
Cosmopolitan distribution
Abundant autecological data
Economic importance
Readily accumulate pollutants
Easily cultured in laboratory
Low variability
28
Q

What type of aquatic systems exist?

A

Marine (oceanography)
Freshwater (limnology)- streams, lakes, riffles, pools, substrate
Brackish water - wetlands

Biological Conservation (12 decks)

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