Ecology and Freshwater Ecosystems

Vocabulary

• Biome: A group of ecosystems with similar climates and organisms.
• Ecosystem: All the organisms living in a place, along with their non-living environment.
• Community: Populations of different species interacting in the same area.
• Population: Groups of individuals of the same species residing in the same area.
• Species: Organisms that look alike and can breed with each other.
• Biotic: Living organisms.
• Abiotic: Non-living organisms.
• Ecology: The study of interactions between organisms, populations, and communities, as well as those between living systems and their local and global environments.

Freshwater Ecosystems

• Freshwater ecosystems: These include areas with less than 3% salinity, such as rivers, streams, lakes, and ponds.
• Rivers and streams: Water flows in one direction.
• Lakes and ponds: Relatively still water.

Wetlands

• Wetlands: Areas where grasses grow in spongy soil, often drying up by late summer. Water soaks the soil or rests beneath the surface.

Estuaries

• Estuaries: A breeding ground for fish; a place where saltwater and freshwater meet.

Aquatic Ecosystems

• Aquatic ecosystems: These ecosystems are described by their salinity, depth, temperature, flow rate, and concentrations of dissolved nutrients.

Additional Concepts

• Photic zones: Areas in aquatic environments where sunlight penetrates, allowing photosynthesis. Depth is less than 200 meters.
• Aphotic zones: Areas of aquatic environments that do not receive sunlight, typically deeper than 200 meters.
• Permafrost: Permanently frozen soil in tundra regions.
• Anthromes: Biological regions shaped by human activity over long periods.
• Climate: Patterns and averages of temperature and precipitation over many years.
• Weather: Short-term conditions of temperature, precipitation, and other atmospheric phenomena.
• Greenhouse effect: The process where certain gases trap sunlight energy in Earth's atmosphere, leading to warming.
• Greenhouse gases: Gases like carbon dioxide, methane, and water vapor that contribute to the greenhouse effect.
• Global climate system: Energy in the biosphere results in unequal distribution between equators and poles. Overall, heat is distributed and affects climate.
• Ocean currents: Patterns of warming and cooling driven by winds and continents, impacting regional climates.

Characteristics of Life

• Cellular organization: All living things are composed of cells.
• Ability to reproduce: Organisms can create offspring.
• Growth and development: Living things grow and change.
• Energy use: Living things need energy for life processes.
• Homeostasis: Ability to maintain stable internal conditions.
• Response to environment: Ability to adapt to surroundings.
• Ability to adapt: Living things adapt to changing conditions.
• Sunlight and greenhouse gases: The source of energy of the heat greenhouse gases absorb. Solar radiation causes unequal distributions of heat. Greenhouse gases trap heat from sunlight in Earth's atmosphere, and re-radiate it back to Earth, increasing the average temperature.

Climate and Oceans

• Ocean Currents are driven by temperature, warming, and cooling; winds, and locations of continents.
• Variations in climate occur approximately every 100,000 years, but do not impact climate change.
• 30°C = 86°F

Biomes and Aquatic Ecosystems

• Biomes are categories that describe environments with similar biotic and abiotic factors (average monthly temperatures and precipitation).
• Phytoplankton need light to survive.
• Rivers and streams, lakes and ponds, and freshwater wetlands are three categories of freshwater ecosystems.