APES Study Guide- Aquatic Ecosystems
Vocabulary
Understand and be able to apply each of these terms.
1. Salinity –
Taste of salt in the mouth
2. Plankton –
Microorganisms that drift in the ocean.
3. Nekton –
Animals that live in the ocean and are able to freely swim
in ocean currents,
4. Benthos –
Flora and fauna found at the bottom of bodies of water.
5. Littoral Zone –
The place that is closest to shore on lakes, rivers, etc...
6. Benthic Zone –
The ecosystem at the very bottom of a large body of water.
7. Eutrophication -
The process of phytoplankton being overfed from nutrients.
8. River Source –
The place where the river is originated from.
9. River Course –
A line of a river parallel to its banks.
10.River Mouth –
The place of a stream or river where it flows into
another large body of water.
11. Marsh –
A type of wetland that is covered with herbacious plant species.
12. Swamp –
A type of wetland that is forested.
13.Bog –
A type of wetland that gathers dead plant material.
14. Lagoon-
Shallow body of water separated by reefs or barrier islands.
15. Estuary –
A place where the tide meets the stream.
16. Abundance –
An amount of supplies that is plentiful.
17. Diversity –
The variety of different elements.
18. Watershed -
A pile of water that is shed from land after precipitation.
19. Hydrophytes-
Plants that are adapted to aquatic ecosystems and environments.
20. Halophytes-
A plant that is grown in water with high salinity.
Critical Thinking
Read, analyze, and give complete answers to these questions.
1. What are the three important benefits (ecosystem service) provided by wetlands?
2. What causes high and low tides? Explain.
High and low tides are both caused by the combined effort of the earth's and sun's rotation
and the forces from the moon.
3. Where would you find an estuary? What type of organisms would you expect to find there?
You would find an estuary where salt and fresh water meet. Some organisms would be oysters,
crabs, and small fish.
4. What is the definition of “freshwater”?
Water with a small amount of salt.
5. The mouth of a river can sometimes become “murky” because of all of the sediments that are washed
downstream. Name 3 problems are caused by “murkiness”?
6. Name 2 types of fish that can live in low oxygen environments:
7. Explain why reefs are so important to preserve. What are some of the dangers to coral reefs? Name 2.
Coral reefs are a natural home to many animals. They are also important for subsistance, fisheries,
and shoreline protection. One huge danger to coral reefs are the decaying of their surface due to
carbon acid. Another danger is coral mining.
8. There are different types of marine reef environments. Define the following:
a. Fringing Reefs:
Reefs that lie close to shore
b. Barrier Reefs:
Runs parallel to shore but is separated by a channel of water
c. Atolls:
Reefs with a shape of a ring
d. Coral Reefs:
A reef consisting mostly of coral
9. Draw a diagram of a marine environment and define the following:
a. Intertidal:
b. Pelagic:
c. Abyssal:
d. Benthic:
Understand and be able to apply each of these terms.
1. Salinity –
Taste of salt in the mouth
2. Plankton –
Microorganisms that drift in the ocean.
3. Nekton –
Animals that live in the ocean and are able to freely swim
in ocean currents,
4. Benthos –
Flora and fauna found at the bottom of bodies of water.
5. Littoral Zone –
The place that is closest to shore on lakes, rivers, etc...
6. Benthic Zone –
The ecosystem at the very bottom of a large body of water.
7. Eutrophication -
The process of phytoplankton being overfed from nutrients.
8. River Source –
The place where the river is originated from.
9. River Course –
A line of a river parallel to its banks.
10.River Mouth –
The place of a stream or river where it flows into
another large body of water.
11. Marsh –
A type of wetland that is covered with herbacious plant species.
12. Swamp –
A type of wetland that is forested.
13.Bog –
A type of wetland that gathers dead plant material.
14. Lagoon-
Shallow body of water separated by reefs or barrier islands.
15. Estuary –
A place where the tide meets the stream.
16. Abundance –
An amount of supplies that is plentiful.
17. Diversity –
The variety of different elements.
18. Watershed -
A pile of water that is shed from land after precipitation.
19. Hydrophytes-
Plants that are adapted to aquatic ecosystems and environments.
20. Halophytes-
A plant that is grown in water with high salinity.
Critical Thinking
Read, analyze, and give complete answers to these questions.
1. What are the three important benefits (ecosystem service) provided by wetlands?
- Limit the effects of waves
- Convey and store floodwaters
- and reduce pollution
2. What causes high and low tides? Explain.
High and low tides are both caused by the combined effort of the earth's and sun's rotation
and the forces from the moon.
3. Where would you find an estuary? What type of organisms would you expect to find there?
You would find an estuary where salt and fresh water meet. Some organisms would be oysters,
crabs, and small fish.
4. What is the definition of “freshwater”?
Water with a small amount of salt.
5. The mouth of a river can sometimes become “murky” because of all of the sediments that are washed
downstream. Name 3 problems are caused by “murkiness”?
- Water contamination
- Soil Erosion
- Sunlight is less likely to reach the depths of the water
6. Name 2 types of fish that can live in low oxygen environments:
- poecilids
- labyrinth fish
7. Explain why reefs are so important to preserve. What are some of the dangers to coral reefs? Name 2.
Coral reefs are a natural home to many animals. They are also important for subsistance, fisheries,
and shoreline protection. One huge danger to coral reefs are the decaying of their surface due to
carbon acid. Another danger is coral mining.
8. There are different types of marine reef environments. Define the following:
a. Fringing Reefs:
Reefs that lie close to shore
b. Barrier Reefs:
Runs parallel to shore but is separated by a channel of water
c. Atolls:
Reefs with a shape of a ring
d. Coral Reefs:
A reef consisting mostly of coral
9. Draw a diagram of a marine environment and define the following:
a. Intertidal:
b. Pelagic:
c. Abyssal:
d. Benthic:
10. What is “winterkill” in a lake? What happens?
Winterkill in a lake is when fish or organisms die during the winter season. This is caused by a thick
blanket of snow and ice covering the lake capping the amount of oxygen it is able to hold.
11. Describe the differences in the types of food webs found in the two ocean light zones, euphotic and
aphotic. Where does the initial energy input for each come from?
The initial energy input is given by the sun. A euphotic zone is where most of the fish live, while
the aphotic zone is where most of the bacteria live.
12. Explain how lakes “turn-over” yearly and what this process causes. Name one positive and one negative
aspect of turn-over.
Lakes turn-over when the top of the lake and the bottom of the lake switch temperatures on earth other.
This causes a mix of temperatures during the period to scatter throughout the body of water. One positive
aspect would be that the waters will be warmer. A negative aspect would be that the organisms would
need to adapt to the change.
13. Draw a diagram of a lake and define the following:
a. Littoral Zone
b. Limnetic Zone
c. Profundal Zone
Winterkill in a lake is when fish or organisms die during the winter season. This is caused by a thick
blanket of snow and ice covering the lake capping the amount of oxygen it is able to hold.
11. Describe the differences in the types of food webs found in the two ocean light zones, euphotic and
aphotic. Where does the initial energy input for each come from?
The initial energy input is given by the sun. A euphotic zone is where most of the fish live, while
the aphotic zone is where most of the bacteria live.
12. Explain how lakes “turn-over” yearly and what this process causes. Name one positive and one negative
aspect of turn-over.
Lakes turn-over when the top of the lake and the bottom of the lake switch temperatures on earth other.
This causes a mix of temperatures during the period to scatter throughout the body of water. One positive
aspect would be that the waters will be warmer. A negative aspect would be that the organisms would
need to adapt to the change.
13. Draw a diagram of a lake and define the following:
a. Littoral Zone
b. Limnetic Zone
c. Profundal Zone
14. Complete this summary table of aquatic ecosystems: