Aquatic Ecosystem

A wetland is a place with hydric soils that has been saturated by water for a minimum of 14 days during the growing season. Common names for a wetland are a swamp, bog, or marsh.

Since Freshwater biomes are found all over the world, the types of plants and animals that live in these waters can be different. Some examples of plants that may inhabit a Freshwater biome are grass, spike rush, water lilies, cattail, and sometimes trees. Most plants living in these waters are not recognized by humans. Animals that live in these biomes are frogs, turtles, snakes, fish, and sometimes alligators. Insects like mosquitos also inhabit these biomes greatly. Animals such as raccoons and earthworms live on the land surrounding the biome, but depend on the biome to survive. Some animals, such as beavers, live in both the water and the land surrounding it. Algae also plays a big role in a Freshwater biome ecosystem.

Lampert, W., & Sommer, U. (2010). Limnoecology: [the ecology of lakes and streams]. Oxford [u.a.: Oxford University

Since the settlement of the Lake Tahoe Basin people have deforested mountain sides, and killed almost all natural life within the waters. Just as the Lake Tahoe area has felt the

An estuary system is “the resulting collisions of sweet and salt-fresh river water flowing seaward and ocean water inland.” It is an aquatic system where salt and freshwater are constantly mixing. An estuary system is one of most active systems of the planet; it is a hybrid system that contains the best and worst qualities of the ocean, river, and lake systems it conglomerates. Estuaries are unique in nature because of their ability to be the most productive ecosystem on the entire planet; humans have attempted and failed to reach the productivity that estuaries naturally grant. There productivity lies it the constant change that occurs from the conflicting flows of fresh and ocean water. Ocean and freshwater are measured largely based on salinity, or the level of parts of salt per thousand. Ocean water usually

Wetlands and rivers are found in low-lying areas or alongside rivers, lakes and streams. They provide a water and food source and are a habitat for many native and migratory birds.

An estuary system is “the resulting collisions of sweet and salt-fresh river water flowing seaward and ocean water inland.” It is an aquatic system where salt and freshwater are constantly mixing. An estuary system is one of most active systems of the planet; it is a hybrid system that contains the best and worst qualities of the ocean, river, and lake systems it conglomerates. Estuaries are unique in nature because of their ability to be the most productive ecosystem on the entire planet; humans have attempted and failed to reach the productivity that estuaries naturally grant. There productivity lies it the constant change that occurs from the conflicting flows of fresh and ocean water. Ocean and freshwater are measured largely based on salinity, or the level of parts of salt per thousand. Ocean water usually has around 35 parts per thousands of salt water, while freshwater

9) A diverse wetlands ecosystem would result from the preservation of non tidal habitats including seasonal ponds/sand flats and perennial brackish ponds.

A wetland is an area of land that retains it water on it surface as in swamps, marshes, and bogs. Although we would prefer to keep the wetlands they are being destroyed very rapidly. Louisiana loses about 25- 35 square miles of wetlands each year. By 2050 it’s estimated that the annual loss of fishing income due to coastal wetland erosion will be around $550 million dollars of revenue.

Biodiversity is the expression used to define the variety of plant species, animals and micro-organisms within the ecosystems in which they live. The Macquarie University describes biodiversity as “a useful indicator for the overall health and viability of natural environments” (Mq.edu.au.) This investigation will delve into how a creek’s ecosystem affects and correlates to the health of the water and the surrounding environment.

When talking about nutrient content and nutrient type in bodies of water (especially lakes), three terms help identify these types of bodies of water- oligotropy, eutropy, and dystrophy. Eutropy refers to the probably the best possible condition for a body of water, because this type of body of water has many nutrients available to it (often in the form of silt) such as phosphorous. These bodies of water are usually near farms or forests and are thriving with life. Algae is a common type of organism that grows in eutropy’s, but can serve as a problem for the survival of other species. Oligotropy is basically the opposite of eutropy condition wise. Oligotropic bodies of water usually have a small amount of organic matter, few nutrients, and especially lack phosphorous. These water bodies are often near terrestrial ecosystems. Dystrophy refers to the condition in bodies of water that have an abundance of organic matter- so much so that the water is often brown. These bodies of water are often near bogs. Lakes can gain these types of nutrients through things such as runoff that bring soil nutrients into the water;

This causes smaller aquatic fish to die off, and this eventually causes bigger aquatic fish who rely on consuming the smaller aquatic fish to die (Jobin, "Dams and Disease"). Before one knows it, a domino effect has occurred. Aquatic ecosystem services are even affected because they die from too many nutrients. Ecosystems can’t thrive without these ecosystem services because they tend the ecosystem such as caring for plants, et cetera (Newell, "The Globalization and Environment Reader").

Water is the lifeblood of every living creature on earth. Approximately 70 percent of the earth's surface is covered with water. Thought the wonders of nature, water can take on many different forms, form the water we drink, to the ice we use to chill a glass of lemonade, to the water vapor used to steam clean equipment equipment. It is easy to understand the significance water plays in our lives, but it may be much more difficult ot understand the water that exists below the earth's surface, called groundwater.

Biogeochemical cycles are important to the sustainability of all life. Chemical elements necessary for the growth and reproduction of all organisms have a limited quantity on earth at any one time, other than the occasional meteor that brings with it new matter. It is therefore important that the recycling of these chemical elements is efficient. Autotrophs are the basis of almost all ecosystems. The rate that autotrophs produce and transfer energy is vital to the capacity of organisms that can inhabit these ecosystems. To understand the rates in which certain species’ leaves decay and release the energy stored within them can demonstrate how quickly the energy becomes available to organisms in higher trophic levels.

The patterns of biological diversity in rivers and streams among taxa vary on a spatial and temporal scale (Ligeiro et al. 2010; McGarvey and Terra 2015). Variations in stream ecology can be contributed to water quality, habitat, and history of disturbance (Lingeiro et al. 2010). Creeks and streams feed into rivers and other larger bodies of water, which provide food, water, and other commercial and recreational services as well as a home to an array of plants and animals which rely on clean water. The health of these smaller bodies of water can act as indicators for the health of the larger watershed.