Water Biomes Biology Unit 14 Notes

Water Biomes   Water biomes are differentiated by several abiotic factors: Light Temperature Amount of salt Amount of O 2 nutrients

Water Biomes   Water Biomes have specific “zones” Photic (also called littoral zone) Uppermost, gets a lot of light, supports photosynthesis Aphotic Where light does not penetrate Benthic The bottom zone

“Aphotic Zone” “Photic Zone” “Benthic Zone”

Fresh Water Biomes   Flowing Water Biomes Rivers and streams   Standing water biomes Ponds and Lakes   Wetlands Marshes, swamps, bogs (inland wetlands) Mangrove swamps and salt marshes (coastal)

Flowing Water  Rivers are places where water is being transported from one place to another.  Rivers flow in one direction.  A river changes with the land and the climate through which it flows.  Rivers originate from headwaters such as snowmelt, springs, or even lakes.

  As rivers flow downstream a mountain to flatter ground, rivers generally become wider, warmer, and slower.   As rivers flow upstream, a river is usually cold and flows swiftly through a shallow riverbed. Flowing Water

A pond is a shallow hole where water collects A pond is so shallow it often does not have an aphotic zone Standing Water

A lake is bigger than a pond, sometimes thousands of meters with plants growing along the shoreline Along shore there is much life, on the lake bottom you will find organisms (like catfish, that feed on dead and decaying organisms. Standing Water

Wetlands   Inland Wetland Marshes, swamps and bogs Freshwater  Coastal Wetland Mangrove Marsh and estuaries Where fresh and salt water combine

Marine Biomes   70% of the Earth’s surface is covered by salt water Salinity can vary by location   Has multiple zones, classified by: Water depth Presence of light Distance to shore