Name _______TEACHER COPY
________ Period ______ Date _________________
Chapter 7.1 Freshwater Aquatic Ecosystems CHART - Use the classroom or online chart to fill in the empty spaces.
FRESHWATER AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS
Characteristics
Plants and Some of
Their Adaptations
Ecosystem
Freshwater (F) or
Saltwater (S)
Lakes and Ponds
Mainly F
Some S
In Littoral Zone: shallow
shore and upper layer in
deeper water both are
nutrient rich with full
sunlight and diverse
plants and animals
In Benthic Zone: bottom
has dead and decaying
organisms
Marsh Wetlands
Mainly F
Some S
Swamp Wetlands
Mainly F
Some S
Rivers, Creeks, and
Streams
Mainly F
Few S
Animals and Some of
Their Adaptations
Threats
Phytoplankton, cattail
reeds, pond lilies
Zooplankton; water
beetles use hairs to trap
surface air for
underwater dives;
catfish whiskers can
sense food on bottom
from vibrations;
amphibians burrow into
Littoral mud when
temperatures are
freezing
Eutrophication
accelerated by runoff
containing sewage,
fertilizers, and animal
wastes; Recreational
users leave garbage and
oil products
Land covered with
water part of the year;
Brackish marshes have
slightly saline water;
Function as habitat,
feeding and spawning
sites for fish; flood
control; and purifies
waste water
On flat, poorly drained
land, have little water
movement, often near
streams; Breeding
grounds for many
insects needed for
larger animals to live
Non woody plants:
reeds, rushes, cattails
rooted in rich bottom
sediments with leaves
above water
Waterfowl: grebes and
ducks adapt to eat
marsh plants with flat
bills; nesting birds like
blackbirds and herons
feed on frogs and fish;
animals adapt to
changes in water
salinity
Amphibians such as
green frogs and
salamanders; Reptiles
such as alligators and
crocodiles; Birds such
as wood ducks
Drained for urban
development, farms,
residential building, or
commercial factories
Usually starts in
mountains from rain
and melted snow; runs
down into oceans;
usually cold at head of
river and warm where
it spreads out;
constantly moving
Mosses and plants that
can adapt to the cold
water at the head;
Water plants that can
survive the currents
Fish such as trout,
catfish, and carp live in
calmer waters
Industries dump
wastes from
manufacturing;
Businesses use water
in making products;
People use rivers to
dispose of wastes such
as sewage and garbage
- All these dump toxin
which filter to the
animals and stay in the
bottom sediments
Plants adapt to
changes in water
salinity
Woody plants or
shrubs; water-tolerant
trees like red maple,
cedar, oak, cypress
Drained for urban
development, farms,
residential building, or
commercial factories