Name:
Fairfax High School
Date
Period _______ Ms. Antoine
Aquatic Ecology: Biodiversity in Aquatic Systems Chapter 7 Question-Set
Environmental Science AP
Ms. Antoine
Due: 0/00/00
Write out the answers to the following questions: All even numbers and #3.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
What are the two major types of aquatic life zones?
Give two examples of each of these two major types of life zones?
The major types of organisms found in aquatic environment are determined by the
water’s ___________________..
What two types of organisms comprise coral? What type of symbiosis is occurring
here?
What is each of the tow “players” contributing to the coral relationship?
What role does calcium carbonate play in coral reef?
Describe three significant ecological service provided by coral reefs :
Describe three significant economic service provided by coral reefs?
Describe five major threats to the world’s coral reefs.
Describe coral bleaching; include a discussion of the two dominate causes of coral
bleaching.
Be familiar with the main kinds of organisms in Aquatic Life Zones:
A. Plankton = weak swimmers free-floating (types of Phyto-Nano-Zoo-)
B. Nekton = strong swimmers, consumers e.g.______________________
C. Benthos = bottom dwellers e.g. ___________________________
D. Decomposers = mostly _________________________________
Describe four major difference between life on Land and life in Water :
Species and Habitat Diversity::
*The third Dimension -> great variety of organisms
*Smaller number of distinctly different habitats that on land
* Less pronounced/fixed physical boundaries than on land
*Endemism much less common in water habitats than Land
(Except: some benthic critters)
Tropic Structure and Food webs:
A. In open water, most plants are “micro-floaters” vs larger land plants rooted
in soil
B. Zooplankton smaller than land herbivores
C. More trophic levels -> greater complexity than on land
Fluid medium and varied benthic habitats-> more ways of obtaining food
than on land.
Population Characteristics:
A. High Reproductive Output and Short Life Cycles -> significant
fluctuations in Pops.
B. Early separation of young from parents
Monitoring and Protection:
A. More difficult to monitor/study aquatic ecosystems than land ecosystems
B. More Uncertainly regarding Aquatic than Land.
Important Factors Limiting Types and Numbers of Organisms found in the Surface,
Middle, and Bottom layers:
A. Temperature
B. Access to Sunlight
C. Dissolved Oxygen level
D. Nutrient Availability