1. Aquatic Ecosystems

2. NOTES: Aquatic Ecosystems:
There are 2 types:
Freshwater – Life in lakes, ponds, rivers, streams, and wetlands
Marine – Life in the ocean
What makes up an ecosystem?
Ecosystem – all the living and nonliving parts of an environment
What determines the health of an ecosystem?
Biotic factors – the living parts of an ecosystem
Abiotic – the nonliving parts of an ecosystem

3. Freshwater Ecosystems:
NOTES:
Freshwater Ecosystems:
Watch video:
Freshwater ecosystems are dependent on:
Running water, temperature, light availability and vegetation
Importance of “Running” water:
Better able to dissolve oxygen and nutrients than standing water

4. Freshwater Food Chain:
NOTES:
Freshwater Food Chain:
Primary producers:
Algae and plants, such as the cattails
Primary consumers:
Zooplankton and macroinvertebrates
Secondary consumers:
Fish (such as, trout), insects (such as, dragonflies), and frogs or lizards

5. Wetlands: NOTES: Watch video: WETLANDS
WETLANDS
Wetlands – an area that is saturated with water or covered by water for at least one season of the year.
Wetlands are extremely important for several reasons:
Store excess water from floods
Slow down runoff and help prevent erosion
Remove excess nutrients from runoff
Provide a unique habitat for water plants
Provide a safe, lush habitat for animals

6. NOTES: Marine Ecosystems: Marine ecosystems:
Largest aquatic ecosystems
Include oceans, lagoons, coral
reefs…
Support a large amount of
biodiversity
Marine ecosystems are dependent on:
Light, temperature, salinity, density,
landscape, availability of food, and water movement

7. Freshwater Food Chain:
NOTES:
Freshwater Food Chain:
Primary producers:
Phytonplanton, seaweed/seagrass
Primary consumers:
Zooplankton, jelly fish …
Secondary + consumers:
Larger fish, octopus, squid 
Sharks, dolphins  Albatross (bird)

8. Abiotic vs. Biotic Factors
NOTES:
Abiotic vs. Biotic Factors
An ECOSYSTEM is an interacting system of plants, animals, humans and the surrounding environment. An ecosystem contains living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) things that contribute to the functioning of other organisms. An ecosystem is NOT just a collection of organisms. It is a system of interactions and interrelationships.
Both Abiotic and Biotic factors affect Ecosystems
Differences in abiotic factors in ecosystems lead to differences in the living things there. Factors such as sunlight and precipitation affect how organisms adapt to these ecosystems.

9. Create a Venn Diagram ----- Create a List
Use the following list to create a Venn diagram that compares abiotic vs biotic factors.
Come up with a list of types of abiotic influences could harm Utah’s waters.
Come up with a list of types of biotic influences could harm Utah’s waters.