An Introduction to Ecology

and the Biosphere

Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings

 Concept 50.3: Abiotic and biotic factors
influence the structure and dynamics of aquatic
biomes
• Varying combinations of both biotic and abiotic factors
– Determine the nature of Earth’s many biomes
• Biomes (any of the world’s major ecosystem, classified
according to the predominant vegetation and
characterized by adaptations of organisms to that
particular environment)
– Are the major types of ecological associations that
occupy broad geographic regions of land or water

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 • The examination of biomes will begin with
Earth’s aquatic biomes

30N

Tropic of
Cancer
Equator
Continental
Tropic of shelf
Capricorn
30S

Key

Lakes Rivers Estuaries Abyssal zone

Intertidal zone (below oceanic
Figure 50.15 Coral reefs Oceanic pelagic
pelagic zone)
zone

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 • Aquatic biomes
– Account for the largest part of the biosphere in
terms of area
– Can contain fresh or salt water

• Oceans
– Cover about 75% of Earth’s surface
– Have an enormous impact on the biosphere

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 • Many aquatic biomes
– Are stratified into zones or layers defined by
light penetration, temperature, and depth
Intertidal zone

Neritic zone Oceanic zone

Littoral
zone Limnetic 0
zone Photic zone
200 m
Continental Pelagic
shelf zone

Benthic Aphotic
Photic zone zone
zone

Pelagic
Benthic
zone
zone
Aphotic
zone
2,500–6,000 m
Abyssal zone
(deepest regions of ocean floor)

(a) Zonation in a lake. The lake environment is generally classified on the basis
of three physical criteria: light penetration (photic and aphotic zones),
distance from shore and water depth (littoral and limnetic zones), and
whether it is open water (pelagic zone) or bottom (benthic zone).
Figure 50.16a, b
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(b) Marine zonation. Like lakes, the marine environment is generally
classified on the basis of light penetration (photic and aphotic zones),
distance from shore and water depth (intertidal, neritic, and oceanic
zones), and whether it is open water (pelagic zone) or bottom (benthic
and abyssal zones).
 • Lakes
– Are sensitive to seasonal temperature change
– Experience seasonal turnover
2 In spring, as the sun melts the ice, the surface water warms to 4°C
and sinks below the cooler layers immediately below, eliminating the
1 In winter, the coldest water in the lake (0°C) lies just thermal stratification. Spring winds mix the water to great depth,
below the surface ice; water is progressively warmer at bringing oxygen (O2) to the bottom waters (see graphs) and
deeper levels of the lake, typically 4–5°C at the bottom. nutrients to the surface.

O2 (mg/L) Winter Spring

Lake depth (m)

O2 (mg/L)
Lake depth (m)

0 4 8 12 0 4 8 12

8 8

16 16
0 4
2 4
24 4 4 24
4 4
4 4
O2 concentration 4C 4C
High
Medium
Low

O2 (mg/L) O2 (mg/L)

Lake depth (m)

Lake depth (m)

0 4 8 12
0 4 8 12

8 4 22 8
4 20
4 18
16 4 8 16
4 6
4C 5 24
24 4C
Autumn Thermocline Summer

Figure 50.13 4 In autumn, as surface water cools rapidly, it sinks below the
underlying layers, remixing the water until the surface begins
3 In summer, the lake regains a distinctive thermal profile, with
warm surface water separated from cold bottom water by a narrow
to freeze and the winter temperature profile is reestablished. vertical zone of rapid temperature change, called a thermocline.

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 • Lakes
LAKES

An oligotrophic lake in A eutrophic lake in Okavango

Grand Teton, Wyoming delta, Botswana

Figure 50.17
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 Lakes in the Philippines
• BFAR reports that there are 79 lakes in the
country, mostly utilized for fish production.
• Laguna Lake is the country’s largest lake with a
total area of 3,813.2 sq km and is also one of
the largest lakes in Southeast Asia.
• Lake Lanao, the largest lake in Mindanao, is
one of the 17 ancient lakes on earth
(Environmental Management Bureau, 2006).

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Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings
Laguna
Lake

Lake
Lanao

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 • Wetlands
WETLANDS

Okefenokee National Wetland Reserve in

Figure 50.17
Georgia

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 Agusan
Marsh

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• Streams and rivers
STREAMS AND RIVERS

A headwater stream in
The Mississippi River
the
Figure 50.17 far
Great Smoky
form its headwaters
Mountains
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Rivers in the Philippines

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• Estuaries
ESTUARIES

Figure 50.17 An estuary in a low coastal plain of Georgia

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 Intertidal zones

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• Intertidal zones

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• Coral reefs
CORAL REEFS

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 The case of Surigao

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• Oceanic pelagic biome

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 Oil pollution

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• Marine benthic zone
MARINE BENTHIC ZONE

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 THE END

Copyright © 2005 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Benjamin Cummings