Aquatic Ecology

Envirothon Learning Objective

The Water Cycle

http://techalive.mtu.edu/meec_index.htm

Chemical Properties of Water• Hydrogen Bonding

• Universal Solvent– Dissolves more substances than any other

liquid

• Pure H2O has a neutral pH

O

H H+ +

-O

H H+ +

-

Physical Properties of Water

• Three different states (liquid, gas, solid)

• High Specific Heat– Absorbs a lot of heat before it gets hot

• Adhesion and Cohesion– Attracted to itself and other materials

• High Surface Tension

• Capillary Action

Uses of Water

• Hydropower

• Navigation

• Irrigation

• Agriculture and livestock

• Industry

• Public water supply and wells

• Recreation

• Wildlife

http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/wateruse.html

Where does the water go?

http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/summary95.html

In millions of gallons per day

Water Conservation• What you can do

– Water lawns only when needed (if at all) and do so in the early morning or evening

– Convert lawn to native plants– Fix leaky faucets and plumbing joints– Install water saving shower heads, toilets,

washers– Only run full loads in washers– Take shorter showers– Use brooms instead of hoses to clean

sidewalks

http://www.monolake.org/socalwater/wctips.htm

Water Conservation• What you can do (continued)

– Capture unused tap water (e.g. waiting for it to warm) and water plants

– Do not flush extra things (bugs, snot tissues, tobacco waste)

– Turn off the water when brushing teeth or shaving

– Keep cold water in the frig so you do not waste water waiting for it to get cold

– Do not defrost food in running water plan ahead and put in frig or use microwave (after you take off plastic or Styrofoam)

Point Sources of Pollution

• Point source pollution—pollutants are directly inputted to a waterbody usually through a pipe

• Supposed to be regulated by NPDES permits (national pollutant discharge elimination system) by EPA or DEQ (MI)

• Account for 60% of water pollution

• Current permits in Soo • Wastewater treatment plant, Reid Mobile Home

Park, Former Manufactured Gas Plant, Key Plastics, SSM Odanaang

http://techalive.mtu.edu/meec_index.htm

Non-Point Sources of Pollution

• Sources of pollution not from pipes– Agriculture– Septic tanks– Road stream crossings– Lawn fertilizers– Parking lots– Wildlife

• How can these sources be decreased?

http://techalive.mtu.edu/meec_index.htm

Water Pollution• Phosphorus and Nitrogen

– fertilizer• Mercury

– electrical and electronic equipment, dental fillings, industrial processes, in barometers, laboratory instruments, fossil fuels (coal)

– Neurotoxin

• PCBs (now banned in US)– burning of paper, plastic or paint, released to fresh and coastal water by leaks, disposal of

industrial wastes, leaching and atmospheric fallout – immune, hormone, nervous, and enzyme systems

• Dioxin and Furans – unintentional by-product of many industrial processes involving chlorine such as waste

incineration, chemical and pesticide manufacturing and pulp and paper bleaching, BURN BARRELS

– Carcinogen, reproductive and developmental problems, immune system, hormones

• Pesticides – DDT, DDE (both banned in US) mostly sprayed to kills insects and weeds, we still get

pesticides in water from ag., golf courses, etc – Neurotoxin, eye/skin irritant, carcinogens

• Personal Care Products and Drugs– Urine, flushing down toilets, rinsing down drains

– Not sure yet…

• Bacteria, parasites– Human waste

• Temp, sediment– Dams, logging, industry

What is a watershed?

• The area of land that drains to a stream or lake

• Topography is the key element affecting this area of land

• The boundary of a watershed is defined by the highest elevations surrounding the stream

Waishkey River Watershed

0 3 61.5Miles

Legend

Rivers

Roads

Lakes

Chippewa County

Waishka Watershed

Aquifers• Unconfined Confined

– water seeps from the ground surface directly above the aquifer

• Confined– an impermeable dirt/rock layer exists that

prevents water from seeping into the aquifer from the ground surface located directly above

• Which is more protected from contamination?

Wetland Functions

• storage of water

• transformation of nutrients

• growth of living matter

• diversity of wetland plants

• have value for the wetland itself, for surrounding ecosystems, and for people

Economic Benefits of Wetlands

• Benefits of wetlands– Food– Recreation– Improve water quality– Control floods

http://water.usgs.gov/nwsum/WSP2425/functions.html

http://www.epa.gov/OWOW/wetlands/facts/fact4.html

Wetlands

• United States– Loss of 50% of wetlands

• Drained, filled, polluted

– 1/3 of endangered species are wetland species

Regulations

• EPA– Clean Water Act – Safe Drinking Water Act – Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries

Act – Water Quality Standards

Aquatic Organisms

• Fungi and non-photosynthetic bacteria

• Algae

• Zooplankton

• Macroinvertebrates

• Plants

• Reptiles and amphibians

• Fish

• Parasites and viruses

Types of Algae

• Cyanobacteria (BG algae)• Chlorophyta (green algae) • Euglenophyta (euglena)• Chrysophyta (golden brown algae)• Bacillariophyta (diatoms)• Pyrrophyta (fire algae)• Xanthophyta (yellow-green algae)• Phaeophyta (brown algae)• Rhodophyta (red algae)

Chlorophyta-Green Algae

•Late July and early August

•High levels of both phosphorus and nitrate

Bacillariophyta-Diatoms

•June/July in large deep lakes.

•Low levels of phosphorus

Cyanobacteria-Blue-green algae

•Late summer

•High levels of phosphorus

Types of Zooplankton

• Protozoa

• Rotifers

• Cladocerans

• Copepods

• Some insect and fish larvae

Macroinvertebrates

• Nematodes

• Oligochaetes

• Mollusks and Snails

• Water Mites

• Insects

Macroinverts and Water Quality

• Good– Stonefly, dobsonfly, Mayfly, right handed

snails

• Moderate– Black flies, mussels, cranefly, dragonfly,

scuds, isopods,

• Poor– leech, left-hand snail, rattail maggot, midges

Water Quality Terms• Oligotrophic

– Aquatic systems with low productivity• Low nutrients and biomass

• Mesotrophic– Aquatic systems with moderate productivity

• Eutrophic– Aquatic systems with high productivity

• higher nutrients and biomass

• Dystrophic– Used to describe bog and fen systems

• May have higher nutrients, will have lower pH and conductivity, but will have low biomass (usually die to pH and oxygen levels)

Additional Resources

• http://techalive.mtu.edu/meec_index.htm