AQUATIC ECOSYSTEMS 🏝️🐠 (Characteristics, TYPES and Examples)

Summary

This video delves into the characteristics and types of aquatic ecosystems, which are predominantly water-based and host a vast biodiversity. It highlights their critical roles, such as regulating the water cycle and providing habitats for numerous species. The ecosystems are categorized into marine and freshwater, with further division into lotic (flowing water) and lentic (still water). The video also discusses the flora and fauna, including various plants, fish, amphibians, and birds, emphasizing the importance of freshwater, which constitutes only 2.5% of the Earth's total water, with a mere 1% being accessible as drinking water.

Takeaways

• 🌍 Aquatic ecosystems cover the largest surface area on Earth, with marine ecosystems making up about 70% of the Earth's surface and 99% of its volume.
• 🌿 These ecosystems are incredibly diverse, providing habitats for a vast array of species, including those that live exclusively in water and those that inhabit both aquatic and terrestrial environments.
• 💧 Aquatic ecosystems are crucial for the planet, playing vital roles such as regulating the water cycle and acting as filters for pollution.
• 🌱 The flora in aquatic ecosystems consists mainly of aquatic plants and algae, which can be found in both freshwater and saltwater environments.
• 🐠 Fauna in these ecosystems is incredibly varied, ranging from fish and amphibians to marine mammals, birds, and reptiles that spend significant time in or around water.
• 🏞️ Aquatic ecosystems can be classified into marine and freshwater ecosystems, with further subdivisions into lotic (flowing water) and lentic (still water) systems.
• 🌊 Marine ecosystems, characterized by high salt levels, are mostly unknown at great depths, but coastal areas are more populated due to the presence of sunlight necessary for plankton growth.
• 💧 Freshwater ecosystems, which include rivers, lakes, and swamps, have less depth and diversity compared to marine ecosystems but are still biologically rich.
• ❓ The script poses a question about the percentage of freshwater on the planet, revealing that only 2.5% of the Earth's water is freshwater, with the remaining 97.5% being saltwater.
• 🚰 Of the small percentage of freshwater, it is estimated that only about 1% is available as drinking water for humans, highlighting the scarcity of this vital resource.

Q & A

What are the main characteristics of aquatic ecosystems?

Aquatic ecosystems are composed mainly of water and support a high biodiversity of flora and fauna. They provide living spaces for a vast number of species, both those that exclusively live in water and those that inhabit both water and land or sky. They are among the richest ecosystems in the world in terms of biodiversity and play vital roles such as regulating the water cycle and acting as a filter for pollution.

How are aquatic ecosystems classified based on water movement?

Aquatic ecosystems can be classified into lotic ecosystems, where the water is in motion, and lentic ecosystems, where the water is still or has little movement.

What percentage of the Earth's surface do marine ecosystems represent?

Marine ecosystems, which include seas and oceans, represent about 70% of the Earth's surface.

What percentage of the Earth's water volume do marine ecosystems constitute?

Marine ecosystems make up approximately 99% of the Earth's water volume.

What is the primary source of food in marine ecosystems?

The food chain in marine ecosystems begins with plankton, which requires sunlight to grow.

What is the difference between freshwater and marine ecosystems in terms of salinity?

Freshwater ecosystems are found in places with low salt content, such as rivers, groundwaters, ponds, swamps, and lakes, whereas marine ecosystems have a high level of salt, like seas and oceans.

How much of the Earth's total water is freshwater?

Freshwater makes up only about 2.5% of the total water on the planet.

What types of plants are commonly found in aquatic ecosystems?

Aquatic ecosystems are home to various aquatic plants and algae, including water hyacinth, water lily, reeds, water lettuce, diatoms, and dinoflagellates.

What are some examples of fauna found in aquatic ecosystems?

Aquatic ecosystems host a wide variety of animals such as fish, amphibians, marine and freshwater mammals, aquatic birds, and some reptiles that spend a significant part of their life in or around water.

What is the estimated percentage of freshwater that is considered drinking water for humans?

It is estimated that around 1% of the Earth's freshwater is available as drinking water for humans.

How do environmental factors like weather and relief influence the characteristics of freshwater ecosystems?

Environmental factors such as weather and relief determine the characteristics of freshwater ecosystems, affecting the types of flora and fauna that can thrive in them. For example, the biodiversity in a shallow lake in a northern mountain will differ significantly from that in a shallow, warm water lake in a tropical climate zone.