standing-water+ecosystems

= **toc ​-Standing Water Ecosystems** = = **-By: Zack Greinke and Matt Kenseth** = = -Introduction to Standing Water Ecosystems =

Standing water ecosystems or lentic ecosystem are those of [|lakes], [|ponds], or [|swamps]. Lentic comes from the Latin word lentus which means sluggish. What classifies a [|ecosystem] as a standing water one is if the [|water] ecosystem is that if there is no free flowing bodies of water flowing in or out of it. That is why some swamps are just [|wetlands] and some are standing water ecosystems because some have a very slow current like a stream and some are still... it just depends. Also the criteria that separates a lake and a pond is if a standing body of water gets sunlight on its entire bottom surface is exposed to light then it is a pond. These standing water ecosystems occur inland. Host [|species] must adapt to these three different kinds of ecosystems because all three can have very different [|abiotic] living conditions. These standing water ecosystems are unique because of the specific species of [|plant] and animal life that have adapted to these ecosystems. = -Plant and Animal Life = Most life in a lentic ecosystem is actually [|bacteria]. The bacteria feeds of of plants, dead [|animals], and dead plants. The [|photosynthetic] organisms and main [|energy] producers are the algae and phytoplankton. The plants in a standing water ecosystem can live in both the [|benthic] and [|pelagic] zones .The best place to find bacteria in a pond or lake is in [|sediments]. In sediments they are found 2-1000 times more prevalent than in the water column. Fish come in all different sizes and shapes. [|Fish] graze on plants in the water and they also eat phytoplankton out of water columns. Fish eat a lot more things than any other animals found in lentic ecosystems. The fish have adapted to standing water ecosystems due to their comfortability in low oxygen areas because of being spawned in those [|environments]. They also build up various other tolerances and instincts like sensing low oxygen areas and being able to move out of them or tolerate them.

= -Video =

media type="youtube" key="gszr5vVtp58" height="385" width="480" = -Lake or Pond? = The difference between a pond or a lake is basically just the [|size]. Ponds are much smaller than lakes. Ponds can also be man-made. Ponds have plants growing along the sides of the because there are no waves. Some lakes are big enough to have waves which mean there are no plants growing around the edges. The temperature of the water is also another difference. in a pond all the water is generally one temperature. In a lake, the water at the surface is a different [|temperature] (hotter) than the water all the way at the bottom (colder). A pond can also [|freeze] completely. A lake can freeze in places but the entire lake will never freeze completely.

= -Physical Characteristics of Standing Water Ecosystems = Standing water ecosystems are diverse and can range from very small temporary rainwater pools to gigantic lakes. The physical characteristics for standing water ecosystems however are pretty straight forward. For instance, they are characterized by being still water ecosystems. Ponds are different from lakes in the way that the whole pond bottom surface receives sunlight. The water is rarely clear because the [|stagnant] water allows bacteria to live on the surfaces as well as throughout the water. Also this [|dark] color is from thick green algae that grows along the walls as well as the bottom of the standing water ecosystem. Ponds support a various number of rooted plants as well as having a good mixture of water from top to bottom. They also get considerable light [|penetration]. However, there are great seasonal changes in [|wind], temperature, [|evaporation], and [|precipitation] in ponds versus lakes. = -Citations =
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 * [|http://www.kidcyber.com.au/topics/biomewater.htmhttp://energytechstocks.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/pond-scum330.jpghttp://www.colorado.edu/geography/class_homepages/geog_3251_sum08/05_crater_lake_caldera.jpg]**