Essay On Aquatic Ecosystem

Introduction

Ecology begins with life but it also involves the non-living arena within which life proceeds. An ecosystem can be divided into two parts, the living, also called the biotic part, and the non-living, called the abiotic part. Ecosystems are dynamic entities which composition at any time reflects the complex factors making them up.

Aquatic ecosystems are those based on water and they are simpler than terrestrial ecosystems. This is because water provides a powerful unifying force to all aquatic ecosystems. The properties of water control the productivity, life style, and complexity of the aquatic environment (Clapham, Jr., 1983). Freshwater ecosystems differ greatly from one another depending on type, climate and location. Nevertheless

Light and heat properties of a water body is influenced by climate, topography and by the characteristics of the water body itself, such as its chemical composition, suspended solids and algal productivity. Temperature cycles greatly influences the fitness of aquatic organisms and their distribution within the system and it also influences nutrient cycling and dissolved oxygen distribution. Light penetration, on the other hand plays a great role in primary production, that is, the photosynthetic algae and bottom surface plants will thrive in well-lit places, thereby playing a significant role in the food

They may be shallow or deep, large or small. Lentic systems may or may not have water inlets and outlets. Most common lentic ecosystems are lakes. In lentic ecosystems, there is thermal stratification due to a significant temperature difference in the water column. The water surface gets heated by direct sunlight and is warmer, referred to as the epilimnion whereas the lower layer, deemed the hypolimnion, is cooler due to increased depth and less heat reception from the sun. The sources of nutrients usually come from surface runoffs, inland debris, atmospheric deposition and debris, and also from the water body