Ponds and Lakes Biome

Ponds and Lakes Biome

Symbiosis and Competition

Characteristics of Ponds and Lakes

Predator Prey Interactions

Mutualism: Algae and fungi work together to form lichen communities

Commensalism: Various species of pondweed provide protection and shelter to many species of fish and other organisms.

Parasitism: Ichthyophthirius multifiliis (commonly referred to as “Ich”) is a common disease of freshwater fish caused by the protozoan Ichthyopthirius. Ich is one of the most common and persistent diseases in fish.

Competition: Freshwater snails and Anuran tadpoles both feed on periphytic algae.

Negative Human Interaction

Habitat Alteration: Building dams stops the natural flow of water and can change the ecosystem on both sides dramatically. Also, diverting water for irrigation systems reduces the amount of available water to the organisms living in it and shifts the balance of the overall ecosystem.

Overuse: The same waterways that support the wildlife and plants in lakes and ponds also support city water. This may limit the amount of water in the lakes and ponds

Wastewater: System failures or floods can trigger a release of untreated sewage into lakes and ponds. Depending on the toxicity of the sewage, it could kill large numbers of organisms or just change the nutrient balance in the water.

Pollution Runoff: Industrial dumping, particulate pollution from combustion engines, and agricultural fertilizers with pesticides can all end up in lakes and ponds. Some of these toxic chemicals can cause genetic mutations in organisms.

Animal to Animal: Fish against Tree Frogs

Fish prey with their eyesight and rely on movements in the water, color, and shape. Tree frogs tend to not breed in ponds where fish reside, unless there are sticklebacks because sticklebacks do not prey on tree frogs. Frogs also jump out of water and can live on land.

Other Secondary Defenses Include:

-Chemical

-Rapid Movement

-Burrowing

-Morphology

Animal to Plant: Cray fish eat Macrophytes. They clip it from the root to eat it efficiently. Their population may rapidly decline in the presence of cray fish because they have no defense against them.

Abiotic Factors:

-Light

-Nutrients

-Oxygen

-pH

-Temperature

-Turbulence

Biotic Factors (Autotrophs, Heterotrophs, Decomposers):

-Heron

-Water Spider

-Algae

-Frogs

-Lilies

-Trout

Where are they found?

Ponds and Lakes cover only 2% of the Earth's land surface

Lake Redman

Food Web

Positive Human Interactions

-Phytoplankton (Hyperia macrocephala)

-Algae/Mosses (Pediastrum boryanum /Bryophyta)

-Herbivorous Zooplankton (Calanoida)

-Benthic Invertebrates, Milky Ribbon Worm (Cerebratulus Lacteus)

-Carnivorous Zooplankton (Phyton Plankton)

-Whitefish/Arctic char (Coregoninae/ Salvelinus alpinus)

-Peregrine Falcon/Eagle (Falco peregrinus/Haliaeetus leucocephalus Linnaeus)

-Piscivorous Fish, Pike (Esox lucius)

-Otter/Mink (Lutrinae/Neovison vison)

*Conservation Efforts

*Water Regulations

*Fishing Regulations

Characteristics Continued...

Effect of Keystone Species

Type of water flow: Static, water flows into lakes and ponds from streams or rivers but then gathers together and allows sediments to settle. Inflow is generally more than outflow

These organisms are shrimp-like invertebrates that are usually found offshore in the bottom mud. In a 2003 study, Diporeia made up 52% of the benthic macroinvertebrate community in Lake Superior. However, zebra mussels were competing and winning against Diporeia in obtaining their algae food source. If zebra mussels kept winning and Diporeia eventually died out, then it would be trouble for all of the organisms that depended on them as a food source. If those animals can’t eat the Diporeia, then they might die out and another group of organisms would have a hard time surviving.

Vegetation:

-Willow moss (Foninalis antipyretica)

-Water Fern (Azolla)

-Yellow Water Lily (Nuphar lutea)

-Willows (Salix spp)

-Lesser Bladderwort ( Utricularia minor )

Typical Organisms Found:

-Flatworms (Turbellarians)

-White-clawed Crayfish ( Austropotamobius pallipes )

-Freshwater Shrimp (Gammarus pulex)

-Dragonflies (Anisoptera)

-Pike ( Esox lucius )

Organic Matter: phosphorus, nitrogen, carbon, silicon, calcium, potassium, magnesium, sulfur, sodium, chloride, iron

Salt Content: Low salt content (<1%) in most lakes and ponds because there is a higher proportion of freshwater ponds and lakes than salt water.

Succession

Keystone Species and Population Model

Keystone Species: Benthic Amphipods

Diporeia, a benthic amphiod, is the keystone species in the Great Leaks of North America.

Pond Succession:

1. Pondweed and other submerged vegetation begin to cover the bottom

2. Plants begin to die and layers f debris build up over time

3. Pond becomes so shallow it becomes a marsh

4. Marsh might eventually dry up to become a swamp and then a grassland/ forest filled with trees

Lake Succession:

1. Phytoplankton stage

2. Submerged stage

3. Floating stage

4. Reed swamp stage- converting of the lake into a saturated marsh

5. Meadow stage

6. Woodland stage

7. Climax forest- final stage, covered by trees and decomposers