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Ecology: Freshwater Wetlands

Wetlands make up some of the most unique and biologically diverse places on the planet. They are characterized by shallow fresh waters and an abundance of diverse species. They are also very important to surrounding areas and the organisms that live there.

Let's visit the world's largest freshwater wetlands, located in South America.

Jordan Green

The Pantanal

(18.0000 S 56.5000 W)

The Pantanal wetlands are a very unique location, and several factors affect the conditions there:

(biotic)

(abiotic)

Plant Species

Water

  • This area is one of the most biologically diverse in the world (as many wetlands are) and is home to 3,500 (known) plant species. Many are aquatic plants that thrive in the shallow pools and experience "water-stress" during the dry season.
  • Because it is classified as a wetlands environment, clean, fresh water is particularly important to the survival of the organisms of the Pantanal. For example, capybaras there will only mate in the water.

Resident Animals

Soil

  • Over 10,000 diverse species of animals are known to live here - everything from anacondas to anteaters. There are about 300 species of mammals, 1,000 of birds, 400 of fish, and over 9,000 of invertebrates!
  • Different types of soil make for different types of plants here. In higher, more elevated areas, the soil is sandy, but in the lower saturated areas it consists of clay and silt.

Link!

Invasive Species

Temperature

  • One problem in the Pantanal is invasive species, like the Gymnotus fish. Some invasive species can be threatening to the balance of an ecosystem, while others are not.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1095-8649.2007.01365.x/abstract;jsessionid=0FDB575F93F81FA70AEFB0E9218C6395.d01t02?deniedAccessCustomisedMessage=&userIsAuthenticated=false

  • The tropical weather (due to a location virtually in the middle of a rainforest) makes life possible for many of the unique organisms that thrive here. The average temperature is about 77 degrees F, but it can get up to 104!

Weather

  • Because of its location, this region experiences a wet season with lots of rain and floods (November to March) and a dry season (April to September). During the wet season, about 80% of the Pantanal is submerged!

The Capybara

(Hydrochoerus hydrochareus)

The capybara is a unique mammal that lives in the Pantanal Wetlands. It is the largest member of the rodent family and has webbed feet adapted for swimming.

Bolivia

It is an important piece of the wetlands ecosystem in which it exists. The capybara lives in low, wet habitats like lakes in the Pantanal. They are very good swimmers and spend a lot of time in the water - they are even able to sleep there!

Capybaras live in large groups as some other rodents do, and graze in the wetlands eating select types of marsh grasses and seeds (they are heterotrophs). Unfortunately their niche, or role, in the community is that of the primary consumer and the prey. They are hunted by a type of crocodile (the caiman) and are the favorite food of the jaguar and anaconda.

Flow of Energy

jaguar

caiman

Brazil

anaconda

piranha

Biomass

capybara

marsh deer

small river fishes

Biomass, by definition, is the total amount of organic matter that makes up a group of organisms in a habitat. There is always more biomass and energy at lower levels because only a fraction (10%) of that energy can be transferred on to the next level to support higher organisms (some is lost as heat).

jabuti turtle

aquatic plants

marsh grass

apex predator (like the jaguar)

carnivores (like caiman)

the sun

In addition to the larger organisms pictured, the tiny decomposers like bacteria are also extremely important because they break down organic matter and return it to the soil, which is necessary because much of the surrounding rainforest soil lacks significant nutrients.

herbivores (like capybaras)

aquatic plants

Limits on Life

Relationships Between Organisms

While the Pantanal wetlands is a rich, diverse environment, there are still (as always) limits on the amount of life it will be able to support.

Scientists realized a long time ago that a population will always grow faster than the resources that support it. In addition, predators control the number of primary consumers in an area.

Even with the ability to break down and reuse organic material, an ecosystem will always have some limit to the amount of life it is able to support within itself. The Pantanal is large and complex, so it can support a multitude of organisms.

In a community, it is vital for different species to interact. These are a few different types of relationships between organisms:

  • Mutualism

Mutualism is a relationship in which both organisms benefit. For example, the capybara often allows the black caracara bird to clean its fur. In return the bird gets a meal of parasites like ticks.

  • Commensalism

In commensalism, one of the organisms benefits from the relationship while the other is not affected one way or the other. For example, marsh birds often nest in wetland cattails, but it does not cause any harm to the cattails. Also, algae often makes its home on turtles' shells without hurting them.

  • Parasitism

Danger!

One organism benefits while the other (the host) is harmed in parasitism. For example, ticks thrive in wet, grassy areas and latch on to mammals like the capybaras to feed off of them. Parasites can also carry diseases that make the host sick or even kill it.

  • Predator - prey

Wetlands in general are disappearing fast, in part because of humans. The Pantanal is no exception; it has some concerns of its own like erosion, sedimentation, and several of its unique species on the endangered list.

As with parasitism, one organism benefits while the other is harmed (killed) in a predator - prey relationship. Unlike parasitism, there is no "host". One organism simply kills another for food. For example, the capybaras mentioned above are hunted by jaguars.

http://www.pantanal.org/pantvalu.htm

Humans...

As stated in the article, many of the Pantanal's problems are direct results of humans polluting, poaching, and destroying the habitats in the wetlands.

Not many people live there, but the Pantanal is a popular tourism spot, which unfortunately causes people to disturb and disrupt life in the wetlands.

We need to work harder to protect places like these: wetlands are extremely important for biodiversity, water filtration, and proving a home for countless species.

Paraguay

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