Lecture 7: Abiotic Factors

Abiotic Factors

Abiotic Factors
1. Light
2. Heat
3. Wind
4. Water
5. Catchment area
6. Water color
7. pH
8. Habitat permanence

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 Lecture 7: Abiotic Factors

5. Catchment area
• also called the drainage area or the watershed
• region around the lake, pond, or river that drains the
rain into it
• boundary: ridge beyond which the water flows in the
opposite direction

Catchment area

Taal Lake

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 Lecture 7: Abiotic Factors

Mississippi River, USA

Lake Constance

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 Lecture 7: Abiotic Factors

5. Catchment area
• The size, bedrock, soil and vegetation of the
catchment area affects nutrient input, pH, and water
color

The features of the catchment area determine the

abiotic frame that is presented to the biotic
community

5. Catchment area bc during wet season, there is a high

• effect of the catchment area on lake chemistry:
 dry periods > wet
 wet season water composition: rainwater = lake
 more time for water to interact with soil during dry season
 larger catchment area > smaller area
 catchment with agricultural activity:
• ↑produc vity bc of input of the fertilizers
amount of water input in the lake and
due to this, ang bilis magtravel ng
water so there is not a lot of time for
that water to interact with the
geology, vegetation around the lake.
because of bigger catchment area,
mas makakapaginteract yung water
mo with the lake compared sa
smaller catchment

 catchment with coniferous forest:

• ↓nutrients
• ↑humic content
• ↓pH

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 Lecture 7: Abiotic Factors

6. Water color
• Color is mainly derived from particles or substances
that are suspended or dissolved in the water
*
 organic matter at different
stages of decomposition
 concentration of
phytoplankton communities
 weathered rocks and soils + C, N

+ C, N, P

*CDOM: Colored Dissolved Organic Matter

9 in this experiment, it was proved that phosphorus is the limiting nutrient in lakes

6. Water color
Humic substances (bogs, streams, lakes, ponds)
• large molecules
• difficult to degrade due to
phenols
 most stable organic
matter fraction
• long-lived compounds
 accumulate in aquatic
systems
• color range:
• weak tea (low to medium)
• cognac (high)

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even if you filter the water out, it remains the same bc dissolved substances ang nagpapakulay and not particulate

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 Lecture 7: Abiotic Factors

6. Water color

Humic substances (bogs, streams, lakes, ponds)

– sources:
• remains of lake organisms (autochthonous)
• introduced from the catchment area (allochthonous)

 although systems with high humic substances suggest low pH, oxygen
and light penetration levels, the input of allochthonous materials is a
potential energy source

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7. pH
• Measure of the acidity of a solution

pH = - log [1/H+]

• A change in one unit in pH = 10x change in the

activity of hydrogen ions
pH
Most lakes 6–9
Lakes of volcanic origin 2
Bog lakes ≤4
Pure rain 6
Acid rain ~2

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 Lecture 7: Abiotic Factors

7. pH

• Factors affecting pH
– Geology and hydrology of the catchment area
– Input of acidifying substances
– Productivity of the system

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7. pH
• pH and the CO2-HCO3 complex

CO2 atmospheric input

↓ and respiration
CO2 + H2O ↔ H2CO3 ↔ H+ + HCO3- ↔ CO32- + 2H+
↓ ↓
to photosynthesis CaCO3 precipitation

• Photosynthesis: uptake of CO2 → ↑pH

• Respiration: release of CO2 → ↓pH

since photosynthesis happens during the day time,

the tendency during the daytime is for the pH to
increase and then decrease pH for the night time
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 Lecture 7: Abiotic Factors

7. pH
• Alkalinity
– acid-neutralizing capacity
– in regions with a bedrock rich in carbonates (e.g.,
CaCO3), the weathering of carbonates impart a
high alkalinity
– low alkalinity (0 – 0.01 meq l-1), pH drops even at
small additions of acid
– higher alkalinities (> 0.5 meq l-1), pH does not
drop proportionally to acid addition

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7. pH
• Alkalinity and pH

pH = 7.3 + 0.82 log [alkalinity]

 Only for pH > 5.4 and alkalinity > 0.005 meq l-1

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 Lecture 7: Abiotic Factors

7. pH
• Effects of decreased pH (i.e., acidification)
 Zooplankton
• dominance of large copepods
• reduction of daphnids
 Bentho-pelagic animals (e.g., molluscs,
crustaceans, fish, insects)
• reduced ability to reproduce and grow
• decreased abundances and species diversity
 Phytoplankton
• dominance of large flagellated algae and
chrysophytes (golden algae)
• reduction or disappearance of cyanobacteria and
diatoms
 Macrophytes
• dominance of acid-tolerant filamentous algae and
mosses (e.g., Sphagnum)
• reduction in periphytic algal species

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7. pH
• High pH
 imparts a bitter taste
 water pipes and water-using appliances become encrusted
with deposits
 depresses the effectiveness of the disinfection of chlorine,
thereby causing the need for additional chlorine when pH is
high
• Effects of decreased pH
– Increased solubility of heavy metals (Pb, Cu, Cd)
– Increased water toxicity
 water coming out of an abandoned coal mine can have a
pH of 2

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 Lecture 7: Abiotic Factors

8. Habitat permanence
• Not all freshwater habitats contain water all year.
• Temperate temporary ponds
– vernal ponds
• Fill up in the spring
• Dry out during the summer
– autumnal ponds
• Dry out during the summer mas matagal na may tubig ung
autumnal ponds kesa sa vernal ponds
• Fill up in the autumn (fall)
• Remain water-filled through winter
• Other temporary pools (e.g., tropics)

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carabao puddle

dried up river bed

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 Lecture 7: Abiotic Factors

8. Habitat permanence
• Characteristics of temporary ponds
– Shallow with large surface area to volume ratio
(SA : V)
– Susceptible to weather fluctuations
• Temperature: large diurnal fluctuations
• Water chemistry: large fluctuations
– Contain organisms highly specialized for a life in a
temporary habitat

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8. Habitat permanence
• Succession in temporary ponds
Invertebrate
Animals with predators
short aquatic Aerobic
stage in their Decomposition
Wet life cycle of organic
matter
Detritivores &
Herbivores
Terrestrial
Vegetation
Rich algal
growth
Dry
Decaying
vegetation

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 Lecture 7: Abiotic Factors

8. Habitat permanence
• Adaptations among permanent residents
– Burrowing (e.g., fish, crustaceans)
– Formation of resting eggs (e.g., Anostraca)
– Mucous coats (e.g., oligochaetes and leeches)
– Encystment (e.g., flatworms)
– Emigration

• Adaptations of temporary residents (e.g.,

insects, amphibians)
– Complex life cycles (aquatic and non-aquatic
stages)
– Oviposition (egg-laying)

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