BIO NOTES

ECOSYSTEM OF LAKE
SHALLOW LAKE-
-not deeper than 30 m
-Coastal vegetation
-Some plants were used to make roofs of houses-above water level, so they provide
shelter and receive nutrients-are not food for animals

-Sea weeds-Absorb nutrients, provide oxygen, create different biotopes, hold mud in
place, not food for animals
-Food chain (microscopic algae that live in the upper part of the lake as that’s where
most of the light is)-
-Primary producers(phytoplankton)zooplankton-primary consumers small fish
who eat by breathing and collecting algae from the water-secondary consumers
bigger fish like catfish or trout-tertiary consumers

-Important for water to be clean—bigger fish can see the small fish—small fish don’t
overconsume algae and the algae will not overpopulate

-Factors affecting lakes (physics of water)-

Thermocline in water—density pf water depending on the temperature (NORMALLY

TEMPERATURE = 25 AND DENSITY 1) At 0 degrees, density of ice is lowest at 4
degrees, density is higher at 0 than 24 degrees, sunlight doesn’t warm the lower
layers of the water

On the upper parts of water the nutrients is not high-more in the bottom because
that’s where the decomposers live also where most consumption of oxygen happens

Eu(new)trophication- deterioration of water ecosystems due to excess of

nutrients(mainly due to rain carrying fertilisers and nutrients from de farms)-algae
consumes this which covers light for seaweed and has an impact on the other layers