Aquatic Ecosystems Homework

Aquatic Systems, Unit 18

The property of water molecules bonding to one another on the outside of a water body, creating a strong, elastic exterior, is called _____.  The hydrogen bonding is possible because of water’s ______.

The thermal storage capacity of water is called its:

The surface tension of water allows it to:

The high specific heat of water allows bodies of water to ______ compared to the atmosphere, making bodies of water very ______ environments for aquatic organisms.

The density of liquid water is _____ dense than solid water.  This allows ice to ______ when it forms in a body of water.  Aquatic life in cold climates would not otherwise be possible.

The energy forces that drive the water or hydrologic cycle are:

Over ____% of the water on Earth is in the oceans, and of the remaining fresh (non-salty) water, about ____% is found in ice.  In other words, only about ____% is found as fresh, liquid water.

Standing or non-flowing water systems are called _________ systems, while flowing water systems are called _________ systems.

The land area from which water drains in a common watercourse is called a:

The longest river in Texas, draining the greatest area, is the ______.

The ______ zone of a pond or lake is located in shallow water where light penetrates to the bottom, while the ______ zone is in open water near the surface where light penetrates.

The ______ zone of a pond or lake is the deep water where light does not penetrate, while the _______ zone is the bottom sediments.

The primary factor controlling the kind of organisms that can survive in aquatic environments is _______.

The most common cause of fish kills is a low ______ level.

Most fresh water fish in Texas are classified as _____-water species.

The oxygen level in water bodies rises during the ______ hours, and is higher in ______ water temperatures.

A food chain describes the transfer of energy from plants (primary producers) to herbivores (primary consumers) to carnivores (secondary consumers).  Only about ____ of the energy from a lower level of the food chain reaches the next higher level.

Which of the following does NOT improve water quality in a watershed?