What is an aquatic ecosystem?

Aquatic systems are those that contain plants and animals that predominantly depend on a significant amount of water to be present for at least part of the year. But a perfect definition is tough to make. How many weeks a year does an area need to show standing water in order to be a pond? How about a bird bath or dog water dish, as both can breed aquatic insects if left undisturbed for a few days? For our purposes, we have a number of aquatic systems that hold water all year (in most cases) and are impacted to different degrees by activities on the surrounding landscape.

What are a few components of an aquatic ecosystem?

pond layers - Like in a forest, the top, middle, and bottom of a pond can be vastly different from each other, and even the layers in between. Under different temperature or light conditions the water in a pond can vary greatly in oxygen, clarity, and other factors that effect were plants and animals might live. The air above the pond and the land below the pond are important as well, as those provide space for animals to live, plants to root, and predators and prey to interact.

diversity - while many people think of a pond as just a small lake with frogs and fish, there are thousands of differents species of plants and animals living together in a natural pond. The more diverse a pond is (more species that it has) the stronger and healthier it is.

micro-organisms - some of the most imortant plants and animals in a pond are so small they are difficult to see without a microscope. They are called "micro-organisms" (micro=small, organism=life form) and while a few may cause disease, almost all are very beneficial and important to a pond ecosystem. While bigger animals may fly, walk, or swim away to other ponds, micro-organisms are always present in large numbers.

macro-organisms - larger plants and animals that are easy to see on a pond are called "macro-organisms (macro=large). They are the plants and animals that we often notice first, and can more easily spread from pond to pond.

What aquatic systems can be found at River Bend?

• Marsh - shallow water with non-woody plants growing above water level
• Swamp - like a marsh but with bushes and trees growing from the water as well
• Pond - a small and shallow body of water with plants growing above water level only on the edges; generally freezes solid during winter.
• River - a moving body of water that flows from one place to another.
• Stream - smaller than a river, may even dry up sometimes
• Puddles - any body of water that lasts for a few days or more may attract aquatic life
• Spring - area where underground water is discharged onto the land suface forming a pond or stream

What other types of aquatic systems can be found on Earth?

You may research any of these they don't seem familiar:

What will we do at River Bend?

You and your team will visit one of River Bend's ponds and complete a series of tests and observations to get a "snapshot" assessment of that aquatic ecosystem. You will compare your results to those of other teams and in future years teams will make comparisons to yours.

You and your team will:

• Record date and the weather conditions at the time of your visit.
• Draw a sky view map of the pond, including living and dead vegetation, various structures and visible features, and wildlife sighted at that time.
• Test the various physical properties of the pond:
  • Water depth
  • Water temperature
• Perform several experiments to tell you more about the chemical properties of the water (detailed indicator sheet ):
  • Dissolved oxygen: Primarily absorbed from the air but also created by plants and used by animals. Also consumed by the decomposition of organic matter.
  • Nitrates: Excessive nitrogen from animal waste and fertilizers boosts plant growth
  • Phosphates: Excessive phosphorus from our detergents creates algae blooms that lead to water quality problems
  • pH: A measure of how acidic or basic the water is. The pH is affected by geology of the area, plant growth, and pollutants. Water that is too acidic or too basic will cause a variety of problems for aquatic species.
• Collect and identify insects and other creatures in and around the pond. They often are indicators of water quality as some insect prefer "dirty" water and others "clean" water. (Download detailed indicator sheet here.)

Your data will be compiled with data gathered by other teams to generate ranges and averages for future comparisons.

What are some basic principles of a scientific investigation?

Science is often a process of performing scientific tests to investigate and learn things. For example, we can test a sample of water to see how much oxygen is present in a pond. In order for such tests to have any meaning, there are some rules (or "principles") that we must remember:

• Follow all directions and safety instructions for a test carefully.
• Do each test the same way each time you do it.
• When measuring something, be as exact as possible.
• Doing the same test several times and taking an average can give you a better answer to a question than doing just one test.

What do we need to remember when we visit River Bend?

1. The quieter we are, the better.
2. Listen to your leader.
3. Be careful and safe with all tools and equipment
4. Raise your hand if you have something to say.
5. Do not pick anything unless given permission.
6. Stay where you leader asks you to be.
7. Be respectful of nature - and of each other!

2011 Data Reports

School Key: R=Roosevelt Elementary; L=Lincoln Elementary; J=Jefferson Elementary; FLS=Faribault Lutheran School; & DM=Divine Mercy Catholic School.
 

Photos of some past classes
Do you have more photos? Send in your best and we'll post them here!

Some suggested pre- or post-visit activities

Send us your ideas! Email them to Barbara Hurley.

• Create model pond ecosystem (such as DSMII Pond Life) including a chart showing similarities and differences of River Bend's wetlands.
• Monitor the results from other classes posted on this site to include in graphing. (In the future, most value will be gained by comparing results from different years).
• Research other types of wetlands, in North America and around the globe.
• Monitor and research current news stories on phosphates, acid rain, and any other articles relating concerns regarding rivers, ponds, marshes, and other aquatic systems.

Interesting Links

The following links contain interesting information on aquatic ecosystems.
You can also send us your favorite aquatic ecosystem links! Email them to Barbara Hurley.

Pond chemistry:
http://users.vcnet.com/rrenshaw/H2Oquality.html

Groundwater and drinking water:
http://water.epa.gov/drink/

Ideas for related projects:
http://www.cloudnet.com/~edrbsass/edsci.htm#waterquality