Lakes and Rivers Review Sheet

Complete this review sheet without the use of your course notes, to determine how much you
actually recall and understand.
Lakes what are the characteristics of lakes and ponds?
Lakes and ponds are considered "still" or non-moving water, and can vary in size as well as
depth.
Lake zonation- List the three zones.
1. Littoral Zone- Shallow area of lake or pond in contact with the shore. Many plants and
animals located in this zone. Photosynthesis occurs in these shallow waters.
2. Limnetic Zone- Shallow waters where light penetrates in open water. This area may also be
referred to as the photic zone, which receives enough sunlight for photosynthesis to occur.
3. Profundal Zone- Deep water region that does not have penetration of sunlight. Also referred
to as the aphotic zone, meaning "without light".
Which zone is in contact with the shore? Littoral Zone
Which zone does not have sunlight penetrate? Limnetic Zone-
What do the terms photic and aphotic mean?
Photic mean receives enough sunlight for photosynthesis to occur.
Aphotic mean without light
Why is sunlight needed in lakes and ponds?
Because photosynthesis occur in the lakes and ponds

Name the three plant types, and provide some examples.

aquatic plants, floating plants and emergent plants.

Provide examples of animals of lake or river ecosystems that represent producers, herbivores,
carnivores, and decomposers.
Herbivores include Common moorhens, Snails, frogs.
Carnivores include Gators, hawks, Great blue herons
Decomposer include worm, and micro bacteria
Producer include all the plants in the lakes
What is a population? A community? Which term encompasses the other?
A group of the same species or individuals is called a population
A community is a group of different populations of a variety of organisms
an ecosystem is composed of all the living and non-living things in a given area at the same
time.
Aging process of lakes
Name and define each stage of lake aging.
Oligotrophic is early stage of a lake, when the waters are clear and little growth or living
organisms are found.
Mesotrophic is Middle stage of a lake, where there is plant and animal growth, as well as good
water quality.
Eutrophic is late stage of a lake, where waters are low in oxygen and there is a change to the
system due to all of the organic matter present.
Which is the most productive stage?
Mesotrophic

Is eutrophication a natural process? Does mans impact speed up the eutrophication process?
Eutrophication is the process of lake aging, which is a natural process. This process can be
accelerated by man actions or inputs.
Rivers and Streams
What defines rivers and streams, making them different from lakes and ponds?
Lakes and ponds are considered "still" or non-moving water, and can vary in size as well as
depth. River considered moving water and the river is receiving water from a variety of sources
What comprises a riverbed?
A comprise of rivers channel and rivers channel
What is a watershed?
Watersheds are areas of surrounding land that provide water to the river.
The characteristics that cause variations in Rivers include:
Velocity or speed of flow (water movement)- Velocity can be effected by volume changes, the
more water, the more rapidly it flows.
Substratum is Composition of the bottom of the river.
Dissolved oxygen content is directly relating to health and productivity of the river.
River water temperatures vary depending on depth, tree cover, and velocity.

How are pollutants that enter rivers and streams different than those of lakes and ponds?
Agricultural and urban run-off can enter moving waters during heavy rains. The pollutants are
often carried downstream to areas that are slower moving. A decrease in oxygen from the input
of pollutants often occurs, which is detrimental to the living organisms. Whether the source of
the pollutants is point source or non-point source, the movement of the pollutants downstream
have a greater reach of their negative effects.