Rivers and Springs
Jenny Ngo
Swimming!
There are many springs and rivers in Florida. Freshwater springs, such as Blue, Wakulla,Alexander, and Deleon Springs. On the other side though rivers can be freshwater or brackish which is both salt and freshwater. There are few species endangered like the manatee. An interesting fact is the Nile river is the longest. What can you do while you're at a river or spring though? Go swimming!
Factors
Abiotic:
- Slow flowing water
- Freshwater or Groundwater springs
- Brackish or freshwater Rivers
- Sand
- Sometimes exposed limestone
- Silt
- Clay
- Aquatic Ecosystem
- Pollution-Sediment from construction sites,water from the sewers,wastewater can harm organisms.
- Springs are about 70 degrees.
Biotic:
Animals:
- Alligator snapping turtle is native to southeastern United States this turtle is the largest type of freshwater in the world.
- Belted Kingfisher are larger than most kingfishers, migrates to south and central Florida and to the Southwest during the winter.
- Florida Manatee subspecies of West Indian manatee and estimated 1,200-2000 Florida manatees left.
- River Otter member of weasel family and lives throughout Florida mostly in wooded areas, they avoid brackish or saltwater habitats.
Plants:
- Cattail found nearly worldwide, cattails have been used around the world as bedding,thatching and manufacture of baskets.
- Cottonwood are found in wet sites such as rivers cottonwood are sometimes known as Carolina poplars or necklace poplars.
- Buttonbush is a shrub or small tree normally about 3 meters tall and native to eastern U.S. it grows best along edges of ponds or marshy areas.
- Bald Cypress closely related to California Redwoods, easily recognized by flat needle-like leaves with large base.
Food Web
Animals in Food Web
Producers:
- Cottonwood
- Blackgum
- Pickerelweed
- Cattail
- Red Maple
- Wild Rice
- Bladderwort
Consumers:
- Crayfish
- River Cooter
- Florida Manatee
- Mayflies
- Dragonflies
- Wood Duck
Decomposer:
- Snails
Apex Predator:
- American Alligator
Human Impacts
Positive Effects:
- Dredge-Cleans out areas of water by getting rid of mud, or weeds.
- Dam Construction-Dams are barriers to control flow of water and helps reduce amount of floods. Dams provide water and electricity to nearby cities.
Negative Effects:
- Pollution-People can throw away their trash, poor drinks out, or leave items in rivers/springs which causes pollution and pollution can harm the animals or plants that live there.
- Invasive Species-People can bring animals or plants that aren't native to Florida and it can affect other native species at Florida.
- Saltwater Intrusion-Moves saline water into freshwater and can lead to contamination of drinking water sources. Freshwater springs can soon be filled with salt since of the saline water.
Classification of American Alligator
Domain:Animalia
Kingdom:Chordata
Phylum:Reptilia
Class:Crocodylomorpha
Order:Crocodilia
Family:Alligatoridae
Genus:Alligator
Species:A. mississippiensis
Resources For Information
- http://webworldwonders.firn.edu/eco/
- http://www.rivers.gov/
- http://www.waterencyclopedia.com/Re-St/Springs.html
- http://floridaswater.com/waterbodies/pollutionsources.html
- http://www.floridasprings.org/learn/life/plants/
- http://www.floridasprings.org/learn/questions/
- http://www.edwardsaquifer.net/species.html
- http://orlando.about.com/od/gardens/tp/Natural-Springs-and-State-Parks-Near-Orlando.htm
- http://plants.ifas.ufl.edu/manage/overview-of-florida-waters/fish-and-wildlife/threatened-and-endangered-freshwater-species-in-florida
- http://theawesomefacts1.blogspot.com/2012/06/amazing-facts-about-rivers.html
- http://app.mindmapmaker.org/#m:mmc471232e918d4f64b5d041861e3fd353
- http://sciencelearn.org.nz/Contexts/Toku-Awa-Koiora/Science-Ideas-and-Concepts/Human-impact-on-rivers
- http://www.waterencyclopedia.com/Da-En/Dams.html
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_alligator