Coral Reefs
Essay by Nicolas • August 5, 2011 • Essay • 270 Words (2 Pages) • 1,626 Views
Coral Reefs
Producers: Zooxanthellae, calcareous algae, algal mats, phytoplankton, and epiphytes.
Consumers: Corals, clams, sea urchins, crustaceans, brittle-stars, gastropods, grazing fish, butterfly fish, star fish, parrot fish, eels, octopus, and barracudas.
Predators: Sharks, surgeon fish, and manta rays
Threats:
- Pollution
- Global warming
- Habitat fragmentation
- Ozone depletion
- Invasive species (people taking to captivity for aquariums, etc).
- Deforestation (penetration of light may be decreased to the corals).
Climate:
- Average water temperature= 74-84 degrees Feirenheit (cannot live in temperatures colder than 18 degrees celcius).
- Average water salinity= 30-40 ppt (parts per thousand).
- The currents are strong.
Limiting Factors:
- Light intensity
- Salinity
- Temperature
- Water Depth
- Low nutrient (nitrogen)
Resource: Coral calcium
Tropical Rainforest
Producers: cyanobacteria, algae, fruit trees, rubber trees, shrubs, vines, ferns, orchids, etc.
Consumers: Colobus monkey, sloth, humming birds, bees, wasps, lemurs, pygmy, opossum, grasshoppers, slugs, and marmosets.
Predators: Jaguar, anteater, spiders, scorpions, loris, snakes, tigers, golden lion, vampire bats, acacia ant, toco toucan, sumatran rhinoceros, flavus, parrots, and parakeets.
Climate:
- Average temperature
* Day= 30-35 degrees celcius
* Night= 20-25 degrees celcius
- Average rainfall= 1,500-2,500mm/ 250-450cm a year.
Limiting Factors:
- Food
- Sunlight
- Water
- Space
Threats:
- Deforestation
- Habitat fragmentation
- Acid
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