write about pond ecsystemwrite about pond ecosystem
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A pond ecosystem refers to the freshwater ecosystem where there are communities of organism dependent on each other with the prevailing water environment for their nutrients and survival. Ponds are shallow water bodies with a depth of 12-15 feet in which the sun rays can penetrate to the bottom permitting the growth of plants there.
Light zonation of pond
On the basis of the depth of water, penetration of light and the types of plants and animals in the pond, the pond is divided into different zones. They are:
Littoral
It is a peripheral shallow water zone in which light can reach up to the bottom. It contains warm and oxygen rich circulating water. So, this zone includes abundant rooted vegetations and different types of consumers.
Limnetic
The limnetic zone is a central part of a pond up to where there is penetration of effective light. The associated organisms are small crustaceans, rotifers, insects and their larvae and algae. The water level, oxygen content, and temperature in this zone varies time to time. Decomposers are almost absent here.
Profundal
This is the deep-water region where there is no effective light penetration. There the microscopic plants and decomposers are present. So it is called Hypolimnion.
Role of temperature in stratification, biological oxygen demand, and dissolved oxygen:
The thermal stratification of ponds refers to a change in the temperature at different depth in the pond and it is due to change in water's density with temperature. Thermal variation influences the aquatic life and leads to the stratification of the pond. There are three different regions in the pond which are epilimnion, thermocline, and hypolimnion. Epilimnion is the zone of gradually decreasing temperature from the surface, thermocline of rapidly falling temperature and hypolimnion is a bottom zone where no temperature gradient evident.
Biological oxygen demand ( BOD )
It is the amount of oxygen required by bacteria in the pond in a unit volume of water at a specified time.
Dissolved oxygen
Dissolved oxygen refers to the level of free, non-compound oxygen dissolved or present in water or any other liquid. BOD and DO govern the kind of organisms present in water.
Structure of pond ecosystem
It contains two main components i.e. abiotic and biotic.
Abiotic components
The abiotic substances of Pond ecosystem are formed as a result of the mixture of some organic and inorganic materials. They have directly or indirectly effect in aquatic organisms of the pond. These includes:
Light
Temperature
Dissolved oxygen
Carbon dioxide
Other gases
PH of water
Turbidity
Dissolved minerals
Biotic components