Ocean Biome: Ocean Plant Energy Flow - Research Paper Example

? Ocean Biome: Ocean Plant Energy Flow Ocean Biome: Ocean Plant Energy Flow Introduction ‘Biomes’ simply refer to similar climatic conditions on earth and they often indicate ecosystems. In some parts of the earth, same kind of abiotic and biotic factors are accumulated and it creates a typical ecosystem over that area; such an ecosystem is known as biome (Biome). Plant structures, leaf types, plant spacing, and climate becomes a common base for defining biomes. Ecological succession and climax vegetation often become the features of biomes and a biome is not defined in terms of genetic, historical, or taxonomic similarities unlike in the case of ecozones. In addition, a biome is a major habitat type and it has an intrinsic inhomegeneity. This paper will discuss ocean biome, ocean plant energy flow, and five different plant organisms. Ocean biomes The ocean cover’s 70% of the earth’s surface and hence it holds the largest of earth’s biomes. There are diverse group of living organisms in the ocean. The smallest creatures in the ocean can be seen only with the help of a microscope. At the same time, the ocean also contains blue whales, the largest creatures, which are as much as 34 meters long. Wide ranges of ecosystems are present depending on different elements such as water temperature, amount of sunlight available, and amount of nutrients. Energy flow in the ocean’s ecosystems constitutes ocean biome energy flow which is a very complex process. Food webs and flow of energy in the ecosystem As on land, there is a food chain system in ocean also which is related to natural interconnections of creatures. They are illustrated below Diatoms are plants that find their food from sunlight and are microscopic in nature. In contrast, zooplankton is the group of small tin animals like krill, medusa jellyfish, and crab larvae. Mackerel, herring, and mollusks include in the group of small fishes while swordfish, tuna, and shark come under the category of large fishes. Killer whales eat fish, seals, and other whales. The ocean ecosystem shows rather the features of a food web than a chain since majority sea creatures eat more than one kind of creature and some creatures prey their own group members. According to Trites (2001), more than 100 food webs have been discovered in marine ecosystems which indicate the transfer of food energy from plants to carnivores and higher order predators through herbivores. Different studies show that length of the food web chains is typically short (around 3-4 links) and some of the species find prey from more than one trophic level. It has been observed that food webs in ocean ecosystems with long food chains are less stable as compared to those with shorter food chains. As we discussed earlier, ocean energy flow is highly varied and complex. In the ocean, major part of energy begins with a photosynthetic organism like algae and the remaining part begins with chemical energy. It is estimated that nearly ten percent of the energy is passed on next phase in most of the energy transformations. Hence, organisms at the end of the trophic level may get a few amount of energy. This is the reason why they consume different prey groups or even members from their own group. The energy is lost during the transformations mainly because these organisms utilize the acquired energy to maintain normal body conditions. During this process, the energy is dissipated as heat. Plant organisms Ocean biome contains a huge collection of plant organisms. Seaweed, kelp, riella, utricularia, and water lettuce are some of the examples of plant organisms in ocean biome. 1. Seaweed According to Teo and Wee (1983, p. 4), Seaweed is a macroscopic marine algae and this term includes some members from red, brown, and green algae. Seaweed has wide ranges of industrial and other uses. It includes in the kingdom Protista and polyphyletic group. The seaweeds have close similarity with non-arboreal terrestrial plants in its appearance. Bladderwrack is a type of seaweed that adapts in a number of ways in order to live in coastal waters. For instance, the small bladders in its fronds aid the fronds to float the seaweed in the water which in turn assists the organism to get as much sunlight possible. 2. Kelp Kelp belongs to brown algae which grow in kelp forests. In order to carry out its biological operations smoothly, it requires nutrient rich water and temperatures between 6 and 14 degree Celsius. The kelp is known for its high growth rate and it is widely used for varieties of commercial purposes. In order to withstand ocean currents, its roots are adapted to dig deep into rocks and soil. Similarly, many species have the ability to adapt their blades to local environment. 3. Riella Riella is the only genus in the Riellaceae family. Riella plants are small and they closely resemble immature algae. An erect central axis or stem is the characteristic feature of a riella plant and this plant is bright green. The presence of riella populations are generally limited to places where summer is dry and winter is wet. A spirally wound thallus, a special feature is attached to one side of the thickened stem in riella. 4. Utricularia Utricularia is a genus of carnivorous plants and is commonly called bladderworts. Barthlott, Porembski, Seine, and Theisen (2007) point out that the bladder like traps of utricularia assists the plant to capture small organisms. Despite its small size, the plant can effectively trap its preys. Therefore, the bladder traps are identified as the most sophisticated features in the plant kingdom. In utricularia, vegetative organs have not been separated into roots, leaves, and stems. “The key adaptation in Utricularia likely lies in the molecular energetic changes that buttressed the mechanisms responsible for the bladderworts’ radical morphological evolution” (Jobson, Nielsen, Laakkonen, Wikstrom Albert & Gray, 2004, p. 18064). 5. Water lettuce Water lettuce is an aquatic plant and member in the family of Araceae. Thick but soft leaves are one of the notable features of water lettuce. This plant has no stem and is light green with parallel veins. This plant greatly assists the growth of mosquitoes of the genus Mansonioides. The tiny hair on the roots and swollen leaf stalk are the specific adaptations of water lettuce, which help the plant to float on water. Conclusion Evidently, ecosystems constitute a biome. There are wide ranges of organisms living in an ocean biome. The food webs in the ocean biome is highly varied and complex. Many of the marine plant organisms like seaweed, kelp, riella, utricularia, and water lettuce adapt to form a bond with the biome. References “Biome”. (July 2011). Retrieved from http://wn.com/biome?upload_time=all_time&orderby=relevance Barthlott, W., Porembski, S., Seine, R & Theisen, I. (2007). The curious world of carnivorous plants: A comprehensive guide to their biology and cultivation. USA: Timber Press. Jobson, R. W., Nielsen, R., Laakkonen, L., Wikstrom, M., Albert, V. A & Gray, H. B. (Dec 28, 2004). “Adaptive Evolution of Cytochrome c Oxidase: Infrastructure for a Carnivorous Plant Radiation”. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 101, (52). 18064-18068.  Trites, A. W. (Oct 2001). “Food webs in the ocean: Who eats whom and how much.” Marine Mammal Research Unit. Retrieved from ftp://ftp.fao.org/fi/document/reykjavik/pdf/08trites.pdf Wei, T. L & Chin, W. Y. (1983). Seaweeds of Singapore. Singapore: Singapore University Press. 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