FACULTY OF BIOSCIENCE AND ENGINEERING

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN ENVIRONMENTAL SANITATION

Freshwater Ecosystem Analysis:

The Case of small artificial pond inside Bourgoyen – Ossemeersen

Celia Judith Vásquez Samaniego

(01501279)

Environmental Ecology
Partim Freshwater Ecology
Prof. Dr. Engr. Peter Goethals
2015-2016

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 Table of Contents

Freshwater Ecosystem Analysis: The case of small artificial pond inside Bourgoyen –
Ossemeersen................................................................................................................................. 3
Background and description .......................................................................................................... 3
Components of the Ecosystem ...................................................................................................... 3
Abiotic Factors .............................................................................................................................. 3
Biotic factors ................................................................................................................................. 5
Interactions ................................................................................................................................... 5
Improving the ecosystem ............................................................................................................... 7
References ..................................................................................................................................... 7

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 Freshwater Ecosystem Analysis: The case of small artificial pond inside Bourgoyen –
Ossemeersen

Background and description

The ponds support communities of complex life. Wildlife, from small fish to moose, depends on
food sources and aquatic habitats, as it is in the pond near it or visit during migration. Wherever
pond is located, plants, insects and animals appear to form an elaborate aquatic ecosystem
(Escolastico).
The small pond is located inside the Municipal Nature Reserve which is called Bourgoyen –
Ossemeersen in the westward of the city of Gent (Figure 1), this reserve has 230 hectares protected
from urbanization. It is considered a true paradise for plants and animals.

Figure 1: Small artificial pond inside Bourgoyen – Ossemeersen

The objective of this report is to understand the relationship between biotic and abiotic factors
that are within a freshwater ecosystem, as well as their characteristics and components. In
addition, it also aims to determine how this relationship influenced the ecosystem.

Components of the Ecosystem

Abiotic Factors

Light is one of the most important abiotic factor is considering the primary source of energy to
the ecosystem which play a vital ecological role in the pond.
It is so important because when this light penetrate the water surface is used by the heterotrophic
(algae) to produce food by photosynthesis by using together other substances. The intensity of
light depends on the latitude and the season. Also, the light allows the organisms to adjust their
activities according to the presence of this; some have diurnal activity other night. Furthermore,
it regulates the biological rhythms of the vast majority of species in the ecosystem.
Considering the studied pond, a varying light penetration at the different region of the water
column is observed. Some parts of the pond are slightly turbid. These turbid areas of the pond are
the regions where most hydrophytes and mosses are growing and where dead leaves accumulated.
The presence of the plants in these regions will hinder the penetration of light at the bottom (which
light can’t penetrate the deeper region of the pond). As a consequence, living organisms under
the turbid region of the pond will not be able to get sufficient incoming light. Turbidity in these

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regions can be attributed to the presence of Fine Particulate Organic Matter (FPOM) derived from
the degradation of the Course Particulate Organic Matter (CPOM) that accumulated in some parts
of the pond. Meanwhile, the middle part of the water column seems to be slightly cleared maybe
due to very little amount of FPOM as a result of less dead leaves accumulating in this region.
Because of this, light can penetrate the deeper layer of the water column which supports the
growth of plants in this area.
Temperatures fluctuate from moderately warm in the summer to completely freezing in the
winter. Usually ponds have a pH of approximately 7 but can be as low as 6 and as high as 10
depending on many factors (Meck, Norm).
The surface water is warmer in the upper layer because the sunshine heat this part easily than at
the bottom of the pond, where the temperature decrease make the water becomes colder.
Large populations of algae and other aquatic plants can change a pond's pH depending on the time
of day. These organisms take up more dissolved carbon dioxide through photosynthesis during
the day and emit carbon dioxide during the night though respiration. Higher amounts of carbon
dioxide help maintain pH at around 7 by dissociating into bicarbonate ions. With a large organic
demand for carbon dioxide, the bicarbonate ion concentration and thus buffering capacity of the
pond can be significantly reduced and the risk of a rapid pH change increased (Meck, Norm).
Figure 2 shows the abundance of several plants like mosses and hydrophytes. Their abundance
can be possibly explained by sufficient light penetrating the water column. Sufficient light drives
photosynthesis in these plants. The abundance of producers in the pond would have an effect on
the concentration of dissolved carbon dioxide in the system. Photosynthesis may lower carbon
dioxide concentration as it is being consumed during the reaction. At the same time, these
photosynthesizing plants may contribute to the pool of oxygen in the pond since this gas is being
released by plants as by product of photosynthesis. In other words, these plants also help the
animal species in the system by providing them oxygen gas which would be used by them for
respiration process.

Figure 2: Presence of algae in the study's pond.

According to the figure 2, the pond show three group of producers: phytoplankton (tiny suspended
algae), plants and algae benthic (bottom). Some algae are attached to the leaves and stems of
plants. Also, the color of the water pond is slightly green which is classified as an eutrophic pond.

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It waters are rich in nutrients and, therefore, algae proliferate, the waters are not so clear on the
edge of the pond and the light do not penetrates easily.
Dead leaves from the surrounding trees were carried to the pond by windblown litter. These
imported materials are considered to be allochthonous. There were also dead leaves on the surface
water coming from the producers within the studied system. These represent autochthonous
materials together with the animal wastes dissolved in the water. All of these allochthonous and
autochthonous organic materials are acted and decomposed by bacteria in the pond. This
decomposition results to a high respiration rate (requiring high consumption of oxygen). So, the
system will have few dissolved oxygen (DO). The figure 3 shows the presence of very small
animals which generate faeces (waste animal - organic matter) which are used to fuel the ponds
ecosystem.

Biotic factors

In the studied pond, the following living organisms at diferente trophic level were observed:
Primary producers
The primary producers of this ecosystem includes rooted or floating plants and phytoplankton.
Producers provide essential nutrients for other organisms in the ecosystem. Furthermore, these
provide nutrients for other organisms, these plants also provide oxygen.
Primary consumers
Zooplankton is considered a primary consumer. It consumes phytoplankton. It is very important
in relation to the population of fish in a pond since they serve as food source for fishes.
Secondary consumers
Fish are considered a secondary consumer in the pond ecosystem, consuming zooplankton, the
main consumer. In this artificial pond, several small fishes and small turtles were observed and
classified as secondary consumers.

Interactions

The interaction between abiotic and biotic environment occurs every time, when an animal is fed
and then eliminates waste, in photosynthesis process, breathing, etc. In the studied pond, plants
play a key role in the photosynthesis by fixing light energy, consumption of inorganic substances
of simple structure and constitution of molecules of increasingly complex structure. In the figure
3, we can see Macrophytes and Mosses.

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 Figure 3: Presence of Macrophytes and Mosses and presence of small animals

The figure 4 presents the energy budget of the studied ecosystem. The main source of energy in
the studied pond is the sunlight. Sunlight drives photosynthesis among the producers in the
ecosystem such as algae, phytoplankton, mosses and macrophytes. Aside from the energy created
through photosynthesis, energy is also imported to the pond through the CPOM and DOM.
Consumers like snails, insects and turtles then feed on the aquatic hydrophytes. Other consumers
likes fishes also feed on the allochthonous materials carried into the system. The abundance of
organic matter and detritus materials in the system also supported the growth of biofilm in the
pond which later would contribute to the decomposition of organic materials in the system. These
biofilms can also serve as food for snails and other scapers in the system. From primary and
secondary production, energy is passed on to succeeding consumers. However, the energy that
enters the ecosystem decreases along the trophic level. At each trophic level, energy can be lost
through respiration and excretion, which causes partial transfer of energy to the next trophic level.

Figure 4: Energy budget for small artificial pond inside Bourgoyen – Ossemeersen

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Improving the ecosystem

The water inside the artificial pond should be replaced as often as required to remove excess
nutrients in the system which may favor algal bloom (or "bloom") within the system. In this
situation, the water becomes greenish, then turns brown when plankton depletes nutrients and
begins to die. At that point, the more or less rapid decomposition of dead organisms can lead to
oxygen depletion in the water and, therefore, the mass death of fish and other organisms.
Furthermore, Bringing shedders inside the pond will enhance the speed of degradation because
large leafs (CPOM) are not able to degrade easily from bacterias. Shredders cut leafs in small
pieces which are used as food source allowing an easily decaying for bacterias.
Improving the cleaned to remove the excess nutrients to avoid eutrophication. Where there are
too many fish in a pond or too much decomposing waste, oxygen levels can dramatically drop
causing the rise in nitrogen and phosphate leading to fish kills and aggressive algal blooms.
Eutrophication as a result of imbalance in the ecosystem can be detrimental to all living organisms
in the pond.

References

Escolástico León, Consuelo. Ecología II: Comunidades Y Ecosistemas. ES: UNED, 2013.
Vidal, L. Domini, C. E. Canals, A. Main parameters and assays involved with the organic
pollution of water. In: Nollet, L. M. L., Gelder, L. S. P. de. Handbook of Water Analysis. 3 rd
edition. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. 2011.
Meck, Norm. Pond Water Chemistry. 31 July 1996. Koi Club of San Diego. 24 August 2008