Rideau River Research Paper

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The Rideau River Ecosystem and Food Web Team A BIO/101 Brian Fox The Rideau River Ecosystems are biological populations of interacting organisms and their physical surroundings. Many are areas of lands that have changed due to the nearby water currents. These areas of land are home to many animals and plants that have adapted to survive. Each individual ecosystem is comprised of different features that make it conducive to certain plants and animals. That means each ecosystem is unique. The Rideau Canal is made up of several ecosystems that consist of manmade locks, canals, dams and limestone. Still only 10% is manmade the rest is the result of nature. An ecosystem is fragile yet can withstand the affects of natural use…show more content…
There are many different species of Algae which can range in size from microscopic to a couple meters long. Phytoplankton is at the bottom of the food chain and is eaten by small crustaceans which are called Zooplanktons. Zooplanktons are eaten by fish, invertebrates, mollusks, ducks, and turtles. • Plants: Around fifty species of food and shelter providing plants- Plants along with Algae provide the Rideau River with oxygen. Some of the plants in the Rideau River are carnivorous. o Yellow-flowered bladderwort captures and digests microscopic invertebrates. o Invasive plant species: Eurasian Water Milfoil is a plant that grows in thick tangles. These plants can reproduce very quickly because they do not rely on seeds alone to spread. Eurasian water milfoil can grow out of clippings from the plant. Humans have to constantly remove these plants to allow for travel. • Tape grass, (Vallisneria americana): The most common plant seen on the Rideau River. • Wild rice (Zizania palustris): provides food to the…show more content…
• The common garter snake feed on worms, fish, insects, amphibians, and uncommonly mice. • Aquatic Birds: Other than ducks and geese, over 20 species of aquatic birds can be found in the Rideau River. Many aquatic birds use the river as a “migratory staging area”. Ducks in the area eat similar to the common snapping turtle including plants, insects, and small amphibians. • Fish: The Rideau River has a variety of cool-water fish. Sunfish are the most predominate but there is also a wealth of minnows, pike, catfish and other bottom feeders. The rarest species of fish in the Rideau River are the mottled sculpin and emerald shiner. • Native Mussels: Mussels are an important part of the Rideau Rivers ecosystem by filtering around 8 gallons of water in a single day. They accomplish this by feeding on algae and bacteria. 8 Species of mussels are native to the river. The most prevalent are the eastern elliptio mussel and the eastern lamp-mussel. Mussels are eaten by a variety of birds, turtles, fish, muskrats and other mammals. Zebra Mussels are an invasive species that can cause harm to native species by attaching themselves to their shells preventing free movement and can even cut off their oxygen

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