What Are Rocky Shores?
1. What are rocky shores? Rocky shores are areas of bedrock exposed between the extreme high and extreme low tide levels on the seashore.
2. How are organisms on a rocky shore distributed? Plants and animals are distributed on the shore in horizontal zones that relate to the tolerance of the species to either exposure to air or submergence in water during the tidal cycle.
3. What three types of bedrock are typically found in a rocky shore ecosystem? Three types of bedrocks are rocky shore, sandy shore, and salt marsh.
4. What are the different zones of the rocky shore?
(There are 3 main ones – sometimes a fourth upper zone is called the splash zone. The zones starting from the shoreline can also go by other names: upper = splash; middle = littoral; lower = sub littoral)
5. What plants are found in each zone? – be specific on listing them * Splash-There may be grasses growing in cracks of rocks and some patches of lichens (e.g., Xanthoria parietina). * Upper -The upper shore supports algae (e.g., Codiolum spp., Calothrix crustacea) and lichens (Verrucaria spp.) * Middle -The middle shore supports dense growth of brown rockweeds Ascophyllum nodosum and Fucus spp. * Lower- There is a conspicuous zone of Irish Moss and calcareous algae (Lithothamnium spp. and Corallina officinalis)
6. What is the name of a plant-like species found in rocky shores? The plants are typically algae and lichens.
7. In which zone of the rocky shore would you most likely find only grasses and patches of lichens? In the Lower Shore.
8. What animals may be found in each zone? - be specific on listing them * Upper -There are very few animals present, except the Rough Periwinkle. * Middle -There is a variety of herbivorous animals, including Rough Periwinkles, Smooth Periwinkles, Common Periwinkles and amphipod crustaceans. * Lower- Herbivores include Common Periwinkles, Limpets, Green Sea Urchins, isopods and amphipods.
2. How are organisms on a rocky shore distributed? Plants and animals are distributed on the shore in horizontal zones that relate to the tolerance of the species to either exposure to air or submergence in water during the tidal cycle.
3. What three types of bedrock are typically found in a rocky shore ecosystem? Three types of bedrocks are rocky shore, sandy shore, and salt marsh.
4. What are the different zones of the rocky shore?
(There are 3 main ones – sometimes a fourth upper zone is called the splash zone. The zones starting from the shoreline can also go by other names: upper = splash; middle = littoral; lower = sub littoral)
5. What plants are found in each zone? – be specific on listing them * Splash-There may be grasses growing in cracks of rocks and some patches of lichens (e.g., Xanthoria parietina). * Upper -The upper shore supports algae (e.g., Codiolum spp., Calothrix crustacea) and lichens (Verrucaria spp.) * Middle -The middle shore supports dense growth of brown rockweeds Ascophyllum nodosum and Fucus spp. * Lower- There is a conspicuous zone of Irish Moss and calcareous algae (Lithothamnium spp. and Corallina officinalis)
6. What is the name of a plant-like species found in rocky shores? The plants are typically algae and lichens.
7. In which zone of the rocky shore would you most likely find only grasses and patches of lichens? In the Lower Shore.
8. What animals may be found in each zone? - be specific on listing them * Upper -There are very few animals present, except the Rough Periwinkle. * Middle -There is a variety of herbivorous animals, including Rough Periwinkles, Smooth Periwinkles, Common Periwinkles and amphipod crustaceans. * Lower- Herbivores include Common Periwinkles, Limpets, Green Sea Urchins, isopods and amphipods.