Question

As a flowing-water ecosystem travels downhill from its origin, the water flow typically changes from a turbulent current to

slow meanders.
Please select the best answer from the choices provided
A) True
B) False

Answer 1

As rivers flow away from their source, the width of the channel widens and the current slows. The water becomes slow-moving, more sediment-laden, less clear, and warmer. Predators in these slower-moving waters may rely on taste or chemical cues rather than vision to find food.

Step-by-step explanation:

As the river or stream flows away from the source, the width of the channel gradually widens and the current slows. This slow-moving water, caused by the gradient decrease and the volume increase as tributaries unite, has more sedimentation. Phytoplankton can also be suspended in slow-moving water. Therefore, the water will not be as clear as it is near the source. The water is also warmer. Worms (phylum Annelida) and insects (phylum Arthropoda) can be found burrowing into the mud. The higher order predator vertebrates (phylum Chordata) include waterfowl, frogs, and fishes. These predators must find food in these slow moving, sometimes murky, waters and, unlike the trout in the waters at the source, these vertebrates may not be able to use vision as their primary sense to find food. Instead, they are more likely to use taste or chemical cues to find prey.