Question

I do not understand the concept of groundwater recharge and what it has to do with ecosystems..

Answer 1

For an ecosystem to function, there needs to be an adequate flow of nutrients to the living organisms. Groundwater recharge occurs as water moves downwards into the soil - remember that water is an effective transporter of solutes.

Answer 2

Hmm which part are you struggling with? At a basic level plants need water to survive and often the plants source of water is from the groundwater as a result groundwater availabilty will effect a plants ability to grow and survive.

Answer 3

How does this help the ecosystem? That is what I do not understand..

Answer 4

Okay, well plants, which rely upon the groundwater are the main producers for the ecosystem. Most plants and animals within the ecosystem rely upon the production of food by plants which in turn rely upon the groundwater.

Answer 5

That did not really tell me anything. All it told me was that one relies on the other.

Answer 6

Well that's pretty much right, that's what it has to do with ecosystems - one relies upon the other. I may have read your question wrong though... Do you understand groundwater recharge? :)

Answer 7

No

Answer 8

Well I probably should have started there! (somehow my brain skipped over that part of the question).

Basically groundwater recharge is the process where surface water moves downwards into the groundwater.
I'm not sure what level you are at so I'm going to start where I started.

Soil (and some rock) is more like a giant sponge - because there is so much space between the grains - so it has the ability to hold water. When it rains (or precipitates) some of the water will seep directly down into the underlying soil and/or rock into the water table (groundwater) and some will run-off onto rivers and/or into the ocean. (Note that rivers..and the ocean.. do sometimes discharge into the groundwater table too). This water builds up and you end up with this "reserve" of water in the soil which usually builds up over and under confining layers which are parts of the substrate that are impervious to water.

Answer 9

Now you should have some idea that there is this water underlying most land - which is where ecosystems come in - they rely on this underground reservior of water to survive because not much water is held on the surface.

Answer 10

Ok I will come back to read this afterwards. I do not want you to have the assumption that I am just gazing this because I am continually on this page. I will let you know if I need help. You may leave if you like.

Answer 11

No worries :) I wasn't under any assumptions.. I sort of just left it open by accident and went to get breakfast :P