Book 30, Question 49
Do pond plants still make oxygen under the ice?
Under clear ice with little snow, sunlight still shines through, and plants and algae make a little oxygen by photosynthesis.
When snow blocks the light, they make less, while animals and decaying matter keep using oxygen. In small, shallow ponds, oxygen can get low in a long winter. Big lakes have more oxygen, and open water near streams help.
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Quick answers
Do pond plants still make oxygen under the ice?
Thin, clear ice allows oxygen production by plants and algae since enough sunlight can filter through the ice to allow photosynthesis.
Source: Penn State
More fun facts
- During the winter, oxygen production is often reduced because ice and snow on the lake limit sunlight reaching vegetation.
- Ice cover blocks oxygen movement from the air into the water, and oxygen produced by algae and plants becomes the only source.
- Oxygen enters ponds by moving from the air into the water by wind or photosynthesis by the pond plants.
- Submerged vegetation and algae create oxygen through the process of photosynthesis.
- Ponds with a very dense aquatic plant community in summer are most susceptible to winterkill during harsh winters.
Sources: Penn State
Questions kids ask
What uses up the oxygen in a frozen pond?
The oxygen remaining in the water column is used up by both decaying plant and animal matter and respiration by aquatic life.
Source: University of Illinois