EVS Unit 3: Ecosystems - One Mark Questions (Combined Set)
Part A: One Mark Questions (100 Total)
1. Who coined the term Ecology?
Ans: Ernst Haeckel
2. What is the basic unit of ecological study according to Tansley?
Ans: Ecosystem
3. What does the word ‘ecology’ derive from?
Ans: Greek words "Oikos" (home) and "Logos" (study)
4. What are the two components of the environment?
Ans: Biotic and abiotic components
5. What is the study of ecosystems also known as?
Ans: Ecology
6. What are organisms that make their own food called?
Ans: Producers
7. Name an example of a chemoautotroph.
Ans: Sulphur bacteria
8. What do herbivores feed on?
Ans: Plants
9. What are organisms that consume both plants and animals called?
Ans: Omnivores
10. Name two examples of decomposers.
Ans: Bacteria and fungi
11. What kind of energy do producers use for photosynthesis?
Ans: Solar energy
12. Which component of the ecosystem includes sunlight and temperature?
Ans: Abiotic component
13. What is the main source of energy in an ecosystem?
Ans: Sun
14. What kind of energy flow exists in ecosystems?
Ans: Unidirectional
1
15. What are the two types of food chains?
Ans: Grazing and detritus food chain
16. What is the feeding level in a food chain called?
Ans: Trophic level
17. What does NPP stand for in ecosystem productivity?
Ans: Net Primary Production
18. What is the formula for Net Primary Production?
Ans: NPP = GPP – R
19. Name the three types of ecological pyramids.
Ans: Pyramid of numbers, biomass, and energy
20. Which ecological pyramid is always upright?
Ans: Pyramid of energy
21. What does a food web represent?
Ans: Interconnected food chains
22. What happens in biological magnification?
Ans: Concentration of toxic substances increases at each trophic level
23. Which type of food chain begins with dead organic matter?
Ans: Detritus food chain
24. Give an example of a simple grazing food chain.
Ans: Grass → Grasshopper → Frog → Snake → Hawk
25. Why are food webs more stable than food chains?
Ans: They provide alternative feeding options
26. Which pyramid is inverted in aquatic ecosystems?
Ans: Pyramid of biomass
27. What does the pyramid of numbers represent?
Ans: Number of individuals at each trophic level
28. Who explained the Universal Energy Flow Model?
Ans: E.P. Odum
29. In which pyramid does each level represent total dry matter?
Ans: Pyramid of biomass
30. What does the Y-shaped model represent?
Ans: Energy flow through both grazing and detritus food chains
2
31. What is the main reservoir of nitrogen?
Ans: Atmosphere
32. Which cycle is sedimentary in nature?
Ans: Phosphorus cycle
33. Which greenhouse gas is produced in termite mounds?
Ans: Methane
34. What is eutrophication caused by?
Ans: Excessive nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus
35. What is the main consequence of excessive phosphate runoff?
Ans: Algal blooms
36. What is homeostasis in an ecosystem?
Ans: Tendency to resist change
37. What kind of feedback helps counter stress?
Ans: Negative feedback
38. What happens when stress exceeds homeostatic plateau?
Ans: Positive feedback operates
39. What is the ultimate result of excessive positive feedback?
Ans: Collapse of the ecosystem
40. What is a pioneer community?
Ans: The first community in succession
41. What is a climax community?
Ans: A stable final community
42. What does xerarch succession begin with?
Ans: Bare rock
43. What is the first stage in a hydrosere?
Ans: Phytoplankton stage
44. Which ecosystems have highest gross primary productivity?
Ans: Tropical wet forests and estuaries
45. What is the only tropical rain forest in India?
Ans: Silent Valley (Kerala)
46. What is the world’s largest ecological unit?
Ans: Abyssal zone of oceans
3
47. What are Savannas?
Ans: Tropical grasslands with scattered trees
48. What are organisms that float on the water surface called?
Ans: Planktons
49. Which lake zone is most productive?
Ans: Euphotic zone
50. What type of lake is rich in nutrients and prone to algal blooms?
Ans: Eutrophic lake
51-100: [Continue to next section for Fill in the Blanks and True/False]
Part B: Fill in the Blanks (25 Questions)
1. The term Ecology was coined by Ernst Haeckel in 1869.
2. Ecosystem is the basic unit of ecological study defined by Tansley.
3. Producers in an ecosystem are also called Autotrophs.
4. Organisms that feed on both plants and animals are called Omnivores.
5. Decomposers break down organic matter into inorganic substances.
6. Sunlight, rainfall, and temperature are examples of Abiotic factors.
7. The energy flow in an ecosystem is always Unidirectional.
8. The process of Photosynthesis converts solar energy into chemical energy in plants.
9. Each step in a food chain is called a Trophic level.
10. The nutrient cycle involving atmospheric nitrogen is called the Nitrogen cycle.
11. Organisms that float freely in aquatic ecosystems are called Planktons.
12. Grasslands are ecosystems dominated by grass species.
13. The amount of energy transferred to the next trophic level is about 10%.
14. A food web is a network of interconnected food chains.
15. Coniferous forests have needle-shaped leaves adapted to cold.
16. An ecosystem’s capacity to resist stress is called Homeostasis.
17. Primary productivity is the rate at which plants produce biomass.
18. A pond is an example of a Lentic freshwater ecosystem.
19. The deepest oceanic zone without sunlight is called the Abyssal zone.
20. Negative feedback mechanisms help maintain system stability.
21. The Euphotic zone in a lake has the highest photosynthesis.
22. A Estuary is formed when rivers meet the sea.
23. The Phosphorus cycle is a sedimentary cycle affected by fertilizer use.
24. The accumulation of toxins in higher trophic levels is called Biomagnification.
25. The final stable community formed during succession is called the Climax community.
Part C: True or False (25 Questions)
1. Producers obtain their energy by feeding on consumers. – False
2. Forests typically show an upright pyramid of numbers. – False
3. Decomposers are essential for nutrient recycling. – True
4. Energy in an ecosystem flows in a cyclic manner. – False
4
5. In aquatic ecosystems, the pyramid of biomass is usually inverted. – True
6. Phytoplanktons are primary producers in ponds. – True
7. The energy lost at each trophic level is around 50%. – False
8. Lichens are pioneer species in xerosere succession. – True
9. The nitrogen cycle includes processes like nitrification and denitrification. – True
10. Positive feedback helps restore balance in ecosystems. – False
11. Coniferous forests are common in tropical regions. – False
12. Eutrophication is caused by nutrient deficiency in lakes. – False
13. Estuaries are very productive and biodiverse ecosystems. – True
14. Grazing food chains start with decomposers. – False
15. A hydrosere starts in dry areas. – False
16. All ecological pyramids are always upright. – False
17. The pyramid of energy can never be inverted. – True
18. Forests act as climax communities in succession. – True
19. Ocean ecosystems cover more than half of Earth’s surface. – True
20. Tundra ecosystems are rich in tree species. – False
21. The Dal Lake is a eutrophic lake in India. – True
22. Insects and fungi are examples of benthos. – False
23. The bathyal zone receives no sunlight at all. – False
24. The ultimate source of energy in most ecosystems is the sun. – True
25. In the phosphorus cycle, guano deposits help return phosphorus to land. – True