CHAPTER- ECOSYSTEM
Question 1.
How does a detritivore differ from a decomposer? Explain with an example of
each. (Delhi 2015C)
Answer:
Difference between detritivores and decomposers is as follows
Detritivores Decomposers
The organisms which
The organisms
result in enzymatic
which feed on
breakdown of
detritus and
complex organic
break them into
matter into inorganic
small particles,
substances, e.g.
e.g. earthworm.
bacteria, fungi
Question -2
Mention any two reasons, why the primary productivity varies in different
types of ecosystems.
Answer:
The primary productivity varies in different types of ecosystems because
It depends upon plant species (producers) of a given ecosystem
and their photosynthetic capacity.
It is dependent on various environmental factors, availability of
nutrients.
Ques 3- Why are green algae not likely to be found in the deepest strata of
the ocean?
Answer:
Green algae survive by utilisation of food synthesised by themselves through
photosynthesis. At deepest layer in ocean, light is absent. So, photosynthesis
does not take place and hence, green algae are not likely to be found in deep
strata of ocean.
Ques-4 Justify the importance of decomposer in an ecosystem. (Foreign
2015)
Answer:
When a plant or animal dies, it leaves behind nutrients and energy in the
organic material present in it’s body. Decomposers complete the
decomposition process by breaking down this organic matter into NH 4,
CO2 and nutrients. This releases raw nutrients in a form, which is usable to
plants again. This process resupplies nutrients to the ecosystem. When the
decomposers feed on dead organisms, they leave behind nutrients. These
nutrients become part of the soil.
Ques-5 How is detritus decomposed step-by-step by different agents and
made available as nutrients to the plants? Explain.
Or
Explain the different steps involved in the process of decomposition of
detritus.
Or
Describe the process of decomposition of detritus under the following heads
fragmentation, leaching, catabolism, humification and mineralisation.
Answer:
Detritus It is the raw material for decomposition. It includes dead remains of
plants (leaves, bark and flowers) and of animals including faecal matter.
It is largely an aerobic process, i.e. requires oxygen for its processing.
Different steps involved in the process of decomposition are
Fragmentation is the process of breaking down of detritus into
smaller particles.
Leaching is the process by which water soluble inorganic nutrients
go down into the soil horizons and get precipitated as unavailable
salts.
Catabolism is the process of degradation of detritus into simple
organic material by the action of bacterial and fungal enzymes
and their further conversion into inorganic compounds.
Humification is a process that leads to an accumulation of a dark
coloured, amorphous and colloidal substance called humus, which
is highly resistant to microbial action and decomposes at a very
slow rate. It serves as a reservoir of nutrients.
Mineralisation is the process by which humus is further degraded
by microbial action and releases inorganic nutrients.
Ques-6 It is possible that a species may occupy more than one trophic level
in the same ecosystem at the same time. Explain with the help of one
example. (All India 2013)
Answer:
A single species may occupy more than one trophic level at the same time in
ecosystem because, the trophic level of species represents the functional
level of species in the energy flow. The preference of food habit depends on
the available food.
For example, sparrow is primary consumer when it eats seeds and secondary
consumer when feeds on insects and worms.
Ques-7. Why the pyramid of energy is always upright? Explain.
Pyramid of energy is always upright because when energy flows from a
particular trophic level to the next trophic level, some energy is always lost
as heat at each step.
Each bar in the energy pyramid indicates the amount of energy present at
each trophic level in a given time.
Ques-8 Discuss the relationship between detritus food chain and grazing food
chain in a terrestrial ecosystem.
Answer:
The producers occupy the first trophic level in terrestrial ecosystem and thus,
make base of food chain. These producers (plants) are grazed upon by the
grazers (herbivores). Primary carnivores prey upon herbivores and are eaten
up by secondary carnivores.
The decomposers act on all dead animals/plants and return nutrients stored
in them to the soil. These nutrients are again used up by the plants and cycle
goes on.
This way the grazing food chain and detritus food chain are linked up.
Ques-9 What are some of the limitations of ecological pyramids?
Ans. The following are some of the limitations of ecological pyramids:
o They do not take into consideration species that are comparable across
two or more trophic levels.
o It assumes a straightforward food chain and ignores a food web.
o Ecological pyramids have been designed to not include saprophytes.
Ques-10. Why are the trophic levels in the ecosystem limited?
Ans. There are only about 4-5 levels since only 10% of energy is transferred from
one advancing trophic level to the next, and this decreases as we reach higher
levels. Respiration and other vital processes for the maintenance of life consume
the leftover energy. If there are more levels, the available energy will be
depleted to the point that it cannot support any trophic level through energy
flow. Levels are thus restricted.
Ques-11. How can the problem of "tiger poaching" impact the ecosystem's
ability to function?
Ans. Tigers play a significant role in the food web and assist in preserving
ecological balance. In order to symbolise the health of the forest, it controls the
widespread growth of herbivores and aids in removing ill and elderly animals
from the group. Since tigers cannot exist where they hunt (herbivores or trees),
protecting tigers also means saving forests, and ensuring that everyone has
access to food and water.
Ques-12. Why do abiotic elements like temperature, oxygen availability, and
soil pH affect the rate of decomposition?
Ans. The structure of basophilic and acidophilic bacteria is influenced by the pH
of the soil. Anaerobic processes take place in the absence of oxygen and only
partially degrade a substance, whereas aerobic processes take place in the
presence of oxygen and completely degrade a substance. At greater
temperatures, microorganisms are unable to develop to their full potential;
nevertheless, at low or high temperatures, stress-tolerant microbes thrive.
Ques-13. When compared to how man tends to increase net primary
productivity, how does nature favour increasing gross primary productivity?
Ans. An ecosystem's energy moves unidirectionally from one trophic level to the next.
Nature works in a way that is advantageous to entities engaged in a certain activity.
Photosynthesis is carried out by plants. It is both the plant's main endeavour and it is
the main source of gross primary productivity. This plant activity is reliant on the inputs
and increases in inputs cause it to produce at its highest level. Humans, on the other
side, rely on vegetation. They don't care whether a particular plant has a high or poor
gross primary productivity because it is a component of their net primary productivity.
14. Describe how the law of thermodynamics is supported by energy flows in
an ecosystem.
Ans. According to the second rule of thermodynamics, all transformation-related
activities, with the exception of deep hydrothermal ecosystems, resulting in energy loss
in the form of heat and an increase in disorder. Only 2-10% of the total PAR
(Photosynthetically Active Radiation) is absorbed by organisms engaged in
photosynthesis, which results in the production of organic matter. Additionally, the
energy is used for metabolic processes, food production, and biomass storage (very
less). According to Lindeman's law, biomass or the trapped energy is transferred to the
following trophic level. 10% of the energy reserves are transferred from one trophic
level to the next.
15. What do you mean by an ecosystem's productivity? What forms of
productivity also discuss the variables that affect an ecosystem's production?
Ans. The rate at which solar radiation energy is fixed by an ecosystem's vegetation per
unit area and per unit time is known as the ecosystem's productivity. Typically, it is
stated as a unit of energy (cal) produced in a unit area (m) per unit of time (year).
There are two forms of productivity:
Primary productivity is the quantity of biomass or organic matter created by
plants during photosynthesis over a specific time period per unit area. The two
categories of primary productivity are as follows:
Gross primary productivity (GPP) is a term used to explain how much food is produced
overall by producers during photosynthesis.
Net primary productivity (NPP) is the difference between respiration loss (R) and gross
primary productivity.
NPP = R - GPP
Secondary productivity: The rate of storage at the consumer level is known as
secondary productivity. It is described as the pace at which consumers synthesise
organic materials over a specific time frame.
Indicators of primary productivity includes:
1. A variety of environmental conditions
2. Nutritional availability
3. Plants' ability to photosynthesize