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DPS-MODERN INDIAN SCHOOL DOHA QATAR
Class X 2023-24
BIOLOGY NOTES (Subjective/Long answers)
Chapter 15 – Our Environment
1. Why are some substances biodegradable and some nonbiodegradable?
(Textbook page 257)
• Substances which can be broken down over a period, with the help of
enzymes secreted by the bacteria and other saprophytes, are
biodegradable. These substances have short molecular organization and
can be assimilated by the saprophytes.
• Non-biodegradable substances cannot be acted upon by the enzymes
in nature as they consist of polymers which are strongly bonded with each
other.
2. Give two ways in which biodegradable substances would affect the
environment. (Textbook question page 257) Bad
effects on the environment:
(i) Biodegradable substances in large quantities would contribute to the
pollution of the environment.
(ii) If they are not degraded at the right time due to any reason, they will
harm the environment.
(iii) They will emit foul smell during decomposition.
Good effects on the environment:
(i) They increase the soil fertility by adding humus to the soil.
(ii) They improve soil quality by increasing the water-holding capacity of
sandy soil, and water-drainage capacity of clayey soil.
3. Give any two ways in which non-biodegradable substances would
affect the environment. (Textbook question page 257)
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(i) Non-biodegradable substances cannot degrade and return the
minerals to the environment. They pile up and cause harm to the various
members of the ecosystem.
(ii) They may cause biomagnification in the food chain and end up in
humans.
4. How can we make an aquarium (artificial ecosystem) , a self sustaining
ecosystem.?
• An aquarium comprises of fish and other aquatic animals. These biotic
factors form the community.
• Water, sand, gravel, temperature, light etc. are the abiotic factors.
• There is constant exchange of materials between living and non-living
components.
• Aquatic green plants are the producers of the aquarium. Animals are
the consumers.
• The green plants give out oxygen which is taken by the animals.
Animals give out carbon dioxide, which plants utilize in
photosynthesis.
• The decomposers decompose animals’ excreta and the plants take the
simple compounds produced.
• An aquarium is self-perpetuating functional unit and is a man-made
ecosystem.
[Link] two differences between a consumer and a producer.
PRODUCER CONSUMER
Synthesizes its own food by Obtains its food directly or indirectly
trapping light energy and from the producers.
converting it into chemical
energy(food).
Autotrophic Heterotrophic
Produce complex organic molecules Break down complex organic
by photosynthesis. molecules into simpler forms
during digestion and assimilation.
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e.g., All green plants and a few blue e.g., All animals, non-green plants
green algae
5. What happens when an organism dies?
The decomposers in the soil or water act upon the dead organisms and
breakdown the complex organic substances into simple inorganic
compounds, which go into the soil and are used up once more by the plants.
They thus help in recycling of the nutrients.
6. Why natural ecosystems are more or less balanced systems?
A natural ecosystem is a balanced system because it consists of producers
(green plants), consumers(herbivores-the primary consumers, carnivoresthe
secondary consumers, omnivores-the secondary or tertiary consumers) and
decomposers.
In natural ecosystem, there is provision of constant flow of energy through
food chains and recycling of the nutrients through decomposers. Thus a
natural ecosystem is a self-sufficient system.
8. What are the three main functions of the food chains? The
food chains perform following three functions:
(i) Give a definite structure to an ecosystem or biosphere.
(ii) Transfer of energy
(iii) Transfer of materials
9. In what form plants generally store the trapped solar energy. Plants
store it in the form of chemical energy (carbohydrates).
10. How much energy is lost in transfer from one trophic level to the
other in a food chain? 90% of the energy is lost
11. In what all ways is 90% energy lost in transfer from one trophic level
to the other?
Organisms at each level use energy for digestion,respiration, other metabolic
activities, growth and reproduction. A large portion of the energy is lost as
heat.
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12. Can plants be called as producers of energy?
No, plants are not producers of energy. They convert the solar energy into
chemical energy and store it, and then pass this stored form of energy in the
form of food to the rest of the living world.
13. Is it possible that the food chains have more than six steps? Support
your answer with reason.
It is not possible that the food chains have more than six trophic levels. This
is because of loss of 90% energy at each trophic level and only 10% energy
being available at each successive level. In a food chain having more than six
steps, energy available to the top carnivore will not be sufficient for its
survival.
14. Show with the help of a flow chart the flow of energy through
different trophic levels.
Food chain: Grass → Herbivore → Carnivore
Energy flow: 100 J → 10J → 1J
15. What will be the amount of energy available to the organisms of the
2nd trophic level of a food chain, if the energy available at the 1 st
trophic level is 10,000Joules?
On applying the 10% law to the food chain, the organism of the 2nd trophic
level of the food chain will have 10/ 100 X 10,000 = 1,000 joules of energy.
16. Calculate the amount of energy available to tiger in the following
food chain if plants have 30,000J of energy available from the sun:
Plant Deer Tiger
Plants can trap only 1% of the sun’s energy falling on them.
Now, 1% of 30,000J is 300J, which is the energy available in the plants. Deer
eat up the plants. According to 10% law, 10% of 300J, i.e, 30J of energy will
be available in deer as food.
The deer will transfer 10% of its energy to the tiger. Thus, the energy
available in the tiger will be 10% of 30J, which is 3J.
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17. Why is energy flow in the biosphere unidirectional?
• In a food chain, along with food, transfer of energy also occurs from
one trophic level to another. The flow of energy that occurs along a
food chain is called energy flow.
The energy flow in biosphere is unidirectional it means that energy flows in
one direction only from producer to consumer and does not return back to
the producer.
• The energy that is captured by the autotrophs does not revert back to
the solar input and the energy which passes to the herbivores does not
come back to autotrophs.
• The energy lost as heat and in several metabolic activities also cannot
be returned to the producers and reused during photosynthesis.
• As the energy moves progressively through the various trophic levels
it is no longer available to the previous level.
18. Organisms at the top level in the food chain get the highest
concentration of harmful chemicals in their bodies. Explain.
Biological magnification is a phenomenon that explains the increasing
concentration of harmful non-biodegradable chemicals (like DDT) in each
trophic level.
• From the soil these chemicals are absorbed by the plants.
• The primary consumers eat these plants and the harmful chemicals
become residues in their bodies.
• As these chemicals are non-biodegradable, they accumulate in the
bodies of the organisms and the top level of the food chain gets the
highest concentration of these harmful chemicals.
19. What are trophic levels? Give an example of a food chain and state
the different trophic levels in it. (Textbook question page 261)
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Trophic level is the functional level occupied by an organism in a food chain.
Trophic literally means feeding, so trophic levels are the positions at which
species feed.
An example of a food chain showing various trophic levels are as follows:
20. What is the role of decomposers in an ecosystem?
(Textbook question page 261)
The decomposers break down the organic waste products and dead remains
of organisms into the inorganic substances needed by the producers (plants).
Most decomposition is carried out by the saprophytic fungi and bacteria.
In the absence of decomposers,
(i) the organic dead remains and waste would pile up in the
community.
(ii) all the nutrient cycles have decomposers as their components. In
their absence, these nutrient cycles would not be complete.
(iii) the world would eventually run out of carbon dioxide or nitrate or
phosphate or other organic material essential for life as there would
be no nutrient recycling.
(iv) Thus, existence of life on this earth will become impossible.
21. What is the role of the ozone layer in the atmosphere? How is it
formed?
• There is a layer of Ozone gas in the Stratosphere.
• Ozone at higher levels of atmosphere is a product of UV radiation
acting on oxygen molecules.
• The higher energy UV radiations split apart some molecules of O2 into
free oxygen ‘O’ [Link] atoms then combine with O2 to form O3.
O2 + UV radiations → O + O
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O + O2 → O3
• Ozone layer protects us from the sun’s harmful UV radiations by
cutting them off.
22. What practices we can follow to change our lifestyles so that there is
less waste generated?
• We can separate the waste generated into recyclable and nonrecyclable
parts.
• Separated biodegradable wastes can be converted into compost,
biogas, paper mesh.
• Separated non-biodegradable wastes can be recycled or reused or
[Link] can be used for landfills.
• We can use materials which come packed in biodegradable packs such
as paper, jute, coir etc.
We can reduce the use of certain products which are not so essential
for our life.
• We may recycle plastic, paper, glass and metal items.
• We can reuse certain things like paper, plastic and glass bottles.
• We can repurpose some articles like envelops, gift wrappers,
cartons,etc.
• We must refuse polythene bags and plastic wrappers.
23. What is ozone and how does it affect any ecosystem?
(Textbook question page 264)
• Ozone is a triatomic oxygen molecule layer, present in the stratosphere
and protects us from sun’s harmful UV radiations by cutting them off.
• Major air pollutants responsible for depletion of ozone layer are CFC,
nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons.
• The depletion of ozone causes the harmful UV radiation to reach the
earth and this has resulted in increased incidents of skin cancers in
humans.
• Depletion of the ozone layer may also cause:
o Temperature changes and rainfall failures on earth.
o Cancer in human beings
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o Destruction of aquatic life and vegetation
o Loss of immunity in humans o Effect on crops like rice.
24. How can you help in reducing the problem of waste disposal? Give
any two methods. (Textbook question page 264)
• Separating biodegradable and non-biodegradable wastes.
• Separated biodegradable wastes can be converted into compost,
biogas, paper mesh.
• Separated non-biodegradable wastes can be recycled or reused or
[Link] can be used for landfills.
25. What will happen if we kill all the organisms in one trophic level?
(Textbook question page 265)
• The food chain would end and ecological balance would be affected.
• If the herbivores were destroyed, then the carnivores would not get
food and would die.
If carnivores are killed, then the population of herbivores would
increase to unsustainable levels and then they would have competition
amongst themselves for food.
• If producers are killed then the organisms in all the trophic levels will
die due to lack of oxygen.
• If decomposers are destroyed then the nutrient cycle in that area
would not be complete.
26. Will the impact of removing all the organisms in a trophic level be
different for different trophic levels? Can the organisms of any
trophic level be removed without causing any damage to the
ecosystem? (Textbook question page 265)
Removing producers: Herbivores would not be able to survive, ecosystem
will collapse.
Removing herbivores: Producers would grow unchecked, carnivores would
not get food.
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Removing carnivores: Herbivores would increase to unsustainable levels.
Removing decomposer: Waste material and animal dead remains would pile
up and nutrients would not be available to the producers.
• Some or the other damage would be caused to the ecosystem if the
organisms of any trophic level are removed.
• Impact of removing producers or decomposers would be severe as the
whole ecosystem would collapse.
• Without plants sun’s energy cannot be converted to chemical energy
which is the basis of life on earth. Without decomposers the nutrients
cannot be recycled and made available to producers.
27. Will the levels of biological magnification be different at different
levels of the ecosystem? (Textbook question page 265)
• Plants absorb the harmful chemicals present in the soil.
• The primary consumers eat these plants and the harmful chemicals
become residue in their bodies.
• These chemicals cannot be removed from the plant products by
washing or other means.
As these chemicals are not degradable, they accumulate in the bodies
of the organisms.
• Thus it is seen that levels of bio-magnification would increase as the
trophic level increases and would be higher for higher trophic levels.
• As humans are at the top level of the food chain these chemicals get
accumulated in our bodies and cause various disorders. e.g.,
Water Phytoplanktons Fish Man
(0.02 ppm) (5 ppm) (240 ppm) (1600 ppm)
28. What are the problems caused by the non-biodegradable wastes that
are generated? (Textbook question page 265)
• Clogging of drains
• Death of cattle by ingestion of plastic
• Quality of the soil is degraded
• Non-aesthetic look
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• Bio magnification of poisonous chemicals in our body or other animals
• disturb the body metabolism resulting in various diseases.
• Pollution of air, water and land
• Destruction of the balance of ecosystem.
29. If all the waste we generate is biodegradable, will this have no
impact on the environment? (Textbook question page 265)
The biodegradable substances become pollutants when they are present in
large quantities and are not degraded at right time due to any reasons.
30. What steps are taken to limit the damage caused to the ozone layer?
• Judicious use of aerosol spray propellants like chloroflurocarbons and
fluorocarbons which cause ozone layer depletion.
• Control over large scale nuclear explosions.
• Limited use of supersonic planes.
31. What was the environmental agreement made by UNEP in 1987? • The
United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is a programme of the
United Nations that coordinates the organization's environmental activities
and assists developing countries in implementing environmentally sound
policies and practices.
• Main pollutants responsible for the depletion in the ozone layer are
CFCs(chlorofluoro carbons), which are found in air conditioners and
refrigerators, in some fire extinguishers, and many aerosol sprays.
• Montreal Protocol in 1987 called for a 50% cut in the use of all CFCs
including other ODS(Ozone Depleting substances), by 1998.
• In 1992 the participants in the Montreal Protocol meeting agreed to
phase out CFCs entirely by 1996. As of now CFCs have been replaced by
HFCs (hydrofluorocarbons) which contain no bromine or chlorine and do
not contribute to ozone depletion.
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