PRELIMS CRASH COURSE

Ecology & Environment

Self Assessment Test - 1
Answers

1. (a) either by formation of new, unoccupied

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habitat, such as from a lava flow or a severe
Exp: Prairies are mostly devoid of trees and landslide, or by some form of disturbance

2.
shrubs; High altitude mountain vegetation
consists of treeless alpine vegetation.
(c)
OR of a community. The state of equilibrium,
called the climax community, is thought to
result when the web of biotic interactions
becomes so intricate that no other species
Exp: Amensalism: One is inhibited or destroyed can be admitted. The newer species are
and other is unaffected. Example - A large superseded, in turn, by still newer species.
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tree shades a small plant and retard its

growth. 5. (c)

3. (b) Exp: Umbrella species are species selected for

making conservation-related decisions,
Exp: Niche construction is the process in which typically because protecting these species
an organism alters its own (or other indirectly protects the many other species
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species') environment. For example, that make up the ecological community of

through a process of modification, its habitat. Umbrella species generally have
earthworms chemically alter the soil in the following characteristics: their biology
which they live. The ecological niche is well known, they are easily observed or
describes how an organism or population sampled, they have large home ranges, they
responds to the distribution of resources and are migratory, and have a long lifespan.
competitors (for example, by growing when
resources are abundant, and when 6. (d)
predators, parasites and pathogens are Exp: A mutualistic relationship is when two
scarce) and how it in turn alters those same organisms of different species "work
factors. It is advantageous for a species to together," each benefiting from the
occupy a unique niche in an ecosystem relationship. In mycorrhizal associations
because it reduces the amount of between plant roots and fungi with the
competition for resources that species will plant providing carbohydrates to the
encounter. fungus in return for primarily phosphate
4. (c) but also nitrogenous compounds. Other
examples include rhizobia bacteria that fix
Exp: It is a process by which an ecological nitrogen for leguminous plants in return for
community undergoes more or less orderly energy-containing carbohydrates
and predictable changes following a Pollination in which nectar or pollen (food
disturbance or the initial colonization of a resources) are traded for pollen dispersal
new habitat. Succession may be initiated (a service) or ant protection of aphids,

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 where the aphids trade sugar-rich • Energy flow web - quantified fluxes of
honeydew (a byproduct of their mode of energy between nodes along links between
feeding on plant sap) in return for defense a resource and a consumer.
against predators such as ladybugs.
Zoochory is an example where animals • Paleoecological web - a web that
disperse the seeds of plants. This is similar reconstructs ecosystems from the fossil
to pollination in that the plant produces record.
food resources (for example, fleshy fruit, • Functional web - emphasizes the functional
overabundance of seeds) for animals that significance of certain connections having
disperse the seeds (service). The bacteria strong interaction strength and greater
and the human. A certain kind of bacteria bearing on community organization, more
lives in the intestines of humans and many so than energy flow pathways.
other animals. The human cannot digest all
of the food that it eats. The bacteria eat the 9. (a)
food that the human cannot digest and
partially digest it, allowing the human to Exp: A large gene pool indicates extensive
finish the job. The bacteria benefit by getting genetic diversity, which is associated with
robust populations that can survive bouts

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food, and the human benefits by being able
to digest the food it eats of intense selection. Genetic drift that may
cause an increase in the fitness of
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7. (c) organisms, are more likely to fix in the
population from extinction if it is rather
Exp: It is also called double channel model, given
small. Genetic drift is a random,
by H. T. Odum. In nature, both grazing and
directionless process; it acts to eliminates
detritus food chains operate in the same
genetic variation over time.
ecosystem. However, sometimes grazing
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food chain (open sea ecosystem) or detritus 10. (d)

food chain (in forest ecosystem)
predominates. In nature, these two chains Exp: Biogeochemical cycle is a pathway by which
seem to be separated, but are not so. Some a chemical substance moves through both
dead animals which were a part of grazing the biotic (biosphere) and abiotic
food chain become incorporated in the (lithosphere, atmosphere, and hydrosphere)
detritus food chain like the faces of grazing components of Earth.
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animals. When shown in the form of In phosphorus Cycle phosphorus moves in

diagram, this interdependence looks like the a cycle through rocks, water, soil and
letter Y. This double channel model shows sediments and organisms.
the passage of energy through these two
food chains. The phosphorus cycle differs from the other
major biogeochemical cycles in that it does
8. (d) not include a gas phase; although small
Exp: There are different kinds or categories of amounts of phosphoric acid (H3PO4) may
food webs: make their way into the atmosphere,
contributing-in some cases-to acid rain.
• Source web - one or more node(s), all of
Very little phosphorus circulates in the
their predators, all the food these predators
atmosphere because at Earth's normal
eat, and so on.
temperatures and pressures, phosphorus
• Sink web - one or more node(s), all of their and its various compounds are not gases.
prey, all the food that these prey eat, and The largest reservoir of phosphorus is in
so on. sedimentary rock.

• Community (or connectedness) web - a It is in these rocks where the phosphorus

group of nodes and all the connections of cycle begins. When it rains, phosphates are
who eats whom. removed from the rocks (via weathering)

[ 2 ] Answers
 and are distributed throughout both soils 14. (b)
and water. Plants take up the phosphate
ions from the soil. The phosphates then Exp: The edge effects are changes in population
moves from plants to animals when or community structures that occur at the
herbivores eat plants and carnivores eat boundary of two habitats.Areas with small
plants or herbivores. The phosphates habitat fragments exhibit especially
absorbed by animal tissue through pronounced edge effects that may extend
consumption eventually returns to the soil throughout the range. As the edge effects
through the excretion of urine and feces, increase, the boundary habitat allows for
as well as from the final decomposition of greater biodiversity. It is not related to the
plants and animals after death. territorial size.

It does not have losses due to respiration. 15. (c)

The atmosphere does not play a significant Exp: Primary production is defined as the
role in the movement of the phosphorous amount of biomass or organic matter
therefore it is one of the slowest produced per unit area over a time period

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biogeochemical cycles. by plants during photosynthesis. It is
11. (c) expressed in terms of weight (g -2 ) or

Exp: Allelopathy is a biological phenomenon

where one plant inhibits the growth of
another. Through the release of
OR energy (kcal m-2 ). The rate of biomass
production is called productivity.
Gross primary productivity of an ecosystem
allelochemicals, certain plants can greatly is the rate of production of organic matter
affect the growth of other plants either in a during photosynthesis. Gross primary
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good or bad way by leaching, productivity minus respiration losses (R),

decomposition, etc. In essence, plant is the net primary productivity (NPP).
allelopathy is used as a means of survival
Secondary productivity is defined as the
in nature, reducing competition from plants
rate of formation of new organic matter by
nearby.
consumers.
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12. (b)
16. (c)
Exp: The element involved in the sedimentary
Exp: The energy always flow from lower to
cycle normally does not follow through
higher trophic levels.
atmosphere but follows a basic pattern flow
through erosion, sedimentation, mountain In an ecosystem there is always a very low
building, volcanic activity and biological chance of having more than six trophic
transport through the excreta of marine levels as hardly any energy is left to support
birds. Phosphorus,Sulphur, calcium and the number of organism.
magnesium circulate by means of the
sedimentary cycle. 17. (c)

13. (a) Exp: Community - An aggregation of

populations of different species living
Exp: A species is defined as; "a group of similar together (in inter dependence) in a specific
populations of organisms whose members area, having a specific set of environmental
are capable of interbreeding, and to produce conditions constitute a biotic community.
fertile offspring (children)". Only members Examples of major communities are: a
of the same species can interbreed to pond, a lake, a forest, a desert, a meadow
produce fertile offspring. Every species has and grassland. Each of these major
its own set of genetic characteristics that communities includes several minor
makes the species unique and different from communities. The major community
other species. exemplified by a forest has many minor

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 communities namely the plant community 23. (b)
(the plant population of the forest), the
animal community (the animal population Exp: Emigration and Mortality will decrease the
of the forest) and the microbial community population. Rest will increase.
(bacteria and fungi population). 24. (a)
18. (b) Exp: Supporting Services: nutrient recycling.
Exp: In this type of food chain either the Regulating Services: carbon sequestration.
producer or the consumer is parasitized and
therefore the food passes to the smaller
organism. The energy transfer through this
kind of food chain is not significant.
Example: Trees  Fruit eating birds  Lice
and bugs  Bacteria and fungi.
Zebra - Nematode - Filamentous bacteri.

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Radiant energy of the sun  Green Plants
 Sheep  Liver fluke.
OR
19. (d)
20. (b)
Exp: In biomagnification, there is an increase in
concentration of a pollutant from one link
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in a food chain to another. The omnivorous

are most affected
21. (a)
Exp: Flagship species are popular, charismatic
species that serve as symbols and rallying
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points to stimulate conservation awareness

and action. Examples of flagship species
include the Bengal tiger, the giant panda,
Asian elephant (Elephas maximus), etc.
Flagship species can represent an 25. (b)
environmental feature (e.g. a species or
ecosystem), cause (e.g. climate change or Exp: Only materials flow are represented in these
ocean acidification), organization (e.g. cycles. Energy flow is represented in
NGO or government department) or pyramids.
geographic region (e.g. state or protected
26. (d)
area).
Exp: An ecosystem can be described simply as
Indicator species can signal a change in the
the collection of all living and non-living
biological condition of a particular
components in a particular area. The living
ecosystem, and thus may be used as a proxy
components of the environment are known
to diagnose the health of an ecosystem.
as biotic factors. Biotic factors include
22. (d) plants, animals, and micro-organisms.
Exp: First the pioneer community gets developed An ecosystem is a self sustaining structural
and later on at last stage climax community and functional unit of the biosphere. The
gets developed. ecosystem may be large or small.

[ 4 ] Answers
 Biomes are refers to the large regional and Threshold effect is the harmful effect on
sub continental ecosystem characterized by organism even due to small change which
the similarity in vegetation and climate. exceeds the limit of tolerance.
Energy cycles through the abiotic and biotic Organism with wide range of tolerance is
organisms to maintain balance within the called Eurytopic while the one with narrow
ecosystem. The abiotic parts of an ecosystem range of tolerance are called Stenotopic.
include the non-living components, such as
air, water and the basic compounds of the 31. (d)
environment. Climatic and edaphic factors Exp: An increase in Phosphorous due to waste
are several abiotic components of an disposal rerouting affect the trophic food
ecosystem. web of a lake as:
27. (b) • Cause an algal bloom,
Exp: Characteristics of human modified • Cause increase in biomass and possible
ecosystems (1) Highly simplified. (2) Species shading. That could either cause decrease

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diversity is very low. (3) Food chains are in phyto or possible increase due to added
simple and small. (4) Depend on human nutrient
(anthropogenic) support for survival; need
for fossil fuel energy, fertilizers, irrigation
etc. (5) Attract large number of weeds. (6)
More susceptible to epidemic diseases. (7)
OR
• If assume shading does not affect biomass,
the increase in turbidity and loss of water
clarity makes is hard for visual hunting
Suffer from soil erosion. (8) Highly unstable. predatory piscivorous fish to catch food, so
they would decrease.
28. (c)
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• Big zooplankton would increase because a

Exp: Energy is used for metabolism as well as a lot of phyto available and so small would
part of it is lost as heat to the surroundings. decrease
29. (a) • Planktivoruous fish would increase because
Exp: It is relationships between organisms and not preyed upon and have a lot of
zooplankton to eat
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the components of the environment namely

abiotic(non-living) and biotic (living).
32. (d)
Ecology not only deals with the study of
the relationship of individual organisms Exp: Bioaccumulation is the accumulation of
with their environment, but also with the substances, such as pesticides, or other
study of populations, communities, chemicals in an organism. Bioaccumulation
ecosystems, biomes, and biosphere as a occurs when an organism absorbs a
whole. substance at a rate faster than that at which
the substance is lost by catabolism and
30. (c)
excretion.
Exp: Range of tolerance is the range between
Biomagnifications - increase in
critical minimum and critical maximum
concentration of a pollutant from one link
limits of environmental factors influencing
in a food chain to another.
an organism.
Bioconcentration is the specific
Limiting Factor is the single factor that
bioaccumulation process by which the
limits the growth, abundance, or
distribution of the population of a species concentration of a chemical in an organism
in an ecosystem. becomes higher than its concentration in
the air or water around the organism.
Ecological amplitude are the limits of Although the process is the same for both
environmental conditions within which an natural and manmade chemicals, the term
organism can live and function. bio-concentration usually refers to

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 chemicals foreign to the organism. For fish The humus is further degraded by some
and other aquatic animals, microbes and release of inorganic nutrients
bioconcentration after uptake through the occurs by the process known as
gills (or sometimes the skin) is usually the mineralization.
most important bioaccumulation process.
Humification and mineralization occur
33. (a) during decomposition in the soil.
Exp: Difference between food chain and food Bio-magnification is the process by which
web: substance become more concentrated in the
• A food web indicates all possible transfer bodies of consumers as one moves up the
of energy and nutrients among the food chain . when chemicals or pesticide
organisms in an ecosystem whereas a food are let into rivers or lakes they are
chain traces only one pathway of the food. consumed by aquatic organism like fish,
which in turn are consumed by large birds,
• Food web increases the stability of the animals and humans.
ecosystem where as separate food chain
increases the instability of the ecosystem. 36. (c)

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• Food chain does not have any effect on Exp: Allogenic succession is succession driven by
improving the adaptability and the Abiotic (Non living) components of an
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competitiveness of the organism but food ecosystem. In contrast, autogenic succession
web has an effect on improving the is driven by the biotic components of the
adaptability and competitiveness of the ecosystem. An allogenic succession can be
organism. brought about in a number of ways which
can include v, Meteor or comet strike,
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34. (d) Flooding, Drought, Earthquakes etc.

Exp: Photosynthesis is the processes of
Autogenic succession is the succession in
assimilation of carbon dioxide and water
which organisms (living inhabitants)
into carbohydrate (Glucose) and oxygen in
themselves bring change in the
presence of sunlight. Birds of colder areas
environment.
of northern hemisphere begin their
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southward migration as the day lengths Autotrophic succession is the succession in

begin to shorten. Leaf Fall and Dormancy which initially the green plants are much
occur in temperature and subtropical areas greater in quantity.
in response to shortening day length. Most
plants flower at a particular season in Secondary succession occurs when plants
response to a particular photoperiod. e.g., recognize an area in which the climax
spring, summer, autumn or winter. community has been disturbed.
35. (a) 37. (d)
Exp: Decomposition is the natural process of 38. (a)
dead animal or plant tissue being rotted or
broken down. The important steps in the Exp: The promotion of a few favoured species
process of decomposition are in many parts of India has been carried
fragmentation, leaching, Catabolism and, through the ironical termed ‘Enrichment
Humification and Mineralization. plantation’ in which single commercially
Decomposition is largely an oxygen valuable species was extensively planted
requiring process. Humifiacation leads to and other species eliminated. Teak
accumulation of a dark colored amorphous monoculture has damaged the natural
substance called humus that is highly forest in south India and Chir Pine
chemical resistant to microbial action and plantations in the Himalayas have replaced
undergoes at an extremely slow rate. the Himalayan oak.

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39. (a) oceans were about 122 m (400 ft) lower than
today.
40. (c)
Ocean waters and waters trapped in the
Exp: Water undergoes a cycle from the ocean to pore spaces of sediments make up most of
land and land to ocean. The hydrological the present-day hydrosphere. The total mass
cycle describes the movement of water on, of water in the oceans equals about 50
in, and above the earth. The distribution of percent of the mass of sedimentary rocks
water on earth is quite uneven. Many now in existence and about 5 percent of
locations have plenty of water while others the mass of Earth's crust as a whole. Deep
have very limited quantity. The and shallow groundwaters constitute a
hydrological cycle is the circulation of water small percentage of the total water locked
within the earth's hydrosphere in different in the pores of sedimentary rocks-on the
forms i.e. the liquid, solid and the gaseous order of 3 to 15 percent.
phases. During colder climatic periods more
ice caps and glaciers form, and enough of Human activity such as the burning of fossil

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the global water supply accumulates as ice fuels has an effect on the overall increase
to lessen the amounts in other parts of the of the Earth's temperature. Raising the
water cycle. The reverse is true during Earth's temperature may mean that there
warm periods. During the last ice age
glaciers covered almost one-third of Earth's
land mass, with the result being that the
OR
is an increase of evaporation, melting of ice
or other processes of the water cycle that
adversely affect the climate on Earth.
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