Our Environment
1. Why are some substances biodegradable and some non biodegradable?
Substances that can be decomposed by the action of decomposers like bacteria and fungi are
called biodegradable substances. Bacteria and Fungi release enzymes on these materials to
decompose them. These are generally naturally occurring materials. Animal wastes, kitchen
wastes, human excreta etc are biodegradable wastes.
On the other hand, non biodegradable substances are those that cannot be decomposed by
bacteria and fungi because they lack the enzymes that can act on these substances and digest
them. These are generally man made materials such as Plastic, glass, metals, synthetic fibres etc.
2. Give any two ways in which biodegradable substances would affect the environment.
Biodegradable substances are eco-friendly because they are decomposed by the natural process
of action of bacteria and fungi. If biodegradable substances are decomposed properly they can be
used as manure in the fields to increase the fertility of the soil. But if not managed properly they
can cause environmental problems. For example
a. Garbage lying near road side hotels, marriage homes etc can be a breeding ground for many
microorganisms which can spread and cause epidemics and diseases to the public.
b. The garbage, human excreta and dead animals lying near the slums produces very foul smell
due to decomposition.
c. Pigs eat human excreta and garbage lying in the open. When these pigs are eaten by human
beings many parasites like tape worm and pathogens get transferred to the human beings.
3. Give any two ways in which non biodegradable substances would affect the
environment?
Non biodegradable substances are not environment friendly as they cannot be decomposed by
natural process of action of bacteria and fungi.
a. Pesticides and weedicides sprayed in the farms are absorbed by the plants and enter the food
chain. They finally reach into the human beings through food and cause
many diseases.
b. Many heavy metals like lead and arsenic contaminate the soil and
ground water. They enter the food chain and cause nervous diseases and
even cancer.
c. DDT used as a pesticide enters into the food chain and causes
reproductive problems in animals and thus disrupts the food chain. It was
banned in the United States in 1973. A Plane Spraying DDT
4. What are trophic levels? Give an example of a food chain and state the different trophic
levels in it.
Each level in the food chain is called a trophic (nutritional) level. The plants are producers (of
food). So, they form the first trophic level. The herbivores that eat the plants form the second
trophic level. They are also called primary consumers.
Small carnivores, which eat the herbivores, form the third trophic level. They are also called
secondary consumers. The larger carnivores, which eat the herbivores and other carnivores form
the fourth trophic level. They are also called tertiary consumers. Food chain-
Grass Grass hopper Frog Snake
Plant Herbivore Carnivore Top carnivore
1stTrophic level 2ndTrophic level 3rdTrophic level 4thTrophic level
Producer Primary Secondary Tertiary
Consumer consumer consumer
5. What is the role of decomposers in an ecosystem?
The decomposers such as Bacteria and Fungi decompose the organic matter present in the dead
remains of plants and animals and help in returning the raw materials to the soil for recycling.
These decomposers break down the complex carbon compounds like proteins, fats and
carbohydrates present in the dead bodies of plants and animals with the help of enzymes and
return simple raw materials to the soil. These raw materials are again absorbed by the plants to
produce food. Thus the decomposers help in recycling the materials from biotic to abiotic part of
the environment.
If all the decomposers are removed or stop working the dead bodies would not get decomposed
and the raw materials would not be recycled into the soil. Thus the plants would not get raw
materials to make food and life on earth would come to an end.
6. What is ozone and how does it affect any ecosystem?
Ozone is an atmospheric gas mainly present in the stratosphere i.e., higher atmosphere. A
molecule of ozone consists of three atoms of oxygen O3. It is formed when UV rays from the sun
break oxygen molecule to produce two free atoms of oxygen. These free atoms combine with
other oxygen molecules to form ozone molecules.
UV rays
O2 2O (O + O)
O + O2 O3 Ozone
Ozone absorbs the harmful Ultraviolet rays of the sun and protects all the living organisms.
Ultra violet rays can cause skin cancer to the living organisms and damage plant tissues.
7. How can you help in reducing the problem of waste disposal? Give any two methods.
We can reduce the problem of waste disposal and save the environment from getting polluted in
the following ways-
a. Using paper or jute bags in place of plastic bags to carry grocery and vegetables purchased
from the market. The shopkeeper can be requested to reduce the use of plastic bags.
b. Instead of throwing away all recyclable wastes such as old news papers, plastic bottles, tin
cans, glass bottles etc they should be sold off to a kabadiwala. These are finally sent for
recycling.
c. Proper use of dustbins is very necessary. Instead of throwing away chocolate and snacks
wrappers and packets, used mineral water bottles etc, these should be dumped into proper
dustbins. This can help in keeping the public places like railway stations, cinema halls etc clean.
d. Toilets inside railway coaches should not be used when the train is at a railway station.
e. All biodegradable wastes such as kitchen wastes can be composted and used as manure in
villages. In towns and cities the same waste should be disposed of properly in municipal dustbins
instead of throwing out through the back door of the house.
8. Which of the following groups contains only biodegradable items?
a. Grass, flowers and leather.
b. Grass, wood and plastic.
c. Fruit peels, cake and lime juice.
d. Cake, wood and grass.
9. Which of the following constitute a food chain?
a. Grass, wheat and mango
b. Grass, goat and human
c. Goat, cow and elephant
d. Grass, fish and goat
10. Which of the following are environment friendly practices?
a. Carrying cloth bags to put in purchases while shopping.
b. Switching off unnecessary lights and fans.
c. Walking to school instead of getting your mother to drop you on her scooter.
d. All of the above.
11. What will happen if we kill all the organisms in one trophic level?
There is always a balance in number of organisms in the different trophic levels of the
ecosystem. This is called Ecological balance. It helps in proper availability of food to all the
organisms in the ecosystem. Any change in the number of organisms at any level would disturb
the ecological balance in the whole ecosystem.
If all the organisms in one tropic level are killed then transfer of energy and food to the higher
levels will stop. This will seriously disturb the ecosystem of that place. For example, if all the
herbivores are killed then the carnivores will not get sufficient food and their population will also
get reduced creating an imbalance in the ecosystem.
On the other hand if all the carnivores are removed by killing or hunting, the number of
herbivores will increase too much and there will be a competition between the herbivores for
food. Grasslands and forests will be destroyed.
12. 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?
All organisms in an ecosystem are connected with each other through the food web. Depending
upon their nature of food they occupy different levels in the food web. These are called trophic
levels. Removing organisms at any level of the food web definitely disturbs the ecological
balance.
The impact of removing all organisms will be different for different tropic levels. For example-
a. If all carnivores of secondary consumer level are removed, then number of herbivores will
increase too much. This will cause over grazing of the forests and vegetation (plant cover) will
be removed. This will cause imbalance in the ecosystem. This will also cause soil erosion and
forest ecosystem will be destroyed.
b. If all the herbivores are removed by killing, then carnivores of secondary and tertiary level
will not get sufficient food and they will die.
c. If producers i.e., plants are removed due to deforestation then all the higher levels will suffer
from food shortage and their numbers will decrease due to death on a large scale.
Thus it is clear that if organisms of any trophic level are removed then this will seriously disturb
the ecological balance.
13. What is biological magnification? Will the levels of this magnification be different at
different levels of the ecosystem?
Use of Pesticides such as DDT and chlordane has increased in agriculture and storage of food.
These chemicals get washed into the soil and are absorbed by the
plants. Through the plants these chemicals are passed up the food
chain into the animals. With every step up the food chain, the
concentration of these chemicals in the body increases. This process is
called Biological Magnification. As a result of these toxic chemicals,
animals higher up in the food chain including human beings suffer
cancers, reproductive problems and death. Spraying of Pesticide in a field
The levels of biological magnification will be different for different levels of the ecosystem. The
plants, which are at the first level of the food chain, will have lower amounts of chemicals in
their tissues. The herbivores will have higher concentration of these chemicals. The top
carnivores that feed on a variety of animals will have the highest amount of these chemicals.
14. What are the problems caused by non biodegradable wastes that we generate?
Non Biodegradable wastes are generally manmade materials that cannot be recycled by the
decomposing action of bacteria and fungi. Such wastes range from plastics, glass, metals to
poisonous chemicals that are used in agriculture and industry. As they persist (remain) in the
environment for a long time, they cause much more harm than do biodegradable wastes.
a. Plastics such as polythene choke sewer lines and drains. Plastics when burnt produce a
poisonous gas carbon monoxide. If accidentally eaten by animals, polythene can choke the
intestines of animals causing their death.
b. Pesticides and weedicides sprayed in the farms contaminate the ground water and get
accumulated in the plant tissues and thus reach into our food. These
chemicals cause a variety of diseases like reproductive failure, nervous
disorders and even cancers.
c. Industrial wastes include heavy metals such as lead and mercury,
asbestos, metal salts, caustic soda etc. These wastes contaminate water
bodies and soil there by affecting aquatic and other life forms. Industrial Waste
d. Asbestos particles cause lung diseases and cancer.
15. If all the waste we generate is bio degradable, will this have no impact on the
environment?
Biodegradable wastes such as vegetable peels, human excreta, animal wastes etc can be
decomposed by Bacteria and Fungi. So if they are disposed of properly they will not cause any
impact on the environment. For example, vegetable peels and farm yard wastes can be
composted in pits and used as manure in the fields. Human and animal excreta can be
decomposed in a biogas plant to get biogas. The decomposed material can be used as manure.
If the biodegradable wastes are not disposed of properly then they may cause environmental
pollution. For example, many diseases causing microorganisms breed (reproduce) in the garbage
and food wastes lying around road side hotels and marriage homes. These microorganisms are
transferred to the food by insects and also contaminate soil and water. They cause diseases such
as typhoid, cholera and dysentery.
16. Why is damage to ozone layer a cause for concern? What steps are being taken to limit
this damage?
Ozone protects all the living organisms from the harmful Ultraviolet rays of the sun. Ultra violet
rays damage the plant tissues and cause skin cancer in animals and human beings.
Manmade chemicals like CFC gases that are used in refrigerators, air conditioners and aerosols
damage the ozone gas and make a hole in the ozone layer. Sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays pass
through this ozone hole and reach the earth surface causing damage to living organisms. Hence,
damage to ozone layer is a cause of concern.
To limit the damage to ozone layer, steps are being taken throughout the
world to reduce the production of CFC gases.
a. In 1987 the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) succeeded
in reaching an agreement between the member nations to limit CFC
production at 1986 levels. Satellite picture of Ozone hole over Antarctica
b. A total ban on the use of CFCs was proposed by the European Union in 1989, a move
endorsed by U.S. President George Bush.
c. HCFCs cause less damage to ozone layer than CFCs are being used in place of CFCs in the
developed countries.
d. American space agency NASA has launched a satellite that monitors the amount of ozone at
different levels of the atmosphere.
Extra Questions
17. What is ecosystem? What are its components?
An Ecosystem a part of the environment in which living organisms interact amongst
themselves and also with the physical components such as soil, water, air, sunlight etc. There
are two types of ecosystems-
a. Natural ecosystem- it includes forests, rivers, lakes, seas, oceans, mountains etc.
b. Man made ecosystem- it includes farm lands, gardens, parks etc.
The ecosystem consists of two components that interact with each other to make a stable system-
a. Biotic components: All living beings in the ecosystem are part of the biotic components. They
are plants, animals and micro organisms present in the soil, water and air. They are related to
each other through food relations. Plants play the part of producers of food through
photosynthesis. They trap sunlight and convert it into chemical energy stored in the food. It is
this energy that flows through the food web from lower to the higher trophic levels keeping all
the levels alive.
b. Abiotic components: The non living part of the ecosystem is called the abiotic part of the
ecosystem. It includes soil, water, air, sunlight, temperature, minerals that are present in the soil
etc. The abiotic component is very important part of the ecosystem because it supplies the
materials and energy for the living organisms. Thus it is the supporting component of the
ecosystem. Plants gather simple raw materials (such as minerals, CO2 and water) from the abiotic
environment and produce complex carbon compounds that are used in making cells and tissues
of all the living organisms. Sunlight is the chief (main) source of energy that maintains life on
earth.
18. Explain how biotic components (living organisms) depend on abiotic components in an
ecosystem.
Life is possible due to interactions between Abiotic and Biotic components of the ecosystem. The
plants in the ecosystem gather water and minerals from the soil, CO2 from the air and sun light
coming from the sun to make carbon compounds by the process of photosynthesis. These carbon
compounds like proteins, carbohydrates, fats and vitamins are used as raw materials for the
building up of cells and tissues of all the living organisms. Through the food chains these
complex carbon compounds are transferred from one trophic level to another and at each trophic
level used by the organisms. The food also contains chemical energy.
Thus, the food that passes through the food chains carries two things, matter in the form of
carbon compounds and chemical energy.
At every level in the ecosystem, energy is used up for growth, building up of tissues and other
life related activities. So it (energy) progressively goes on decreasing from the first trophic level
to the highest trophic level.
The matter (i.e., complex carbon compounds) that is present in the bodies of organisms at
different levels is again recycled back into the abiotic components (from where it was collected
by plants). After the death of living organisms decomposers like bacteria and fungi act on their
tissues and decompose the complex carbon compounds releasing back the materials into the soil,
water and air. Plants collect these materials again and the cycle goes on.
19. Why does a food chain consist of a few steps only? Explain.
In a food chain the amount of energy transferred from one tropic level to the next higher tropic
level decreases very rapidly. This is because at every tropic level-
a. There is use of energy by the organism for its growth and development.
b. Lot of energy is lost to the environment as heat.
So, after a few steps (levels) not much energy is left to support another higher trophic level.
Hence, number of trophic levels in the food chain is limited.
This can be explained in the following manner-
Plants are able to convert only 1% of the sun light energy to chemical energy through
photosynthesis. Thus out of 100,000 J of sun light only 1,000 J would be converted to chemical
energy and stored in the plant body.
Only 10 % of the available chemical energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next
trophic level. Thus as is seen in the figure below the top carnivore would get just 1 J.
Sun light
100,000 J
10 % 10 % 10 %
Plants Herbivore Carnivore Top carnivore
1,000 J 100 J 10 J 1J
Thus it is clear that after four steps very little energy is left to support the next higher level of
consumer. Hence a food chain consists of a few steps only.
21. What is ecological pyramid?
Ecological pyramid is the pyramid which shows different tropic levels of the food chain.
In the Ecological pyramid of numbers-
a. The lower broad base shows that the number of producers (i.e., plants) is highest in any
ecosystem.
b. The next level is of the herbivores. Their number is Top Carnivores
less than the plants.
Carnivores
c. The next higher level is of the carnivores that feed
upon the herbivores. Herbivores
d. Highest level is of the top carnivores that feed upon Plants
the herbivores as well as the carnivores.
Thus, the ecological pyramid shows that as we go from lower to higher levels in the food web in
an ecosystem, the number of organisms goes on decreasing. This is because the available energy
in the food also goes on decreasing rapidly.
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K. P. Singh, Science Department, Delhi Public School, Mathura Refinery Nagar, Mathura
