Chapter-10: Ecosystem

1. More than 70% of world’s fresh water is contained in

(1) Polar ice.
(2) Antarctica.
(3) Greenland.
(4) Glaciers and mountains.

2. The most productive agroecosystem is of

(1) sugarcane.
(2) wheat.
(3) maize.
(4) rice.

3. Osmotrophs belong to
(1) primary consumers.
(2) secondary consumers.
(3) top carnivores.
(4) decomposers.

4. Find the incorrect statement.

(1) Biosphere is a global ecosystem.
(2) Transfer of energy in ecosystem explains in terms of food web and nutrient cycle.
(3) Pond, lake and wetland are aquatic ecosystems.
(4) Productivity is structural not functional unit of ecosystem.

5. Which of the following occupy top vertical strata of forest ecosystem?

(1) Shrubs
(2) Herbs and grasses
(3) Tree
(4) Phytoplankton

6. The amount of biomass or organic matter produced per unit area over a period of time by plants
during photosynthesis is known as
(1) primary production.
(2) secondary production.
(3) net primary production.
(4) net secondary production.

7. NPP is equal to
(1) GPP + R
(2) GPP – R
(3) GPP × R
(4) GPP ÷ R

8. Secondary productivity means

(1) rate of formation of organic matter by producer.
(2) rate of formation of new organic matter by consumers.
(3) rate of formation of inorganic matter by producer.
(4) rate of formation of inorganic matter by consumer.

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9. Match Column-I with Column-II and select the correct option.
Column-I Column-II
(a) Fragmentation (i) Break down of detritus into smaller particles
(b) Leaching (ii) Precipitation of water soluble nutrients as unavailable salt
(c) Catabolism (iii) Degradation of detritus by bacterial and fungal enzymes
(1) (a) – (i); (b) – (ii); (c) – (iii)
(2) (a) – (ii); (b) – (iii); (c) – (i)
(3) (a) – (iii); (b) – (ii); (c) – (i)
(4) (a) – (iii); (b) – (i); (c) – (ii)

10. Find out the incorrect statement from the following.

(a) Decomposition is largely an anaerobic process.
(b) Fragmentation, leaching and catabolism occur simultaneously on detritus.
(c) Vertical distribution of different species occupying different level is called stratification.
(d) Pond is a deep water body.
(e) The rate of decomposition is controlled by chemical composition of detritus and climatic factors.
(1) Only (a)
(2) Only (b)
(3) Only (c)
(4) Only (d)

11. In ecosystem, the non-living components are

(1) less important than the living components.
(2) equally important as those of the living components.
(3) more important than living components.
(4) None of these.

12. Cycling of material in ecosystem is entirely dependent upon

(1) producers and consumers. (2) primary producers and herbivores.
(3) herbivores and carnivores. (4) producers and decomposers.

13. In an ecosystem
(1) energy is recycled through the trophic structure.
(2) energy is an organic compound and lost to detritivores in the form of host.
(3) chemicals are recycled between the biotic and abiotic sectors, whereas energy makes a one way
trip through the food web.
(4) there is a continuous process by which energy is lost as heat and chemical elements leave the
ecosystem through runoff.

14. Primary productivity

(1) is equal to the standing crop of an ecosystem.
(2) is greatest in freshwater ecosystems.
(3) is the rate of conversion of light to chemical energy in the ecosystem.
(4) is inverted in some aquatic ecosystems.

15. The Open Ocean and tropical rain forest are the two largest contributors to earth’s primary
productivity because
(1) both have high rates of primary productivity.
(2) both cover huge surface areas of the earth.
(3) nutrients cycle fastest in these two ecosystems.
(4) the ocean covers a huge surface area and the tropical rain forest has a high rate of productivity.

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16. Secondary productivity
(1) is measured by the standing crop.
(2) is the rate of biomass production in consumers.
(3) is greater than primary productivity.
(4) is 10% less than primary productivity.

17. Select the correct combination of statements (a) – (d) regarding the characteristics of productivity:
(a) The rate of biomass production is called productivity and is expressed in terms of kcal m–2.
(b) Gross primary productivity is rate of production of biomass during photosynthesis.
(c) Gross primary productivity minus respiration loss is called net primary productivity.
(d) Primary productivity depends only on the plant species inhabiting a particular area.
(1) (a), (b) and (c) (2) (b) and (c)
(3) (b), (c) and (d) (4) (b) and (d)

18. On which of the following factors the primary productivity does not depend?
(1) Plant species inhabiting a particular area
(2) Types of food chains operational
(3) Availability of nutrients
(4) Photosynthetic capacity of plants

19. Which of the following is/are true regarding ecosystem?

(a) Self-sufficient unit
(b) Cyclic exchange of materials between living beings and environment
(c) Only requirement is input of energy
(d) Characterized by a major vegetation type
(1) (a) and (c) (2) (a) and (d)
(3) (a), (b) and (c) (4) All of these

20. Arrange the following ecosystems in increasing order of mean net primary production (Tonnes h–1
yr–1):
(a) Tropical deciduous forest
(b) Temperate coniferous forest
(c) Tropical rain forest
(d) Temperate deciduous forest
(1) (b) < (a) < (d) < (c) (2) (d) < (b) < (a) < (c)
(3) (a) < (c) < (d) < (b) (4) (b) < (d) < (a) < (c)

21. Which of the following is true of net primary production?

(1) Deserts and arctic regions have the highest productivity.
(2) There is no productivity in the depths of the oceans.
(3) Marine productivity is highest along coasts and in areas where water wells up from the ocean
bottom to the surface.
(4) Temperate areas are more productive than tropical areas.

22. Which of the following statements is correct?

(1) Decomposition is largely an oxygen non-requiring process.
(2) The rate of decomposition is controlled by chemical composition of detritus and climate factors.
(3) In particular climatic condition, decomposition rate is faster if detritus is rich in lignin and chitin,
and decomposition is slower if detritus is rich in nitrogen and water-soluble substances like
sugar.
(4) Temperature and soil moisture are the least important climatic factor that regulates
decomposition through their effect on the activities of soil microbes.

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23. Which of the following statements are correct?
(a) Detritivores break down detritus into smaller particles. The process is called fragmentation.
(b) By the process of leaching, water soluble inorganic nutrients go down into the soil horizon and
get precipitated as unavailable salts.
(c) Bacterial and fungal enzymes degrade detritus into simpler inorganic substances. This process is
called catabolism.
(1) (a), (b) and (c)
(2) (a) and (b)
(3) (b) and (c)
(4) (a) and (c)

24. Which of the following statements regarding decomposition is false?

(a) Warm and moist favours decomposition.
(b) Decomposition rate is slower if detritus is rich in chitin and lignin.
(c) Earthworm is detritus.
(d) Precipitation of soluble inorganic nutrients in the soil horizon as unavailable salt is called
mineralisation.
(1) Only (b)
(2) Only (a)
(3) Only (d)
(4) Only (e)

25. Which one of the following processes during decomposition is correctly described?
(1) Humification – Leads to the accumulation of a dark-coloured substance humus which undergoes
microbial action at a very fast rate.
(2) Catabolism – Last step in the decomposition under fully anaerobic condition.
(3) Leaching – Water soluble inorganic nutrients rise to the top layers of soil.
(4) Fragmentation – Carried out by organisms such as earthworm.

26. Mark the incorrect match.

(1) Primary productivity – Varies in different types of ecosystems
(2) GPP – Available biomass for the consumption of herbivores
(3) 55 billion tons – Annual NPP of oceans
(4) Secondary productivity – Rate of formation of new organic matter by consumers

27. Which of the following statements about decomposition is incorrect?

(1) Decomposers break down complex organic matter into inorganic substances.
(2) Water insoluble organic nutrients go down into the soil horizon during the process of leaching.
(3) In fragmentation, detrivores break down detritus into smaller particles.
(4) Saprophytic bacteria and fungi secrete digestive enzymes over the fragmented detritus.

28. Most important climatic factors that regulate the rate of decomposition are
(1) temperature and soil moisture.
(2) soil pH and aeration.
(3) aeration and temperature.
(4) moisture and soil pH.

29. Vertical distribution of different species occupying different levels is called ______________.
(1) standing crop (2) standing state
(3) scarification (4) stratification

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30. For net primary productivity, energy captured is
(1) 1–5% of incident radiation.
(2) 2–5% of PAR.
(3) 0.8–4% of incident radiation.
(4) 2–10% of PAR.

31. Consider the following four statements (a) – (d) and select the correct option stating which ones are
true (T) and which ones are false (F).
(a) Vertical distribution of different species occupying different levels in a community is called
stratification.
(b) Net primary productivity minus respiration losses is the gross primary productivity.
(c) Rate of biomass production is called decomposition.
(d) Annual net primary productivity of oceans is 55 billion tons.
(a) (b) (c) (d)
(1) F T F T
(2) T F T F
(3) T F F T
(4) F T F F

32. Which is not true for humus?

(1) Dark coloured amorphous substance
(2) Highly resistant to microbial action
(3) Act as reservoir of nutrients and increases water holding capacity of soil
(4) Degradation product of protein and fats produced by the process of mineralisation

33. Ecosystem is
(1) any functional unit that includes the whole community in a given area interacting with the abiotic
factors.
(2) a group of green plants.
(3) a group of animals interacting with environment.
(4) man and pets living together.

34. Largest ecosystem of the world is

(1) forests. (2) grasslands. (3) great lakes. (4) oceans.

35. The storage of energy at consumer level is known as

(1) grass primary production.
(2) secondary productivity.
(3) net primary productivity.
(4) net productivity.

36. Approximately how much of the solar energy that falls on the leaves of a plant is converted to
chemical energy by photosynthesis?
(1) Less than 1% (2) 2–10%
(3) 30% (4) 50%

37. Frog, that feeds on insects, is a

(1) primary consumer.
(2) secondary consumer.
(3) tertiary consumer.
(4) decomposer.

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38. Which law is obeyed during energy flow in an ecosystem?
(1) First law of thermodynamics
(2) Second law of thermodynamics
(3) Third law of thermodynamics
(4) Both (1) and (2)

39. GFC is a major conduit for energy flow in

(1) terrestrial ecosystem.
(2) aquatic ecosystem.
(3) Both (1) and (2).
(4) None of these.

40. Decomposers shows

(1) intracellular digestion.
(2) extra cellular digestion.
(3) both intra and extra cellular digestion.
(4) no digestion at all.

41. Find the incorrect statement.

(1) In terrestrial ecosystem larger fraction of energy flow occurs through DFC.
(2) In aquatic ecosystem a major conduit for energy flow is GFC.
(3) Detritus food chain is not at all connected with grazing food chain at any level.
(4) Natural interconnection of food chain makes it a food web.

42. Stranding crop is measured in terms of

(1) biomass per unit area.
(2) number of organism/unit area.
(3) Both (1) or (2).
(4) None of these.

43. A graphical representation known as ______ is required to express food or energy relationship
between organisms at different trophic levels.
(1) ecological pyramid
(2) standing state
(3) ecological quadrilateral
(4) standing crop

44. Find the correct statement

(1) Trophic level represents a functional level, not a species as such.
(2) A given species never occupies more than one trophic level in the same ecosystem at the same
time.
(3) In most ecosystems, producers are less in number and biomass than the herbivores.
(4) Pyramid of energy can never be upright.

45. Which one of the following has the largest population in a food chain?
(1) Producers (2) Primary consumers
(3) Secondary consumers (4) Decomposers

46. Food chain operating on decaying cow dung or organic remains is referred to as
(1) secondary succession. (2) secondary food chain.
(3) food web. (4) detritus food chain.

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47. If 20 joules energy is available at producer level, then how much energy will be transferred to the
lion in the food chain: Producer → Deer → Lion?
(1) 0.2 J (2) 0.02 J (3) 0.002 J (4) 2 J

48. Which of the following is not true for a pyramid of productivity?

(1) Only about 10% of the energy in one trophic level is passed into the next level.
(2) Because of the loss of energy at each trophic level, most food chains are limited to three to five
steps.
(3) The pyramid of productivity of some aquatic ecosystems is inverted because of the large
zooplankton primary consumer level.
(4) Eating grain-fed beef is an inefficient means of obtaining the energy trapped by photosynthesis

49. Which of the following is true about the amount of sunlight and heat arriving on earth?
(1) Every place on earth receives the same annual number of hours of sunlight and the same amount
of heat.
(2) Every place on earth receives the same annual number of hours of sunlight, but not the same
amount of heat.
(3) Every place on earth receives the same annual amount of heat, but not the same number of hours
of sunlight.
(4) Both the annual amount of sunlight and the amount of heat received vary over the surface of
earth.

50. The amount of energy reaching an upper trophic level is determined by

(1) net primary production.
(2) net primary production and the efficiencies with which food energy is converted to biomass.
(3) gross primary production.
(4) gross primary production and the efficiencies with which food energy is converted to biomass.

51. The pyramid of energy is always upright for any ecosystem. This situation indicates the fact that
(1) producers have the lowest energy conversion efficiency.
(2) carnivores have a better energy conversion efficiency than herbivores.
(3) energy conversion efficiency is the same in all trophic.
(4) herbivores have a better energy conversion efficiency than carnivores.

52. In an ecosystem, the population of

(1) primary producer is greater than primary consumers.
(2) secondary consumers is largest.
(3) primary consumers outnumber primary consumers.
(4) primary consumer is least dependent upon primary producers.

53. A vegetarian food habits of man help in getting

(1) less energy than non-vegetarian.
(2) more energy than non-vegetarian.
(3) same amount of energy as non-vegetarian.
(4) more or less same energy as non-vegetarian but depending upon the type of food taken.

54. Grasslands can support greater grazing rates by herbivores than forests because
(1) net production of grassland is greater.
(2) more of the grassland is above ground.
(3) grasslands receives more sunlight.
(4) grasslands produce less woody plant tissue.

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55. Which of the following is not true for a food web?
(1) The overall average number of trophic levels found in a food web is about 3.5.
(2) It describes the species occupying each trophic level in a particular ecosystem.
(3) As energy is transferred through the food chain, a lot of it is lost.
(4) Several species can be present in each trophic level of a food web.

56. Consider the following statements concerning food chains.

(a) Removal of 80% tigers from an area resulted in greatly increased growth of vegetation.
(b) Removal of most of the carnivores resulted in an increased population of deer.
(c) The length of food chains is generally limited to 3–4 trophic levels due to energy loss.
(d) The length of food chains may vary from 2 to 8 trophic levels.
Identify the correct statements.
(1) (a) and (d)
(2) (a) and (b)
(3) (b) and (c)
(4) (c) and (d)

57. The bacteria which attack dead animals are

(1) first link of the food chain and are known as primary producers.
(2) second link of the food chain and are herbivorous.
(3) third link of the food chain and are tertiary consumers.
(4) the end of food chain and are decomposers.

58. Which of the following statements is false?

(a) Pyramids of energy and yearly biomass production can never be inverted, since this would
violate the laws of thermodynamics.
(b) Pyramids of standing crop and numbers can be inverted, since the amount of organism at any one
time does not indicate the amount of energy flowing through the system.
(c) There are certain limitations of ecological pyramids such as it does not take into account the
same species belonging to two or more trophic levels.
(d) Saprophytes are not given any place in ecological pyramids even though they play a vital role in
the ecosystem.
(1) (a) and (b)
(2) (c) and (d)
(3) All of these
(4) None of these

59. Choose the incorrect option with respect to the amount of living material present in different trophic
levels at a given time.
(1) Can be measured as number (2) Is equivalent to standing crop
(3) Always represented as dry weight only (4) Expressed both as biomass and number

60. A food web

(1) increases variety of food at each trophic level.
(2) delicately balances the inter-relations among organisms.
(3) decreases variety of food but increases quantity of food at each trophic level.
(4) increases variety as well as quantity of food at each trophic level.

61. Mark the correct match.

(1) Secondary consumer – Zooplankton (2) Primary coloniser – Viruses
(3) Nanoecosystem – Valley and forest (4) Omnivores – Cockroaches, crows

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62. Grazing food chain
(1) provides inorganic matter to detritus food chain.
(2) binds the inorganic nutrients into organic matter.
(3) is based on energy present in detritus.
(4) does not add energy into ecosystem.

63. Vultures in an ecosystem are

(1) predators. (2) scavengers.
(3) consumers. (4) top carnivores.

64. In any given ecosystem, number of individuals in a species remains more or less constant over a
period of time. This constancy of numbers is maintained by
(1) parasites. (2) predators.
(3) man. (4) available food.

65. Nepenthes (insectivorous pitcher plant) is

(1) a producer. (2) a consumer.
(3) Both (1) and (2). (4) None of these.

66. The smallest food chain is the

(1) grazing food chain. (2) aquatic food chain.
(3) terrestrial food chain. (4) detritus food chain.

67. In an ecosystem the function of the producers is to

(1) convert organic compounds into inorganic compounds.
(2) trap solar energy and convert it into chemical energy.
(3) utilize chemical energy.
(4) release energy.

68. With regard to ecological food chain, man is

(1) a consumer. (2) a producer.
(3) both consumer and producer. (4) a decomposer.

69. Which ecosystem has maximum number of producers in a unit area?

(1) Pond (2) Grassland (3) Forest (4) Tundra

70. Fill up the blanks.

(a) ________ are the pioneer species on a bare area on rocts.
(b) The lichen secretes some __________ to dissolve rocks and helps in weathering and soil
formation.
(c) The species that invade a bare area are called _________.
(d) The community that is in near equilibrium with the environment is called __________.
(e) In primary succession in water, the pioneers are small ________.
Here (i) to (v) can be
(1) (a) – Bryophytes; (b) – chemical; (c) – climax community; (d) – pioneer community; (e) –
zooplanktons
(2) (a) – Lichen; (b) – acid; (c) – pioneer species; (d) – climax community; (e) – passively floating
phytoplanktons
(3) (a) – Lichen; (b) – enzymes; (c) – xerosere; (d) – seral stages; (e) – small plant
(4) (a) – Lichen; (b) – acid; (c) – pioneer species; (d) – climax community; (e) – submerged floating
plants

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71. Orderly and sequential changes in communities, parallel with the changes in the physical
environment is known as
(1) ecological succession.
(2) extinction.
(3) divergent evolution.
(4) convergent evolution.

72. The entire sequence of communities that successively, change in a given area are called
(1) extinction.
(2) evolution.
(3) succession.
(4) sere.

73. If succession occurs on bare rock, it is known as

(1) primary succession.
(2) secondary succession.
(3) tertiary succession.
(4) quaternary succession.

74. In which succession is climax reached faster?

(1) Succession on bare rock
(2) Succession on burned forest
(3) Succession on newly cooled lava
(4) All of these

75. Which is correct order of seral stages in hydrarch?

(1) Phytoplankton → Submerged plant → Submerged free floating plant stage → Reed swamp stage
→ Marsh → Meadow stage → Scrub stage → Forest
(2) Scrub stage → Forest → Reed swamp stage → Marsh → Meadow stage → Submerged free
floating plant stage → Submerged plant → Phytoplankton
(3) Submerged plant → Marsh → Meadow stage → Scrub stage → Forest →Phytoplankton
→Submerged free floating plant stage → Reed swamp stage
(4) Phytoplankton → Reed swamp stage → Scrub stages →Forest → Submerged plant →
Submersed free floating plant stage –→ Marsh → Meadow stage

76. Find out the total number of true statements from the following:
(a) Primary succession is a very slow process, taking thousands of years for the climax to be
reached.
(b) All succession whether taking place in water or land, proceeds to a similar climax community,
the mesic.
(c) As succession proceeds, the number and types of animals and decomposers also change
(d) Saprophytes are not given any place in the ecological pyramids even though they play a vital role
in the ecosystem.
(1) One (2) Two (3) Three (4) Four

77. Which of the following statements about food chains and energy flow through ecosystems is false?
(1) A single organism can feed at several trophic levels.
(2) The lower the trophic level at which an organism feeds, the more energy is available.
(3) Detritivores feed at all trophic levels except the producer level.
(4) Food webs include two or more food chains.

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78. Assuming that the energy transfer efficiency between trophic levels is 10%, how much grain would
be required to produce 70 kg of human biomass if the grain is eaten by cows and the cows are eaten
by humans?
(1) 210 kg (2) 700 kg (3) 2,100 kg (4) 7,000 kg

79. Causes of succession include

(a) climatic change
(b) one species altering the environmental for the next species.
(c) different species dispersal mechanism
(d) None of these
(1) (a) and (c)
(2) (a) and (d)
(3) (a), (b) and (c)
(4) (d)

80. Which of the following is/are trend(s) in ecological succession?

(a) An increase in complexity of species
(b) An increase in productivity
(c) An increase in community stability and species diversity
(d) A decrease in non-living organic materials
(1) (a) and (c) (2) (a) and (d)
(3) (a), (b) and (c) (4) All of these

81. Which of the following statements is correct?

(a) An important characteristic of all communities is that composition and structure constantly
change in response to the changing environmental condition.
(b) These changes lead finally to a community that equilibrium with itself and not the environment
and that is called climax community.
(c) The entire sequence of communities that successively change in a given area are called sere(s).
(1) (a), (b), and (c)
(2) (a) and (b)
(3) (b) and (c)
(4) (a) and (c)

82. Choose the odd one out with respect to succession.

(1) Succession and evolution are parallel processes.
(2) In abandon farmlands, primary succession occurs.
(3) It involves change at every trophic level.
(4) Generally shows a trend from xeric to mesic conditions.

83. In autogenic succession,

(1) early and continued dominance of autotrophic organism takes place like green plants.
(2) replacement of existing communities cause largely by any other external condition.
(3) early dominance of heterotrophs takes place such as bacteria, fungi and other animals.
(4) community itself is modified in its own environment thus causing its own replacement by new
communities.

84. During the process of ecological succession,

(1) species diversity decreases.
(2) structural complexity decreases.
(3) niche become specialized.
(4) food chain relationship becomes simple.

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85. Ecological succession is _____ and ______ changes in species composition.
(1) orderly; sequential
(2) unpredictable; orderly
(3) gradual; unsequential
(4) sequential; disorderly

86. Which of the following changes occur during ecological succession?

(1) Total biomass decreases
(2) Decomposers also change
(3) Low degree of diversity
(4) Humus content decreases

87. Amount of nutrients present in soil at any given time is referred as

(1) standing state.
(2) standing quality.
(3) standing crop.
(4) Both (1) and (2).

88. Out of the following biogeochemical cycles which one is gaseous?

(a) Sulphur (b) Phosphorus
(c) Nitrogen (d) Carbon
Choose the correct option
(1) Only (a)
(2) Only (b)
(3) Only (d)
(4) (c) and (d)

89. Which of the following majorly regulates the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere?
(1) Respiratory activities of the producers and consumers
(2) Decomposers
(3) Burning of fossil fuel
(4) Oceanic reservoir

90. What price tag did Robert Constanza put for fundamental ecosystem services?
(1) 33 trillion US $ (2) 22 trillion US $ (3) 12 trillion US $ (4) 44 trillion US $

91. Out of the total cost of various ecosystem services, the soil account for ______ %, recreation and
nutrient cycling constitute less than ______ % and climate regulation and habitat for wildlife account
for about ______ % each.
(1) 50; 6; 10 (2) 50; 10; 6
(3) 50; 30; 20 (4) 20; 30; 50

92. Nitrogen is often in short supply is terrestrial ecosystem. Why?

(1) There is very little free nitrogen in the air.
(2) Atmospheric nitrogen is primarily in the stratosphere and does not come into contact with
terrestrial ecosystems.
(3) Atmospheric nitrogen cannot be used by most organisms, it needs to be converted to useful forms
by bacteria and cyanobacteria.
(4) Nitrogen solubility in water is very low and therefore atmospheric nitrogen enters cells very
slowly.

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93. Which of the following statements regarding the hydrological cycle is false?
(1) Most input to the oceans occurs via runoff from rivers.
(2) More water evaporates from the surface of the oceans than falls as rain over the oceans.
(3) Lost water evaporates from the surface of the land than falls as rain over the oceans.
(4) Water found in sedimentary rock is constantly exchanged with the ocean.

94. Which of the following biogeochemical cycles has a major reservoir in sedimentary rock?
(1) Carbon cycle (2) Nitrogen cycle
(3) Phosphorus cycle/Sulfur cycle (4) More than one cycle

95. Which of the following statements about biogeochemical cycles is/are false?
(a) Carbon and nitrogen cycle faster than phosphorus.
(b) All biogeochemical cycles include both organisms and non-living components.
(c) Some nutrients are sometimes lost from the ecosystems during nutrient recycling
(d) The chemical elements used by organisms in large quantities cycle back and forth between
organisms and environment.
(1) (a) and (c) (2) (a), (b) and (d)
(3) Only (c) (4) All of these

96. Why are changes in the global carbon cycle important?

(1) Less atmospheric carbon means that there is less fossil fuel available.
(2) Changes to the global carbon cycle cause changes in the global nitrogen cycle, as well.
(3) More atmospheric carbon dioxide means that there is less carbon available for the growth of
terrestrial plants.
(4) Carbon dioxide functions as a greenhouse gas.

97. The two major differences between carbon and phosphorus cycles are
(a) atmospheric inputs of phosphorus through rainfall are much smaller than carbon inputs.
(b) atmospheric inputs of phosphorus through rainfall are much greater than carbon inputs.
(c) gases exchange of phosphorus between organic and environment is not negligible.
(d) gases exchange of phosphorus between organic and environment are negligible.
(1) (a) and (b) (2) (b) and (c) (3) (a) and (d) (4) (b) and (c)

98. Why are economists trying to quantify the dollar value of ecosystem services?
(1) This allows them to sell abiotic components.
(2) This allows them to manage the area.
(3) This allows them to justify the cost of preservation.
(4) This allows them to prevent habitat loss.

99. Which pair is correct?

(1) FOAM – Waste water treatment
(2) Tropical Savannah – Fire resistance in plants due to resin
(3) Taiga – Oak, Elm, Maple
(4) Producers – Primary consumers

100. Which of the following statements is/are correct?

(a) In an aquatic ecosystem, grazing food chain is the major conduit for energy flow.
(b) Porocity of loam soil is 40%.
(c) Phytoplankton belongs to first trophic level.
(d) When any organism dies it is converted to detritus or dead biomass that serves as an energy
source for producers (plants).
(1) (a) and (b) (2) (b), (c) and (d) (3) (a), (b) and (c) (4) All of these

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101. The amount of nutrients such as carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium, etc., present in the soil at any
given time is referred to as
(1) standing state.
(2) standing crop.
(3) hydrarch.
(4) xerarch.

102. The upright pyramid of number is absent in

(1) forest. (2) grassland. (3) pond. (4) lake.

103. Selects the incorrect statement(s)

(a) The factors affecting decomposition are chemical nature of detritus and the climatic factors.
(b) It detritus is rich in lignin and chitin decomposition is very fast.
(c) Decomposition is very slow if the detritus is rich in nitrogen.
(d) Detritus is the raw material for decomposition.
(1) (a) and (c)
(2) (a) and (d)
(3) (a), (b) and (c)
(4) All of these

104. Read the give statements:

(a) The amount of living matter (biomass) present at every tropical level is called standing crop.
(b) Saprophytes do not form part of ecological pyramids.
(c) Ecological pyramid does not account the same species belonging to two or more trophic levels.
(d) Humus is reservoir of nutrients.
(1) All are correct
(2) All are incorrect
(3) Only (d) is correct
(4) (a), (d) and (c) are correct

105. Read the give statements:

(a) P-cycling depends only on biological processes.
(b) In general, food chains are more stable than food webs.
(c) The food chain that depends on decomposing plant or animal matter is the detritus.
(d) Humans can feed at several trophic levels and are classified as omnivores.
(1) All are correct (2) All are incorrect
(3) (a) and (b) are correct (4) (c) and (d) are correct

106. Match Column-I with Column-II and select the correct option.
Column-I Column-II
(a) Pioneer community on (i) Crustose lichens
lithosphere
(b) Ecological succession (ii) Mesophytes
(c) Climax community (iii) Ecosystem
development
(d) Ecological pyramid (iv) Elton
(1) (a) – (iii); (b) – (ii); (c) – (iv); (d) – (i)
(2) (a) – (iii); (b) – (i); (c) – (iv); (d) – (ii)
(3) (a) – (i); (b) – (iii); (c) – (ii); (d) – (iv)
(4) (a) – (ii); (b) – (iii); (c) – (iv); (d) – (i)

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107. Which of the following statements is/are false?
(a) Quantity of biomass in a tropical level at a particular period is called standing crop.
(b) The energy content in a tropical level is determined by considering a few individuals of a species
in that tropical level.
(c) The succession that occurs in nearly cooled lava is called primary succession.
(d) Rate of succession is faster in the secondary succession.
(e) Phytoplanktons are the pioneers in aquatic succession.
(1) Only (b) (2) Only (c) (3) Only (e) (4) Only (a) and (d)

108. Match Column-I with Column-II and select the correct option.
Column-I Column-II
(a) Standing state (i) Perfect
(b) Gaseous cycles (ii) Amount of nutrients
(c) Standing crop (iii) Imperfect
(d) Sedimentary (iv) Living matter at different trophic
cycles levels
(1) (a) – (iii); (b) – (i); (c) – (iv); (d) – (iii)
(2) (a) – (i); (b) – (ii); (c) – (iii); (d) – (iv)
(3) (a) – (iii); (b) – (ii); (c) – (iv); (d) – (i)
(4) (a) – (i); (b) – (iv); (c) – (iii); (d) – (ii)

109. Which of the following statements is/are false?

(a) Ecosystem food webs are found.
(b) Dry weight is chosen for expressing the biomass of a species. If is to avoid variation in weight
due to seasonal moisture difference in the biomass.
(c) Biogeochemical cycles occur in ecosystems.
(d) Photosynthesis and respiration are central to carbon cycle.
(e) Atmosphere contains about 1% of total carbon.
(f) Rapid deforestation and massive burning of fossil fuel for energy and transport increased the rate
of CO2 release into the atmosphere causing greenhouse effect.
(g) The products of ecosystem processes are named as ecosystem services.
(h) Healthy ecosystems are base for a wide range of environmental services but not for economic
growth.
(i) Healthy forest ecosystems not mitigate droughts.
(j) Robert Constanzeet al have tried to put price tags on nature’s life support services.
(k) A. G. Tansley coined the term ecosystem.
(l) The open ocean and tropical rain forest are the two largest contributes to earth’s net primary
productivity. Both have high rates or net primary productivity and both cover huge surface area
of the earth.
(1) (a), (c), (e) and (g) (2) (h) and (i)
(3) (b), (d), (f ) and (j) (4) (k) and (l)

110. Read the following statements carefully.

(a) Primary succession is a very slow process taking thousands of years for the climax to be reached.
(b) Energy at a higher trophic level is always more than at a lower level.
(c) Bacterial and fungal enzymes degrade detritus into simpler inorganic substances. This process is
called fragmentation.
(d) All succession whether taking place in water or on land, proceeds to a similar climax community
- the mesic.
Which of the two statements are correct?
(1) (a) and (b) (2) (b) and (c) (3) (a) and (d) (4) (c) and (d)

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