Environmental Studies · Biology

Ecology and Biodiversity

1,739 Questions

Ecology and biodiversity are vital topics in environmental studies, covering ecosystem structures, species diversity, and environmental impacts. These concepts are frequently tested in competitive examinations for civil services and state selections. The questions cover carrying capacity, ecological succession, and conservation fundamentals.

Species richness measurementTypes of ecological diversityBiome distribution factorsCarrying capacity conceptEcosystem servicesEnvironmental Impact Assessment

Ecology and Biodiversity Questions

Multiple choice

An ecosystem is

  1. either open or closed unit, depending upon the biomass present

  2. a closed unit

  3. an open unit

  4. either open or closed unit, depending upon community type
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

 An ecosystem is an open unit as ecosystems require a continuous flow of high-quality energy to maintain their structure and function.

Multiple choice

Pond is an example of

  1. artificial ecosystem

  2. forest ecosystem

  3. natural ecosystem

  4. grassland ecosystem
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

 Pond is an example of artificial ecosystem.

Multiple choice

Cycling of elements in an ecosystem is referred to as

  1. geological cycle

  2. biogeochemical cycles

  3. geochemical cycles

  4. chemical cycles

  5. all of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

It is the movement of any of the natural circulation pathways of the essential elements of living matter.

Multiple choice

Consider the following statements:

  1. A hydrothermal vent is an ecosystem on the ocean floor.
  2. Animals living at the bottom of the sea are known as benthic.
  3. Gradual and predictable change in the species composition of a given area is referred to as primary succession.

Which of the given statements is/are correct?

  1. Only 1

  2. 1 and 2

  3. 2 and 3

  4. 1, 2 and 3
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation
  1. Deep in the Southern Ocean near Antarctica, scientists have discovered 23 new animal species living in the hot, dark environment around hydrothermal vents, which is the most recently found ecosystem. A hydrothermal vent is a fissure in a planet's surface from which geothermally heated water is issued. Hydrothermal vents are commonly found near volcanically active places, areas where tectonic plates are moving apart, ocean basins and hotspots.
    1. Any water in a sea or lake that is neither close to the bottom nor near the shore can be said to be in the pelagic zone. Animals living at the bottom of the sea are known as benthic.
    2. Gradual and predictable change in the species composition of a given area is referred to as ecological succession.
Multiple choice

What is virgin vegetation?

  1. Plant community which has been grown with advanced techniques.

  2. Plant community which has been grown with heavy consumption of fertilizers.

  3. Plant community which has been grown with high yielding varieties of seeds.

  4. Plant community which has grown naturally without human aid.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Virgin Vegetation means the original, undisturbed native plant life that grows in any area. A "virgin" forest would be one that has never been cut by man, or replanted with another type of tree.

Multiple choice

An ecosystem may be defined as

  1. a localized association of several plants and animals

  2. different communities of plants, animals and microbes, together with their physiochemical environments

  3. different communities of plants and microbes, plus their physio-chemical environments

  4. none of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Multiple choice

Ecosystem has two components

  1. plants and animals

  2. weeds and trees

  3. biotic and abiotic

  4. frogs and man
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

An ecosystem consists of two fundamental components: biotic (living organisms like plants, animals) and abiotic (non-living factors like water, soil, air, minerals). This is a foundational ecological concept.

Multiple choice

The term biosphere is used for the zone of earth, where life exists

  1. on the lithospheric surface

  2. in the hydrosphere

  3. in the lithosphere and hydrosphere

  4. in the lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The biosphere encompasses all zones where life exists - on land (lithosphere), in water (hydrosphere), and in the air (atmosphere). Living organisms occupy and interact across all three spheres, not just one or two.

Multiple choice

Ecosystem may be defined as

  1. group of plants which act as the energy suppliers

  2. group of organisms which form population

  3. functional unit for ecological studies

  4. none of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Multiple choice

Biosphere refers to

  1. plants of a particular area

  2. plants of world

  3. area occupied by living beings

  4. spherical plants
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Biosphere refers to the zone of Earth where life exists - the total area occupied by all living organisms across land, water, and air. It is not limited to just plants.

Multiple choice

Biological equilibrium is the balance between

  1. producers and consumers

  2. producers and decomposers

  3. producers, consumers and decomposers

  4. producers only
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Biological equilibrium in an ecosystem requires balance between all three major components: producers (plants), consumers (animals), and decomposers (bacteria/fungi). Each group plays an essential role - producers capture energy, consumers transfer it, and decomposers recycle nutrients back to the soil.

Multiple choice

Which of the following occurs among the abiotic components in an ecosystem?

  1. Flow of energy

  2. Cycling of materials

  3. Consumers

  4. Flow of energy and cycling of materials
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Among abiotic (non-living) components, the cycling of materials (water, carbon, nitrogen, minerals) is a key process. The flow of energy occurs between living components (biotic), not among abiotic components alone. Options mentioning consumers refer to living organisms, which are biotic, not abiotic.

Multiple choice

Which of the following characterizes the biomass in an ecosystem?

  1. The biomass of secondary consumers is usually greater than the biomass of primary consumers

  2. The biomass of producers is generally greater than the biomass of primary consumers

  3. The biomass of secondary producers is generally greater than the biomass of primary consumers

  4. No general statement can be made about relative biomass of different ecological groups
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Biomass distribution varies greatly across different ecosystems and depends on factors like productivity, energy transfer efficiency, and environmental conditions. In some ecosystems, producer biomass exceeds consumer biomass (terrestrial forests), while in others, consumer biomass can exceed producer biomass (inverted pyramids in aquatic systems). Therefore, no universal statement about relative biomass is valid.