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 evs - i insectivorous plants meaning of an ecosystem food chain and food web components of environment and their interdependencies

Food web usually exists in ecosystem which

  1. Is based on order of preference

  2. Consists of several interconnected food chain

  3. May include organism occupying different tropic levels

  4. More than one option is correct
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Food web represents an interconnection of many food chains in an ecosystem and that is the reason in a food web, there can be organisms occupying different trophic level at the same time. For example, in a food web, a crow can be at the second trophic level or at the fourth trophic level.

Hence, the correct answer is 'More than one option is correct'

Multiple choice evs insectivorous plants meaning of an ecosystem food chain and food web components of environment and their interdependencies

Which of the following best describes the trophic level within an ecosystem?

  1. Size of food eaten at that level

  2. Nutrient source of the organisms in each level

  3. Stages in ecological succession

  4. Habitats of the organisms within that level

  5. Elevation above sea level
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

An ecosystem is made up of organisms that differ in the energy source that they depend on upon and how they provide energy for other organisms in the food web. The steps of the nutritive food chain in the ecosystem is known as trophic levels. In other words, it is the position that an organism occupies in a food chain depending on what it eats, and what eats it.

Multiple choice evs insectivorous plants meaning of an ecosystem food chain and food web components of environment and their interdependencies

Which of the following limits the number of trophic levels maintained by an ecosystem?

  1. The number of species

  2. The population size

  3. The loss of potential energy

  4. The number of individuals

  5. The hours of sunshine
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

With each trophic level, only 10% potential energy is transferred and 90% is lost as heat in respiration. The longer the food chain, the lesser is the energy transfer efficiency. To increase the energy transfer efficiency, food chains must be smaller with a limited number of trophic levels. Thus, the correct answer is C.

Multiple choice geography basic problems of an economy introduction to natural resources (eco) understanding development: perspectives, measurement and sustainability resources - types and conservation

Biotic resources are ____________.

  1. Derived from living things

  2. Made by human beings

  3. Derived from non-living things

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

 Abiotic resources are non-living while biotic resources are living. Soils, rocks and minerals are abiotic but plants and animals are biotic resources. 

Multiple choice evs - i sources of water the lithosphere and the hydrosphere first aid safety and first aid

Which of the following are essential for the maintenance of balance in the ecosystem?

  1. Water cycle

  2. Carbon cycle

  3. Nitrogen cycle

  4. All of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Water cycle, carbon cycle and nitrogen cycle are essential to maintaining balance in an ecosystem. Water evaporates due to heating and gets converted into water vapour. The vapours cool down and return back to earth as rain.

Carbon cycle maintains equilibrium between oxygen and carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere. Photosynthesis utilises the carbon dioxide and releases oxygen while the respiration utilises oxygen and give back carbon dioxide.
The nitrogen cycle is the process by which atmospheric nitrogen is fixed by the plants in form of nitrates and nitrites which are further released back to the atmosphere by the process of nitrification.
So, the correct answer is option D

Multiple choice general knowledge impact of technology on livelihoods animal husbandry and fishery cattle farming agriculture sector

Which one of the following terms describes not only the physical space occupied by organism, but also its functional role in the community of organisms?

  1. Ecotone

  2. Ecological niche

  3. Habitat

  4. Home range
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

An ecological niche defines the role and position of a species in its environment, including how it meets its needs for food and shelter. Habitat refers only to the physical place where an organism lives.

Multiple choice zoology energy flow in an ecosystem the energy pyramid ecological pyramid ecological pyramids

Study the following statements and select the incorrect ones.
(i) Pyramids of energy and yearly biomass production can never be inverted, since this would violate the laws of thermodynamics.
(ii) Pyramids of standing crop and numbers can be inverted, since the number of organisms at a time does not indicate the amount of energy flowing through the system.
(iii) There are certain limitations of ecological pyramids such as they do not take into account the same species belonging to two or more trophic levels.
(iv) Saprophytes are not given any place in ecological pyramids even though they play a vital role in the ecosystem.

  1. (i) and (ii)

  2. (iii) and (iv)

  3. (ii) and (iii)

  4. None of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The second law of thermodynamics states that whenever energy is transformed, there is a loss energy through the release of heat. This occurs when energy is transferred between trophic levels as illustrated in a food web. When one animal feeds off another, there is a loss of heat (energy) in the process. Additional loss of energy occurs during respiration and movement. Hence, more and more energy is lost as one moves up through trophic levels. If this pyramid is inverterved, it would violate the law of thermodynamics. Hence the pyramid can never be inverted.

The pyramid of numbers depicts the relationship in terms of the number of producers, herbivores and the carnivores at their successive trophic levels. There is a decrease in the number of individuals from the lower to the higher trophic levels. The number pyramid varies from ecosystem to ecosystem. Since the amount if energy flowing through the system is not indicated, the pyramid can be inverted.
These are the diagrammatic illustrations of connection between different trophic levels in terms of energy, biomass and number of an organism. The base of each pyramid represents the producers or the first trophic level. Apex represents tertiary or top level consumers. If any species belongs to two or more trophic level, it can causes differences and issues in energy flow and numbers. 
Saprophytes are organisms which feed on dead and decaying matter and these pyramid exhibit interaction between the living components and decomposers interact with dead organisms at all level. This makes it difficult to place it in the ecological pyramid. Hence, they are not given any place in ecological pyramids even though they play a vital role in the ecosystem.
So the correct option is 'none of these'.

Multiple choice zoology energy flow in an ecosystem the energy pyramid ecological pyramid ecological pyramids

The pyramid that cannot be inverted in a stable ecosystem, is pyramid of

  1. Number

  2. Energy

  3. Biomass

  4. All of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Pyramid of energy is ecological pyramid, that represents the flow of energy from one trophic level to the next a lot of wastage occurs in metabolism and energy transfer. Maximum energy content is present in producers and least at top carnivore levels. Thus, the correct answer is option B.

Multiple choice zoology energy flow in an ecosystem the energy pyramid ecological pyramid ecological pyramids

The pyramid which cannot be inverted in a stable ecosystem is that of

  1. Biomass

  2. Number

  3. Energy

  4. All the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Flow of energy declines as it passes from lower to higher trophic level. The energy decreases from one trophic level to the next trophic level because energy is lost as metabolic heat during transfer of energy. Hence, the pyramid of energy is always upright in any ecosystem and it cannot be inverted in a stable ecosystem. When food energy passes from producers to herbivores to carnivores, only 10% of energy is transferred from one trophic level to another trophic level.

Thus, the correct answer is 'Energy.'

Multiple choice zoology energy flow in an ecosystem the energy pyramid ecological pyramid ecological pyramids

Relationships in an ecosystem can be depicted through

  1. Pyramid of energy

  2. Pyramid of biomass

  3. Pyramid of numbers

  4. All of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

An ecological pyramid is a graphical representation showing relationships between organisms at different trophic level in an ecosystem. Pyramid of biomass is the graphical representation of total amount of living material at each trophic level of a food chain. Pyramid of numbers represent the number of individuals in each trophic level of a food chain. Pyramid of energy represents the amount of energy at each trophic level of a food chain. The ecological pyramid are either upright, inverted or spindle shaped.

Thus, the correct answer is 'All of the above.'

Multiple choice zoology energy flow in an ecosystem the energy pyramid ecological pyramid ecological pyramids

Ecological pyramids are of ______ types.

  1. Two

  2. Three

  3. Four

  4. Five
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

An ecological pyramid is a graphic representation of the relationship between organisms at various trophic levels in a food chain. Ecological pyramids are of 3 types, namely biomass, energy and number. Pyramid of Number represents the number of organisms at different trophic levels of food chain. Pyramid of biomass represents the biomass of organisms at different trophic levels of the food chain. Pyramid of energy represents the amount of energy at different trophic levels.

Thus, the correct answer is 'Three.' 

Multiple choice zoology energy flow in an ecosystem the energy pyramid ecological pyramid ecological pyramids

Which of the following is not correct?

  1. In most ecosystems, the pyramids of numbers and biomass are upright.

  2. In tree dominated ecosystem, the pyramid of numbers is inverted.

  3. In deep water ecosystem, the pyramid of biomass is upright.

  4. Pyramid of energy expresses mainly the rate of food production.

  5. Total energy flow at successive trophic levels always decreases.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation
a) Pyramid of numbers represents the number of organisms at each trophic level. Pyramid of biomass represents the biomass of organisms at each trophic level. In most ecosystems, the pyramids of numbers and biomass are upright.
b) In tree dominated ecosystem, the pyramid of numbers is inverted. The first trophic level contains plants. The second trophic level contains birds which are more in number as compared to number of plants.
c) In deep water ecosystem, the pyramid of biomass is upright. The biomass at first trophic level is maximum followed by second trophic level (primary consumer) followed by third trophic level (secondary consumer).
d) Pyramid of energy expresses mainly the amount of energy produced at a particular level and the rate at which it is transferred.
e) Similarly, the pyramid of energy is always upright. Total energy flow at successive trophic levels always decreases from first trophic level to another trophic level.

Thus, the correct answer is 'Pyramid of energy expresses mainly the rate of food production.'