Biology · Environmental Studies

Ecosystem Nutrition and Energy Flow

1,235 Questions

Ecosystem nutrition and energy flow questions cover trophic levels, food chains, and biodegradable materials. These concepts frequently appear in general science sections of major competitive exams. Review these questions to build a solid understanding of ecological interactions.

Trophic levels conceptFood chain orderAutotrophic nutritionEnergy assimilationScavengers and decomposers

Ecosystem Nutrition and Energy Flow Questions

Multiple choice evs forests: our lifeline food material and source sources of food and food habits of animals seed dispersal

Which is not a characteristic of seral stages?

  1. Simplified food chain

  2. Few and generalised niches

  3. Low net primary productivity(NPP)

  4. Low energy use efficiency
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Seral stages are intermediate stages in ecological succession. They typically feature complex food webs, high net primary productivity, and high energy use efficiency compared to the early pioneer stages.

Multiple choice evs forests: our lifeline food material and source sources of food and food habits of animals seed dispersal

Which among the following always decreases in a Food chain across tropic levels?

  1. Number

  2. Accumulated chemicals

  3. Energy

  4. None of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

According to the 10% law of energy transfer, energy is lost as heat at each trophic level. Therefore, the amount of available energy always decreases as you move up the food chain.

Multiple choice evs forests: our lifeline food material and source sources of food and food habits of animals seed dispersal

Which organism will be affected in the absence of the decomposers?

  1. Plants

  2. Animals

  3. Insects

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

Decomposers are the organisms that play a critical role by breaking down and decomposing the body and release the element back to nature for other organisms. Thus they help in recycling the nutrients in the atmosphere. They also act as the cleaning agent of the environment because without them dead organisms will pile up. Thus in their absence all the organisms i.e., plants, animals, and insects will be affected. Thus, the correct answer is option D.

Multiple choice biology interdependence of organism and the environment food material and source sources of food and food habits of animals forests: our lifeline

A detrivorous animal of economic importance is

  1. Caterpillar larva

  2. Leech

  3. Earthworm

  4. Giriraja fowl
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Detrivores are those animals which obtain their nourishment by consuming decomposing plant and animal parts. Earthworms decompose the organic matter of soil thus aerating it which is then used by farmers as fertilizers. Thus it improves the fertility of soil making it more porous. 

Caterpillar larva feeds on leaves.
Leech is sanguivores which means blood sucking organism.
Giriraja fowl feeds on small insects and grass.
Thus, the correct answer is option C. 

Multiple choice biology interdependence of organism and the environment food material and source sources of food and food habits of animals forests: our lifeline

Bacteria and fungi in a forest ecosystem are generally 

  1. Producers

  2. Decomposers

  3. Primary consumers

  4. Secondary consumers

  5. Tertiary consumers
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Decomposers are saprotrophs which decompose the organic remains by secreting extracellular digestive enzymes. Due to degradation of organic remains, decomposers are also called reducers. They are also known as mineralisers as they release minerals trapped in organic remains. Bacteria and fungi, in general microorganisms, are usually detrivores that feed on dead and decaying organic matter and act as decomposers.

Multiple choice biology interdependence of organism and the environment food material and source sources of food and food habits of animals forests: our lifeline

The bacteria that attack dead organic matter are

  1. Producers

  2. Herbivores

  3. Carnivores

  4. Decomposers
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Decomposers are organisms feeding on dead remains of plants and animals and excreta of animals. Decomposers are saprotrophs, which decompose the organic remains by secreting extracellular digestive enzymes. Due to degradation of organic remains, decomposers are also called as reducers. They are also known as mineralizers, as they release minerals trapped in organic remains.

Multiple choice biology interdependence of organism and the environment food material and source sources of food and food habits of animals forests: our lifeline

Microorganisms are

  1. Primary consumers

  2. Secondary consumers

  3. Tertiary consumers

  4. Decomposers
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation
  • The food chain starts with energy from the sun, which is captured by plants and converted into fuel through photosynthesis. 
  • Primary consumers eat plants, and secondary and tertiary consumers feed on primary consumers. At the end of the chain, a group of micro-organisms called as decomposers carry out natural process of decomposition and form the final link in the food chain. They break down dead animals and plants and return vital nutrients to the soil.
  • So, option D is correct here.
Multiple choice evs a treat for mosquito algae: benefits and harmful effects basics of algae types of microorganisms

Greatest producers of organic matter are

  1. Crop plants

  2. Forests

  3. Plants of the land area

  4. Phytoplankton of oceans
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The $CO _2$ present in the oceans in the form of dissolved gas or carbonates is estimated about 11.2 X {10}$^{14}$ tonnes which is more than 50 times of the amount present in the atmosphere.

Green plants fix about 70-80 billion tonnes of $CO _2$ annually by the process of photosynthesis. Out of total $CO _2$ fixed, 90% is fixed by water plants (mainly in oceans) than 10 % fixed by terrestrial plants.
Hence, the correct answer is 'Phytoplankton of oceans'.

Multiple choice biology structural organization of animals structural organization of rabbit structural organization of leech phylum annelida

Coprophagy occurs in

  1. Insectivorous animals like Frog

  2. Carnivorous animals like Tiger

  3. Herbivorous animals like Rabbit

  4. None of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Coprophagy is the practice of eating feces. In rabbits, it is a normal behavior to ingest cecotropes (soft feces) to recover nutrients that were not absorbed during the first pass through the digestive system.

Multiple choice origin of universe universe and organic evolution biology

Edaphic factors are included in

  1. Abiotic components

  2. Biotic components

  3. producers

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

Edaphic factor is an abiotic factor relating to the physical or chemical composition of the soil found in a particular area. The edaphic factors are the abiotic factors with respect to the soil. These factors include; soil texture, soil air, the temperature of the soil,  soil water etc

So, the correct answer is 'Abiotic components'

Multiple choice origin of universe universe and organic evolution biology

Tiger belongs to which of the following biotic components of the environment?

  1. Decomposers

  2. Carnivores

  3. Producers

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

Tigers are animals that consume other animals for energy, classifying them as carnivores. They are a type of consumer, not a producer or decomposer.

Multiple choice origin of universe universe and organic evolution biology

Which of the following components of the environment includes the plants?

  1. Producer

  2. Decomposer

  3. Consumer

  4. None of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Plants are autotrophs that produce their own food through photosynthesis, making them the primary producers in an ecosystem.