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 botany ecological adaptations, succession and ecological services ecosystem services ecosystems ecosystem

Fuel powered ecosystem is also known as

  1. Urban industrial Ecosystem

  2. Unsubsidized natural solar powered ecosystem

  3. Naturally subsidized solar powered ecosystem

  4. Man subsidized solar power ecosystem
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Urban industrial ecosystems are often referred to as fuel-powered ecosystems because they rely heavily on external energy sources (fossil fuels) rather than just solar energy to maintain their structure and function.

Multiple choice biology interdependence in living beings - plants and animals animals as consumers scavengers and decomposers interdependence between plants and animals

Earthworm is a 

  1. Herbivore

  2. Secondary consumer

  3. Tertiary consumer

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

Decomposer is an organism which decomposes dead organic matter. They breakdown organic matter of dead animals and plants and release nutrients in the environment. Detritivores are also called as detritus eaters. They are heterotrophs that obtain nutrients by consuming detritus (decomposing plant and animal matter). Earthworm is an example of detrivore.

Thus, the correct answer is 'Detrivore.'

Multiple choice biology interdependence in living beings - plants and animals animals as consumers scavengers and decomposers interdependence between plants and animals

The last chain of food is

  1. producers

  2. decomposers

  3. parasites

  4. none of the above
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation
A. Producers are photosynthetic green plants. They are autotrophs as they convert solar radiations into chemical energy and prepare their own food.
B. Decomposers are micro consumers that reduce organic remains. They form the last step of the food chain because they breakdown detritus (the dead remains of plants and animals) into smaller particles.
C. Parasites are the organisms that live in or on the host organism from which they derive their nutrition.
So, the correct answer is 'Decomposers'.
Multiple choice biology interdependence in living beings - plants and animals animals as consumers scavengers and decomposers interdependence between plants and animals

Which of the following is nature's cleaner?

  1. Consumers

  2. Producers

  3. Decomposers and scavengers

  4. Symbionts
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation
A food chain is series of plants/animals which are interrelated in the form of organism being eaten as food by the other. It consists of producers, consumers and decomposers. Plants are producers. The herbivores are primary consumers and carnivores are secondary consumers. Decomposers and scavengers are those which decomposes the waster organic matter and release energy back in the environment. Hence, they are also called as nature's cleaner. They are present in the apex of the pyramid.
Thus, the correct answer is 'Decomposers and scavengers.'
Multiple choice biology interdependence in living beings - plants and animals animals as consumers scavengers and decomposers interdependence between plants and animals

Bacteria and fungi are

  1. Scavengers

  2. Primary consumers

  3. Secondary consumers

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

Decomposers are microorganisms which decomposes organic matter. These include bacteria and fungi. They breakdown organic compounds obtained from the dead animals and leaves and releases carbon and energy back in the environment. They usually occupy the apex of the pyramid.

Thus, the correct answer is 'Decomposers.'

Multiple choice biology interdependence in living beings - plants and animals animals as consumers scavengers and decomposers interdependence between plants and animals

A detritivore is a/an

  1. Animal feeding on plant matter

  2. Animal feeding on decaying organic matter

  3. Plant feeding on an animal

  4. Animal feeding on another animal
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

A detritivore is an animal feeding on decaying organic matter. It is a heterotroph that obtains nutrients by consuming detritus. Examples include millipedes, earthworms, fiddler crabs, sea cucumbers. 

Thus, the correct answer is 'Animal feeding on decaying organic matter.'

Multiple choice biology interdependence in living beings - plants and animals animals as consumers scavengers and decomposers interdependence between plants and animals

The organisms, which attack dead animals are

  1. First link of the food chain are known as primary producers

  2. Second link of the food chain are known as herbivores

  3. Third link of the food chain are known as tertiary consumers

  4. Present at the end of food chain are detritivores
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The organisms which attack dead animals and obtain nutrition from their detritus (decomposing parts of plant and animals, even feces) are called as detritivores (kind of heterotrophs). They are present at the end of the food chain because they consume the highest trophic level organisms by their biomacromolecular digesting enzymes. Therefore, concluding the food chains often.

So, the correct answer to the question is 'Present at the end of the food chain are detrivores'.

Multiple choice biology interdependence in living beings - plants and animals animals as consumers scavengers and decomposers interdependence between plants and animals

Efficient recycling of nutrients from dead bodies into living things is done by?

  1. Producers

  2. Consumers

  3. Decomposers

  4. Predators
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation
  • Decomposer are feed on the decaying organic matter and convert this matter into nitrogen and carbon dioxide. 
  • Decomposers are the fungi and bacteria, which are the saprophytes.
  • The saprophytes play a vital role in recycling the nutrients so that the producers i.e. plants can use them once again.
Multiple choice biology interdependence in living beings - plants and animals animals as consumers scavengers and decomposers interdependence between plants and animals

The breakdown of dead and decaying organisms is carried out by

  1. Decomposers

  2. Humans

  3. Insects

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

Decomposers are organisms that break down dead or decaying organisms, and in doing so they carry out the natural process of decomposition. Like herbivores and predators, decomposers are heterotrophic, meaning that they use organic substrates to get their energy, carbon and nutrients for growth and development. 

Multiple choice biology interdependence in living beings - plants and animals animals as consumers scavengers and decomposers interdependence between plants and animals

Which of the following helps in maintaining the supply of nutrients to the growing plants?

  1. Herbivores

  2. Carnivores

  3. Decomposers

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

The food chain is comprised of different species which depend on each other for energy. The producers are which can prepare the food. The consumers feed on the producers. The dead plants and animals are degraded due to the microbial activity of the decomposers. The decomposers include the microbes which are involved in the breaking down of the organic complexes and recycling of the nutrients. They help in maintaining the continuous supply of the nutrients for the producers. 

Thus, the correct answer is option C. 

Multiple choice biology interdependence in living beings - plants and animals animals as consumers scavengers and decomposers interdependence between plants and animals

Which of the following are nature's cleaners?

  1. Producers

  2. Consumers

  3. Symbionts

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

Scavengers are organisms, that consume remains of other dead organisms or their waste products. The scavenger's role in the ecosystem is to prepare bodies for decomposition. They open up the bodies so that others can share the food. Scavengers include large animals. For example, crow and vulture. Many large carnivores, such as hyena and lion, which hunt regularly, will scavenge if given a chance. 

Decomposers are organisms that transform the bodies of both plants and animals back into the basic constituents they were made from. Decomposers are mostly bacteria and fungi. Hence, decomposers and scavengers are nature's cleaners.