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

In general, food webs consist of producers, consumers, and decomposers.

  1. True

  2. False

  3. Either

  4. Neither
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation
Food web is an interconnected network of many food chains. In a food web, an organism occupies more than one trophic level. It may feed on different organisms of lower trophic levels and may get eaten itself by organisms of higher trophic levels. Food chain in turn, is a series of organisms which eat one and get eaten by other. A food chain comprises of different organisms at subsequent trophic levels. Autotrophs being producers occupy the lowest trophic level while consumers and decomposers occupy higher trophic levels. So, a food web consists of producers, consumers and decomposers with each occupying a particular trophic level.
Hence, the statement given in the question is correct.
So, the correct answer is 'True'.
Multiple choice evs - i insectivorous plants meaning of an ecosystem food chain and food web components of environment and their interdependencies

Food web ensures survival of all types of trophic levels.

  1. True

  2. False

  3. Either

  4. Neither
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation
Food web is a mesh like network of food chains which are interconnected. In a food web, an organism occupies more than one trophic level. It feeds on the organisms of lower trophic levels and is also eaten by other organisms of higher trophic levels. Thus all organisms at different trophic levels get food in a food web which ensures their survival. 
Hence, the statement given in the question is correct.
So, the correct answer is 'True'.
Multiple choice evs - i insectivorous plants meaning of an ecosystem food chain and food web components of environment and their interdependencies

An example of a producer in the aquatic food web would be

  1. Duckweed

  2. Ducks

  3. Fish

  4. Insects
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation
Producers are the green plants which convert light energy into chemical energy and prepare their own food. They are autotrophic component of an ecosystem. They are green plants and are photosynthetic. Their kind varies with the type of ecosystem. In an aquatic ecosystem, producers will be aquatic plants. For example, Duckweed also known as water lenses. These are flowering aquatic plants which keep floating on the surface of water. Since these plants are photosynthesising, they are producers in an aquatic food web.
So, the correct answer is 'Duckweed'.
Multiple choice evs - i insectivorous plants meaning of an ecosystem food chain and food web components of environment and their interdependencies

Organisms of a higher trophic level which feed on several types of organisms belonging to a lower trophic level constitute the

  1. food web

  2. ecological pyramid

  3. ecosystem

  4. food chain
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation
A. Food web is an interconnected network of many food chains. An organism occupies more than one trophic level in a food chain. It feeds on different organisms of lower trophic levels and may be eaten by other organisms of higher trophic levels.
B. An ecological pyramid is the diagrammatic representation of the relationship between numbers, biomass and energy content of producers and consumers in an ecosystem.
C. The ecosystem is the community of organisms which interact with each other and with their surroundings or environment.
D. A food chain is a series of organisms which eat one and get eaten by others.
So, the correct answer is 'Food web'.

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

Trophic levels are formed by-

  1. only plants

  2. only animals

  3. only carnivores

  4. organisms linked in food chain
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation
A trophic level is the position of an organism in a food chain. A food chain starts with producers which are green plants and occupy the lowest trophic level. The highest trophic level is occupied by carnivores which feed on lower trophic levels for energy. A simple food chain is represented as:
Plant ---> Herbivore ---> Carnivore
Hence, trophic levels are formed by different organisms linked in a food chain.
So, the correct answer is 'organisms linked in the food chain'.
Multiple choice evs insectivorous plants meaning of an ecosystem food chain and food web components of environment and their interdependencies

Each step in a food chain is called a

  1. trophical level.

  2. consumer level.

  3. food web.

  4. producer.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation
A. Trophic level is the position of an organism that it occupies in a food chain. Simply, trophic level is each step in a food chain representing producers and consumers.
B. Consumer levels represent heterotrophs that feed on producers and occupy higher trophic levels in a food chain.
C. Food web is an interconnected network of food chains.
D. Producers are the green plants that convert light energy into chemical energy and prepare their food. 
So, the correct answer is 'trophical level'.
Multiple choice evs insectivorous plants meaning of an ecosystem food chain and food web components of environment and their interdependencies

Which one occupies more than one trophic level in a pond ecosystem?

  1. Zooplankton

  2. Phytoplankton

  3. Fish

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

A fish consuming phytoplanktons occupies primary consumer level while when consuming another small fish, it occupies secondary consumer level. So, a fish can occupy more than one trophic level in a pond ecosystem.

So, the correct answer is option C, fish.

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

Grass $\rightarrow$ Goat $\rightarrow$ Man  $\rightarrow$
In above food chain man is

  1. Top consumer

  2. Secondary consumer

  3. Primary consumer

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

A trophic level is a group of organisms within an ecosystem which occupy the same level in a food chain. There are five main trophic levels within a food chain, each of which differs in its nutritional relationship with the primary energy source. The primary energy source in any ecosystem is the Sun. Primary producers are usually plants and algae, which perform photosynthesis in order to manufacture their own food source. Primary producers make up the first trophic level. The second trophic level consists of herbivores, these organisms gain energy by eating primary producers and are called primary consumers. Trophic levels three, four and five consists of carnivores and omnivores. Trophic level three consists of carnivores and omnivores (Example: Man) which eat herbivores; these are the secondary consumers. 

So, the correct answer is 'Secondary consumer'.

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

Which of the following trophics level is occupied by man feeding on curd?

  1. $T _2$
  2. $T _3$
  3. $T _4$
  4. $T _1$
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

A man feeding on curd occupied the third trophic level. Here, the grasses are at the first trophic level, the cow/buffalo who feeds on grasses is at the second trophic level. The curd is prepared by the milk of cow/buffalo by the action of bacteria, but the energy of the milk is getting transferred to the man, so man is at the third trophic level.

Hence, the correct answer is 'T$ _{3}$'

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

Food web contains many _______.

  1. Primary consumers

  2. Secondary consumers

  3. Tertiary consumers

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

A food web consists of multiple intersecting and interconnected food chains within an ecosystem, rather than a single linear sequence. While food chains show one specific pathway of energy transfer, a food web depicts the complex feeding relationships involving various trophic levels.

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

A food web is

  1. Like a food chain

  2. A set of interconnected food chains, illustrating the tropic relationships among species

  3. The set of prey species that are consumed by animals in an ecosystem

  4. The tropic (feeding) levels that can be observed in an ecosystem
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

A food web represents the complex, non-linear feeding relationships in an ecosystem by showing how multiple food chains overlap and interconnect.

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

Trophic levels are formed by 

  1. Only plants

  2. Only carnivores

  3. Only animals

  4. Organisms linked in food chain
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The trophic level is the sequential arrangement of several organisms on the basis of the number, energy flow, and biomass present at the different level. Food chains start at trophic level 1 with primary producers, such as plants, move to herbivores at level 2, predators at level 3 and finish with carnivores or apex predators at level 4 or 5. Thus, the correct answer is option D.

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

Vultures in an ecosystem are 

  1. Predators

  2. Scavangers

  3. Consumers

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

Vultures are scavenging birds that feed on dead animals. Vultures do not kill their own prey, they feed on dead animals. As scavengers, vultures play an important role in the ecosystem by decomposing the dead animal matter, cleaning the environment and reducing the spread of diseases.