Biology · Environmental Studies

Ecosystem Nutrition and Energy Flow

1,093 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

Which of the following statements is/are correct about plants?

  1. In a food chain, plants are known as 'producers of energy'.
  2. All plants are categorized under the autotrophic mode of nutrition.
  3. Plants follow the '20% law of transfer of energy'.

  1. Only 1

  2. Only 2

  3. Only 1 and 3

  4. Only 2 and 3
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

(1) Plants are called 'producers of energy' because they start the food chain by synthesizing food in the presence of sunlight.

(2) Not all plants are categorized under autotrophic mode of nutrition. There are some carnivorous plants also, which trap insects and get nutrition from them. For example, Drosera, Venus Flytrap and Nepenthes.
(3) All trophic levels of a food chain follow the 'ten percent law', i.e. only about 10% energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next trophic level.

Multiple choice

Ratio between the energy flow at various points along the food chain, when represented as percentage, is known as

  1. ecological efficiency

  2. ecological gradient

  3. relative ratio of energy flow

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

Ratio between the energy flows at various points along the food chain when represented as percentage is known as 'ecological efficiency' which describes the efficiency with which the energy is transmitted from one trophic level to the next.

Multiple choice

Which of the following statements is not true?

  1. Human beings, animals, plants and trees are living things.

  2. All living things need food to get energy.

  3. Plants are the main source of energy for animals.

  4. Plants do not require energy to live.

  5. Energy is released after the process of respiration.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The misconception of the student my be that plants do not require energy to live.

Multiple choice

Match the following:

 
a. Animalia 1. Unicellular organisms
b. Plantae 2. Lacks chlorophyll and obtains food through absorption
c. Fungi 3. Kingdom of multicellular consumers with indigestion, digestion and assimilation processes of nutrition
d. Protista 4. Bacteria and cyanobacteria
e. Monera 5. All photosynthetic green plants

  1. a - 2, b - 4, c - 2, d - 1, e - 3

  2. a - 4, b - 5, c - 1, d - 3, e - 2

  3. a - 5, b - 2, c - 3, d - 1, e - 4

  4. a - 3, b - 5, c - 2, d - 1, e - 4

  5. a - 3, b - 5, c - 1, d - 4, e - 2
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

This is the correct matching as kingdom Animalia is the kingdom of multicellular consumers with indigestion, digestion and assimilation processes of nutrition. Kingdom Plantae consists of all photosynthetic green plants. Kingdom Fungi lacks chlorophyll and obtains food through absorption. Kingdom Protista consists of all unicellular organisms. Kingdom Monera consists of all bacteria and cyanobacteria.

Multiple choice

Which of the following statements is/are correct?

a. Flow of energy in biosphere is unidirectional. b. Energy once trapped gets converted into proteins during its passage through trophic levels of the chain. c. Amount of minerals cycling through living and non-living components remains constant.

  1. a, b and c

  2. a and b

  3. a and c

  4. only a

  5. only b
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

This is the correct answer as both statements are correct. Flow of energy in biosphere is unidirectional from non-living to living things. Amount of minerals cycling through living and non-living components remains constant.

Multiple choice

What is detritus food chain?

Grazing food chain supplements energy to the ecosystem. It imposes inorganic nutrients. Detritus food chain obtains food energy from the detritus & prevents its loss. It helps in emitting inorganic nutrients for cycling.

  1. Transmission of energy from one trophic level to the next.

  2. Detritus food chain starts with organic matter that are no longer alive & move through the detritus feeding organisms in land to those organisms which are detritus feeders.

  3. Graphical representation of trophic structure & functions at consecutive trophic level.

  4. Various interconnected food chains through which food energy is transmitted to the ecosystem.

  5. It is the chain of debris.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

Detritus food chain starts with organic matter that are no longer alive & move through the detritus feeding organisms in land to those organisms which are detritus feeders.