Our Environment

Question 1:Why are some substances biodegradable and some non-biodegradable?

Answer: Some substances such as metal, glass, plastic, etc. which cannot be decomposed by the
living organisms are non-biodegradable wastes. These substances are non-biodegradable because
the micro-organisms do not have enzymes that can digest these substances. Therefore, we classify
them as non-biodegradable wastes. Other substances such as paper, vegetable wastes, etc. that can
be easily broken down by enzymes are biodegradable wastes.

Question 2: Give any two ways in which biodegradable substances would affect the environment.

Answer: Biodegradable substances affect the environment in both positive and negative ways.

Positive aspects

(i) The biodegradable substances such as tree leaves, plant parts, and kitchen wastes can be
used as humus after composting. This will enhance the soil fertility.

(ii) The biodegradable substances mainly contain carbon. These substances after
decomposition release that carbon back into the atmosphere.

Negative aspects

(iii) Decomposition of biodegradable wastes produces foul smell.

(iv) Flies breed at huge heaps of biodegradable wastes, carry the germs and spread diseases.

Question 3: Give any two ways in which non-biodegradable substances would affect the
environment.

Answer: Non-biodegradable substances affect the environment in the following ways:

(i) They contaminate soil and water resources as they cannot be decomposed by micro-organisms.

(ii) These substances, when accidentally eaten by stray animals, can harm them and can even
cause their death.

(iii) Some of the non-biodegradable wastes such as pesticides and heavy metals enter the
food chain, bio magnify and affect human beings and other biotic components.

Question 4: What are trophic levels? Give an example of a food chain and state the different
trophic levels in it.

Answer: Each step or level of the food chain where transfer of energy occurs forms a
trophic level.

The producers form the first trophic level as they manufacture food. The primary consumers form
the second trophic level, the secondary consumers form the third, and the tertiary consumers form
the fourth trophic level.
Trophic levels:

Various trophic levels are connected through food chains. For example, in an aquatic food chain,
phytoplanktons are the producers, zooplanktons are the primary consumers, and small fish is the
secondary consumer and so on.

Aquatic food chain

Question 5: What is the role of decomposers in the ecosystem?

Answer: Decomposers include micro-organisms such as bacteria and fungi that obtain nutrients
by breaking down the remains of dead plants and animals. They help in the breakdown of organic
matter or biomass from the body of dead plants and animals into simple inorganic raw materials,
such as CO2, H2O, and some nutrients.

Question 6: What is ozone and how does it affect any ecosystem?

Answer: Ozone is a colourless gas that acts as a screen for ultraviolet radiation. It is continuously
formed at the higher levels of the atmosphere due to the action of UV rays on molecular oxygen.
The high energy UV radiations break down O2 molecules into free oxygen.

Then, this free oxygen atom combines with an oxygen molecule to form ozone.
In recent years, the amount of ozone in the atmosphere is getting depleted.

This ozone depletion causes a greater amount of ultra violet radiation to enter earth’s atmosphere.
This has an indirect effect on the ecosystem.(Ecosystem includes both the biological community
and the non-living components of an area). It results in the death of many phytoplanktons, thereby
affecting the process of photosynthesis. Plants utilise atmospheric CO2 to make their food. In the
absence of plants, the levels of CO2 in the atmosphere will increase, which would in turn lead to
an increase in global warming.

The frequency of skin cancer also increases in human beings because of the direct exposure to
ultraviolet radiations.

Question 7: How can you help in reducing the problem of waste disposal? Give any two methods.

Answer: The problem of waste disposal can be solved by proper waste management including the
collection, transport, processing, and disposal of the waste materials.

The problem of waste management can be solved by the following given measures:

Use separate bins (blue and green) for disposing non-biodegradable and biodegradable
wastes.

Different garbage bins for disposing biodegradable

waste and non-biodegradable waste

Reduce the usage of non-biodegradable products such as plastics.

Question 8: Which of the following groups contain only biodegradable items?

(a) Grass, flowers and leather

(b) Grass, wood and plastic

(c) Fruit-peels, cake and lime-juice

(d) Cake, wood and grass

Answer: (c)Fruit-peels, cake, and lime-juice

(d)Cake, wood, and grass

Question 9: Which of the following constitute a food-chain?

(a) Grass, wheat and mango

(b) Grass, goat and human

(c) Goat, cow and elephant

(d) Grass, fish and goat

Answer: (b) Grass, goat, and human

Question 10: Which of the following are environment-friendly practices?

(a) Carrying cloth-bags to put purchases in while shopping

(b) Switching off unnecessary lights and fans

(c) Walking to school instead of getting your mother to drop you on her scooter

(d) All of the above

Answer: (d) All of the above

Question 11: What will happen if we kill all the organisms in one trophic level?

Answer: Various trophic levels are connected through the food chains. If all the organisms of any
one trophic level are killed, then it will disrupt the entire food chain.

For example, in a food chain, if all the plants are killed, then all the deer will die due to lack of
food. If all the deer are dead, then soon the tigers will also die. Due to the death of these animals,
the decomposer’s population will rise in that area.

This is just an example of one food chain. However, in nature, food chains are not isolated. They
are interconnected in the form of food web. Therefore, killing all the plants of an area will not
only affect the deer, it will also affect other herbivores such as goat, cattle, sheep, etc.

Question 12: Will the impact of removing all the organisms in a trophic level be different for
different trophic levels? Can the organisms of any trophic level be removed without causing any
damage to the ecosystem?

Answer: Organisms of all trophic levels are equally important and are an integral part of the
ecosystem. If all the producers are removed, then it will affect all the herbivores as it is their
primary food source. Death of herbivores will soon affect the primary carnivores and so on.

Now let us suppose that all the deer (herbivores) are killed in a region. This can lead to an increase
in the number of producers. At the same time, there will be an increase in the number of other
herbivores such as rabbits, goat, sheep, etc. due to less competition. This will also lead to the
increase in population of only consumers of these increased herbivores. Thus, the balance in the
ecosystem gets disturbed if any of its component organisms are removed.
Question 13: What is biological magnification? Will the levels of this magnification be different
at different levels of the ecosystem?

Answer: Biomagnification is the increase in the concentration of pollutants or harmful chemicals

within each step of the food chain. The levels of biomagnification will be different at different
trophic levels. For example, in a pond of water, DDT was sprayed and the producers were found
to have 0.04 ppm concentration of DDT. Since many types of planktons are eaten by some fishes
and clams, their body accumulates 0.23 ppm of DDT. Sea gull that feeds on clams accumulates
more DDT as one sea gull eats many clams. Hawk, the top carnivore, has the highest
concentration of
DDT.

Biomagnifications

Question 14: What are the problems caused by the non-biodegradable wastes that we generate?

Answer: Non-biodegradable substances affect the environment in the following ways:

(i) Since the non-biodegradable substances cannot be broken down, they get accumulated and
thus contaminate the soil and the water resources.

(ii) These substances, when accidentally eaten by some stray animal, can harm them and can even
cause their death.

(iii) These substances occupy more space in the landfills and require special disposal techniques.

(iv) These materials can accumulate in the environment and can also enter the food chain.

Question 15: If all the waste we generate is biodegradable, will this have no impact on the
environment?

Answer: Even the biodegradable wastes cause the environmental pollution when the rate of their
input is more than that of their decomposition.
1. Excess of domestic sewage and nitrates from fertilizers cause excessice growth of algae in
water bodies . This results in the depletion of oxygen dissolved in water, which causes
suffocation and killing of aquatic animals.
2. The decomposition of such waste produces foul gases and causes air pollution.
Question 16: Why is damage to the ozone layer a cause for concern? What steps are being taken
to limit this damage?

Answer: Ozone depletion occurs widely in the stratosphere. However, it is more prominent over
the Antarctic region and is known as the ozone hole.

Consequences of ozone depletion:

Skin cancer, ageing, and cataracts in human beings.

It can result in the death of many phytoplankton’s that leads to increased global warming.

To limit the damage to the ozone layer, the release of CFCs into the atmosphere must be reduced.
CFCs used as refrigerants and in fire extinguishers should be replaced with environmentally-safe
alternatives. Also, the release of CFCs through industrial activities should be controlled.