Our Environment

TOP 15 QUESTIONS

-by Prashant Bhaiya

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS

1. Consider the following ecosystems:
I. Ponds
II. Forests
III. Aquariums
IV. Crop fields
Out of these, the natural ecosystems are
a) I, II and III
b) II, III and IV
c) I and II only
d) I, II and IV

2. What will happen if the deer are missing in the following food chain?
Grass -> Deer -> Tiger
a) The population of tigers will increase.
b) The amount of grass will decrease.
c) The tigers will die.
d) The tigers will start eating grass.

3. Various steps in a food chain represent

a) food web
b) trophic level
c) ecosystem
d) biomagnification

SHORT AND LONG QUESTIONS

4. In the following food chain, plants provide 500 J of energy to rats. How
much energy will be available to hawks from snakes?
Plants → Rats → Snakes→ Hawks

5. In the following food chain, 100 J of energy is available to the lion. How
much energy was available to the producers?
Plants → Deer → Lion

6. The following organisms form a food chain. Which of these will have the
highest concentration of non- biodegradable chemicals? Name the
phenomenon associated with it.
Insects, Hawk, Grass, Snake, Frog

7. (a) From the following group of organisms create a food chain which is
most advantageous for human beings in terms of energy.

(b) State the possible disadvantage if the cereal plant is growing in soil
rich in pesticides.
(c) Construct a food web using the organisms mentioned above.

8. What is meant by trophic level in a food chain? Construct a terrestrial

food chain with trophic levels. The energy flow in a food chain is always
unidirectional. Why?

9. What is meant by food chain? "The number of trophic levels in a food

chain is limited." Give reason to justify this statement.

10. How is ozone formed in the higher levels of the atmosphere? "Damage
to the ozone layer is a cause of concern." Justify this statement.

11. You have been selected to talk on "Ozone layer and its protection" in
the school assembly on 'Environment Day'.
(a) Why should ozone layer be protected to save the environment?
(b) List any two ways that you would stress in your talk to bring in
awareness amongst your fellow friends that would also help in protection
of ozone layer as well as the environment.

12. What is ozone? How and where is it formed in the atmosphere? Explain
how does it affect an ecosystem.

13. Write one difference between biodegradable and non-biodegradable

wastes. List two impacts of each type of the accumulated waste on
environment if not disposed off properly.

14. After the examinations, Rakesh with his friends went on a picnic to a
nearby park. All friends carried cooked food packed in plastic bags or
plastic cans. After eating the food some friends collected the leftover
food and plastic bags etc., and planned to dispose them off by burning.
Rakesh immediately checked them and suggested to segregate the
leftover food and peels of fruits from the plastic materials and
respectively dispose them off separately in the green and red dustbins
placed in the corner of the park.

(a) In your opinion, is burning plastic an eco- friendly method of waste

disposal? Why? State the advantage of method suggested by Rakesh.
(b) How can we contribute in maintaining the parks and roads neat and
clean?

15. Define an ecosystem. Draw a block diagram to show the flow of energy
in an ecosystem.
 SOLUTIONS:
1. (c): The ecosystem is self regulatory under natural conditions without
any major interference by man, then it is called a natural ecosystem, e.g.,
Ponds, lake, desert, grassland, forest. Aquarium and crop fields are
artificial ecosystem, maintained by man.

2. (c): If deer are missing in the given food chain, then tiger will eventually
die.

3. (b)

4. In an ecosystem, only 10% of energy is transferred from one trophic

level to next, i.e., 10 percent law and rest is dissipated into the
environment. Therefore, if plants (being producers-1st trophic level)-
transfer 500 J of energy to rats (2nd trophic level) then rats would transfer
50 J of energy to snakes (3rd trophic level) which in turn will transfer only
5J of energy to hawks (4th or last trophic level) in a food chain.
Plants → Rats → Snakes → Hawks
5000J 500J 50J 5J

5. As per 10% law of flow of energy in an ecosystem, only 10% of energy is

received by the next trophic level. Hence, in the given food chain:
If 100 J of energy is available to lion, the plants or producers have 10,000
J of energy available to them.
Plants → Deer → Lion
10000J 1000J 100J

6. Among the following organisms of the food chain, hawk being top
consumer is present at topmost trophic level, hence will have the highest
concentration of non- biodegradable chemicals due to a phenomenon
known as biomagnification.

7. (a) A food chain which is most advantageous for human beings in terms
of energy is:
Cereal plant → Human being
 (b) If the cereal plant is growing in soil rich in pesticides, these pesticides
are absorbed by growing plants along with water and minerals, when
animals eat these cereal plants, these poisonous chemical pesticides go
into their bodies through food. This causes increase in concentration of
harmful pesticides in the body of living organisms at each trophic level of a
food chain is called biological magnification. Pesticides are lethal to non-
target species also. The extensive use of pesticides in agriculture can
change the community of microorganisms living in soil.
(c)

8. The various steps representing organisms in a food chain at which the

transfer of food and energy takes place are called trophic levels.
Four trophic levels in a terrestrial food chain:
Grass -> Rabbit → Wild cat → Tiger
There is a unidirectional flow of energy from sun to producers and
subsequently to series of different types of consumers, i.e.
Solar radiations -> Producers → Herbivores -> Carnivores
It cannot pass in reverse direction. There is always a decrease in the flow of
energy and content with rise in trophic level. Large quantity of energy is
lost at each step in the form of heat and is also used up in various
metabolic activities.

9. The sequence of living organisms in a community in which one organism

consumes or feeds upon another organism to transfer food energy, is
called a food chain. The various steps in a food chain at which the transfer
of food (or energy) takes place are called trophic levels. In a food chain,
each step representing an organism forms a trophic level.
The number of trophic levels in a food chain are limited because at each
trophic level only 10% of energy is utilised for the maintenance of
organism which occur at that trophic level and the remaining large portion
is lost as heat. As a result, organisms at each trophic level pass on lesser
energy to the next trophic level, than they receive.
The longer the food chain, the lesser is the energy available to the final
member of food chain.

10. Ozone (O3) is a molecule formed by three atoms of oxygen. It is formed

in the stratosphere layer of atmosphere when high energy UV rays act on
O2 molecule splitting it into free oxygen (O) atoms. These atoms then
combine with molecular oxygen (O2) to form ozone (O3).
UV
O2 --------> O + O
O + O2 --------> O3
(ozone)
Ozone shields the surface of the earth from UV radiations from the sun.
The depletion of ozone layer will lead to global warming and some serious
health issues such as damage of skin cells that leads to skin cancer, snow
blindness or inflammation of cornea, increased fatality of young animals,
mutations and reduced immunity. Hence, depletion of ozone layer is a
cause of concern.

11. (a) The ozone layer is very important for the existence of life on earth
because it forms a protective shield around earth by absorbing most of the
harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiations coming from the Sun and prevents them
from reaching the earth.
The UV radiations have extremely harmful effects on human beings,
animals and plants as well, ie., cause mutations, skin cancer, cataract,
damage immune system, etc. So, ozone layer must be protected to save
the environment.
(b) The two ways which can help in protection of ozone layer and
environment are:
(i) The use of chemicals like chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) which are widely
used in refrigerators and air conditioners (as coolant), in fire extinguishers
and in aerosol sprayers destroy the ozone layer gradually. We can protect
our ozone layer by avoiding the use of such objects which releases CFCs.
(ii) Nitrous oxide is the largest ozone depleting substance as well as
greenhouse gas released by human activities, such as from motor vehicles,
fertilisers. People should be encouraged to use more public transport, car
pooling, using hybrid or electric cars and use of fertiliser formulations to
reduce emission of nitrous oxide.
12. Ozone is a form of oxygen. It is a made up of three atoms of oxygen. It is
highly poisonous. However, good amount of ozone is present in upper part
of the atmosphere called stratosphere. In the stratosphere, ozone is being
photodissociated and generated simultaneously by absorption of harmful
ultraviolet (UV) radiations coming from sun.

The two reactions are in equilibrium, thereby maintaining a steady

concentration of ozone in the stratosphere. Ozone layer is commonly
called ozone blanket. It acts as a protective shield to protect all types of
life from the harmful effect of UV radiation. Therefore, any thinning or
depletion of ozone layer allows entry of high energy UV radiations into the
earth's surface, thereby causing harmful effects on plants, animals and
human beings. The harmful effects of ozone depletion on man, animals and
plants includes:
(i) Incidences of skin cancer.
(ii) Damage to eye sight, photoburning as well as increased incidences of
cataract in eyes.
(iii) Damage to immune system and hence lowering the body's resistance to
disease.
(iv) Increased embryonic mortality.
(v) 10-25% decline of photosynthesis in plants.
(vi) Global warming.

13. Biodegradable wastes such as plant and animal based wastes can be
degraded by microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi and do not get
biologically magnified in food chains. Whereas non biodegradable wastes
such as plastic, DDT, metal are not degraded by microorganisms and can
enter into food chains and get biologically magnified.
If biodegradable waste are not disposed properly, then it can have an
adverse impact on climate change, especially through methane emission
and it also leads to vector borne diseases among the people residing
nearby.
Accumulation of non biodegradable wastes such as pesticides make the
soil acidic and unfit for cultivation and toxic substances like DDT can enter
the food chain due to improper disposal that cause various health
ailments.
14. (a) No, burning plastic is not an eco-friendly method of waste disposal.
Burning plastics can produce toxic fumes and cause air pollution. Plastic,
being non- biodegradable cannot be dumped (land filled), so the best way
to dispose plastic items is to recycle them. Recycling is a less polluting and
more sustainable option. Rakesh segregated left over food items, fruit
peels, i.e., biodegradable waste and plastic material, i.e., non-
biodegradable waste. The biodegradable waste can be converted to
manure whereas non-biodegradable waste can be recycled. This
contributes in decreasing the level of pollution and easy disposal and
treatment of waste.
(b) We can contribute to keep our roads and parks clean by adopting
following habits:
(i) We should recycle non-biodegradable waste products instead of
dumping it in garbage.
(ii) We should use carry bags made of natural fibre as jute, cloth, instead of
plastic bags.
(iii) We should make compost of biomass collected from park such as food
waste, leaf litters, etc..
(iv) We should stop littering, throwing garbage and spitting on road sides,
parks, etc.

15. An ecosystem is defined as a structural and functional unit of the

biosphere. It comprises of living organisms and their non-living
environment that interact by means of food chains and biogeochemical
cycles resulting in energy-flow, biotic diversity and material cycling to form
stable self-supporting system.
Green plants capture about 1% of the solar energy incident on the earth to
carry out the process of photosynthesis. A part of this trapped energy is
used by plants in performing their metabolic activities and some energy is
released as heat into the atmosphere. The remaining energy is chemical
energy stored in the plants as photosynthetic products. When these green
plants are eaten up by herbivores, the chemical energy stored in the plants
is transferred to these animals. These animals (herbivores) utilise some of
this energy for metabolic activities and some energy is released as heat
while the remaining energy is stored in their body.
This process of energy transfer is repeated till top carnivores. In an
ecosystem, transfer of energy follows 10 per cent law, i.e., only 10 per cent
of the energy is transferred to each trophic level from the lower trophic
level.
The given block diagram shows unidirectional flow of energy at different
trophic levels in a freshwater ecosystem: