Organisms and Populations 1157
CHAPTER 35
ORGANISMS AND
POPULATIONS
NCERT BIOLOGICS ©
LEVELS OF ECOLOGICAL ORGANISATION
OR ECOLOGICAL HIERARCHY
Individual organism ® Population ® Community ®
Ecosystem ® Landscape ® Biome ® Biosphere
1. Organism : It is the basic unit of study in ecology.
2. Population : It is a group of individuals of the same
species inhabiting a given area.
3. Biological community : It is a group of population
of different species found in a given area.
4. Ecosystem : It is composed of a biological
community, integrated with its physical environment
through the exchange of energy and recycling of the
nutrients.
5. Landscape : It is a unit of land with a natural
boundary having mosaic of patches which generally
represents different ecosystems.
6. Biome : It is a large regional unit characterised by a
major vegetation type and associated fauna in a specific
climatic zone.
7. Biosphere (or Planet Earth’s ecosystem) : It is
the global ecological system comprising all living
beings of terrestrial and aquatic biomes.
Ecology is basically concerned with four levels of
biological organisation—Organisms, populations,
communities and biomes.
Note:
1 . The term ecology was put forward by Reiter.
2. Ernst Haeckel first correctly defined ecology as the
science dealing with the reciprocal relationship of
organisms and external environment.
3. The famous ecologist E.P. Odum, defined ecology as
the study of structure and function of nature.
4. Ramdeo Mishra is known as father of Indian
ecology.
5. A bird sings to communicate with its mate during
breeding season. Night blooming flowers are usually
white to become highlighted in the dark background
so that these can be easily located by moths and other
insects for pollination. These also possess fragrance.
Scout bees detect nectar in the flower and then
performs figure—eight bee dance which signals rest
of the bees. Cactus possess numerous spines to
minimize water loss and to protect the fleshy stems
from herbivores.
ORGANISMS AND ITS ENVIRONMENT
1. Ecology at the organismic level is essentially
physiological ecology which tries to understand
how different organisms are adapted to their
environments in terms of not only survival but also
reproduction.
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2. The rotation of our planet around the Sun and the tilt of 4. Treeless biomes are Tundra and Grasslands. Savanna
its axis cause annual variations in the intensity and grassland has grasscover with scattered short height
duration of temperature, resulting in distinct seasons. trees.
These variations together with annual variation in 5. Regional and local variations within each biome lead to
precipitation (rain and snow) account for the the formation of a wide variety of habitats.
formation of major biomes like desert, rainforest and 6. On planet Earth, life exists not just in a few favourable
tundra. habitats but even in extreme and harsh
habitats—scorching Rajasthan desert, perpetually
Climatic zones and respective latitudes
rain-soaked Meghalaya forests, deep ocean trenches,
Zone Latitude (Appx.) torrential streams, permafrost (Snow laden) polar
regions, high mountain tops, boiling thermal springs
1. Tropical zone 0°–20°
and stinking compost pits. Even our intestine is a
2. Subtropical 20°– 40° unique habitat for hundreds of species of microbes.
3. Temperate 40°–60° 7. Ecological Niche of an organism represents the
4. Arotic/Antarctic 60°– 80° range of conditions that it can tolerate, the resources it
utilises and its functional role in the ecological system.
30
Each species has a distinct niche and no two species are
Mean annual temperature (°C)

Desert Grassland believed to occupy exactly the same niche.

25
8. Ecological equivalents are organisms that occupy a
20 Tropical part of same niche but have different habitats, e. g .,
15 Temperate forest both owl and cat prefer to eat shrews/mice though owl
forest is arboreal and cat is terrestrial.
10
5 Coniferous Major Abiotic Factors
forest
0 1. Temperature : It is the most ecologically
–5 relevant environmental factor. It ranges from
–10 Arctic and Alpine tundra subzero levels in polar areas and high altitudes to
–15 >50°C in tropical deserts in summer. There are some
50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450 unique habitats like thermal springs and deep-sea
Mean annual precipitation (cm) hydrothermal vents where average temperature
exceeds 100°C. It is general knowledge that mango
Fig. 35.1 Biome distribution with respect to annual trees do not and cannot grow in temperate countries
temperature and precipitation like Canada and Germany, snow leopards are not found
3. The climatic conditions in the major forest types of in Kerala forests and tuna fish are rarely caught beyond
India is shown in the table below. tropical latitudes in the ocean. Temperature affects the
enzyme kinetics and through it the basal metabolism,
Examples activity and physiological functions of the organisms.
Mean Mean
Type of
annual annual
of Eurythermal organisms are those that can tolerate
forest important and thrive in a wide range of temperatures.
temperature rainfall
plants Stenothermal organisms are those that are restricted
1. Tropical 23–27°C 200-350 cm Hopea, to a narrow range of temperatures. Stenothermals are
rain forest Dipterocarpus more abundant than eurythermals.
2. Tropical 22–32°C 90-160 cm Teak, Tendu, In recent years, there has been a growing concern
deciduous Sal, Khair, about the gradually increasing average global
forest Chiraunji temperatures (global warming). Global warming will
3. Temperate 6–20°C 100-250 cm Quercus (Oak) push tropics into temperate areas and temperate areas
broad-leaf towards pole, shifting the climatic zones.
forest
4. Temperate 6–15°C 50-170 cm Pine, Spruce,
needle-leaf Deodar, Silver
forest fir, Cypress
(conifer)

2. Water : Next to temperature, water is the most
important factor influencing the life of organisms. In
fact, life on earth originated in water and is
unsustainable without water. Its availability is so
limited in deserts that only special adaptations make it
possible for organisms to live there. For aquatic
organisms the quality (chemical composition, pH etc.)
of water becomes important. The salt concentration
(measured as salinity in parts per thousand), is less
than 5% in inland waters, 30–35% the sea and more
than 100% in some hypersaline lagoons. Euryhaline
are organisms that tolerate a wide range of salinities,
e. g ., Salmon. Stenohaline are organisms that are
restricted to a narrow range of salinities, e. g ., Shark.
Many freshwater animals cannot live for long in sea
water and vice-versa because of osmotic problems, they
would face.
3. Light : Light is the visible part of electromagnetic
spectrum (390-760 nm). Photosynthetically
active radiations or PAR have a range of 400-700
nm. Many species of small plants (herbs and shrubs)
growing in forests are adapted to photosynthesise
optimally under very low light conditions because they
are constantly overshadowed by tall, canopied trees.
Many plants are also dependent on sunlight to meet
their photoperiodic requirement for flowering. For
many animals also, light is important in that they use
the diurnal and seasonal variations in light intensity
and duration (photoperiod) as cues/hints for timing
their foraging, reproductive and migratory activities.
The availability of light on land is closely linked with
that of temperature since the sun is the source for both.
But, deep (greater than 500 m) in the oceans, the
environment is perpetually dark and its inhabitants are
not aware of the existence of a celestial source of
energy called the Sun. The spectral quality of solar
radiation is also important for life. The UV component
the spectrum is harmful to many organisms while not
all the colour components of the visible spectrum are
available for marine plants living at different depths of
the ocean. Blue-green light penetrates deepest in costal
waters and the accessory pigments of red algae absorb
mostly green wavelengths, red algae extend to the
greatest depth. Green algae, which have pigments
absorbing mostly blue and red wavelengths that are
diminished rapidly in sea-water are found at the
shallowest depths. The accessory pigments of brown
algae absorb intermediate wavelengths of light, so,
brown algae are more abundant at intermediate
depths.
Organisms and Populations 1159
Note:
1. Lentic ecosystem : It is stationary or relatively
still freshwater ecosystem, e. g ., pond and lakes.
2. Lotic ecosystem : It is running fresh water
ecosystem, e. g ., rivers and streams.
3. Light zonation in lakes :
(a) Littoral zone : Shallow zone and exposed to
wave action, highly productive.
(b) Limnetic zone : Open water body, rich in
plankton.
(c) Euphotic zone : Receives abundant light.
(d) Disphotic zone : Receives diffused light.
(e) Profundal zone : Dark zone.
(f) Benthic zone : Bottom of lake with complete
darkness.
4. Soil : The nature and properties of soil in different
places vary. It is dependent on the climate, the
weathering process, whether soil is transported or
sedimentary and how soil development occurred.
Various characteristics of soil like soil composition,
grain size and aggregation determine the percolation
and water holding capacity of the soils. These
characteristics along with parameters such as pH,
mineral composition and topography determine to a
large extent the vegetation in any area. This in turn
decides the type of animals than can be supported.
Similarly, in the aquatic environment, the sediment-
characteristics often determine the type of benthic
animals that can thrive there.
Note: Depending upon the source of soil, it is of two types:
1. Residual soil : It develops in-situ from the parent
rock material.
2. Transported soil : It is brought from other place
through running water (alluvial), gravity
(colluvial), wind (eolian) and glacier (glacial soil).
Responses to Abiotic Factors
rs
orme
nf
Co
Internal level
Regulators
Partial regulators
External level
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There are different responses of organisms towards
fluctuating environmental conditions :
1. Regulate : Some organisms are able to maintain
homeostasis by physiological (sometimes behavioural
also) means which ensures constant body temperature,
constant osmotic concentration etc. All birds and
mammals, and a very few lower vertebrate and
invertebrate species are indeed capable of such
regulation (thermoregulation and osmoregulation).
Evolutionary biologist believe that the ‘success’ of
mammals is largely due to their ability to maintain a
constant body temperature and thrive whether they
live in Antarctica or in the Sahara desert.
The mechanism used by most mammals to regulate
their body temperature are similar to the ones that we
humans use. We maintain a constant body temperature
of 37°C. Plants do not have mechanisms to maintain
internal temperatures.
2. Conform : About 99% (i. e., majority) of animals and
nearly all plants cannot maintain a constant internal
environment.
Their body temperature changes with the ambient
temperature. In aquatic animals, the osmotic
concentration of body fluids change with that of the
ambient water osmotic concentration. These animals
and plants are simply conformers.
Considering the benefits of a constant internal
environment to the organism, a question arises—why
the conformers had not evolved to become
regulators ? This is because thermoregulation and
osmoregulation mechanism are energetically
expensive for many organisms particularly for small
animals like shrews and humming birds. Heat loss
and heat gain is a function of surface area.
Since small animals have a large surface area relative to
their volume, they tend to loose body heat very fast
when it is cold outside, so, they have to spend much
energy to generate body heat through metabolism. This
is the main reason why very small animals are rarely
found in polar regions. Thus, the costs and benefits
of maintaining a constant internal
environment are taken into consideration
during course of evolution.
Some species have evolved the ability to regulate, but
only over a limited range of environmental conditions,
beyond which they simply conform. These are called
partial or limited regulators.
3. Migrate : The organisms can move away temporarily
from the stressful habitat to a more hospitable area and
return when stressful period is over. Many animals,
particularly birds, during winter undertake long-
distance migrations to more hospitable areas. Every
winter famous Keoladeo national park (Bharatpur) in
Rajasthan host thousands of migratory birds coming
from Siberia and other extremely cold northern
regions.
4. Suspend : In bacteria, fungi and lower plants, various
kinds of thick-walled spores are formed which help
them to survive unfavourable conditions—these
germinate on availability of suitable environment. In
higher plants, seeds and some other vegetative
reproductive structures serve as means to tide over
periods of stress besides helping in dispersal—they
germinate to form new plants under favourable
moisture and temperature conditions. They do so by
reducing their metabolic activity and going into a date
of ‘dormancy’.
In animals, the organisms, if unable to migrate, might
avoid the stress by escaping in time. For e. g ., bear
escapes in time during winter by a process called
hibernation (over-wintering) whereas, snails and
fishes escape in time by aestivation (over-summering).
Under unfavourable conditions many zooplankton
species in lakes and ponds are known to enter
diapause, a stage of suspended development.
Adaptations
1. Considering the various alternatives available to
organisms for coping with extremes in their
environment, some are able to respond through certain
physiological adjustments while others do so
behaviourally (e. g ., migrating temporarily to a less
stressful habitat). These responses are also actually
their adaptations. Thus, adaptation is an attribute of
the organisms (morphological, physiological,
behavioural) that enables the organism to survive and
reproduce in its habitat.
2. Many adaptations have evolved over a long
evolutionary time are genetically fixed.
3. In the absence of an external source of water, the
Kangaroo rat in North American deserts is capable of
meeting all its water requirements through its internal
fat oxidation in which water is a byproduct. It also has
the ability to concentrate its urine so that minimal
volume of water is used to remove excretory products.
4. Many desert plants have a cuticle on their leaf surface
and have their stomata arranged in deep pits (sunken)
to minimise water loss through transpiration. They also
have a special photosynthetic pathway (CAM) that
enables their stomata to remain closed during daytime.
Some desert plants like Opuntia have their leaves
modified into spines and the photosynthetic function is
taken over by the flattened stems.
5. (a) Allen’s rule : Mammals from colder climates
generally have shorter ears and limbs (extremities) to
minimise heat loss.

(b) Rensch’s rule : The birds of colder climate
possess narrow and acuminate wings as compared to
broader wings of birds found in warmer areas.
(c) Bergman’s rule : Warm blooded animals, i. e.,
birds and mammals have a large body size in cold
climate than in hotter areas.
(d) Jordan’s rule : The fishes in areas of low
temperature tend to have more vertebrae (thus large
size) than those in warmer water.
6. In the polar seas, aquatic mammals like seals have a
thick layer of fat (blubber) below their skin that
acts as insulator and reduces loss of body heat.
7. Some organisms possess adaptations that are
physiological which allow them to respond quickly
to a stressful situation. If someone goes to any high
altitude (e. g ., greater than 3,500 m like Rohtang Pass
near Manali and Leh, he/she can experience altitude
sickness. Its symptoms include nausea, fatigue and
heart palpitations. This is because in the low
atmospheric pressure of high altitudes, the body does
not get enough oxygen. But, gradually he/she gets
acclimatised and stop experiencing altitude sickness.
The body compensates low oxygen availability by
increasing RBC production, decreasing the binding
affinity of haemoglobin and by increasing breathing
rate. The people living at higher altitudes (e. g .,
Himalayas) will have higher RBC count than those
living in plains.
8. In most animals, the metabolic reactions and hence all
the physiological functions proceed optimally in a
narrow temperature range, e. g ., in humans it is 37°C.
But there are microbes like archaebacteria that flourish
in hot springs and deep sea hydrothermal vents where
temperature far exceed 100°C. This is possible as their
cell membrane possess branched chain lipids which
decreases membrane fluidity. Their cell wall is also
resistant to harsh conditions.
9. Many fish thrive in Antarctic waters where the
temperature is always below zero. Their body fluid
contain antifreeze glycoproteins with the help of which
their body fluid is prevented from freezing.
10. A large variety of marine invertebrates and fish live at
great depths in the ocean where pressure could be
greater than 100 times the normal atmospheric
pressure. These animals are generally very small,
possess more gelatin and less skeletal structures, lack
cavities that would collapse under high pressure and
also possess a fascinating array of biochemical
adaptations.
11. Some organisms show behavioural responses to
cope with variations in their environment. Desert lizard
lack the physiological ability that mammals have to
deal with the high temperatures of their habitat, but
manage to keep their body temperature fairly constant
Organisms and Populations 1161
by behavioural means. They bask in the sun and absorb
heat when their body temperature drops below the
comfort zone, but move into shade when the ambient
temperature starts increasing. Some species are
capable of burrowing into the soil to hide and escape
from the above-ground heat.
Note:
1. Adaptations of hydrophytes : Aerenchyma is
abundant, cuticle absent, epidermis single layered,
stomata is absent in submerged hydrophytes,
floating leaves are epistomatic, mechanical tissue
(sclerenchyma) is either poorly developed or
absent, vascular tissue specially xylem is poorly
developed.
2. Adaptations of xerophytes : Presence of thick
cuticle on leaf and stem epidermis, waxy layer on
leaf epidermis, epidermis may be multilayered,
stomatal frequency is reduced, sunken stomata
present, water storage tissue is present, mechanical
tissue as well as vascular tissue are well developed.
3. Adaptations of halophytes (i. e., physio-
logical xerophytes) : Presence of thick cuticle
on stem, epidermis is thickly cuticularized, sunken
stomata present, mechanical and vascular tissue
well developed.
POPULATIONS
1. In nature, we rarely find isolated, single individuals of
any species; majority of them live in groups in a well
defined geographical area, share or compete for similar
resources, potentially interbreed and thus constitute a
population.
2. Although the term interbeeding implies reproduction, a
group of individuals resulting from even asexual
reproduction is also generally considered a population
for the purpose of ecological studies.
3. Although an individual organism is the one that has to
cope with a changed environment, it is at the
population level that natural selection operates to
evolve the desired traits. Population ecology is,
therefore, an important area of ecology beacuse it links
ecology to population genetics and evolution.
Population Attributes
A population has certain attributes that an individual
organism does not possess.
1. Birth and death rates : These rates refer to per
capita births and deaths respectively. A population
has both birth and death rates but an individual may
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have birth and death only, not the birth and death
rates. This can be explained by some examples.
(a) If in a pond there were 20 lotus plants last year and
through reproduction 8 new plants are added, taking
the current population to 28, we calculate the birth rate
as 8/20 = 0.4 offspring per lotus per year.
Thus, birth rate can be calculated by following formula:
DN
Birth rate =
ND t
where, N = Initial population size,
DN = New individuals born
Dt = Change in time
(b) If 4 individuals in a laboratory population of 40 fruit
flies died during a specific time interval, say a week, the
death rate in the population during that period is
4 / 40 = 0.1 individuals per fruit fly per week.
Thus, death rate can be calculated by the formula :
DN
Death rate =
ND t
There are three types of age-pyramids :
Triangular
Post-reproductive
Reproductive
Pre-Reproductive
1. In this type of pyramid, very high proportion of In this type of pyramid, pre-reproductive
pre-reproductive individuals, proportionate individuals are marginally more than the
number of reproductive individuals is reproductive individuals.
moderate and post reproductive individuals are
proportionately fewer.
2. Expanding or growing population. Mature or stable population.
4. Population density (N ) or population size : The
size of population tells us a lot about its status in the
habitat. The change in population size is used to
evaluate various ecological processes like outcome of
competition members of one species with another
species, the impact of a predator or the effect of
pesticide application. The population size of a given
area or space is known by several ways.
(a) Total number : The size of population in
nature could be as low as less than 10, e. g .,
Siberian Cranes at Bharatpur wetlands in any
year or go into millions like Chlamydomonas in a
pond.
where, N = Initial population size,
DN = Number of individuals died
Dt = Change in time
2. Sex ratio : An individual is either a male or female
but a population has a sex ratio, i. e., a population has
both males and females, e. g ., in a population of 1000
individuals, 550 individuals are females and 450
individuals are males then there is 55 : 40 sex ratio for
females to males.
3. Population age pyramid : A population at any
given time is composed of individuals of different ages :
pre-reproductive (i. e., infants), reproductive (i. e.,
sexually mature individuals) and post-reproductive
(i. e., old individuals).
An age-pyramid is a graphic representation of
proportion of various age group of a population.
In human population, the age pyramids generally show
age distribution of males and females in a combined
diagram. The shape of pyramid reflect the growth
status of the population.
Bell-shaped Urn-shaped
In this type of pyramid, small
number of pre-reproductive
individuals are followed by a large
number of reproductive individuals,
post-reproductive individuals are
less.
Declining population (negative
growth).
(b) Biomass or percent cover : Although total
number is generally the most appropriate
measure of population density, but in some
cases it is either meaningless or difficult to
determine. In such cases the percent cover or
biomass is a more meaningful measure of the
population size. For e. g ., in an area if there are
200 Parthenium plants but only a single huge
banyan tree with a large canopy, stating that the
population density of banyan is low relative to
that of Parthenium amounts underestimating
the enormous role of the banyan tree in that
community. In such cases, the percent cover or
biomass is more meaningful measure of
population.
 Organisms and Populations 1163

(c) Relative density : Similarly, total number is again not an easily adoptable measure if the population is huge
and counting is time consuming or impossible. For instance, it is quite difficut to measure the density of a dense
laboratory bacterial culture present in a petridish. Sometimes, for certain ecological investigations, there is no
need to know the absolute population densities (i. e., number per unit area), relative densities serve the
purpose equally well. For instance, relative density is a good measure of finding out the total density of fishes in a
lake by counting the number of fishes caught per trap.
Total number of individuals of species
Relative density of a species = ´ 100
Total number of individuals of all species

(d) Indirect count : The population size can be known indirectly also without actually counting them or seeing
them. The tiger census in our national parks and tiger reserves is often based on pug marks and fecal pellets.

Population Growth
1. The size of a population for any species is not a static parameter. It keeps changing in time, depending on a various
factors including food availability, predation pressure and adverse weather. In fact, it is these changes in population
density that gives us some idea of what is happening to the population—whether it is flourishing or declining.
2. Whatever might be the ultimate reason, the density of a population in a given habitat during a given period, fluctuates
due to changes in four basic processes, two of which (natality and immigration) contribute an increase in population
density and two (mortality and immigration) to a decrease.
(i) Natality : It refers to the number of births during a given period in the population that are added to the initial
density.
(ii) Mortality : It is the number of deaths in the population during a given period.
(iii) Immigration : It is the number of individuals of the same species that have come into the habitat from
elsewhere during the time period under consideration.
(iv) Emigration : It is the number of individuals of the population who left the habitat and gone elsewhere during
the time period under consideration.

Immigration

Natality + Population – Mortality

(B) Density (N) (D)

Emigration
(E)

So, if N is the population density at time t, then its density at time (t + 1) is :

N t+1 = N t + [(B + I ) - (D + E )]
From the above equation, it is clear that population density will increase if the number of births plus the number of
immigrants ( B + I ) is more than the number of deaths plus the number of emigrants ( D + E ), otherwise it will decrease.
Under normal conditions, births and deaths are the most important factors influencing population density, the other two
factors assuming importance only under special conditions. For instance, if a new habitat is just being colonised,
immigration may contribute more significantly to population growth than birth rates.
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3. Growth models : The two basic types of growth models are—Exponential growth model and logistic growth
model.

Exponential growth/Geometric growth Logistic growth/Verhulst-Pearl logistic growth

K K
density (D)

density (D)
Population

Population
Time (t) Time (t)
1. J-shape curve is formed. S-shape (sigmoid) curve is formed.
2. The equation is : The equation is :
dN dN æK -Nö
= (b - d )N = rN = rN ç ÷
dt dt è K ø
where, b = per capita birth where, N = population density at time t
d = per capita death r = intrinsic rate of natural increase
(b - d ) = r K = carrying capacity
This ‘ r’ represents intrinsic rate of natural increase which is an
important parameter chosen for assessing impacts of any biotic or
abiotic factor on population growth.
3. The integral form of the exponential growth equation is : The integral form of logistic growth equation is :
N t = N 0 ert Nt =
K
æ K - N 0 ö - rt
1 + çç ÷÷ e
è N0 ø

4. It occurs when resources are abundant and unlimited. It occurs when the resources are limited.
5. Population stops abruptly (crash) due to environmental resistance Population do not stop abruptly.
which becomes effective suddenly.
6. It has two phases–lag and log. It has four phases—lag, log, deceleration and steady (i . e. ,
finally asymptote when population density reaches carrying
capacity).
7. It occurs in few organisms like algae population (algal bloom). It is quite common like in a wildlife population.

Note:
1. No population of any species in nature has its disposal to unlimited resources to permit exponential growth. This
leads to competition between individuals for limited resources. Eventually, the ‘fittest’ individual will survive and
reproduce. In nature, a given habitat has enough resources to support a maximum possible number, beyond which
no further growth is possible. This limit is called nature’s carrying capacity (K) for that species in that habitat.
2. Since resources for growth for most animal populations are finite and become limiting sooner or later, the logistic
growth model is considered a more realistic one.

Life History Variation

1. Population evolve to maximise their reproductive fitness, also called Darwinian fitness (high r value), in the habitat in
which they live.
 Organisms and Populations 1165

2. Under a particular set of selection pressures, organisms evolve towards the most efficient reproductive strategy. Some
organisms breed only once in their lifetime (e. g ., Pacific salmon fish and mammals). Some produce a large number of
small-sized offspring (e. g ., Oyster, pelagic fishes) while others produce a small number of large-sized offspring (e. g .,
birds, mammals).
3. Ecologists suggest that life history traits of organisms have evolved in relation to the constraints imposed by the abiotic
and biotic components of the habitat in which they live.

Note:
1. Demography : It is the study of vital statistics of population and how it changes with time.
2. Census : It is the official counting of a population and preparing data about age-groups, birth rate, death rate,
sex-ratio, education etc.
3. Difference between :

S.
r-selected species K-selected species
No.
(i) Possess small body size, high fecundity (i . e. , capacity of Possess large body size, low fecundity, long life expectancy and
abundant reproduction), early maturity, short generation time often require extensive parental care until they mature.
and wide offspring dispersion.
(ii) e. g. , Bacteria, diatoms, insects, weeds and small mammals like e. g. , Humans, elephants, whales and small but organisms with
rodents. long life expectancy like arctic tern.

4. Altruistic behaviour : It is the self-sacrificial behaviour to save a herd/small number of individuals. It can be seen
in spotted dear, ants and honey bees.
5. Ecophene or Ecad : It represents organisms which are genetically similar but phenotypically different due to
fluctuation in the environment. Thus, ecads are the result of phenotypic plasticity.
6. Ecotype : It represents organisms which are genetically slightly different (i. e., genetically adapted population) but
phenotypically quite similar and phenotypic differences are too few. Ecotypes are capable of interbreeding.
7. Ecocline : The intermediate from between two ecotypes is called ecocline.
8. Keystone species : It is a species which inspite of a small population has a major influence on the composition of
the community because of its key role in maintaining the community structure through regulation of trophic level in
routine or during adverse conditions, e. g ., Juguar, fig tree etc.
9. Critical link species : These are those species which connects one biotic unit to another biotic unit or these
connect two biotic units, e. g ., Mycorrhizal fungus supplying phosphorus from soil to the plants, different types of
insects/birds pollinating different plants.
10. Ecotone : It is the transition zone/overlapping zone between two communities, e. g ., Estuaries and wetlands.
11. Edge effect : High biodiversity in the ecotone area is called edge effect and such diverse species are called edge
species.
12. Wet lands are called “kidneys of earth” as these help to dilute and filter material that could otherwise harm our
lakes, rivers and other water systems.
13. Ramsar convention is a convention on wetlands for its conservation. It was adopted in the Iranian city of Ramsar
in 1971 (came into force in 1975).

Population Interactions
1. None of the natural habitat on earth is inhabited just by a single species. Even a plant species, which makes its own food,
cannot survive alone, it needs soil microbes to break down the organic matter in soil and return inorganic nutrients for
absorption. Plants also require pollination by many biotic agencies.
2. It is obvious that in nature, animals, plants and microbes do not and cannot live in isolation but interact in various ways
to form a biological community.
3. Interspecific interactions arise from the interaction of populations of two different species. They could be beneficial,
detrimental or neutral to one of the species or both. Let us assign (+) sign for beneficial interaction, (–) sign for
 1166 NCERT Biology Booster

detrimental and (0) for neutral interaction. The Like fig, all orchids do not offer reward to their
possible outcomes of interspecific interactions are insect pollinators. For example, the
mentioned in the table. Mediterranean orchid Ophrys employs sexual
deceit to get pollinated by a species of bee. One
Species A Species B Name of interaction petal of its flower bears uncanny resemblance to
I. (+) (+) Mutualism/symbiosis the female of the bee in size, colour and
II. (+) (+) Protocooperation/ markings. The male bee is attracted to what it
Temporary mutualism perceives as female, pseudocopulates with
III. (+) (0) Commensalism
the flower and during that process is dusted
with pollen from the flower. When this same bee
IV. (–) (–) Competition
pseudocopulates with another flower, it
V. (+) (–) Predation transfers pollen to it and thus, pollinates the
VI. (+) (–) Parasitism flower. We can see how co-evolution operates—
VII. (–) (0) Ammensalism If the female bee’s colour patterns change even
slightly for any reason during evolution,
I. Mutualism (Symbiosis) : In this case, both the pollination success will be reduced unless the
interacting species get benefitted. It is an obligate orchid flower co-evolves to maintain the
association where two organisms often live together resemblance of its petal to the female bee.
and cannot live separately. II. Protocooperation (Temporary mutualism) : In
Examples : this case, both the interacting species get benefitted but
can live equally well without the association.
(a) Plant and fungal mutualism :
Examples :
e. g ., Lichens and mycorrhizae.
(a) Sea anemone attached to the body of hermit
(b) Plant-animal mutualism : The most
crab protects it from the enemies with its
spectacular and evolutionary fascinative
nematocysts. In turn, the anemone receives
examples of mutualism are found in
pieces of food dropped by the crab and is carried
plant-animal relationships. Plants need help of
to new places by it.
animals for pollinating their flowers (zoophily)
and dispersing their seeds (zoochory). Plants (b) The crocodile bird (the Egyptian plover) enters
often reward in the form of pollen and nectar for the mouth of crocodile, eat the food or leeches
pollinators and juicy and nutritious fruits for stuck in its teeth and fly away unharmed.
seed dispersers. (c) Oxpecker (bird) sit on the back of rhinoceros
Plant-animal interactions often involve and feed on ticks.
co-evolution of the mutualists. Coevolution is III. Commensalism : In this case, one species is
an evolutionary mechanism where the change benefitted (commensal) and other (host) is neither
of a biological object is triggered by the change harmed nor benefitted.
of the related object. The evolution of the flower Examples :
and its pollinating species are tightly linked with (a) Lianas or woody climbers, climb the tall trees to
one another. get sunlight.
Fig and Fig-wasp relationship : There is a (b) Epiphytic orchids growing on other plants.
tight one-to-one relationship with the pollinator (c) Clown fish that lives among sea anemones get
species of wasp and many species of fig trees. It protection from predators which stay from the
means, that for each fig species there occur a stinging tentacles of sea anemone.
partner wasp species without which pollination (d) Barnacles growing on the back of a whale
cannot occur. Female wasp uses the fig fruit as benefits in the form of shelter while whale
an oviposition (egg-laying) site and developing remains unaffected.
seeds for nourishing its larvae. The wasp IV. Competition :
pollinates the fig inflorescence while searching (a) In this case, a rivalry between two or more
for suitable egg-laying (oviposition) sites. organisms for obtaining the same resources
Orchids and bee relationship : To ensure occur.
guaranteed pollination while attracting the (b) Intraspecific competition is more severe than
right pollinator insect (bees and bumble bees), interspecific competition as in intraspecific
orchids have evolved a bewildering diversity of competition all organisms of the same species
floral patterns.

have similar requirements for food, space, light,
water, mate etc.
(c) When Darwin spoke of struggle for existence
and survival of the fittest in nature, he was
conviced that interspecific competition is a
potent force in organic evolution.
(d) Competition can basically take two forms :
(A) Competitive exclusion (By Gause) :
According to the principle of competitive
exclusion—two closely related species
competing for the same resources cannot coexist
indefinitely and the competitively inferior one
will be eventually eliminated.
Examples :
(i) When both Paramoecium aurelia and
Paramoecium caudatum were grown on
the same culture plate P. aurelia survived
for several days and due its rapid growth
rate, excluded P.caudatum for the limited
amount of food.
(ii) Connell’s elegant field experiment showed
that on the rocky coasts of Scotland, the
larger and competitively superior
barnacle, Balanus dominates the intertidal
area and excludes the smaller barnacle,
Chathamalus from that area.
(iii) The introduction of goats, resulted in the
exclusion of Abingdon tortoise from
Galapagos islands because goats are better
browsers.
(B) Competitive co-existance : The recent
studies do not support the gross generalisation
of about competition where one species is
eliminated. They point out that species facing
competition might evolve mechanisms that
promote co-existence rather than exclusion.
One such mechanism is resource
partitioning or resource sharing by
choosing different times for feeding or different
foraging patterns.
Examples :
(i) Mac Arthur showed that five closely
related species of warblers living on the
same tree were able to avoid competition
and co-exist due to behavioural
differences in their foraging activities.
(ii) Darwin found that fourteen species of
finches co-exist in Galapagos islands due
to development of different feeding habits.
From the above discussion, it is clear that
competition can occur between closely related
species for the same resource that are limiting
and also, the totally unrelated species. An
Organisms and Populations 1167
example of this is South American lakes, where
visiting flamingoes and resident fishes compete
for the common food, the zooplanktons in the
lake.
Evidence for occurrence of competition:
(a) The evidence for competitive exclusion is easy to
demonstrate in laboratory experiment as done
by Gause but evidence for such competitive
exclusion occurring in nature is not always
conclusive. Evidence for the occurrence of
competition in nature comes from what is called
‘competitive release’, i. e., there occurs a
dramatical increase in population of a less
distributed species in a geographical area when
its superior competitor is removed
experimentally from that area.
(b) It is not true that competition will occur only
when resources present in the environment are
limiting. Resources need not be limiting
(always) for competition to occur as feeding
efficiency of one species might be reduced due
to inhibitory presence of the other species. This
is called interference competition.
Thus, competition is best defined as a
process in which fitness of one species
(measured in terms of the intrinsic rate
of increase) is significantly lower in the
presence of another species. In general,
herbivores and plants appear to be
more adversely affected by competition
than carnivores. Competition can occur
between closely related or unrelated
species. Competition can occur when
resources are limited or unlimited.
Competition leads to exclusion or
co-existence.
V. Predation :
(a) In this case, one species benefits (predator) and
the other gets harmed/killed (prey). Predation
can be seen as nature’s way of transferring to
higher trophic levels the energy fixed by plants.
(b) Examples of predator and prey ;
Predator Prey
1. Tiger/Lion Deer
2. Sparrow Seed
3. Cattle (Herbivore) Plants
Although animals eating plants are categorized
separately as herbivores, they are, in a broad
ecological context, not very different from
predators.
(c) Besides acting as conduits (channels) for energy
transfer across trophic levels, predators play
1168 NCERT Biology Booster
other important roles. They keep prey
population under control.
When certain exotic species are introduced into
a geographical area, they become invasive and
start spreading fast because the invaded land
does not have its natural predators. The prickly
pear cactus introduced into Australia in the
early 1920’s caused havoc by spreading into
millions of hectares of rangeland. Finally, the
invasive cactus was brought under control only
after a cactus-feeding predator (a moth) from its
natural habitat was introduced into the country.
Biological control methods adopted in
agricultural pest control are based on
the ability of the predator to regulate
prey population.
Predators also help in maintaining species
diversity in a community, by reducing the
intensity of competition among competing prey
species, e. g ., in rocky intertidal communities of
the American Pacific Coast the star-fish Pisaster
is an important predator. In a field experiment,
when all the starfish were removed from an
enclosed intertidal area, more than ten species
of invertebrate became extinct within a year
because of interspecific competition.
(d) If a predator is too efficient and overexploits its
prey, then the prey might become extinct and
following it, the predator will also become
extinct for lack of food. This is why predators in
nature are prudent.
Prey species have evolved various defenses to
lessen the impact of predation. Some examples
are :
In animals :
(i) Some species of insects and frogs are
cryptically coloured, i. e., camouflaged to
avoid being detected easily by the
predator.
(ii) Some are poisonous and therefore avoided
by the predators. The monarch butterfly is
highly distasteful to its predator (bird)
because of a special chemical present in its
body. Interestingly, the butterfly acquires
this chemical during its caterpillar stage by
feeding on a poisonous weed.
In plants :
(i) For plants, herbivores are the predators.
Nearly 25% of all insects are known to be
phytophagous (feeding on plant sap and
other parts of plants). The problem is
particularly severe for plants because,
unlike animals, they cannot run away from
their predators.
(ii) Plants therefore have evolved an
astonishing variety of morphological and
chemical defences against herbivores.
(iii) Thorns (Acacia, Cactus) are the most
common morphological means of defence.
(iv) Many plants produce and store chemicals
that make the herbivore sick when they
are eaten, inhibit feeding or digestion,
disrupt its reproduction or even kill it.
Calotropis produces highly poisonous
cardiac glycosides so, cattle or goats avoid
browsing this plant.
(v) A wide variety of chemical substances that
we extract from plants on a commercial
scale (e. g ., nicotine, caffeine, quinine,
strychnine, opium, etc.) are produced by
them actually as defences against grazers
and browsers.
VI. Parasitism :
In this case, one species benefits (parasite) and the
other gets harmed (host).
(a) The parasitic mode of life ensures free
procurement of food. It is not surprising that
parasitism has evolved in so many taxonomic
groups from plants to higher vertebrates for this
advantage.
Note:
Que. Do you believe that an ideal parasite should be able
to thrive within the host without harming it ? Then
why didn’t natural selection lead to the evolution of
such totally harmless parasites ?
Ans. Parasites need their host for food, shelter, for
completing their life cycle etc. Natural selection did
not lead to such evolution because if the parasites
become harmless then they will show
commensalism and not parasitism. By the help of
natural selection they evolve themselves to find out
other ways to infect host cells.
(b) Many parasites have evolved to be host-specific
(they can parasitise only a single species of host)
in such a way that both host and the parasite
tend to co-evolve, i. e., if the host evolves special
mechanisms for rejecting or resisting the
parasite, the parasite has to evolve mechanisms
to counteract and neutralise them, in order to be
successful with the same host species.
(c) In accordance with their life styles, parasites
evolved special adaptations like :
1. The loss of unnecessary sense organs.
2. Presence of adhesive organs or suckers to
cling on to the host.

3. Loss of digestive system.
4. High reproductive capacity.
(d) The life cycles of parasites are often complex,
involving one or two intermediate hosts or
vectors to facilitate parasitism of its primary
host. The human liver fluke (a trematode)
depends on two intermediate hosts (a snail and
a fish) to complete its life cycle. The malarial
parasite needs a vector (mosquito) to spread to
other hosts.
(e) Majority of the parasites harm the host, they
may reduce the survival, growth and
reproduction of the host and reduce its
population density. They might render the host
more vulnerable to predation by making it
physically weak.
(f) Parasites that feed on the external surface of the
host organism are ectoparasites. The most
familiar examples of this group are the lice on
humans and ticks on dogs. Many marine fish are
infested with ectoparasitic copepods. Cuscuta, a
parasitic plant that is commonly found growing
on hedge plants, has lost its chlorophyll and
leaves in the course of evolution. It derives its
nutrition from the host plant which it
parasitises.
Note:
Que. The female mosquito is not considered a parasite,
although it needs our blood for reproduction. How
it can be explained ?
Ans. This is because the mosquito never spends even a
short duration as other parasites do.
Organisms and Populations 1169
(g) Endoparasites live inside the host body at
different sites (liver, kidney, lungs, red blood
cells, etc.). The life cycles of
endoparasites are more complex
because of their extreme specialisation.
Their morphological and anatomical features
are greatly simplifed while emphasising their
reproductive potential.
Note: Brood-parasitism : It is a fascinating example of
parasitism in which the parasitic bird (e. g ., cuckoo)
lays its eggs in the nest of its host (e. g ., crow) and
lets the host incubate them. During the course of
evolution, the eggs of the parasitic bird have
evolved to resemble the host’s egg in size and colour
to reduce the chances of the host bird detecting the
foreign eggs and ejecting them from the nest.
VII. Ammensalism : In this case, one species inhibits the
growth of the other species (e. g ., by secreting some
chemicals). The organism which inhibits the growth of
other organism is called amensal. Ammensalism is also
known as allelopathy (in plants) or biological
antagonism or antibiosis. Antibiotic producing
organisms like Penicillium, Streptomyces etc. by
secreting antibiotics inhibit the growth of a number of
bacteria.
1170 NCERT Biology Booster

Section-A : Questions Based on NCERT Textbook

Organism and Its Environment 5. Identify A, B and C w.r.t. climatic zone and latitude :
1. Identify A, B and C in the ecological hierarchy : Climatic zone Latitude
C Tropical zone B
A 20°– 40°
Biome Temperate C
Aretic/Antarctic 60°– 80°

B (a) A = Subtropical, B = 40°-60°, C = 0°-20°

(b) A = Subtropical, B = 20°-48°, C = 60°-70°
(c) A = Subtropical, B = 0°-40°, C = 40°-80°
Community
(d) A = Subtropical, B = 0°-20°, C = 40°-60°
6. Ecological niche of an organism represents :
A (a) The range of conditions it can tolerate
(b) The resources it utilizes
(c) Is its functional role in the concerned ecosystem
Individual Organism
(d) All of the above
7. Identify the biomes A, B, C and D represented below
A B C
graphically :
(a) Population Biosphere Landscape
30
Mean annual temperature (°C)

Ecosystem Population Ecosphere

A B
(b) 25

(c) Population Ecosystem Biosphere 20 Tropical

15 C forest
(d) Ecosphere Population Ecosystem
10
2. The basic unit of study in ecology is : 5 D
(a) Population (b) Community 0
(c) Ecosystem (d) Individual organism –5
3. Biosphere is also called : –10 Arctic and Alpine tundra
(a) Planet Earth’s ecosystem –15
(b) Ecological niche 50 100 150 200 250 300 350 400 450

(c) Both (a) and (b) Mean annual precipitation (cm)

(d) Ecotone
A B C D
4. Match the columns :
(a) Grassland Desert Temperate Coniferous
Column-I Column-II forest forest
A. Tansley (i) Gave the term ecology (b) Desert Grassland Temperate Coniferous
forest forest
B. Ramdeo Mishra (ii) Father of ecology in India
(c) Desert Grassland Coniferous Temperate
C. Reiter (iii) Correctly defined ecology
forest forest
D. Ernst Haeckel (iv) Gave the term ecosystem
(d) Desert Temperate Grassland Coniferous
forest forest
(a) A = (i), B = (ii), C = (iii), D = (iv)
8. The tree-less biomes are :
(b) A = (iv), B = (ii), C = (i), D = (iii)
(a) Desert biome and Temperate forest biome
(c) A = (ii), B = (i), C = (iv), D = (iii)
(b) Tundra biome and Tropical rain forest biome
(d) A = (iv), B = (ii), C = (iii), D = (i)
(c) Desert biome and Tundra biome
(d) Tundra biome and Grassland biome
 Organisms and Populations 1171

9. The important features that determine the differences 15. The salt concentration (measured as salinity in parts
in environmental conditions of different zones are : (A)
per thousand) for hypersaline lagoons is ¾¾¾ , for
(a) Light and precipitation (B) (C)
(b) Light, temperature, soil, precipitation sea is ¾¾¾ and for inland water is ¾¾¾ .
(c) Precipitation and temperature (a) A = <5, B = >100, C = 30-35
(d) Soil and temperature (b) A = <5, B = 30-35, C = >100
10. ‘Global Warming’ is the increase of Earth’s average (c) A = >1000, B = 30-35, C = <50
surface temperature due to effect of greenhouse gases. (d) A = >100, B = 30-35, C = <5
Its impact include : 16. Read the following statements :
(a) Rise in sea level and changed species distribution (i) Temperature ranges from subzero in polar areas
(b) Melting of ice caps and high latitudes to >50°C in tropical deserts
(c) Future pushing of tropics into temperature and (ii) In thermal springs and deep sea hydrothermal
temperate towards pole vents temperature exceeds 100°C
(d) All of the above (iii) Mango trees can grow in Canada and Germany;
11. Ecologically, the most important factor is : tuna fish are easily available in the tropical ocean
(a) Rainfall (iv) Sciophytes grow in shade area
(b) Temperature (v) Photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) has a
range 400-700 nm
(c) Light
Which of the above statements are correct ?
(d) Humidity
(a) (i) only (b) (v) only
12. Match the columns :
(c) (iii), (iv) and (v) (d) (i), (ii), (iv) and (v)
Column-I Column-II 17. Identify X, Y and Z in the table given below :
A. Hekistotherm (i) Tropical zone
Ultraviolet ray Wavelength Effect
B. Microtherm (ii) Subtropical zone
UV-A 320-400 nm Moderately harmful
C. Mesotherm (iii) Arctic/alpine zone
D. Megatherm (iv) Temperate zone X 280-320 nm Z
UV-C Y Lethal
(a) A = (ii), B = (iv), C = (i), D = (iii)
(a)X = UV-B, Y = 300-400 nm, Z = Quite harmful
(b) A = (iii), B = (ii), C = (iv), D = (i)
(b)X = UV-B, Y = 100-280 nm, Z = Quite harmful
(c) A = (i), B = (iv), C = (ii), D = (iii)
(d) A = (iii), B = (iv), C = (ii), D = (i) (c)X = UV-B, Y = 20-40 nm, Z = Lethal
13. Find the wrong match : (d)X = UV-B, Y = 1000-2800 nm, Z = Moderately
harmful
(a) Endotherm — Warm blooded or homeotherms
18. Which of the following is incorrect ?
(b) Ectotherm — Cold blooded or poikilotherms
(a) Eutrophic lakes are rich in nutrient and has high
(c) Stenohaline — Tolerates wide range of salinities
biological productivity
(d) Euryhaline — Tolerates wide range of salinities
(b) Animals do not respond to photoperiods but plants
14. Match the columns :
do so
Column-I Column-II (c) Oligotrophic lakes are poor in nutrients, clear and
A. Stenothermal (i) Shark with low biological productivity
(d) Mesotrophic lakes have properties in between
B. Eurythermal (ii) Salmon
eutrophic and oligotrophic lakes
C. Euryhaline (iii) Lizards
19. Match the columns w.r.t. zones of a lake :
D. Stenohaline (iv) Mammals
Column-I Column-II
(a) A = (iii), B = (iv), C = (ii), D = (i)
A. Littoral zone (i) Receives maximum light
(b) A = (iii), B = (ii), C = (iv), D = (i)
B. Limnetic zone (ii) Receives diffused light
(c) A = (i), B = (iv), C = (ii), D = (iii)
C. Euphotic zone (iii) Shallow water zone
(d) A = (iii), B = (iv), C = (i), D = (ii) D. Disphotic zone (iv) Open water body
 1172 NCERT Biology Booster

(a) A = (iii), B = (iv), C = (i), D = (ii) (b) A = Partial regulator, B = Regulator,

(b) A = (iv), B = (iii), C = (ii), D = (i) C = Conformer
(c) A = (i), B = (iv), C = (ii), D = (iii) (c) A = Mammals and birds, B = 99% of animals and
(d) A = (iv), B = (ii), C = (i), D = (iii) nearly all plants, C = Prototherians
20. In which of the following zone(s) of a deep lake light do (d) A = Regulator, B = Partial regulator,
not reach ? C = Conformer
(a) Limnetic 25. Read the following statements :
(b) Littoral (i) Success of mammals on earth is mainly due to
(c) Profundal and benthic their ability to maintain a constant body
(d) Disphotic temperature
21. Humus is : (ii) Migration is restricted to animals only, in plants
(a) Dark coloured amorphous substance even the propagules (spores and seeds) cannot
(b) Slightly acidic migrate
(c) Colloidal substance and act as reservoir of (iii) Diapause is a stage of suspended development in
nutrients many zooplanktons
(d) Related with all of the above (iv) Most of the animals can maintain the internal
22. Which of the following soil is best for plant growth ? homeostasis
(a) Sandy soil (v) In conformers, the body temperature changes
with the ambient temperature but the osmotic
(b) Clay soil
concentration of the body fluids do not change
(c) Both (a) and (b)
with that of ambient water osmotic concentration
(d) Loam soil
Which of the above statements are correct ?
23. Match the columns :
(a) (ii), (iv) and (v)
Column-I Column-II (b) (i) and (iii)
A. Colluvial soil (i) Wind (c) (i), (ii) and (iii)
B. Alluvial soil (ii) Glacier (d) (ii) and (iii)
C. Glacial soil (iii) Gravity 26. The factors which play a very important role in the
D. Eolian soil (iv) Running water formation of major biomes of earth are :
(a) Temperature and wind
(a) A = (iii), B = (i), C = (iv), D = (ii) (b) Precipitation and temperature
(b) A = (iii), B = (iv), C = (i), D = (ii) (c) Wind and precipitation
(c) A = (iii), B = (iv), C = (ii), D = (i) (d) Rainfall only
(d) A = (ii), B = (iv), C = (i), D = (iii) 27. Adaptation in organisms can be :
24. Identify the types of organisms marked as A, B and C on (a) Morphological
the basis of responses of organisms towards the (b) Physiological
fluctuating environmental conditions : (c) Behavioural
(d) All of these
28. How does a Kangaroo rat cope with the North
A
American desert environment ?
Internal level

B (a) Water requirement is met by internal oxidation of

stored fat
C
(b) It can concentrate its urine
(c) Minimum water is used to remove excretory
products
External level (d) All of the above
(a) A = 99% of animals and nearly all plants, 29. Which of the following is a xerophytic adaptation ?
B = Mammals and birds, C = Prototherians (a) Absence of CAM
(b) Presence of thin cuticle
 Organisms and Populations 1173

(c) Sunken stomata present D. Ecotone (iv) Species connecting one

(d) Absence of C 3 cycle abiotic component to one
biotic component or speceis
30. Which of the following happens as a result of altitude which connects two biotic
sickness ? components
(a) RBC production increases
(a) A = (i), B = (iv), C = (ii), D = (iii)
(b) Increase in breathing rate
(b) A = (i), B = (iv), C = (iii), D = (ii)
(c) Nausea, fatigue and heart palpitations
(c) A = (ii), B = (iv), C = (iii), D = (i)
(d) All of the above
(d) A = (iii), B = (ii), C = (iv), D = (i)
31. Which of the following is correct ?
36. Which one is an example of ecotone ?
(a) Antarctic fishes can survive below 0°C as these
(a) Wetlands (b) Estuary
have antifreeze solutes in their body
(c) Both (a) and (b) (d) An agriculture field
(b) Archaebacteria can flourish in hot springs and deep
37. The genetically adapted population (genetically
sea hydrothermal vents where temperature is
slightly different but morphologically similar) is called:
above 100°C
(a) Ecotype (b) Ecad
(c) Desert lizard lack the physiological ability to cope
with extreme temperature but manage the body (c) Ecophene (d) Ecocline
temperature by behavioural means 38. The intermediate form between two ecotypes is called :
(d) All of the above (a) Ecophene (b) Ecocline
32. Which of the following is not an anatomical adaptation (c) Ecad (d) Edge species
of hydrophytes ? 39. Wetlands are called kidneys of earth as these :
(a) Presence of aerenchyma in abundance (a) Help in conserving water
(b) Cuticle is thick (b) Clean water by filtering out sedimentation,
(c) Xylem is poorly developed decomposing vegetative matter and converting
complex compound into usable forms
(d) Stomata is absent/non-functional in the
submerged hydrophytes (c) Control water flow and recycle nutrient
33. Which of the following feature is common both to (d) All of the above
xerophytes and halophytes ? 40. The smaller animals tend to loose heat faster than large
(a) Presence of thick cuticle on leaf and stem animals as they have :
epidermis (a) Lower surface area to volume ratio
(b) Presence of sunken stomata (b) Higher surface area to volume ratio
(c) Well developed vascular tissue (c) Equal values of surface area and volume
(d) More than one option is correct (d) None of the above
34. A high diversity in the ecotone is called ________ and 41. Which statement describes how climate might change
the diverse species present there is called _______ . if earth was 75% land and 25% water ?
(a) Edge effect, edge species (a) Terrestrial ecosystems would likely experience
(b) Edge species, edge effect more precipitation
(c) Ecophene, ecocline (b) Summers would be longer and winters shorter at
mid-latitude locations
(d) Ecophene, Ecotone
(c) Earth’s daytime temperatures would be higher and
35. Match the columns :
night-time temperatures lower
Column-I Column-II (d) All are correct
A. Ecad/Ecophene (i) Genetically similar but 42. The main reason, polar regions are cooler than the
morphologically dissimilar equator is that :
B. Critical link (ii) Transition zone between (a) There is more ice at the poles
species two ecosystems
(b) Sunlight strikes the poles at lower angle
C. Keystone (iii) Small population of a
species species having an (c) The poles are farther from the sun
influential role to protect (d) The polar atmosphere contain few green house
ecosystem gases
 1174 NCERT Biology Booster

43. What is the limiting factor for the growth of trees in the (c) An organism’s interaction with other members of
tundra ? the community
(a) Permafrost condition (d) The organisms role in recycling nutrients in its
(b) Low precipitation habitat
(c) Cold temperature 51. Choose the correct statement :
(d) Insufficient minerals in bedrock (a) Among the red, green and brown algae, the red
44. Turn-over of water in temperate lakes during the algae are found in the deepest ocean
spring and autum is possible by which of the following? (b) Animals restricted to a narrow range of salinity are
(a) Currents generated by fauna euryhaline
(b) The changes in the density of water as seasonal (c) Every winter, the famous Keoladeo National Park
temperatures change (Orissa) hosts thousands of migratory birds
(c) Warm, less dense water at the top (d) The mammals of colder climates generally have
(d) Cold, more dense water at the bottom longer extremities to minimise heat loss
45. In temperate lakes, the surface water is replenished 52. A large variety of marine invertebrates and fish live at
with nutrient during turn overs that occur in the : great depths in the ocean where pressure could be 100
(a) Autumn and spring (b) Spring and summer times greater than the normal atmospheric pressure.
(c) Autumn and winter (d) Summer and autumn How do they live under such crusing pressures ?
46. Which marine zone would have the lowest rates of (a) These creatures are very small
primary productivity (photosynthesis) ? (b) Possess more gelatin and less skeletal structures
(a) Abyssal (c) Lack excess cavities that would collapse under
(b) Pelagic pressure
(c) Neritic (d) More than one option is correct
(d) Continental shelf Populations
47. Which lake zone would be absent in a very shallow 53. Match the columns :
lake?
Column-I Column-II
(a) Aphotic zone
(b) Littoral zone A. Bergman’s rule (i) Mammals have shorter
exterimities in cold zones
(c) Limnetic zone
B. Rensch’s rule (ii) Birds possess narrow and
(d) Both (b) and (c) acuminate wings in cold
48. While climbing a mountain, we can observe transitions zones
in biological communities that are analogous to the C. Jordan’s rule (iii) Warm blooded animals
changes : have larger body size in
cold zones
(a) At depths in the ocean
D. Allen’s rule (iv) Fishes possess large
(b) In a community in different seasons
number of vertebrae and
(c) In an ecosystem as it evolves over time large body size in cold seas
(d) In biomes at different latitudes
(a) A = (iii), B = (ii), C = (i), D = (iv)
49. A population of rabbits has an annual per capita birth
(b) A = (ii), B = (i), C = (iv), D = (iii)
rate of 0.06 and annual per capita death rate of 0.02.
Calculate an estimate of the number of individuals (c) A = (iii), B = (ii), C = (iv), D = (i)
added (net) to a population of 1,000 individuals in one (d) A = (i), B = (iv), C = (ii), D = (iii)
year : 54. Birth rate in a population is represented by the
(a) 400 individuals added formula:
DN N
(b) 20 individuals added (a) (b)
(c) 40 individuals added ND t DN ´ t
t t
(d) 120 individuals added (c) (d)
DN N ´t
50. How did E.P. Odum describe an ecological niche ?
55. Which of the following is not possesed by an individual
(a) The ‘address’ of an organism
organism but by a population ?
(b) An organism’s ‘profession’ in the community
 Organisms and Populations 1175

(a) Birth rate and death rate (c) The maximum population size that a particular
(b) Sex ratio environment can support
(c) Both (a) and (b) (d) Seldom reached by marine producers and
(d) Birth and death consumers because of the vast resources of ocean
56. Study the age pyramid shown below and choose the 62. Which of the following is characteristic of K-selected
correct option : populations ?
(a) Offspring with good chances of survival
(b) Many offsprings per reproductive episode
(c) Small-sized offspring
A B C (d) High fecundity
63. Why do populations grow more slowly as they
A B C
approach their carrying capacity ?
(a) Triangular pyramid Urn-shaped Bell-shaped (a) Density-dependent factors lead to fewer births and
pyramid pyramid increased mortality
(b) Expanding Pyramid showing Bell shaped (b) Density-independent factors lead to fewer births
population negative growth pyramid
and increased mortality
(c) Expanding Bell-shaped Pyramid showing
(c) Hormonal changes promote higher death rates in
population pyramid negative growth
crowded populations
(d) Bell shaped Triangular pyramid Urn-shaped
pyramid pyramid (d) Individuals voluntarily stop mating so that
overcrowding does not occur
57. Find out the incorrect match w.r.t. age-pyramid : 64. Which of the following could be density independent
(a) Triangular pyramid — Young/growing population factor limiting human population growth ?
(b) Bell-shaped pyramid — Stable/mature population (a) Plaques (b) Famines
(c) Urn-shaped pyramid — Positive growth (c) Pollution (d) Earthquake
(d) Urn-shaped pyramid — Declined/negative growth 65. Which of the following graphs illustrates the
58. In which of the following age pyramids, the proportion populations growth curve of a single bacterium
of pre-reproductive individuals is very high in comparision growing in a flask of ideal medium at optimum
to reproductive and post-reproductive individuals ? temperature over a period of 24-hours ?
(a) Bell-shaped (b) Triangular
Population size

Population size
(c) Urn-shaped (d) None of these
59. If in a pond there are 20 lotus plants last year and
through reproduction 8 new lotus plants are added, (a) (b)
then the per capita birth is :
(a) 0.4 offsprings per lotus per year
(b) 0.6 offsprings per lotus per year Time Time
(c) 0.1 offsprings per lotus per year
Population size

Population size

(d) 0.2 offsprings per lotus per year

60. If there are 50 Drosophila in a laboratory and 3 of these
died in a week, then the per capita death is : (c) (d)
(a) 0.06 individuals per Drosophila per week
(b) 0.04 individuals per Drosophila per week
(c) 0.05 individuals per Drosophila per week Time Time
(d) 0.03 individuals per Drosophila per week 66. The integral form of exponential growth equation is :
61. Carrying capacity is : dN
(a) N t = N 0 e rt (b) = rN
(a) The term used to describe the stress a population dt
undergoes due to limited resources r
(c) N 0 = N 0 + e rt (d) = dt
(b) Always unlimited N
 1176 NCERT Biology Booster

67. Which of the following is a likely graphic outcome of a 71. Match the columns :
population of deer introduced to an island with an
Column-I Column-II
adequate herbivory and without natural predators,
parasites or diseases ? A. Metapopulation (i) It is the study of vital
statistics of population and
how it changes with time
Population size

Population size
B. Deme (ii) It is the official counting of
a population and preparing
(a) (b) data about age-groups,
birth/death-rate, sex-ratio,
education etc.
C. Census (iii) Local population, i . e. ,
Time Time population living in a
specific area a particular
time
Population size

Population size

D. Demography (iv) Whole set of local

population connected by
(c) (d) dispersing individuals

(a) A = (i), B = (iv), C = (ii), D = (iii)

(b) A = (iii), B = (i), C = (iv), D = (ii)
Time Time
(c) A = (iv), B = (iii), C = (ii), D = (i)
68. During exponential growth, a population always : (d) A = (ii), B = (iv), C = (i), D = (iii)
(a) Loses some individuals to emigration 72. According to the competitive exclusion principle, two
(b) Cycles through time species cannot continue to occupy the same :
(c) Grows at its maximum per capita rate (a) Habitat (b) Niche
(d) Quickly reaches and stay at its carrying capacity (c) Territory (d) Biome
69. Match the columns : 73. Which of the following best describes resource
Column-I Column-II
partioning ?
(a) Slight variations in niche that allow similar species
A. Exponential growth (i) dN
= rN to coexist
dt
equation (b) A climax community that is reached when no new
B. Integral form of (ii) N t = N 0ert niches are available
exponential growth (c) Competitive exclusion that results in the success of
equation
superior species
C. Logistic growth (iii) dN æK -Nö
= rN ç ÷ (d) Two species that can coevolve to share identical
equation dt è K ø
niches
D. Integral form of (iv) K
Nt =
logistic growth æ K - N 0 ö - rt Population Interactions
equation 1 + çç ÷÷ e
è N0 ø 74. Evidence shows that some grasses benefit from being
grazed. Which of the following terms would best
(a) A = (ii), B = (i), C = (iv), D = (iii) describe this plant-herbivore interaction ?
(b) A = (i), B = (ii), C = (iii), D = (iv) (a) Predation (b) Mutualism
(c) A = (i), B = (iv), C = (iii), D = (ii) (c) Commensalism (d) Competition
(d) A = (i), B = (iv), C = (ii), D = (iii) 75. Which statement best describes the evolutionary
70. Which of the following is correct ? significance of mutualism ?
(a) Logistic growth model is more realistic than (a) Mutualism offers more diversity to a community
exponential growth model (b) Interaction increases the survival and reproductive
(b) r-selected species have low fecundity, large body rates of mutualistic species
size and late maturity (c) Mutualistic interactions lessens competition in
(c) K-selected species have high fecundity, small body communities where it is present
size and early maturity (d) Mutualism allow organisms to synthesize and use
(d) Altruistic behaviour is common in dogs energy more efficiently
 Organisms and Populations 1177

76. In a tide-pool, 18 species of invertebrates were reduced 85. The interaction between sea-anemone and hermit crab
to 10 after one species was removed. This species is a type of :
removed was likely a : (a) Protocooperation
(a) Herbivore (b) Mutualism
(b) Pathogen (c) Predation
(c) Mutualistic organism (d) Parasitism
(d) Keystone species 86. The interaction between clown fish and sea-anemone is
77. Connell conducted experiments on the rocky coast of a type of :
Scotland on barnacles to prove : (a) Commensalism
(a) Resource partioning (b) Protocoperation
(b) Competitive exclusion (c) Mutualism
(c) Competitive release (d) Amensalism
(d) All of these 87. Epiphytes growing on a mango tree is a type of _____
78. What interaction exist between the cattle egret and interaction :
grazing cattle ? (a) +/0 (b) +/+
(a) +/+ (b) +/0 (c) 0/– (d) –/–
(c) +/– (d) –/– 88. Read the following statements :
79. What interaction exist between a bee and a flower ? (i) Interspecific competition is more severe than
(a) +/– (b) +/+ intraspecific competition
(c) –/– (d) +/0 (ii) Resource may not be limiting for competition to
80. The principle of competitive exclusion states that : occur as in case of interference competition
(a) Two species that have exactly the same niche (iii) Ecologically, herbivores are predators
cannot coexist in community (iv) Predators maintain species diversity
(b) Two species will stop reproducing until one species (v) Hyperparasites are parisites over other parasites
leaves the habitat Which of the following statement is/are correct ?
(c) Competition in a population promotes survival (a) (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv)
(d) Two species cannot coexist in the same habitat (b) (ii), (iii), (iv) and (v)
81. Keystone predators can maintain species diversity in a (c) (iii) only
community if they : (d) (i) only
(a) Prey only on the least abundant species in the 89. Which of the following has a negative effect on the
community population growth rate ?
(b) Prey on community’s dominant species (a) Immigration
(c) Allow immigration of other predators (b) Emigration
(d) Competitively exclude other predators (c) Emigration and mortality
82. Which of the following is not a positive interaction ? (d) Immigration and natality
(a) +/+ (b) +/0 90. Identify A, B, C and D :
(c) Both (a) and (b) (d) –/– B
83. Mutualism and protocooperation can be represented as
________ whereas predation and parasitism can be +
represented as __________ .
(a) +/– ; –/– (b) +/+ ; +/– + Population –
A C
(c) +/+ ; –/– (d) +/0 ; –/0 Denisty
84. Which of the following is a case of mutualism ?
(a) Lichen –
(b) Mycorrhiza
(c) Fig and wasp D
(d) All of these
 1178 NCERT Biology Booster

(a) A = Imigration, B = Emigration, C = Natality, (a) I = A population, II = A community, III = A biome

D = Mortality (b) I = A biome, II = A population, III = A community
(b) A = Mortality, B = Natality, C = Emigration, (c) I = A community, II = A population, III = A biome
D = Immigration (d) I = A community, II = A biome, III = A population
(c) A = Emigration, B = Immigration, C = Natality, 95. How does the bee know which flower has nectar ?
D = Mortality (a) By using the chemoreceptors found in their mouth
(d) A = Immigration, B = Natality, C = Mortality, parts
D = Emigration (b) By sensing the electrical charge on flowers
91. The population at time (t + 1) can be calculated as : (c) By physically visiting the flowers
N t +1 = N t + [( X + Y ) - (W + Z )] (d) More than one option is true
In the above equation : 96. Read the statements A and B :
(a) X is immigration and Z is mortality A. If a predator is too efficient and overexploits its
(b) X is immigration and Z is natality prey, then the prey might become extinct and
(c) Y is immigration and W is natality following it, the predator will also become extinct
(d) Y is emigration and W is mortality for lack of food.
92. In a population, per capita birth rate is 0.17 and per B. Predators are prudent in nature.
capita death rate is 0.04 during a unit time period. The (a) Both A and B are correct and B is the correct
value of intrinsic rate of natural increase, i. e., r is : explanation of A
(a) 0.13 (b) 0.17 (b) Both A and B are correct but B is not the correct
(c) 0.04 (d) 0.15 explanation of A
93. J-shape growth can be observed for : (c) A is correct but B is incorrect
(a) Algal bloom (d) Both A and B are incorrect
(b) Insect population 97. Read the following statements :
(c) Both (a) and (b) (i) Cattles do not browse Calotropis as these plants
(d) All plant species produce highly poisonous cardiac glycosides
94. Comment on the following diagrams : (A, B, C, D ; P, Q, (ii) Totally unrelated species can compete for the
R, S are speceis) same resource
A A (iii) Resources need not always be limiting for
B A competition to occur
A A (iv) In ‘Interference competition’, the feeding
B efficiency of one species might be reduced due to
C C
the interfering and inhibitory presence of the
A A
B other species
I II (v) Abingdon tortoise in Galapagos islands became
S extinct within a decade after goats were
introduced, apparently due to the greater
Q A R browsing efficiency of goats
How many of the above statements are correct ?
P (a) Four (b) Five
(c) Two (d) Three
98. Which of the following is correct ?
R A
(a) Parasites do not tend to co-evolve with the host
R P Q P Q S (b) ‘Brood parasitism’ is absent in cuckoo
(c) In general, herbivores and plants appear to be
B C more adversely affected by competion than
III carnivores
(d) The life cycle of parsites are often very simple,
involving one or two intermediate hosts or vectors
 Organisms and Populations 1179

99. The female Anopheles is not considered as parasite on 100. Find the incorrect match :
humans because : (a) Commensalism — Sea anemone and
(a) It never spends even a short duration on human clown fish
body as other parasites do (b) Mutualism — Mycorrhizae
(b) It is frugivorous (c) Coevolution — Fig and wasp
(c) It takes blood from human body (d) Ammensalism — Epiphytic orchid on
(d) All of these a mango tree

Answers (Section-A)

1. (c) 2. (d) 3. (a) 4. (b) 5. (d) 6. (d) 7. (b) 8. (d) 9. (b) 10. (d)
11. (b) 12. (d) 13. (c) 14. (a) 15. (d) 16. (d) 17. (b) 18. (b) 19. (a) 20. (c)
21. (d) 22. (d) 23. (c) 24. (a) 25. (b) 26. (b) 27. (d) 28. (d) 29. (c) 30. (d)
31. (d) 32. (b) 33. (d) 34. (a) 35. (b) 36. (c) 37. (a) 38. (b) 39. (d) 40. (b)
41. (c) 42. (b) 43. (a) 44. (b) 45. (a) 46. (a) 47. (a) 48. (d) 49. (c) 50. (b)
51. (a) 52. (d) 53. (c) 54. (a) 55. (c) 56. (c) 57. (c) 58. (b) 59. (b) 60. (a)
61. (c) 62. (a) 63. (a) 64. (d) 65. (d) 66. (a) 67. (a) 68. (c) 69. (b) 70. (a)
71. (c) 72. (b) 73. (a) 74. (b) 75. (b) 76. (d) 77. (b) 78. (b) 79. (b) 80. (a)
81. (b) 82. (d) 83. (b) 84. (d) 85. (a) 86. (a) 87. (a) 88. (b) 89. (c) 90. (d)
91. (a) 92. (a) 93. (c) 94. (a) 95. (d) 96. (a) 97. (b) 98. (c) 99. (a) 100. (d)
1180 NCERT Biology Booster

Section-B : Questions from NCERT Exemplar

1. Autecology is the : 9. What will happen to a well growing herbaceous plant

(a) Relation of heterogenous population to its in the forest if it is transplanted outside the forest in a
environment park ?
(b) Relation of an individual to its environment (a) It will grow normally
(c) Relation of a community to its environment (b) It will grow well because it is planted in the same
(d) Relation of a biome to its environment locality
2. Ecotone is : (c) It may not survive because of change in its
(a) A polluted area microclimate
(b) The bottom of a lake (d) It grows very well because the plant gets more
(c) A zone of transition between two communities sunlight
(d) A zone of developing community 10. If a population of 50 Paramecium present in a pool
3. Biosphere is : increases to 150 after an hour, what would be the
growth rate of population ?
(a) A component in the ecosystem
(a) 50 per hour (b) 200 per hour
(b) Composed of the plants present in the soil
(c) 5 per hour (d) 100 per hour
(c) Life in the outer space
11. What would be the percent growth or birth rate per
(d) Composed of all living organisms present on earth
individual per hour for the same population mentioned
which interact with the physical environment
in the previous question (Question-10)?
4. Ecological niche is :
(a) 100 (b) 200
(a) The surface area of the ocean
(c) 50 (d) 150
(b) An ecologically adapted zone
12. A population has more young individuals compared to
(c) The physical position and functional role of a
the older individuals. What would be the status of the
species within the community
population after some years ?
(d) Formed of all plants and animals living at the
(a) It will decline
bottom of a lake
(b) It will stabilise
5. According to Allen’s Rule, the mammals from colder
(c) It will increase
climates have :
(d) It will first decline and then stabilise
(a) Shorter ears and longer limbs
13. What parameters are used for tiger census in our
(b) Longer ears and shorter limbs
country’s national parks and sanctuaries ?
(c) Longer ears and long limbs
(a) Pug marks only
(d) Shorter ears and shorter limbs
(b) Pug marks and faecal pellets
6. Salt concentration (salinity) of the sea measured in
(c) Faecal pellets only
parts per thousand is :
(d) Actual head counts
(a) 10-5 (b) 30-70
14. Which of the following would necessarily decrease the
(c) 0-5 (d) 30-35
density of a population in a given habitat ?
7. Formation of tropical forests needs mean annual
(a) Natality > Mortality
temperature and mean annual precipitation as :
(b) Immigration > Emigration
(a) 18-25°C and 150-400 cm
(c) Mortality and Emigration
(b) 5-15°C and 50-100 cm
(d) Natality and immigration
(c) 30-50°C and 100-150 cm
15. A protozoan reproduces by binary fission. What will be
(d) 5-15°C and 100-200 cm
the number of protozoans in its population after six
8. Which of the following forest plants control the light
generations ?
conditions at the ground ?
(a) 128 (b) 24
(a) Lianas and climbers(b) Shrubs
(c) 64 (d) 32
(c) Tall trees (d) Herbs
 Organisms and Populations 1181

16. In 2005, for each of the 14 million people present in a 18. Lichens are the associations of :
country, 0.028 were born and 0.008 died during the (a) Bacteria and fungus
year. Using exponential equation, the number of (b) Algae and bacterium
people present in 2015 is predicted as : (c) Fungus and algae
(a) 25 millions (b) 17 millions (d) Fungus and virus
(c) 20 millions (d) 18 millions 19. Which of the following is a partial root parasite ?
17. Amensalism is an association between two species (a) Sandal wood (b) Mistletoe
where : (c) Orobanche (d) Ganoderma
(a) One species is harmed and other is benefitted 20. Which one of the following organisms reproduces
(b) One species is harmed and other is unaffected sexually only once in its life time ?
(c) One species is benefitted and other is unaffected (a) Banana plant (b) Mango
(d) Both the species are harmed (c) Tomato (d) Eucalyptus

Answers (Section-B)
1. (b) 2. (c) 3. (d) 4. (c) 5. (d) 6. (d) 7. (a) 8. (c) 9. (c) 10. (d)
11. (b) 12. (c) 13. (b) 14. (c) 15. (c) 16. (b) 17. (b) 18. (c) 19. (a) 20. (c)
 1182 NCERT Biology Booster
Section-C : Assertion-Reason Type Questions
Instructions :
1. If both assertion and reason are true and the reason is the correct explanation of the assertion then mark (a).
2. If both assertion and reason are true but the reason is not the correct explanation of the assertion, then mark (b).
3. If assertion is true but reason is false, then mark (c).
4. If both assertion and reason are false statements then mark (d).
1. A: Ionizing radiations are harmful for the living
organisms.
R: They form toxic photoproducts in the cell.
2. A: Alpine forests consists of dwarf shrubs mainly of
junipers, silver firs and rhodendrons.
R: Alpine forests occur in Himalayas above the altitude
of 3500 metres.
3. A: Soil particles, particularly clay and organic matter
in soil, contain negatively charge that attract
positively charged ions such as Ca 2+ , K+ and Mg 2+ .
R: This attraction keeps these ions at a soil level where
they are available to plants.
4. A: Living organisms are regarded as closed systems.
R: Energy of living organisms cannot be lost or gained
from the environment.
5. A: Tropical rain forests are disappearing fastly from
developing countries such as India.
R: No value is attached to these forests because these
are poor in biodiversity.
6. A: The age-sex structure of human population can be
represented graphically.
R: In countries like Sudan and India the population is
increasing at a rapid rate.
7. A: In tropical rain forest, O-horizon and A-horizon of
soil profile are shallow and nutrient poor.
R: Excessive growth of micro-organisms in the soil
deplete its organic content.
8. A: A mangrove tree growing in marshy place has
pneumatophores.
R: Pneumatophores help in better anchorage to
marshy areas.
9. A: Small sized organisms are rarely found in polar
regions.
R: Small sized animals have larger surface-area
relative to their volume and they have to spend
much energy to generate body heat through
metabolism.
10. A: Bell shape age pyramid confirms a stable
population.
R: The proportion of individuals in reproductive
age-group is greater than the individuals in
pre-reproductive age-group.
11. A: Ecology is basically concerned with four levels of
biological organisation — organism, population,
communities and biomes.
R: Biosphere is the planet earth’s ecosystem.
12. A: Night blossoming flowers are generally white.
R: White flowers are to attract moths and other insects
which are active at night.
13. A: Temperature is the most ecologically relevant
environmental factor influencing organisms.
R: Temperature, significantly affects the enzyme
kinetics and basal metabolism as well as activity
and other physiological functions of the organisms.
14. A: Megatherms are found in tropical zones.
R: Megatherms are adapted to live in high
temperature throughout the year.
15. A: 99% of animals and nearly all plants are
conformers.
R: Mammals and birds are regulators.
16. A: Eurythermals can tolerate and thrive in a wide
range of temperatures.
R: Stenothermals are restricted to a narrow range of
temperatures.
17. A: Among red, green and brown algae, the red algae
are found in the deepest ocean.
R: Red algae posses phycobilins, which can absorb the
blue and green light that penetrates the deepest
water.
18. A: Halophytes are physiological xerophytes.
R: Halophytes grow in highly saline environment so
faces difficulty during water absorption thus, has
modifications to minimize water loss also.
19. A: The triangular age pyramid is a graphic
representation of a young or growing population.
R: An age pyramid is a graphic representation of
proportion of various age group of population.
 Organisms and Populations 1183

20. A: The Mediterranean orchid Ophyrus employs ‘sexual

deceit’ to get pollinated by some male bees.
R: Plant animal interactions never involve
co-evolution.

Answers (Section-C)
1. (c) 2. (b) 3. (b) 4. (d) 5. (c) 6. (b) 7. (c) 8. (c) 9. (a) 10. (c)
11. (b) 12. (a) 13. (a) 14. (a) 15. (b) 16. (b) 17. (a) 18. (a) 19. (b) 20. (c)
 1184 NCERT Biology Booster

Section-D : Brainstormer
1. Lapse rate is :
(a) The rate at which temperature decreases with the (c) Zone of Stress zone Optimum Stress zone Zone of
intolerance range of intolerance
increase in altitude tolerance
(b) About 6.4°C–6.5°C per kilometre (d) Stress zone Zone of Optimum Stress zone Zone of
(c) About 10.4°C–10.5°C per kilometre intolerance range of intolerance
tolerance
(d) Both (a) and (b)
2. Match the columns w.r.t. thermal stratification in 4. In a population showing sigmoid growth form, the
temperate lakes : population has reached its carrying capacity. What will
dN
Column-I Column-II be the value of in this population?
dt
A. Metalimnion (i) Uppermost substratum of
(a) Zero (b) Infinity
water
æK -N ö
B. Epilimnion (ii) Transition zone (c) Equal to K (d) Equal to ç ÷
C. Hypolimnion (iii) Base substratum of water
è K ø
5. The carrying capacity of a population is determined by
(a) A = (ii), B = (iii), C = (i) its :
(b) A = (iii), B = (i), C = (ii) (a) Limiting resources
(c) A = (i), B = (ii), C = (iii) (b) Death rate
(d) A = (ii), B = (i), C = (iii) (c) Birth rate
3. The response of organisms to a range of gradient of an (d) Population growth rate
environmental factor (e. g ., temperature) is depicted in 6. The percentage ratio of natality over mortality is called:
the diagram. Identify A, B, C, D and E : (a) Population density (b) Vital index
Lower limit of Upper limit of (c) Total count (d) Relative density
tolerance tolerance 7. Which of the following factors is not a determinant of
population size ?
A B C D E
(a) Migration (b) Natality
High (c) Immigration (d) Emigration
8. The activities of two aquatic species in relation to
temperature is provided in the graph. Accordingly
Organisms
Organisms absent

Organisms absent

choose the correct option :

Population size

abundant
Organisms few

Organisms few

20
Population size

Fitness and growth 15

maximum X
10
Low 5 Y
Low High 0
Environmental gradient 10 20 30 40 50
Temperature
A B C D E
(a) Species X shows greater thermal tolerance than
(a) Zone of Stress zone Optimum Zone of Stress zone
intolerance range of intolerance species Y
tolerance (b) Both the species X and Y maintain their activity
(b) Optimum Zone of Stress Stress zone Zone of under narrow range of temperature
range of intolerance zone intolerance
tolerance
 Organisms and Populations 1185

(c) Both the species X and Y show rapid decrease in
activity at 6–8°C
(d) Species Y is more active above 15°C
9. If a non-poisonous species X, mimics the warning
colouration of a poisonous species Y, which of the
following will be true?
(a) X will have better survival when there is
abundance of Y
(b) Y will have better survival when there is
abundance of X
(c) Y will not affect the survival of X
(d) X will survive better in the absence of Y
10. Plants growing in oxygen deficient soil possess :
(a) Poor developed vascular tissues
(b) Shallow root system
(c) Deep and long root system
(d) No root

Answers (Section-D)
1. (d) 2. (d) 3. (c) 4. (a) 5. (a) 6. (b) 7. (a) 8. (a) 9. (a) 10. (b)
1186 NCERT Biology Booster

Section-E : Latest Previous Years Questions

1. A country with high rate of population growth took 4. Consequences of population explosion were explained
measures to reduce it. The figure shows age-sex for the first time by:
pyramids of populations A and B twenty years apart. (a) Darwin (b) de Vries
Select the correct interpretation about them: (c) Lamarck (d) Malthus
AGE
5. Geographic limit within which a population exists is
70+ called:
Males Females (a) Biome (b) Ecosystem
60-69
(c) Niche (d) Habitat
50-59 Age (in years)
‘A’
6. The species though insignificant in number determines
40-49
the existence of many other species in a given
30-39
ecosystem:
20-29
(a) Extinct species
10-19
(b) Endemic species
0-9
(c) Keystone species
15 12 9 6 3 0 3 6 9 12 15 (d) Sacred species
7. Alien species introduced into lake Victoria that was
AGE responsible for extinction of cichlid species is:
70+ (a) African Catfish (b) Murrels
Males Females
60-69 (c) Water Hyacinth (d) Nile Perch
8. Figs belong to:
Age (in years)

50-59
‘B’ 40-49 (a) Keystone species as they show animal dependent
30-39
pollination
(b) Keystone species as they produce food and provide
20-29
protection to animals during lean period
10-19
(c) Critical link species as they form connecting link
0-9
between trees and herbs
15 12 9 6 3 0 3 6 9 12 15
(d) Critical link species as they establish essential links
for absorbing nutrients from soil and organic
(a) A is earlier pyramid and no change has occurred in residues
the growth rate 9. A phenomenon when parasite parasitises another
(b) A is more recent and shows slight reduction in parasite is:
growth rate (a) Hyperparasitism
(c) B is earlier pyramid and shows stabilised growth (b) Parasitoids
rate (c) Monoxenous parasitism
(d) B is more recent showing that population is very (d) Polyxenous parasitism
young 10. Bell-shaped polygonal pyramid indicates:
2. Which of the following will lead to increase in (a) High percentage of young individuals
population density ? (b) Low percentage of young individuals
(a) Mortality (c) Moderate percentage of young individuals
(b) Emigration (d) Low percentage of old individuals
(c) Both (a) and (b) 11. Which is appropriately defined?
(d) Natality and immigration (a) Host is an organism which provides food to
3. Population day is: another organism
(a) 5th May (b) 11th July (b) Amensalism is relationship in which one species is
(c) December (d) 21st August benefitted while the other is unaffected
 Organisms and Populations 1187

(c) Predator is an organism that catches and kills other (c) A = (iv), B = (i), C = (ii), D = (iii)
organisms for food (d) A = (ii), B = (iv), C = (i), D = (iii)
(d) Parasite is an organism which always lives inside 18. Select the correct pair of adaptations in desert lizards: )
the body of other organism and may kill it (A) Burrowing in soil to escape high temperature
12. A nonflowering plant of submerged stage is : (B) Losing heat rapidly at high temperature
(a) Vallisneria (b) Ceratophyllum (C) Bask in the sun when temperature is low
(c) Chara (d) Hydrilla (D) Insulating body with thick fatty dermis
13. Parasitic phanerogams absorb water and solute from (a) B,D (b) A,B
host plant by: (c) C,D (d) A,C
(a) Mycorrhiza (b) Clinging roots 19. Good ozone is found in:
(c) Adventitious roots (d) Haustoria (a) Mesosphere (b) Ionosphere
14. ‘Sexual deceit’ is employed by : (c) Stratosphere (d) Troposphere
(a) Cycas (b) Ficus 20. Consider the following statements (A – D) each with
(c) Ophrys (d) Aristolochia one or two blanks:
15. The figure given below is a diagrammatic (1) ( 2)
(A) Bears go into ¾® during winter to ¾® cold
representation of response of organisms to abiotic
weather
factors. What do A, B, C represent respectively ?
(B) A conical age pyramid with a broad base represents
( 3)
¾® human population
A (C) A wasp pollinating a fig flower is an example of
Internal level

B ( 4)
¾®
C (D) An area with high levels of species richness is
( 5)
known as ¾®
Find the correct fill up.
(a) 3 – stable, 4 – commensalism, 5 – marsh
External level
(b) 1– aestivation, 2 – escape, 3 – stable, 4 – mutualism
A B C (c) 3 – expanding, 4 – commensalism, 5 – biodiversity
(a) Regulator Partial regulator Conformer (d) 1–hibernation, 2 – escape, 3 – expanding, 5 – hot
spot
(b) Partial regulator Regulator Conformer
21. Monarch Butterfly is not eaten by predators because of:
(c) Regulator Conformer Patial regulator (a) Rough skin (b) Bitter taste
Conformer Regulator Partial regulator (c) Foul smell (d) Colouration
(d)
22. A logistic growth curve depicting population that is
16. Under unfavourable conditions many zooplankton limited by carrying capacity is shaped like the letter:
species in lakes and ponds enter : (a) J (b) F
(a) Diapause (b) Hibernation (c) M (d) S
(c) Aestivation (d) None of these 23. A population with natality equal to mortality is:
17. Match the columns and find the correct options: (a) Increasing (b) Declining
(c) Stable (d) Growing
Column I Column II
24. Different communities appearing and replacing one
A. Bears (i) Diapause another are called:
B. Snail (ii) Hibernation (a) Climax communities
C. Zooplankton (iii) Dormancy (b) Seral communities
D. Seeds (iv) Aestivation (c) Serial communities
(d) Successive communities
(a) A = (iii), B = (iv), C = (i), D = (ii)
(b) A = (ii), B = (i), C = (iv), D = (iii)
 1188 NCERT Biology Booster

25. Which one is first colonizer of bare rock/pioneer 31. Both hydrarch and xerarch successions lead to:
community in Xerarch ? (a) Medium water conditions
(a) Annual herb (b) Perennial herb (b) Excessive wet conditions
(c) Lichen (d) Scrub (c) Xeric conditions
26. Sigmoid/logistic growth curve is represented by: (d) Highly dry conditions.
(a) dN /dt = rN 32. What do A, B and C represent in the diagram :
(b) dN /dt = rN (1 - N /K ) C
(c) N t = N 0 + B + I - D - E

Population
(d) dN /dt = 1 - N /K B
27. A population growing in a habitat with limited
resources shows four phases in the following sequence:
(a) Acceleration ¾® Deceleration ¾® Lag phase
¾® Asymptote A
(b) Asymptote ¾® Acceleration ¾® Deceleration
¾®Lag phase Time (t)
(c) Lag phase ¾® Acceleration ¾® Deceleration
(a) Stationary, log and lag
¾® Asymptote
(b) Lag, stationary and log
(d) Acceleration ¾® Lag phase ¾® Deceleration
(c) Log, lag and stationary
¾® Asymptote
(d) Lag, Log and stationary
28. Which one is parasite in true sense?
33. Vertical distribution of species occupying different
(a) Head Louse living on human scalp as well as laying
heights is:
eggs on human hair
(a) Stratification
(b) Cuckoo laying eggs in Crow’s nest
(b) Population dispersal
(c) Female Anopheles biting and sucking blood from
(c) Population fragmentation
humans
(d) Population mobilisation
(d) Human foetus inside uterus and drawing
34. Phytoplankton are dominant in:
nourishment from mother
(a) Limnetic zone
29. Which type of human population is represented by this
age pyramid? (b) Profundal zone
(c) Littoral zone
(d) Benthic zone
Post-reproductive
35. Which is a population?
(a) Spider and trapped flies in its web
Reproductive (b) All plants in a forest
(c) Earthworm that lives in grassland along with
Pre-Reproductive arthropods
(d) All the Oak trees in a forest
(a) Declining population
36. Which statement is false about predators ?
(b) Expanding popultion
(a) Predators keep prey population under control
(c) Vanishing population
(b) Predators help in maintaining species diversity in a
(d) Stable population
community
30. “Complete competitors cannot coexist” is true for:
(c) If a predator is not efficient, the prey population
(a) Primary succession
will become extinct
(b) Secondary succession
(d) Herbivores have a greater advantage since plants
(c) Character displacement
cannot run away to avoid predation
(d) Competitive exclusion
(e) Tiger is an example of predator
 Organisms and Populations 1189

37. Match the columns and find the correct option: (a) A = (iii), B = (iv), C = (v), D = (i)
(b) A = (v), B = (iii), C = (ii), D = (iv)
Interaction Example
(c) A = (ii), B = (iv), C = (i), D = (v)
A. Predation (i) Cuscuta and Hedge plants
(d) A = (i), B = (v), C = (ii), D = (iii)
B. Commensalism (ii) Balanus and Chathamalus 43. Match the columns and find the correct option:
C. Parasitism (iii) Cactus and Moth
Column I Column II
D. Competition (iv) Orchid and Mango
A. Bergmann’s rule (i) Pigmentation of skin
(a) A = (iii), B = (iv), C = (i), D = (ii)
B. Gloger’s rule (ii) Metabolic rate
(b) A = (iv), B = (iii), C = (ii), D = (i) C. Allen’s rule (iii) Number of vertebrae of
(c) A = (i), B = (iii), C = (ii), D = (iv) codfish
(d) A = (iii), B = (iv), C = (ii), D = (i) D. Jordan’s rule (iv) Body size
38. Which is correctly labelled: (v) Size of extremities of
body parts
dN
= rN (a) A = (iii), B = (v), C = (i), D = (iv)
B dt
(b) A = (iv), B = (i), C = (iii), D = (v)
density (N)
Population

A
(c) A = (iv), B = (i), C = (v), D = (ii)
dN K–N (d) A = (iv), B = (i), C = (v), D = (iii)
C = rN
dt K 44. Age pyramid with broad base indicates :
(a) High percentage of young individuals
(b) Low percentage of young individuals
Time (t)
(c) High percentage of old individuals
(a) B-logistic curve (b) C-carrying capacity (d) Low percentage of old individual
(c) C-exponential curve(d) A-carrying capacity 45. Benthic organisms are affected most by:
39. Best method to solve population problem in India is to: (a) Surface turbulance of water
(a) Increase food production (b) Sediment characteristics
(b) Increase medical facilities (c) Water holding capacity of soil
(c) Reduce birth rate (d) Light reaching the forest floor
(d) Conserve natural resources 46. Plants growing on sandy soil are:
40. Stomata open at night in: (a) Lithophytes (b) Psammophytes
(a) Succulents (b) Xerophytes (c) Hydrophytes (d) Xerophytes
(c) Hydrophyts (d) Mesophytes 47. Grazing benefits the grasses. The term for this
41. Fresh water bony fishes maintain water balance by: interaction should be:
(a) Excreting hypotonic urine (a) Commensalism (b) Predation
(b) Excreting wastes as uric acid (c) Mutualism (d) Amensalism
(c) Drinking small amount of water 48. A biologist studied the population of rats in a barn. He
(d) Excreting salt across their gills found that the average natality was 250, average
42. Match the columns and find the correct option: mortality 240, immigration 20 and emigration 30. The
net increase in population is:
Column I Column II
(a) Zero (b) 10
A. Bryophyllum (i) Cuticle is absent (c) 15 (d) 05
B. Nelumbo (ii) High rate of transpiration 49. Which is not a parasitic adaptation:
C. Pistia (iii) Water is stored in form of (a) Loss of digestive organs
mucilage
(b) Loss of reproductive capacity
D. Potamogeton (iv) Rhizome stem
(c) Loss of unnecessary sense organs
(v) Balancing roots have root
pockets in place of root (d) Development of adhesive organs
caps
 1190 NCERT Biology Booster

50. Sigmoid growth curve occurs where growth pattern is: 57. Which of the following interactions is/are examples of
(a) Logistic (b) Exponential competition:
(c) Accretionary (d) Geometric I. Balanus and Chathatmalus
51. Latitude range with maximum species diversity is: II. Abingdon tortoise and goats
(a) 23.5°N - 66.5°N (b) 23.5°N - 66.5°S III. Monarch butterfly and birds
(c) 23.5°N - 23.5°S (d) 66.5°N - 66.5°S IV. Ophrys and wasp
52. Correct sequence of seral stages in hydrosere is: (a) I and III (b) I and II
(a) Plankton, submerged, floating, reed swamp, sedge (c) I, II and III (d) II, III and IV
meadow, woodland 58. Match the columns and choose the correct
(b) Plankton, floating, submerged, reed swamp, sedge combination:
meadow, woodland
Column-I Column-II
(c) Plankton, submerged, floating, sedge meadow, reed
A. Mutualism (i) Ticks on dogs
swamp, woodland
(d) Plankton, submerged, floating, sedge meadow, B. Commensalism (ii) Balanus and Chathamalus
woodland, reed swamp C. Parasitism (iii) Sparrow and any seed
53. What is represented by the sketch ? D. Competition (iv) Epiphyte on a mango
branch
E. Predation (v) Ophrys and bees
A D
A C (a) A = (i), B = (v), C = (iv), D = (iii), E = (ii)
B
(b) A = (ii), B = (i), C = (v), D = (iv), E = (iii)
B B C D (c) A = (iii), B = (ii), C = (i), D = (v) , E = (iv)
C (d) A = (v), B = (iv), C = (i), D = (ii) , E = (iii)
D A 59. Which of the following is correct?
C (a) Population change = (Birth + Immigration) -
(Death + Emigration)
A, B, C, D is community of four different species. (b) Population change = (Birth + Immigration) +
(a) In population ecology, only in one species where its (Death + Emigration)
individuals interact with each other (c) Population change = (Birth + Emigration) +
(b) In community ecology, more than one species and (Death + Immigration)
their members are interacting with each other (d) Population change = (Birth – Immigration) –
(c) Population ecology and community ecology (Death + Emigration)
(d) None of the above 60. The removal of keystone species will affect:
54. Number of age groups in a population is: (a) Producers
(a) 6 (b) 4 (b) Consumers
(c) 3 (d) 2 (c) Ecosystem
55. Many tribes living in high altitudes of Himalayas have: (d) Decomposers
(a) High WBC count than people living in plains 61. Which forest plants control light conditions at the
(b) Lower WBC count than people living in plains ground?
(c) Higher RBC count than people living in plains (a) Lianas and climbers
(d) Lower RBC count than people living in plains (b) Shrubs
56. The two basic processes which contribute to a decrease (c) Tall trees
in population density are: (d) Herbs
(a) Natality and emigration 62. Sal (Shorea robusta) forest is a:
(b) Mortality and immigration (a) Evergreen forest
(c) Natality and immigration (b) Deciduous forest
(d) Mortality and emigration (c) Rain forest
(d) None of the above
 Organisms and Populations 1191

63. The plant which produces highly poisonous cardiac (d) Carrying capacity
glycosides is: (e) The base of natural logarithms
(a) Cactus (b) Calotropis 70. The pioneer species in xerarch and hydrarch succession
(c) Acacia (d) Bhang are respectively:
64. Which one helps in maintaining species diversity in a (a) Lichens and sedges
community? (b) Lichens and rooted hydrophytes
(a) Omnivores (c) Phytoplankton and lichens
(b) Predators (d) Lichens and phytoplankton
(c) Herbivores 71. In which of the following areas does the primary
(d) Facultative parasites succession occur?
65. The interaction between the organisms of one of the (a) Abandoned farm land
following pairs is an example for commensalism: (b) Land which has been flooded
(a) Wasp and Fig tree (c) Forest destroyed by fire
(b) Orchid and Mango tree (d) Newly created pond
(c) Cuckoo and Crow 72. Match the columns and find the correct match:
(d) Cattle or sheep and grass
Column I Column II
66. The first plants to appear in a badly burnt forest area
will most probably be: A. Salvinia (i) Submerged suspended
hydrophyte
(a) Mosses (b) Liverworts
B. Lichens (ii) Amphibious plant
(c) Ferns (d) Grasses
C. Rhizophora (iii) Heterosporous plant
67. Which statements correlate with diagram?
D. Utricularia (iv) Soil formation
(v) Halophyte

(a) A = (iii), B = (ii), C = (v), D = (i)

(b) A = (v), B = (iii), C = (iv), D = (i)
A B (c) A = (v), B = (ii), C = (i), D = (iii)
(d) A = (iii), B = (iv), C = (v), D = (i)
73. Most animals are tree dwellers in a :
Post-reproductive (a) Tropical rain forest
Reproductive (b) Coniferous forest
(c) Thorn woodland
Pre-Reproductive
(d) Temperate deciduous forest
C D 74. Which one of the following group of animals is
(a) A and B are steady populations homeothermic ?
(b) A and D are declining populations (a) Reptiles (b) Amphibians
(c) C and D are growing populations (c) Birds (d) Fishes
75. Predation is important for :
(d) B and D are declining populations
(a) Transfer of energy
68. Percentage ratio of natality over mortality is :
(b) Keeping prey population under control
(a) Population dynamics
(c) Maintaining species diversity
(b) Population density
(d) All of these
(c) Vital index 76. When does the growth rate of a population following
(d) Total count the logistic model equals zero? The logistic model is
dN æK -N ö dN æ Nö
69. In the equation , = rN ç ÷ , r stands for: given as = rN ç 1 - ÷ :
dt è K ø dt è Kø
(a) Intrinsic rate of natural increase N
(a) When is exactly one
(b) Death rate K
(c) Population density at time t (b) When N nears the carrying capacity of the habitat
 1192 NCERT Biology Booster

N (d) The value of ‘ r ’ approaches zero

(c) When equals zero
K 78. In a hypothetical population of 100 individual having
(d) When death rate is greater than birth rate ‘ r ’ = 0.5 / female/year, what will be the population size
77. Asymptote in a logistic growth curve is obtained when : in 6 years (with e = 2.72) showing exponential rate of
(a) K = N growth ?
(b) K > N (a) 448 (b) 1218
(c) K < N (c) 739 (d) 2012

Answers (Section-E)

1. (b) 2. (d) 3. (b) 4. (d) 5. (d) 6. (c) 7. (d) 8. (b) 9. (a) 10. (c)
11. (c) 12. (c) 13. (d) 14. (c) 15. (d) 16. (a) 17. (d) 18. (d) 19. (c) 20. (d)
21. (b) 22. (d) 23. (c) 24. (b) 25. (c) 26. (b) 27. (c) 28. (a) 29. (a) 30. (d)
31. (a) 32. (d) 33. (a) 34. (a) 35. (d) 36. (c) 37. (a) 38. (d) 39. (c) 40. (a)
41. (a) 42. (a) 43. (d) 44. (a) 45. (b) 46. (b) 47. (c) 48. (a) 49. (b) 50. (a)
51. (c) 52. (a) 53. (b) 54. (c) 55. (c) 56. (d) 57. (b) 58. (d) 59. (a) 60. (c)
61. (c) 62. (b) 63. (b) 64. (b) 65. (b) 66. (c) 67. (b) 68. (c) 69. (a) 70. (d)
71. (d) 72. (d) 73. (a) 74. (c) 75. (d) 76. (a) 77. (a) 78. (d)
 Organisms and Populations 1193

Hints

Section-A
1. (c) Individual organism ® Population ® Community density decreases then with wind water mixes
® Ecosystem ® Landscape ® Biome ® Biosphere again.
11. (b) Temperature is the most ecologically relevant 46. (a) Abyssal is a dark zone without sunlight.
environmental factor. Temperature plays an 47. (a) Shallow lake will receive sunlight upto the bottom
important role in both latitudinal and altitudinal of lake.
distribution of organisms. Temperature 49. (c) The number of individuals added (net)
significantly affects the enzyme kinetics and basal = (0.06 - 0.02) ´ 1000
metabolism as well as activity and other = 40 individuals in one year
physiological functions of the organism. 50. (b) According to E.P. odum habitat is the ‘address’ of
13. (c) Stenohalines (organisms) are restricted to narrow an organism whereas, ecological niche is the
range of salinities. organisms ‘profession’,
16. (d) Mango trees grow in tropical countries, e. g ., India 52. (d) Here, (a), (b) and (c) are true so, correct option is
and not in Canada and Germany. (d).
24. (a) A = Conformers 57. (c) Urn-shaped pyramid show negative growth.
B = Regulators DN
59. (a) Birth rate =
C = Partial regulators ND t
25. (b) Spores and seeds get dispersed by air, water, 8
=
animals etc. and thus gets migrated. Most of the 20 ´ 1
animals are conformers so, cannot maintain = 0.4 offspring per lotus per year
homeostasis. DN
60. (a) Death rate =
29. (c) Sunken stomata reduces the rate of transpiration, ND t
thus a xerophytic adaptation. 3
=
32. (b) Hydrophytes have abundant water in their 50 ´ 1
surrounding so, thick cuticle is not a requirement. = 0.06 individuals per Drosophila per week
Presence of thick cuticle is an adaptation to 74. (b) If some grasses benefit from being grazed (e. g .,
minimise transpiration in xerophytes. removal of inactive leaves then this will be a type
33. (d) Halophytes are ‘physiological xerophytes’. of mutualism.
36. (c) Watland is transition zone (ecotone) between 76. (d) Keystone species has a major influence on the
land and water, ecosystem. Estuary is a transition composition of the community because of its key
zone (ecotone) between fresh water and marine role in maintaining the community structure
water ecosystems. through regulation of trophic level in routine or
44. (b) Lake turn-over : During summer, the during adverse conditions.
epilimnion or surface layer is the warmest 78. (b) +/0 (commensalism). The cattle egrets (birds)
whereas the deepest layer or hypolimnion is forage close to where cattles are grazing because
coldest. During the autumn, the surface water the cattles as they move, stir up and flush out the
begins to cool. As water cools, it becomes more insects which are present in the grasses/plants.
dense, causing it to sink. This dense water forcep 92. (a) r = b-d
the water of hypolimnion to rise, i. e., turn-over = 0.17 – 0.04
the layers. During winter, the surface layer = 0.13
becomes 0°C whereas bottom becomes 4°C. 95. (d) Here, (a), (b) and (c) are true so, correct option is
During spring surface water warms and when (d).
 1194 NCERT Biology Booster

Section-B
1. (b) Autecology : It is the study of individual 15. (c) 2 n = 2 6 = 64
organism in relation to its environment. dN
16. (b) We know, = rN
Synecology : It is the study of community in dt
relation to its environment. Þ r = b - d = 0.028 – 0.008
8. (c) Tall trees with their canopy (leaf cover) control Þ r = 0.02
the light (sunlight) conditions at the ground dt = 2015 - 2005 = 10 yrs
surface. N = N 2005 = 14 million
10. (d) Initial population = 50 dN = Change in population in 10 yrs
Final population = 150 dN
Þ = 0.02 ´ 14
Growth rate after 1 hr = 150 - 50 dt
= 100 Þ dN = 0.02 ´ 14 ´ 10
So, growth rate is 100 per hour. Þ dN = 2.8 million
11. (b) The percent growth or Birth rate per individual dN = N 2015 - N 2005
per hour N 2015 = dN + N 2005
Final population – Initial population = 2.8+14
= ´ 100
Initial population = 16.8 million
150 - 50 ~
- 17 million
= ´ 100
50 20. (c) Tomato is a monocarpic plant so, reproduces
= 200 sexually only once in their life.

Section-C
4. (d) Living organisms are open system as these 8. (c) Pneumatophores (negatively geotropic) are not
exchange energy and material from the meant for anchorage but for taking in air from the
environment. atmosphere as mangrove plants grow in oxygen
7. (c) In tropical rain forests, O-horizon and A-horizon deficient saline soil.
of soil profile are shallow and nutrient poor due
excess leaching (washing away by water).

Section-D
3. (c) A and E ® Zone of intolerance since, organisms Natality
6. (b) Vital index = ´ 100
are absent. Mortality
B and D ® Stress zone since, few organisms are 7. (a) Migration includes immigration and emigration.
present. 10. (b) Shallow root system will have easy access to
C ® Optimum range of tolerance since, organisms atmospheric oxygen.
are abundant.
dN
4. (a) represents increase or decrease in population
dt
during time ‘ t ’. Since, the population has reached
dN
carrying capacity so, =0
dt