ASSIGNMENT 1

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
PREPARED BY : ADITYA RAJ
REGISTRATION NO: 2021UGCE083
Q. Define ecosystem and describe how the ecosystem works.
Ans. The living community of plants and animals in any area together with the non-living components of the
environment – soil, water and air – constitute an ecosystem.
 The ecosystem functions through several biogeochemical cycles and energy-transfer mechanisms.
 The biotic and abiotic components of the ecosystem interact with each other through various functional
aspects.
 The various lifeforms are interlinked together in the form of food chain and food web.
 All the components and life at each trophic level functions in perfect harmony making the ecosystem work.
Q. Describe the concept of ecosystem and mention the various biogeographical regions in India.
Ans. An ecosystem is a region with a specific and recognisable landscape form such as a forest or a
grassland. Its nature depends on the geographical features and the climatic conditions of the region.
It is composed of the living components such as flora and fauna as well the abiotic components
working in a perfect harmony with each other.
India is divided into ten biogeographical regions:-
• Trans-Himalayas
• Himalaya
• Desert
• Semi-arid
• Western Ghats
• Deccan Peninsula
• Gangetic Plains
• Coast
• North East
• Islands
Q. Discuss the degradation of ecosystem, and its conservation.
Ans. The degradation of ecosystem is progressing as follows
➢ Ecosystems are frequently disrupted buy human activities, leading to the extinction of species. Some
keystones are also eliminated affecting the ecosystem far more adversely than our expectations.
➢ Humans covert forest into plantation, wetlands and semi-arid pastures into agricultural land
destroying the delicate balance of nature.
➢ The reason for ecosystem degradation is two fold – our rapid population growth and the need to
fulfil its needs ; and the growth of affluent societies that consume and waste a large proportion of
energy and resources.
The conservation of ecosystem can be done by:-
• We must follow the 3 Rs i.e. reduce, reuse and recycle.
• The diversity of nature could only be preserved if aided with government support. So natural forests,
grasslands, mangroves and aquatic habitats must be preserved in the form of national parks and
wildlife sanctuaries.
• Conversion of grassland and wetlands should be stopped and should be maintained in their natural
form.
• Alternate options for water needs should be discovered instead of damaging the aquatic flora and
fauna.
Q.What is the structure of an Ecosystem? Write down the structural and functional aspects of an ecosystem.
Ans. The structure of an ecosystem is its composition and overall interrelations between its components. It consists
of two parts:
a. Abiotic – comprising of non-living components
b. Biotic – comprising of living components
The structural aspects of an ecosystem include -
 Inorganic aspects –C, N, CO2, H2O.
 Organic compounds –Protein, Carbohydrates, Lipids –link abioticto biotic aspects.
 Climatic regimes –Temperature, Moisture, Light & Topography.
 Producers –Plants.
 Macro consumers – Phagotrophs–Large animals.
 Micro consumers –Saprotrophs, absorbers –fungi
While the functional aspects include –
 Energy cycles.
 Food chains.
 Diversity-inter-linkages between organisms.
 Nutrient cycles-biogeochemical cycles.
 Evolution.
Q. Describe the role of producers, consumers, and decomposers in an
ecosystem.
Ans. Producers: Energy from sunlight is converted by plants themselves
into growing new plant material which includes leaves, flowers, fruit,
branches, trunks and roots of Since plants can grow by converting the
sun’s energy directly into their tissues, they are known as producers in the
ecosystem.
Consumers: Consumer is a category that belongs within the food chain of
an ecosystem. It refers predominantly to animals. Consumers are unable
to make their own energy, and instead rely on the consumption and
digestion of producers or other consumers, or both, to survive.
Decomposers: These are the organisms which break down the dead into
simpler substances. This material is then returned to the soil. These are
also called detrivores.
Q. What are the different mechanisms/ cycles in an ecosystem? Describe any
two of them.
Ans. Every ecosystem has several interrelated mechanisms that affect human life.
These are the :
• Water cycle
• Carbon cycle
• Oxygen cycle
• Nitrogen cycle
• Energy flow
 Water Cycle: When it rains, the water runs along the ground and flows into
rivers or falls directly into the sea. A part of the rainwater that falls on land
percolates into the ground. This is stored underground throughout the rest of
the year. Water is drawn up from the ground by plants along with the
nutrients from the soil. The water is transpired from the leaves as water
vapour and returned to the atmosphere. As it is lighter than air, water vapour
rises and forms clouds. Winds blow the clouds for long distances and when
the clouds rise higher, the vapour condenses and changes into droplets, which
fall on the land as rain. Though this is an endless cycle on which life depends
Carbon cycle: The series of processes by which carbon compounds are
interconverted in the environment, involving the incorporation of carbon
dioxide into living tissue by photosynthesis and its return to the
atmosphere through respiration, the decay of dead organisms, and the
burning of fossil fuels.
Q. What do you understand by ecological succession? Describe the food chain and
food web.
Ans. Ecological succession is a process through which ecosystems tend to change
over a period of time. Succession can be related to seasonal environmental changes,
which create changes in the community of plants and animals living in the
ecosystem. Other successional events may take much longer periods of time
extending to several decades.
Food Chain: It can be defined as a chain consisting of producers, consumers,
decomposers each at different trophic level. Each chain has four to five links.
Food web: In an ecosystem there are a very large number of interlinked chains. This
forms a food web. If the linkages in the chains that make up the web of life are
disrupted due to human activities that lead to the loss or extinction of species, the
web breaks down.
Q. Describe the ecological pyramid through various trophic levels.
Ans. The ecological pyramid consists of the following -
 In an ecosystem, green plants – the producers, utilize energy
directly from sunlight and convert it into matter. A large number of
these organisms form the most basic, or first ‘trophic level’ of the
food pyramid.
 The herbivorous animals that eat plants are at the second trophic
level and are called primary consumers.
 The predators that feed on them form the third trophic level and
are known as secondary consumers.
 Only a few animals form the third trophic level consisting of
carnivores at the apex of the food pyramid.
 All these trophic levels together constitute the ecological pyramid.
Q. List out the types of terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and describe any one of the terrestrial
ecosystems.
Ans. The terrestrial ecosystems are –
a. Forest b. Grassland c. semi-arid d. deserts e. mountain
f. Islands
The aquatic ecosystems are –
a. Pond b. lake c. Wetland d. River e. Delta
f. Marine
Grassland Ecosystem
 Grasslands cover areas where rainfall is usually low and/or the soil depth and quality is poor.
 The low rainfall prevents the growth of a large number of trees and shrubs, but is sufficient to support
the growth of grass cover during the monsoon.
 Many of the grasses and other small herbs become dry and the part above the ground dies during the
summer months. In the next monsoon the grass cover grows back from the rootstock and the seeds of
the previous year.
Q. Discuss the forest ecosystem, its direct and indirect uses.
Ans.Forests are formed by a community of plants which is predominantly structurally
defined by its trees, shrubs, climbers and groundcover.
 The non-living or abiotic aspects of the forest: The type of forest depends upon the
biotic conditions at the site. Forests on mountains and hills differ from those along
river valleys.
 The biotic component includes both the large (macrophytes) and the microscopic
plants and animals.
Direct uses of forest products
• Fruits – mango, jamun, awla
• Roots – Dioscoria
• Medicine – Gloriosa, Foxglove
• Fuelwood – many species of trees and shrubs
• Small timber for building huts and houses
• Wood for farm implements
• Bamboo and cane for baskets
• Grass for grazing and stall feeding livestock
 Indirect uses of forest products
• Building material for construction and furniture for the urban sector
• Medicinal products collected and processed into drugs
• Gums and resins processed into a variety of products
• Raw material for industrial products and chemicals
• Paper from bamboo and softwoods
Q. Describe the threats to forest ecosystem and its conservation.
Ans. The threats to forest ecosystem are as follows -
 As forests grow very slowly, we cannot use more resources than they can produce
during a growing season. If timber is felled beyond a certain limit the forest cannot
regenerate.
 The gaps in the forest change the habitat quality for its animals. The more
sensitive species cannot survive under the sech angled conditions.
 We are now creating more and more goods that are manufactured from raw
material from the forest. This leads to forest degradation and finally changes the
ecosystem into wasteland.
We can conserve forests in the following ways –
 We can conserve forests only if we use its resources carefully. This can be done by
using alternate sources of energy instead of fuel wood.
 There is a need to grow more trees than are cut down from forests every year for
timber. Afforestation needs to be done continuously from which fuel wood and
timber can be judiciously used.
 The natural forests with all their diverse species must be protected as National
Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries where all the plants and animals can be preserved.
Q. What is grassland ecosystem? Describe the grassland types existing in India.
Ans. A wide range of landscapes in which the vegetation is mainly formed by
grasses and small annual plants are adapted to India’s various climatic conditions.
These form a variety of grassland ecosystems with their specific plants and
animals.
Grasslands cover areas where rainfall is usually low and/or the soil depth and
quality is poor. The low rainfall prevents the growth of a large number of trees and
shrubs, but is sufficient to support the growth of grass cover during the monsoon.
The six types of grassland existing in India are:-
 Montane Grasslands of Central India: These grasslands are found on the
mountainous regions of Satpura and Vindhya ranges, Western and Eastern
Ghats. The central Indian grasslands are marked by dry but tall grasses. Hence,
these can be called tropical savannas. Grasslands on the ghats are marked by
short length grasses. For example the Shola grasslands of Karnataka.
 Tropical Savannas are also found in some parts of Rajasthan in the Thar
Desert. These are also found in some parts of Aravali, Shiwalik Hills, and some
parts of the Deccan Plateau covering Maharashtra and Karnataka.
 Riverine Alluvial Grasslands.These grasslands are found on the fertile river
plains of the Indo-Gangetic plain, Brahmaputra plain and rivers of central
India like Narmada, Cauveri, Krishna, etc.
 Coastal Grasslands: the coastal grasslands in India are spread over beach
sand forming a thick mat-like cover. For example, the Banni and Vidi
grassland of Rann of Kachch, Gujarat.
 Wet Grasslands: These grasslands are mainly found in the water-logged
areas of northern plains. These are famously called as floating grasslands
and are marked by dense, tall vegetation. Semi-aquatic species of grasses
dominate these grasslands. For example, the Phumdi grassland of
Manipur.
 Sub-Himalayan Grasslands: In the Himalayas, there are the high altitude
cold pastures. These are tracts of tall elephant grass in the low-lying terai
belt south of the Himalayan foothills.