CHAPTER 15 : OUR ENVIRONMENT

1. What is ecosystem and its components?

All organisms such as plants, animals, microorganisms and human beings
as well as the physical surroundings interact with each other and maintain
a balance in nature. All the interacting organisms in an area together with
the non-living constituents of the environment form an ecosystem. Thus,
an ecosystem consists of biotic components comprising living organisms
and abiotic components comprising physical factors like temperature,
rainfall, wind, soil and minerals.

2. What is natural and man made ecosystem?

Forests, ponds and lakes are natural ecosystems while gardens and crop-
fields are humanmade (artificial) ecosystems.

3. How are organisms grouped in an ecosystem?

organisms can be grouped as producers, consumers and decomposers
according to the manner in which they obtain their sustenance from the
environment.
All green plants and certain bacteria which can produce food by
photosynthesis come under this category and are called the producers.
The organisms which consume the food produced, either directly from
producers or indirectly by feeding on other consumers are the consumers.
Consumers can be classed variously as herbivores, carnivores, omnivores
and parasites.

4. Explain the role of microorganisms in the ecosystem?

The microorganisms, comprising bacteria and fungi, break-down the dead
remains and waste products of organisms. These microorganisms are the
decomposers as they break-down the complex organic substances into
simple inorganic substances that go into the soil and are used up once
more by the plants. In the absence of microorganisms the garbage, and
dead animals and plants will gather in heaps. The natural replenishment
of the soil will not take place, if decomposers are not there.

5. What is a food chain?

There is a series of organisms feeding on one another. This series or
organisms taking part at various biotic levels form a food chain.
6. What are trophic levels?
Each step or level of the food chain forms a trophic level. The autotrophs
or the producers are at the first trophic level. They fix up the solar energy
and make it available for heterotrophs or the consumers. The herbivores
or the primary consumers come at the second, small carnivores or the
secondary consumers at the third and larger carnivores or the tertiary
consumers form the fourth trophic level.

7. Explain the flow of energy in a food chain.

The interactions among various components of the environment involves
flow of energy from one component of the system to another. The
autotrophs capture the energy present in sunlight and convert it into
chemical energy. This energy supports all the activities of the living
world. From autotrophs, the energy goes to the heterotrophs and
decomposers. The flow of energy between various components of the
environment has been extensively studied and it has been found that
• The green plants in a terrestrial ecosystem capture about 1% of the
energy of sunlight that falls on their leaves and convert it into food
energy.
• When green plants are eaten by primary consumers, a great deal of
energy is lost as heat to the environment, some amount goes into
digestion and in doing work and the rest goes towards growth and
reproduction. An average of 10% of the food eaten is turned into
its own body and made available for the next level of consumers.
• Therefore, 10% can be taken as the average value for the amount
of organic matter that is present at each step and reaches the next
level of consumers.
• Since so little energy is available for the next level of consumers,
food chains generally consist of only three or four steps. The loss
of energy at each step is so great that very little usable energy
remains after four trophic levels.
• There are generally a greater number of individuals at the lower
trophic levels of an ecosystem, the greatest number is of the
producers.
8. What is biological magnification?
Some harmful chemicals enter our bodies through the food chain. One of
the reasons is the use of several pesticides and other chemicals to protect
our crops from diseases and pests. These chemicals are either washed
down into the soil or into the water bodies. From the soil, these are
absorbed by the plants along with water and minerals, and from the water
bodies these are taken up by aquatic plants and animals. This is one of the
ways in which they enter the food chain. As these chemicals are not
degradable, these get accumulated progressively at each trophic level. As
human beings occupy the top level in any food chain, the maximum
concentration of these chemicals get accumulated in our bodies. This
phenomenon is known as biological magnification.

9. What is Ozone Layer and How it is Getting Depleted? What are the
harmful effects of ozonr depletion?
Ozone (O3 ) is a molecule formed by three atoms of oxygen. While O2 ,
which we normally refer to as oxygen, is essential for all aerobic forms of
life. Ozone, is a deadly poison.At the higher levels of the atmosphere,
ozone performs an essential function. It shields the surface of the earth
from ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the Sun. This radiation is highly
damaging to organisms, for example, it is known to cause skin cancer in
human beings. Ozone at the higher levels of the atmosphere is a product
of UV radiation acting on oxygen (O2 ) molecule. The higher energy UV
 radiations split apart some molecular oxygen (O2 ) into free oxygen (O)
atoms. These atoms then combine with the molecular oxygen to form
ozone as shown—

O2 ---------------→ O + O

O + O2 ----------→ O3

This decrease has been linked to synthetic chemicals like

chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) which are used as refrigerants and in fire
extinguishers. In 1987, the United Nations Environment Programme
(UNEP) succeeded in forging an agreement to freeze CFC production at
1986 levels. It is now mandatory for all the manufacturing companies to
make CFC-free refrigerators throughout the world.

10.Why is excessive use of CFCs a cause of concern?

CFCs or Chlorofluorocarbons are potent compounds that release active
chlorine in the atmosphere which reacts with ozone molecules present
there to convert them to oxygen. This results in thinning of ozone layer.
Hence, excessive use of CFCs is a cause of concern

11.How will you manage the waste that we produce?

Substances that are broken down by biological processes are said to be
biodegradable. Substances that are not broken down in this manner are
said to be non-biodegradable. These substances may be inert and simply
persist in the environment for a long time or may harm the various
members of the eco-system.

12.Why is the maximum concentration of pesticides found in human beings?

The pesticides are not biodegradable, they get accumulated progressively
at each trophic level. As human beings occupy the topmost level in food
chain, their concentration becomes maximum in our bodies.

13.In the following food chain, plants provide 500 J of energy to rats. How
much energy will be available to hawks from snakes?
Plants → Rats → Snakes → Hawks
In an ecosystem, only 10% of energy is transferred from one trophic level
 to next, i.e. 10 percent law and rest is dissipated into the environment.
Therefore, if plants (being producers-1st trophic level)-transfer 500 J of
energy to rats (2nd trophic level) then rats would transfer 50 J of energy
to snakes (3rd trophic level) which in turn will transfer only 5 J of energy
to hawks (4th or last trophic level) in a food chain.

14.In the following food chain, 100 J of energy is available to the lion. How
much energy was available to the producers?
Plants → Deer → Lion
As per 10% law of flow of energy in an ecosystem only 10% of energy is
received by the next trophic level. Hence, in the given food chain : If 100
.J of energy is available to lion, the plants or producers have 10,000 J of
energy available to them.

15.In a food chain of frog, grass, insect and snake, assign trophic level to
frog.

In the given food chain, frog belongs to the third trophic level as shown
here :

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

Among the following organisms of the food chain, hawk being top
consumer is present at topmost trophic level, hence will have the highest
concentration of non-biodegradable chemicals due to a phenomenon
known as biomagnification.
17.(a) From the following group of organisms create a food chain which is
most advantageous for human beings in terms of energy.
Hawk, Rat, Cereal plant, Goat, Snake, Human being
(b) State the possible disadvantage if the cereal plant is growing in soil
rich in pesticides.

(a) A food chain which is most advantageous for human beings in terms
of energy is:
Cereal plant → Human being

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

18.“Energy flow in food chains is always unidirectional.” Justify this

statement.
The sequential interlinking of organisms involving transfer of food
energy from the producers, through a series of organisms with repeated
eating and being eaten is called the food chain. A food chain involves a
nutritive interaction between the living organisms of an ecosystem. There
is a unidirectional flow of energy from sun to producers and subsequently
to series of different types of consumers, i.e.,
Solar radiations → Producers → Herbivores → Carnivores

It cannot pass in reverse direction. There is always a decrease in the flow

of energy and content with rise in trophic level. Large quantity of energy
is lost at each step in the form of heat and is also used up in various
metabolic activities.
19.State two methods of effective plastic waste collection in your school.

Two methods of effective plastic waste collection : (i) Use of separate

dustbins for plastic collection (ii) Use of reusable for the canteen and
school events (iii) Encourage less plastic in packed lunches.

20.If we discontinue the use of plastic, how can an environment-friendly

substitute be provided?

Best alternatives can be use of stainless steel, glass and platinum. Silicone
storage containers. Cloth bags can be used in place of plastic bags. Use of
wooden cleaning brushes, kitchen utensils and cutting board, pottery and
other ceramics products, etc.

21.Give one example each from your daily life where the domestic waste can
be effectively reused and recycled.
Answer:
We can reuse plastic and glass jars of jams and pickles, etc, for the
purpose of storage of things like salt, sugar, tea, etc., whereas we can
recycle newspapers, plastic of some types, broken glass and metal wares
for making fresh paper, plastic, glass and metal objects.

22.a) Write two harmful effects of using plastic bags on the environment.
Suggest alternatives to the usage of plastic bags.
(b) List any two practices that can be followed to dispose off the waste
produced in our homes.

(a) Two harmful effects of using plastic bags on the environment:

(i) Plastic bags are non-biodegradable substances which are not acted
upon by microbes. So, they cannot be decomposed and therefore persist
in the environment for a long time causing harm to the soil fertility and
quality.
(ii) Plastic bags choke drains which result in waterlogging, that allows
breeding of mosquitoes and hence leads to various diseases.
Jute bags and cloth bags are the alternatives to the polyethene bags.
(b) Practices that can be followed to dispose off the waste produced in our
homes:

i. Separation of biodegradable and non- biodegradable wastes.

ii. The biodegradable waste can be converted to manure.
iii. Non-biodegradable waste should be disposed off at suitable places
from where municipal authorities can pick them up and dispose
properly and scientifically.
iv. Use discarded bottles and jars to store food, items.

23.Differentiate between biodegradable and non-biodegradable substances

with the help of one example each. List two changes in habit that people
must adopt to dispose non-biodegradable waste, for saving the
environment.

People should adopt the following changes in their habit to dispose off non-
biodegradable waste, so as to save the environment.

• Non-biodegradable household waste should be disposed in separate

dustbins and should not be mixed with biodegradable waste.
• Recyclable „ non-biodegradable wastes like glass, paper, metal,
various types of plastics etc., can be sent to local recycling units.
• People should try to reuse items as much as possible instead of
disposing them as this reduces need of new materials and keeps
ecological impact down.
• Use of cloth bags/gunny bags/paper bags instead of polythene
/plastic bags.
• Use of compost, vermicompost instead of fertilisers.