CHAPTER - 15

OUR ENVIRONMENT

● The physical and biological world where we live is light, temperature, pressure and humidity are also
called Environment. The environment includes our considered as Abiotic Components of Ecosystem.
physical surroundings like air, waterbodies, soil and all
the organisms such as plants, animals, human beings ● Biotic : They refers to living organisms like plants and
and microorganisms like bacteria and fungi. animals. The biotic components include three types of
organisms.
○ Producers (which make their own food)
○ Consumers (which depends on producers)
Biodegradable Waste Non Biodegradable Waste
○ Decomposers (which feed on dead matter)
Those waste materials These waste materials
which can be broken down cannot be broken down into ● Producers are organisms which can prepare their own
to non-poisonous non-poisonous or harmless food from simple inorganic substances like CO2 and
substances in nature in the substances in nature. H2O by using sunlight energy in the presence of
due course of time are chlorophyll. This process is known as photosynthesis.
biodegradable waste.
The green plants produce carbohydrates by
They can be used to They rarely can be used. photosynthesis and synthesis proteins and fats. Thus the
increase soil fertility or in green plants are called producers.
some other way.
● Consumers depend directly or indirectly on producers.
They don't pollute our They do. They can be further divided into three groups.
environment.
○ Herbivores (who eats only plants)
○ Carnivores (who eats other animals)
Q.1 Why are some materials biodegradable while some are ○ Omnivores (who eats both plants & animals)
non biodegradable ?
Ans ; The organisms like bacteria and other decomposers are ● Decomposers are micro-organisms, which break down
specific in their action. They breakdown the natural materials the complex organic compounds present in dead
only, not man-made materials such as plastics. So some organisms like dead plants and animals or their products
materials are biodegradable. like faces, urine etc. into simpler substances. For
example: Bacteria, Fungi.
Q.2 What is Ecosystem?
Ans : Ecosystem is a self contained unit of living things and their ● Importance of Decomposers:
non living environment. ○ The decomposers help in decomposing the
Some examples of Ecosystem are: dead bodies of plants and animals and hence
a. Man-Made : Aquarium, Garden etc, act as cleaning agents of the environment.
b. Natural : Forest, Sea, Desert etc. ○ It is only due to the presence of decomposers
that the soil, air and water are returned to the
● There are two components of Ecosystem: soil, air and water, after the death of plants and
○ Abiotic Components animals.
○ Biotic Components ○ The decomposers organisms help in recycling
the materials in the ecosystem, so that the
● Abiotic : They include the physical environment like soil, process of life may go on and on like an
water and air along with inorganic substances like CO2 , unending chain
N2 , O2 , H2O etc. Some physical or climatic factors like

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● Phytoplanktons are microscopic aquatic plants freely 3. Carnivores (which feed on herbivores)
floating on the surface of water in ponds, lakes, rivers constitute the third trophic level.
etc. Example: algae
4. Large Carnivores or Top Carnivores constitute
● Zooplanktons are microscopic aquatic animals freely the fourth trophic level.
floating on the surface of water in ponds, lakes, rivers
etc. Example: protozoa

● Food Chain : The sequence of living organisms in a

community in which one organism consumes another
organism to transfer food energy is called food
Or
A list of organisms (living beings) showing ‘who eats
whom’ is called a food chain.

● A food chain represents a single directional or

unidirectional transfer of energy. The study of food
chains in an area or habitat helps us in knowing various
interactions among the different organisms and also their
interdependence. Example:
○ Grass —> Deer —> Lion
○ Grass —> Insect —> Frog —> Bird (eagle)
○ Plants —> Worms —> Birds —> Cats
○ Algae —> Protozoa —> Small Fish —> Big Fish

● Food Web : The interconnected food chains operate in

an ecosystem which establishes a network of
relationships between various species, called a food
web.
Or
● The network of a large number of food chains existing in
an ecosystem is called a food chain

● Trophic Levels : The various steps in a food chain at

which the transfer of food or energy takes place are
called trophic levels. In fact, in a food chain, each step
represents an organism from a trophic level.

1. The plants are producers and constitute the

first trophic level.They fix up the sun's energy
and make it available for consumers.

2. Herbivores (which feed on plants), constitute

the second trophic level.

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Q. 3 What will happen if

a. All the lions are removed
b. All the deer are removed
c. All the producers are removed

Ans : All organisms have their own significance as they form a

part of food chain and further of food web.
If a particular type of organism is removed, it will disturb the food
chains, of which this is a part and will create an imbalance
between biotic and abiotic components
a. If all lions are removed, a large number of deers will be
there, leading to more grazing activities, which will
decline the soil profile and green forest may convert into
deserts.
b. If all the deers are removed, less food will be there for
lions and more vegetation. Lions may kill humans for
their food.
c. If all producers are removed, no consumer will be there
and life will not be possible.
A part of this, if a particular species is removed then a particular
gene will be lost forever which can never be regained.

● Points to remember about the transfer of energy-

1. Energy is not created in the ecosystem. Energy
is only converted from one form to another.
2. There is a continuous transfer of energy from
one trophic level of organisms to the next trophic
level in a food chain.
3. At each trophic level of organisms, some of the
energy is utilized by the organisms of their
metabolic activities like respiration, growth etc.
4. A part of energy at each trophic level is utilized
for the functioning of decomposers.
5. There is a loss of energy at each trophic level
that is utilized for the functioning of
decomposers.
6. There is a loss of energy at each energy transfer
in various trophic levels of organisms which
goes into the environment and remains
unutilized.

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