Our Environment —---Questions-Answers

Page Number: 260

Q1 What are trophic levels ? Give an example of a food chain and state the different
trophic levels in it.
Ans: Trophic Levels : The various steps in a food chain at which the transfer of food
(or energy) takes place are called trophic levels.
Example : A food chain operating in a grassland is given below :
Grass → Insects → Frog → Birds

In this food chain

1)Grass represents the first trophic level.

2)Grasshopper represents the second trophic level.

3)Frog represents the third trophic level.

4)Eagle represents the fourth trophic level.

Q 2 What is the role of decomposers in the ecosystem ?

(Ans: i) Decomposers help in decomposing the dead bodies of plants and animals
and hence act as cleansing agents of the environment.
(ii) Decomposers also help in putting back the various elements of which dead
plants and animals are made, back into the soil, air and water for reuse by the
producers like crop plants.
(iii) They help in recycling of the nutrients.
(iv) They decompose dead remains thereby providing space for new life to settle in
the biosphere.
Page Number: 262

Q1. Why are some substances biodegradable and some non-biodegradable?

Ans : Substances which can be acted upon by microorganisms (decomposers) are

called biodegradable. For example- vegetable wastes, paper, cotton etc.
On the other hand, materials which are not acted upon by decomposers are called
non-biodegradable. For example- plastic, glass, polyethene etc.

Q2. Give any two ways in which biodegradable substances would affect the
environment ?
Ans 1.) Biodegradable waste would act as pollutants when their quantity is large and
they are not degraded at the right time.
2.) biodegradable substances would pile up at a place and attract insects and stray
animals thereby spreading diseases.
3.) sewage drained into the water body may pollute the water body.

Q3 Give any two ways in which non biodegradable substances would affect the
environment.
Ans 1.) Non biodegradable substances act as permanent pollutants.
2.) Non biodegradable substances such as chemicals enter the food chain and
cause biological magnification.

Page Number: 264

Q 1 What is ozone and how does it affect any ecosystem ?

Ans: Ozone (O3) is an isotope of oxygen, i.e., it is a molecule formed by three atoms
of oxygen.
At the higher levels of the atmosphere, ozone performs an essential function. It
shields the surface of the earth from ultraviolet (UV) radiations from the sun. These
radiations are highly damaging to organisms. In humans ,ultraviolet rays can cause
skin cancer.

Q 2 How can you help in reducing the problem of waste disposal ? Give any two
methods.
Ans: (i) Recycling : By recycling the solid wastes like paper, plastics and metals, etc.
(ii) Preparation of Compost: Biodegradable domestic wastes such as left over food,
fruit and vegetable peels and leaves of potted plants, etc. can be converted into
compost by burying in a pit dug into ground.
Exercises - Page 264

1.) Which of the following groups contain only biodegradable items?

(a) Grass, flowers and leather

(b) Grass, wood and plastic

(c) Fruit peels, cake and lime-juice

(d) Cake, wood and grass

Ans : Groups (a), (c) and (d).

2. Which of the following constitute a food chain?

(a) Grass, wheat and mango

(b) Grass, goat and human

(c) Goat, cow and elephant

(d) Grass, fish and goat.

Ans : (b) Grass, goat, human

3. Which of the following are environment-friendly practices?

(a) Carrying a cloth-bag to put purchases in while shopping.

(b) Switching off unnecessary lights and fans.

(c) Walking to school instead of getting your mother to drop you on her scooter.

(d) All of the above.

Ans : (d) All of the above.

4. What will happen if we kill all the organisms in one trophic level?

Ans : If we kill all the organisms in one trophic level, the number of individuals in the
next trophic level will decrease due to the non-availability of food. Also, the number
of individuals in the previous trophic levels will increase because there is no one to
feed on them. This will cause imbalance in the environment and the food chain will
eventually collapse.

5. Will the impact of removing all the organisms in a trophic level be different for
different trophic levels? Can the organisms of any trophic level be removed without
causing any damage to the ecosystem?

Ans : Yes, the impact of removing all the organisms in a trophic level will be different
for different trophic levels. For example,

1) On removing producers; herbivores would not be able to survive and the

ecosystem would collapse.
2) If herbivores are removed, producers would grow unchecked and carnivores
would not get food.
3) If carnivores are removed, herbivores would increase to unsustainable levels
and could destroy the producers.
4) If decomposers are removed, the dead animals would pile up due to which the
environment would become polluted.
5) Also, if dead animals are not decomposed,then the recycling of nutrients in
the soil will be stopped and its fertility will be reduced. As a result the green
cover of the earth will be lost.
6) Thus to maintain the balance of the ecosystem the presence of organisms is
necessary at each trophic level.

6. What is biological magnification? Will the levels of this magnification be different at

different levels of the ecosystem?

Ans : The phenomenon of progressive increase in concentration of certain harmful

non-biodegradable chemicals such as DDT at different levels of the food chain is
called biological magnification.
The concentration of harmful chemicals will be different at different trophic levels. It
will be lowest in the first trophic level and highest in the last trophic level of the food
chain.

7. What are the problems caused by non-biodegradable wastes that we generate?

Ans : The problems caused by the non-biodegradable wastes are :

 1. If the quantity of non-biodegradable matter increases in nature then
biological magnification of poisonous chemicals in our body increases.
2. The increasing quantity of non-biodegradable waste will cause
imbalance in the ecosystem.

8. If all the wastes we generate is biodegradable, will this have no impact on the
environment?

Ans : It will have only a short term impact on the environment as the action of
decomposers will slow down and some air/water pollution will be caused. However,
in the longer term, there will be no impact of biodegradable wastes on the
environment.

9. Why is damage to the ozone layer a cause for concern? What steps are being
taken to limit this damage?

Ans : The damage to the ozone layer is a cause for concern because if the ozone
layer in the atmosphere disappears completely, then all the extremely harmful
ultraviolet radiations coming from the sun would reach the earth. These ultraviolet
radiations would cause skin cancer and other ailments in humans/ animals and also
damage the plants. In an attempt to protect the ozone layer, the United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP) unanimously forged an agreement among its
member countries to freeze CFC production at 1986 levels.Also, it is mandatory for
all manufacturing companies to make CFC free refrigerators throughout the world.

Q10 Suggest a few steps to reduce waste generation.

Ans: A few steps to reduce waste generation are:

1) avoid the use of disposable items like disposable glasses and cups to the
extent possible.
2) if disposable items are unavoidable use disposable paper cups in place of
disposable plastic cups.
3) use biodegradable materials like cloth bags in the place of polythene bags.
4) reduce packaging of items.
5) reuse jam and pickle bottles to store items in the kitchen.
6) recycle plastic ,paper ,glass and metal items.

Q11 Vegetarian food habit gives more energy than non vegetarian food habit.
Explain.
Ans: According to the 10% law, when food is transferred from one trophic level to
the next , only 10% of the energy is available to the next level of consumers. Since
vegetarians are closer to the producers ,they have more energy available to them as
compared to non vegetarians which are farther away from the producers.

Q12 Food chain usually consists of 3 to 4 steps only. Give reason.

Ans: According to the 10% law when food is transferred from one trophic level to
the next, only 10% of the energy is available to the next level of consumers .The loss
of energy at each trophic level is so great that very little usable energy remains after
4 trophic levels. Hence food chains usually consist of 3 to 4 steps only.

Q13 Would you consider any group of organisms in a food chain to be of primary
importance. Give a reason.

Ans: Yes, I consider producers to be of primary importance as they capture solar

energy and prepare food which sustains life in this world.

Q14 Is the garden and ecosystem? Justify.

Ans:Yes ,a garden is an ecosystem as it comprises interacting biotic

components(Plants animals etc) and abiotic components( soil, air ,water, sunlight
temperature etc). It is made by human effort ,hence it is an artificial ecosystem.

Q15 Differentiate between biodegradable and non- biodegradable wastes.

Ans:

Biodegradable wastes Non-Biodegradable wastes

1. The wastes that are broken down 1. The wastes that are not broken down

naturally by microbial action. by the microbes.

2. Biodegradation forms harmless and 2. No such action is possible.

non- poisonous products.

3. They release raw materials back to 3. They do not release raw materials.

nature.

4. They pollute the environment only 4. Non-biodegradable wastes pollute the

when they are produced in quantity environment even in small quantities.

beyond the capacity of the environment

to degrade them.

5. Recycling is possible both naturally or 5. Recycling is possible only through

through human efforts. human efforts.