OUR ENVIRONMENT

VERY SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS [1 Mark]

1. What will happen if we kill all the organisms in one trophic level?
Answer. If we kill all the organisms in one trophic level, the following effects will take place:
 The population of organisms in previous trophi’c level will increase.
 The organisms in next trophic level will not be able to get the food, so they will migrate to
some other ecosystem or die.
 It will cause an ecological imbalance in the food chain.
2. Why did United Nations act to control the production of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) used
in refrigerators?
Answer. CFCs deplete the ozone layer around the earth, hence their production is controlled by
United Nations.
3. Which compounds are responsible for the depletion of ozone layer?
Answer. The compounds responsible for the depletion of ozone layer are chlorofluorocarbons
(CFCs).
4. Define ‘trophic level’.
Answer. Trophic level is the position that an organism occupies in a food chain, where transfer of
food or energy takes place.
5. What are the various steps in a food chain called?
Answer. The various steps in a food chain are called trophic levels.
6. What is the important function of presence of ozone in earth’s atmosphere?
Answer. The important function of presence of ozone in earth’s atmosphere is that it shields the
surface of the earth from ultraviolet (UV) radiations of the sun.
7. Give an example to illustrate that indiscriminate use of pesticides may result-in the
degradation of the environment.
Answer. The pesticides used in crop field are washed down into the water bodies. From water
bodies, these are absorbed by aquatic plants and animals of a food chain and thereby degrades the
environment.
8. Why is it necessary to conserve our environment?
Answer. It is necessary to conserve our environment to prevent depletion of natural resources and
environmental damage, thereby sustaining life.
9. What is meant by a biodegradable waste?
Answer. Biodegradable wastes are those substances which are broken down into simpler,
harmless substances in nature in due course of time by the biological processes such as action of
micro organisms like certain bacteria.
Examples: Urine and faecal matter, sewage, agricultural residue, paper, wood, cloth and cattle
dung.
10. What is the role of decomposers in the ecosystem?
Answer. Role of decomposers in the environment:
 They return the nutrients to the nutrient pool.
 They help in completing the different bio-geochemical cycles, thus they maintain the
balance in the ecosystem.
11. What step is being taken to limit the damage to the ozone layer?
Answer.
Judicious use of aerosol spray propellants such as fluorocarbon and chlorofluorocarbons
which cause depletion or hole in ozone layer.
Control over large scale nuclear explosions and limited use of supersonic planes.
12. Why are some substances non- biodegradable?
Answer. Some substances are non-biodegradable because they cannot be broken down into
simpler harmless substances in nature.
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13. Which class of chemicals is linked to the decrease in the amount of ozone in the upper
atmosphere of the earth?
Answer. The chemical compound Chlorofluorocarbon is responsible for decrease of ozone in the
upper atmosphere of the earth.
14. Name two decomposers operating in our ecosystem.
Answer. Bacteria and fungi.
15. Select two non-biodegradable substances from the following waste generated in a kitchen:
spoilt food, paper bags, milk bags, vegetable peels, tin cans, used tea leaves.
Answer. Milk bags and tin cans.
16. What happens when higher energy ultraviolet radiations act on the oxygen at the higher
level of the atmosphere?
Answer. When high energy ultraviolet radiations act on oxygen, ozone is produced:

17. In a food chain, 10,000 joules of energy is available to the producer. How much energy will
be available to the secondary consumer to transfer it to the tertiary consumer?
Answer. 100 J will be available to the secondary consumer to transfer to the tertiary consumer.
18. Write the name and formula of a molecule made up of three atoms of oxygen.
Answer. Ozone and its chemical formula is O3.
19. List two man-made ecosystems.
Answer. Garden and Pond are man-made ecosystems.
20. Consider the following food chain which occurs in a forest: Grass -> Deer -> Lion
If 10000 J of solar energy is available to the grass, how much energy would be available to
the deer to transfer it to the lion?
Answer. 10 J energy would be available to deer to transfer to lion.
21. Which of the following belong to the first trophic level of a food chain? Grass, Grasshopper,
Plants, Rat, Tiger
Answer. Grass and plants belong to the 1st trophic level of a food chain.
22. Name the phenomenon in which non-biodegradable chemicals get accumulated
progressively at each trophic level of a food chain.
Answer. Biological magnification.
23. How is the increase in demand for energy affecting our environment adversely?
Answer. The increase in demand for energy affects our environment adversely. Due to this
increase, pollutants like CO,C02 , S02, etc., are released in to the atmosphere which leads to
greenhouse effect.
24. Why is ozone layer getting depleted at the higher levels of the atmosphere?
Answer. Ozone layer is getting depleted at the higher levels of the atmosphere due to effect of
chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) which are used as refrigerants and in fire extinguishers.
25. Name any two abiotic components of an environment.
Answer. Two abiotic components of an environment are temperature and rainfall.
26. What are the two main components of our environment?
Answer. The two main components of our environment are the biotic or living components and
abiotic or non-living components.
27. Why are green plants called ‘producers’?
Answer. Green plants are called ‘producers’ because they can produce food by photosynthesis in
the presence of sunlight.
28. Which disease is caused in human beings due to depletion of ozone layer in the atmosphere?
Answer. Skin cancer is caused in human beings due to the depletion of ozone layer in the
atmosphere.

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29. Why should biodegradable and non-biodegradable wastes be discarded in two separate
dustbins?
Answer. Biodegradable materials are brokendown by microorganisms in nature into simple
harmless substances. Non-biodegradable materials need a different treatment like heat and
temperature and hence these should be discarded in separate bins.
30. List two natural ecosystems.
Answer. Two natural ecosystems are forest and river.
31. List two biotic components of a biosphere.
Answer. Two biotic components of a biosphere are plants and animals.
32. What will be the amount of energy available to the organism of the 2nd trophic level of a
food chain, if the energy available at the first trophic level is 10,000 joules?
Answer. 100 Joules of energy will be available to the organism of the 2nd trophic level.
33. 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.
Answer. Hawk will have highest concentration of non-biodegradable chemicals. The
phenomenon is called biomagnification.
34. List two criteria of measuring the biodiversity of an area.
Answer. One measure of the biodiversity of an area is the number of species found there.
Secondly, the range of different life forms is also important.
35. The first trophic level in a food chain is always a green plant. Why?
Answer. Only green plants can make their own food from sunlight. Green plants therefore,
always occupy the 1st trophic level in a food chain.

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS [I] [2 Marks]

36. How is ozone formed in the upper atmosphere? Why is the damage of ozone layer a cause of
concern to us? State a cause of this damage.
Answer. Ozone is formed in upper atmosphere by the reaction of ultraviolet (UV) radiations on
oxygen (02) molecule.
The damage to ozone layer is a cause of concern to us as due to its damage, more ultraviolet rays
reach the earth’s surface causing various health hazards.

A cause of this damage is the presence of large amount of chlorofluorocarbons in the atmosphere.
37. State two problems caused by the non- biodegradable waste that we generate in our daily
life.
Answer. Two problems caused by non-biodegradable waste that we generate in our daily life are:
 It clogs drains.
 It causes water and soil pollution.
38. What are biodegradable and non- biodegradable substances? Select two biodegradable
pollutants from the following: Agricultural waste, glass, plastic, sewage, DDT.
Answer. Biodegradable substances are those substances which are broken down into simpler,
harmless substances in nature in due course of time by the biological processes such as micro
organisms like certain bacteria.
Non-biodegradable substances are those substances which cannot be broken down into simpler,
harmless substances in nature.
Two biodegradable pollutants are agricultural waste and sewage.

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39. Construct an aquatic food chain showing four trophic levels.
Answer. Food chain in aquatic ecosystem:

40. Explain ‘biological magnification’ with the help of an example.

Answer. Pesticides used in crops are washed down .into the soil. From soil these are absorbed by
plants along with water and minerals and thus, they enter the food chain. While consuming the
crops, human beings also consume these pesticides which get accumulated in our bodies. This
phenomenon is known as biological magnification.
41. Describe how decomposers facilitate recycling of matter in order to maintain balance in the
ecosystem.
Answer. Decomposers are micro organisms that obtain energy from the chemical breakdown of
dead organisms of animals or plants. These micro organisms breakdown the complex organic
substances of dead organisms into simple inorganic substances that go into the soil and are used
up once more by the plants. Decomposers thus, help in recycling of matter.
42. What is biodiversity? What will happen if biodiversity of an area is not preserved? Mention
one effect of it.
Answer. Biodiversity is the existence of a wide variety of species of plants, animals and
microorganisms in a natural habitat within a particular environment or existence of genetic
variation within a species. Biodiversity of an area is the number of species or range of different
life forms found there. Forests are ‘biodiversity hotspots’.
Every living being is dependent on another living being. It is a chain. If biodiversity is not
maintained, the links of the chain go missing. If one organism goes missing, this will affect all the
living beings who are dependent on it.
43. What is meant by biodiversity? List two advantages of conserving forests and wildlife.
Answer. Biodiversity is the existence of a wide variety of species of plants, animals and
microorganisms in a natural habitat within a particular environment.
Two reasons each of conserving:
(a) Forest
(i) It helps in retaining the sub-soil water.
(ii) It checks flood.
(b) Wildlife
(i) To maintain ecological equilibrium.
(ii) To protect the nature.
44. Why we say energy flow in the biosphere is unidirectional?
Answer. The energy flow through different steps in the food chain is unidirectional. This means
that energy captured by autotrophs does not revert back to the solar input and it passes to the
herbivores, i.e. it moves progressively through various trophic levels. Thus, energy flow from the
sun through producers to consumers is in single direction only.
45. How can we help in reducing the problem of waste disposal? Give any two methods.
Answer. Problem of waste disposal can be solved by following methods:
(i) by disposing biodegradable and non-biodegradable waster separately.
(ii) by reusing materials as much as possible.
46. “Damage to the ozone layer is a cause for concern.” Justify this statement. Suggest any two
steps to limit this damage. ‘
Answer. Ozone layer prevents the harmful ultraviolet radiation to enter the atmosphere and reach
the earth’s surface. Depletion of ozone layer has become a cause for concern because it can cause
serious effects on human body and other organisms of the environment like fatal diseases such as
skin cancer, changes in genetic material DNA, eye damage, etc.
Two steps to limit this damage are as follows:

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  Judicious use of aerosol spray propellants such as fluorocarbon and
chlorofluorocarbons which cause depletion or hole in ozone layer.
 Control over large scale nuclear explosions and limited use of supersonic planes.

SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTION[II] [3 Marks]

47. (a) What is ‘environmental pollution’?

(b) Distinguish between biodegradable and non-biodegradable pollutants.
(c) Choose the biodegradable pollutants from the list given below:
Sewage, DDT, radioactive waste, agricultural waste.
Answer. (a) Environmental pollution is an undesirable change in the physical, chemical or
biological
characteristics of the natural environment, brought about by man’s activities. This pollution may
affect the soil, rivers, seas or the atmosphere.
(b)
Biodegradable pollutants Non-biodegradable pollutants
(i) These pollutants can be broken-down (i) These pollutants cannot be broken-
into nonpoisonous substances in nature by down into non-poisonous substances by
the action of microorganisms. microorganisms.
(ii) They get recycled thus, do not need any (ii) They cannot be recycled thus,
dumping sites. require dumping sites.
(iii) These are obtained from living things. (iii) These are obtained from non-living
things.
(iv) They cause minimum environmental (iv) They cause environmental
pollution. pollution.

(c) Biodegradable pollutants are sewage and agricultural waste.

48. Why are bacteria and fungi called decomposers? List any two advantages of decomposers to
the environment.
Answer. Bacteria and fungi breakdown the dead remains and waste products of organisms. These
micro organisms are called the decomposers as they breakdown the complex organic substances
into simple inorganic substances that go into the soil and are used up once more by the plants.
Two advantages of decomposers to the environment are as follows:
 Decomposers feed, on the dead bodies of plants and animals. They return the simple
components to soil and help in making the steady state of ecosystem by recycling of
nutrients. They, therefore, create a balance in the environment.
 They also act as scavengers or cleansing agents of the atmosphere.
49. Explain the phenomenon of “biological magnification” How does it affect organisms
belonging to different trophic levels particularly the tertiary consumers?
Answer. The process in which harmful chemicals enter a food chain and get accumulated
progressively at each trophic level is called biological magnification.
Harmful and toxic chemicals enter our bodies when they are added to soil and water. Use of
pesticides to protect the food crops from diseases and pests and chemical wastes of factories are
dumped in open or disposed off into rivers. These chemicals are washed down into the soil and
ultimately to water table or get absorbed or taken up from the soil by the plants along with water
and minerals and in this way harmful chemicals enter the food chain. The quantity of these
harmful chemicals increase with increase in trophic level of the food chain because these
substances are not degradable. Man is at the top of the food chain, so concentration is maximum
in human beings.
Thus, accumulation of DDT has been maximum in man as DDT is used to destroy pests. DDT is
accumulated in the following way in this food chain:

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 This is the reason why our food grains such as wheat and rice, vegetables and fruits and even
meat contain varying amounts of pesticides residues. So, the highest trophic level at the extreme
right of food chain has the maximum concentration of harmful chemicals in a food chain.

LONG ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS [5 MARKS]

50. A non-biodegradable toxic chemical has entered into the food chain. Which type of food
habit will you suggest to a man, vegetarian or non-vegetarian? Explain with the help of a
food chain. The food chain which you would suggest, is advantageous in an another aspect.
How?
Answer. Vegetarian food chain will be suggested in case of entry of non-biodegradable toxic
chemical into the food chain.
Non-biodegradable chemical gets concentrated at every trophic level by the process of biological
magnification. As the concentration increases with the number of trophic level in a food chain,
man will get high concentration of the chemical in a non-vegetarian food chain than in a
vegetarian food chain, e.g.
Vegetarian food chain:

Non-vegetarian food chain:

Vegetarian food chain is advantageous in terms of energy available to man because it has less
number of trophic levels. As 90% of energy is lost to the enviornment, at every trophic level,
lesser number of trophic levels will result in lesser energy loss.

51. Write a note on the producers, consumers and decomposers of the biotic environment with
examples of each.
Answer.
Producers: Those organisms which produce food by photosynthesis, i.e. organisms which can
make organic compounds like sugar and starch from inorganic substances using the radiant
energy of the sun in the presence of chlorophyll. Producers, therefore are considered as a source
of energy for those above it in a food chain.
Examples: All green plants also called autotrophs and certain blue-green algae.
Consumers: Those organisms which depend upon the producers for food, either directly or
indirectly by feeding on other consumers for their sustenance. Consumers, therefore, feed upon
those below it in a food chain and are called heterotrophs. These can be classified into primary
consumers or herbivores, secondary consumers or small carnivores, omnivores and parasites, e.g.
cows, humans.
Examples of consumers:
Herbivores are the animals that consume or eat vegetation or plants, e.g. cows, horses.
Carnivores are the animals that eat flesh of other animals, e.g. tigers, wolves.
Omnivores are the animals that eat both plants and animals, e.g. humans, cockroaches.

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 Parasites are those organisms that live on (ectoparasites) or in (endoparasites), the body of
another organism, i.e. host from which it obtains its nutrients, e.g. parasites of man includes fleas
and lice (ectoparasites), various protozoans and tapeworms. (endoparasites)
Decomposers: They are those microorganisms that obtain energy from the chemical breakdown
of dead organisms or animal or plant wastes. These microorganisms are the decomposers as they
breakdown the complex organic substances into simple inorganic substances that enter into the
soil and are again used up by the plants.
Examples: Bacteria and fungi.

MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS [1 Mark]

1. What percentage of sunlight is captured by plants to convert it into food energy?

(a) 1%
(b) 10%
(c) 50%
(d) more than 50%

2. Flow of energy in an ecosystem is always

(a) unidrectional
(b) bidrectional
(c) multidirectional
(d) none of these

3. Which of the following is non-biodegradable?

(a) Tea leaves
(b) Nylon
(c) remains of animals
(d) fleece of sheep

4. The structural and functional unit of the environment is known as:

(a) ecosystem
(b) biosphere

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 (c) food chain
(d) food web

5. Depletion of ozone layer is mainly due to

(a) Methane
(b) Carbon Dioxide
(c) ChloroFloroCarbons
(d) Nitrogen

6. First order consumers are:

(a) Carnivores
(b) Herbivores
(c) Decomposers
(d) Omnivores

7. A detritus food chain begins with

(a) Carnivores
(b) Herbivores
(c) Omnivores
(d) Decomposers

8. In an ecosystem, the 10% of energy disposable for transfer from one trophic lcvel to next is in the
form of
(a) heat energy
(b) chemical energy
(c) mechanical energy
(d) light energy

9. Accumulation of non-biodegradable pesticides in the food chain in increasing amount at each

higher trophic level is known as
(a) eutrophication
(b) pollution
(c) biomagnification
(d) accumulation

10. Which of the following is an abiotic component

(a) plants
(b) animals
(c) soil
(d) microorganisms

11. Which of the statement is incorrect?

(a) All green plants and blue green algae are producers
(b) Green plants get their food from organic compounds
(c) Producers prepare their own food from inorganic compounds
(d) Plants convert solar energy into chemical energy

12. Edaphic factors are included in

(a) Abiotic components
(b) Biotic components
(c) Producers
(d) Consumers

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13. Only ____ % of the energy can be transferred from one trophic level to the next trophic level.
a) 1
b) 5
c) 10
d) 20

14. Accumulation of non- biodegradable pesticides in different trophic levels is called

a) Biological degradation
b) Biological magnification
c) Biological concentration
d) Biological deposition

15. The UV radiation from the sun is likely to cause _____________ in human.
a) Skin cancer
b) Lung cancer
c) Liver Cancer
d) Brain Cancer

16. World Environment day is celebrated on

a) July 1
b) July 5
c) June 1
d) June 5

17. Which one of the following is a non- biodegradable substance

a) DDT
b) Manure
c) paper
d) Cotton cloth

18. In a terrestrial ecosystem the biomass of ____________ should be the most

a) Herbivore
b) Carnivore
c) Producer
d) Any one of the above

19. Identify the proper food chain

a) Grass ----- frog ---- insect ----- snake
b) Grass---- insect ----- frog ------ snake
c) Insect --- frog ---- grass ---- snake
d) Grass --- frog ---- snake ----- insect

20. Food web is

a) Food served through websites
b) Display of different food items
c) Interlinked food chains
d) Using food items for a fashion dress

21. The best way to dispose waste is by

a) Making a paste of all domestic waste and putting them in a river
b) Separating biodegradable and nonbiodegradable waste before disposing in bins
c) Throw the waste on road side
d) Dumping all domestic waste in litter bin
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22. Which one of the following is an artificial ecosystem?
(a) Pond
(b) Crop field
(c) Lake
(d) Forest

23. In a food chain, the third trophic level is always occupied by

(a) carnivores
(b) herbivores
(c) decomposers
(d) producers

24. An ecosystem includes

(a) all living organisms
(b) non-living objects
(c) both living organisms and non-living objects
(d) sometimes living organisms and sometimes non-living objects

25. In the given food chain, suppose the amount of energy at fourth trophic level is 5 kJ, what will be
the energy available at the producer level?
Grass → Grasshopper → Frog → Snake → Hawk
(a) 5 k J
(b) 50 k J
(c) 500 k J
(d) 5000 k J

26. Accumulation of non-biodegradable pesticides in the food chain in increasing amount at each
higher trophic level is known as
(a) eutrophication
(b) pollution
(c) biomagnification
(d) accumulation

27. Depletion of ozone is mainly due to

(a) chlorofluorocarbon compounds
(b) carbon monoxide
(c) methane
(d) pesticides

28. Organisms which synthesise carbohydrates from inorganic compounds using radiant energy are
called
(a) decomposers (b) producers
(c) herbivores (d) carnivores

29. In an ecosystem, the 10% of energy available for transfer from one trophic level to the next is in
the form of
(a) heat energy (b) light energy
(c) chemical energy (d) mechanical energy

30. Organisms of a higher trophic level which feed on several types of organisms belonging to a
lower trophic level constitute the
(a) food web (b) ecological pyramid
(c) ecosystem (d) food chain
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31. Flow of energy in an ecosystem is always
(a) unidirectional (b) bidirectional
(c) multi directional (d) no specific direction

32. Excessive exposure of humans to U V-rays results in

(i) damage to immune system
(ii) damage to lungs
(iii) skin cancer
(iv) peptic ulcers
(a) (i) and (ii) (b) (ii) and (iv)
(c) (i) and (iii) (d) (iii) and (iv)

33. In the following groups of materials, which group (s) contains only non-biodegradable items?
(i) Wood, paper, leather
(ii) Polythene, detergent, PVC
(iii) Plastic, detergent, grass
(iv) Plastic, bakelite, DDT
(a) (iii) (b) (iv)
(c) (i) and (iii) (d) (ii) and (iv)

34. Which of the following limits the number of trophic levels in a food chain?
(a) Decrease in energy at higher trophic levels
(b) Dufficient food supply
(c) Polluted air
(d) Water

35. Which of the statement is incorrect?

(a) All green plants and blue green algae are producers
(b) Green plants get their food from organic compounds
(c) Producers prepare their own food from inorganic compounds
(d) Plants convert solar energy into chemical energy

36. Which group of organisms are not constituents of a food chain?

(i) Grass, lion, rabbit, wolf
(ii) Plankton, man, fish, grasshopper
(iii) Wolf, grass, snake, tiger
(iv) Frog, snake, eagle, grass, grasshopper
(a) (i) and (iii) (b) (iii) and (iv)
(c) (ii) and (iii) (d) (i) and (iv)

37. The percentage of solar radiation absorbed by all the green plants for the process of
photosynthesis is about
(a) 1 % (b) 5 % (c) 8 % (d) 10 %

38. In the given below Figure the various trophic levels are
shown in a pyramid. At which trophic level is
maximum energy available?
(a) T4
(b) T2
(c) T1
(d) T3

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39. What will happen if deer is missing in the food chain given below?
Grass → Deer → Tiger
(a) The population of tiger increases
(b) The population of grass decreases
(c) Tiger will start eating grass
(d) The population of tiger decreases and the population of grass increases

40. The decomposers in an ecosystem

(a) convert inorganic material, to simpler forms
(b) convert organic material to inorganic forms
(c) convert inorganic materials into organic compounds
(d) do not breakdown organic compounds

41. If a grass hopper is eaten by a frog, then the energy transfer will be from
(a) producer to decomposer
(b) producer to primary consumer
(c) primary consumer to secondary consumer
(d) secondary consumer to primary consumer

42. Disposable plastic plates should not be used because

(a) they are made of materials with light weight
(b) they are made of toxic materials
(c) they are made of biodegradable materials
(d) they are made of non-biodegradable materials

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