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Class 12th || (BIOLOGY)

Ecosystem
NCERT Solutions

12.1. Fill in the blanks. fungi, that derive their nutrition by disintegrating
(a) Plants are called as______ because they fix the remains of animals and dead plants.
carbon dioxide.
(b) In an ecosystem dominated by trees, the 12.3. The second trophic level in a lake is;
pyramid (of numbers) is _______type. (a) Phytoplankton
(c) In aquatic ecosystems, the limiting factor for (b) Zooplankton
the productivity is______. (c) Benthos
(d) Common detritivores in our ecosystem (d) Fishes
are______. [NCERT Page-215]
(e) The major reservoir of carbon on earth Sol. (b) Zooplankton
is______. Zooplankton forms the second trophic level in a
[NCERT Page-214-215] lake as they are the primary consumers in food
chain that is aquatic, feeding upon phytoplankton.
Sol. (a) Autotrophs Hence, they hold the second level.
Plants are called autotrophs because they fix
carbon dioxide. 12.4. Secondary producers are;
(b) Inverted (a) Herbivores
In an ecosystem dominated by trees, the (b) Producers
pyramid (of numbers) is inverted type. (c) Carnivores
(c) Light (d) None of the above
In aquatic ecosystems, the limiting factor for [NCERT Page-215]
the productivity is light. Sol. (d) None of the above
(d) Earthworms There are no secondary producers. Plants are the
Common detritivores in our ecosystem are only producers. They are autotrophs and
earthworms. synthesize their own food through the process of
(e) Oceans photosynthesis.
The major reservoir of carbon on earth is
oceans. 12.5. What is the percentage of photosynthetically
active radiation (PAR) in the incident solar
12.2. Which one of the following has the largest radiation?
population in a food chain? (a) 100%
(a) Producers (b) 50 %
(b) Primary consumers (c) 1-5%
(c) Secondary consumers (d) 2-10%
(d) Decomposers [NCERT Page-215]
[NCERT Page-215] Sol. (b) 50 %
Sol. (d) Decomposers Photosynthetically active radiation or PAR
Decomposers form the largest population in food constitutes about 50% of the total incident solar
chain. They include microbes such as bacteria and radiation.

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12.6. Distinguish between: (c) Upright and inverted pyramid

(a) Grazing food chain and detritus food chain Upright pyramid Inverted pyramid
(b) Production and decomposition
(i) Pyramid of energy is Pyramid of numbers
(c) Upright and inverted pyramid
(d) Food chain and Food web always upright. and biomass can be
(e) Litter and detritus inverted.
(f) Primary and secondary productivity (ii) At the producer level At the producer level
[NCERT Page-215] of an ecosystem, this of an ecosystem, this
Sol. (a) Grazing food chain and detritus food chain pyramid has the pyramid has the
Grazing food chain Detritus food chain highest number and lowest number and
(i) Energy is derived Energy is derived biomass of biomass of
from the sun. from organic matter organisms which organisms which
produced in trophic declines at each rises at each
levels of the grazing trophic level in a increasing tropic
food chain. food chain. level in a food chain.
(ii) It typically entails a It is comparatively (d) Food chain and Food web
large population. smaller.
Food chain Food web
(iii) Starts with producers Starts with detritus
(i) Constitutes for a Consists of a number
at the first trophic such as dead bodies
single linear of interconnected
level. The plant of fallen leaves and
biomass is then animals that are sequence of entities. food chains.
consumed by consumed by (ii) Members inhabiting Any given individual
herbivores which is in detritivores or higher trophic levels has alternate options
turn are consumed by decomposers which feed only on one for food sources.
different carnivores. in turn are consumed type of entity.
by predators.
(e) Litter and detritus
(b) Production and decomposition
Litter Detritus
Production Decomposition
(i) Comprises of all Comprises of
(i) Rate of producing Disintegration of
food (organic matter) complex organic kinds of wastes residues of dead
by producers is matter from the above the ground animals and plants.
known as production. bodies of dead level.
animals and plants (ii) Consists of Consists of
with the help of biodegradable and biodegradable
decomposers into non-biodegradable substances only.
organic raw material substances.
namely water, carbon
dioxide, other such (f) Primary and secondary productivity
nutrients is Primary Secondary
decomposition. productivity productivity
(ii) For primary Decomposition does (i) It is the amount of It is the rate of
production, sunlight is not require sunlight. organic matter generating organic
required. generated by matter by consumers
(iii) Dependent on the Takes places with the producers per unit over a span of time.
photosynthetic help of decomposers. area over a specific
capacity of producers. span of time.

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12.7. Describe the components of an ecosystem. • Inorganic compounds: Like water,

[NCERT Page-215] minerals and atmospheric gases, etc.
Sol. Ecosystems represent the interconnected nature of • Organic compounds: These includes
living organisms and their world. The components organic substance present in the dead
of an ecosystem can be divided into two bodies of plant & animals.
categories: biotic and abiotic.
• Biotic components: These are the living 12.8. Define ecological pyramids and describe with
components of an ecosystem that have a examples, pyramids of number and biomass.
direct or indirect influence on other [NCERT Page-215]
organisms in an environment. The life forms Sol. Ecological pyramid: The graphical representation
of an ecosystem help in the transfer and cycle of an ecological parameter such as number,
of energy. They are grouped in terms of the
biomass or energy, sequence wise in various
means they use to get energy. Based on the
trophic levels of a food chain in which producers
source of their energy, biotic components can
are at the base, herbivores in the middle and
be further classified into the following:
carnivores at the top level. Ecological pyramids
• Producers: They can synthesise their own
can be upright, inverted, or spindle-shaped. The
food, e.g., green plants.
three common types of ecological pyramids
• Consumers: They do not synthesise their
food. They depend on others for their food include the pyramid of number, pyramid of
and may be classified into the following: biomass and pyramid of energy.
• Primary consumer/herbivores: They 1. Pyramids of number: It is the number of
feed on plants, e.g., insects, rats, individuals per unit area at various trophic
squirrels, etc. levels. It is generally upright, however, the
• Secondary consumers or primary pyramid of number in case of a big tree is
carnivores, Secondary consumers are generally inverted because number of insects
those organisms that eat primary that feed on tree generally exceeds in number.
consumers for energy. Primary 2. Pyramids of biomass: It represents the
consumers are always herbivores, or biomass in various trophic levels. A pyramid
organisms that only eat autotrophic of biomass is upright except in an aquatic
plants. However, secondary consumers food chain. A pyramid of biomass in the sea
can either be carnivores or omnivores. is generally inverted because the biomass of
E.g., frogs, birds, etc. fishes is generally more than that of
• Tertiary consumers or large phytoplankton.
carnivores: They feed on secondary 3. Pyramids of energy: It is the graphic
consumers such as owl, fox, snakes, etc. representation of the amount of energy
• Quaternary consumers: They are at the trapped at different trophic levels per unit
top of the food chain and eats tertiary area. Pyramid of energy is always upright.
consumers. They are also known as apex
predators.
12.9. What is primary productivity? Give brief
• Decomposers: These organisms breakdown the description of factors that affect primary
dead bodies or waste products of plants and
productivity.
animals into simpler inorganic compounds.
[NCERT Page-215]
E.g., bacteria, fungi, earthworms.
Sol. Primary productivity refers to the amount of
• Abiotic components: These are the non-
organic matter or biomass produced by producers
living or physical and chemical factors of an
per unit area over a period of time. The primary
ecosystem. These are classified into
following three categories: productivity of an ecosystem depends upon a
• Physical climatic factors: It includes number of factors such as light, temperature,
light, temperature, wind, rain. water, precipitation, availability of nutrients etc.

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12.10. Define decomposition and describe the processes 12.11. Give an account of energy flow in an ecosystem.
and products of decomposition. [NCERT Page-215]
[NCERT Page-215] Sol. Energy Flow in an ecosystem: All living
Sol. Decomposition is the process of breaking down of organisms are dependent for their food on
complex organic matter of detritus into inorganic producers, directly or indirectly.
substances such as carbon dioxide, water and There is a unidirectional flow of energy from the
nutrients. Dead remains of plants and animals sun to producers and then to consumers.
constitute detritus. The process of decomposition Photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) is
involves steps like fragmentation, leaching, responsible for the synthesis of food by plants.
Animals obtain their food from plants, so they are
catabolism, humification and mineralization.
called consumers. The process of eating and being
1. Fragmentation of Detritus: In this step, the
eaten is called a food chain in which energy flows
detritus is broken down into small fragments
from producers to consumers.
by earthworms.
For example, in Grazing food chain, the grass is
2. Leaching: In leaching the water-soluble
eaten by goats which are further eaten by man.
nutrients, seep down into the soil and become
Similarly, in the detritus food chain, the sequence
unavailable salts. begins with dead organic matter. It is made up of
3. Catabolism: The small fragments of decomposers which are heterotrophic organisms
decomposed by decomposers like fungi and (fungi and bacteria). These are also known as
bacteria with the help of action of enzymes. saprotrophs. Decomposers secrete digestive
4. Humification: In this step, humus is formed. enzymes that breakdown dead and waste materials
Humus is a dark coloured, amorphous solid into simple, inorganic materials, which are
substance that acts as a nutrient reserve. subsequently absorbed by them. Natural
5. Mineralization: In this step by the action of interconnection of food chain forms the food web.
microbes, the inorganic nutrients are released Thus, in an ecosystem, energy flow occurs
from the humus. through food chains and food webs.

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