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#	Question	Answer
1	Give examples of terrestrial ecosystems.	Forest, grassland, and desert are examples of terrestrial ecosystems.
2	In a forest ecosystem, which plants occupy the top, second, and bottom layers?	Trees occupy the top layer, shrubs the second, and herbs and grasses the bottom layers.
3	What are the autotrophic components in a pond ecosystem?	Phytoplankton, algae, and floating, submerged, and marginal plants.
4	How does energy move in an ecosystem?	Energy moves unidirectionally towards higher trophic levels and is lost as heat to the environment.
5	Why is all GPP not available to consumers?	A considerable amount of GPP is utilised by plants in respiration.
6	What is the approximate annual net primary productivity of the biosphere?	Approximately 170 billion tons (dry weight) of organic matter.
7	What happens during leaching?	Water-soluble inorganic nutrients move down into the soil horizon and get precipitated as unavailable salts.
8	Which type of detritus decomposes slowly?	Detritus rich in lignin and chitin decomposes slowly.
9	What is the primary source of energy for almost all ecosystems on Earth?	The sun is the primary source of energy for all ecosystems except deep sea hydro-thermal ecosystems.
10	Why do ecosystems require a constant supply of energy?	Ecosystems require constant energy to synthesise molecules and counteract increasing disorderliness.
11	What happens to the energy trapped by producers?	The energy trapped by producers is either passed on to consumers or lost when the organism dies.
12	What are primary consumers usually called?	Primary consumers are herbivores.
13	Give an example of a grazing food chain (GFC).	Grass → Goat → Man
14	Which food chain is the major conduit for energy flow in aquatic ecosystems?	Grazing Food Chain (GFC) is the major conduit in aquatic ecosystems.
15	Which trophic level do herbivores occupy?	Herbivores or primary consumers occupy the second trophic level.
16	What is standing crop?	The mass of living material present at a trophic level at a particular time is called standing crop.
17	What is the 10 percent law?	Only 10% of energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next higher trophic level.
18	What does the apex of an ecological pyramid represent?	The apex represents tertiary or top-level consumers.
19	What must be included in calculations of energy content, biomass, or numbers at a trophic level?	All organisms at that trophic level must be included.
20	In most ecosystems, what is the nature of pyramids of number, biomass, and energy?	They are upright.
21	What does each bar in an energy pyramid represent?	It represents the amount of energy present at each trophic level per unit area in a given time or annually.
22	What gives an ecosystem its characteristic physical structure?	Interaction among abiotic and biotic components gives an ecosystem its characteristic physical structure.
23	Into which two types is primary productivity divided?	Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) and Net Primary Productivity (NPP).
24	What are the three processes involved in decomposition?	Fragmentation, leaching, and catabolism.
25	What are the two types of nutrient cycles?	Gaseous cycles and sedimentary cycles.
26	Why do ecological pyramids fail to represent natural ecosystems completely?	They assume a simple food chain and do not accommodate food webs.
27	Which trophic level has the largest population in a food chain?	Producers have the largest population in a food chain.
28	Which two ecosystem processes are asked to be distinguished in the exercises?	Production and decomposition.
29	Which ecological pyramids are specifically mentioned for description?	Pyramids of number and biomass.