Environmental Science Quiz

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Questions and Answers

The term 'environment' is derived from which language?

French (correct)

German

Greek

Latin

Who introduced the term 'environment' in the field of Ecology?

Charles Darwin

Jacob Van Uerkal (correct)

Alexander von Humboldt

Ernst Haeckel

Which of the following best describes the definition of 'environment' according to the Environment Protection Act 1986?

The study of pollution and degradation of the earth.

The study of interactions between organisms.

The total of living and non-living elements around an organism.

The sum total of land, water, air, their interrelationships, and with humans and other living organisms. (correct)

What is the primary focus of the field of Environmental Science?

The study of the interactions among the physical, chemical, and biological elements of the surroundings, with an emphasis on pollution and degradation. (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT considered a component of the 'environment' as generally understood?

Astrological phenomena (B) Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes Ecology from Environmental Science?

Ecology specifically studies the interactions of organisms with each other and their environment, while Environmental Science may also address human impact and degradation. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the original meaning of the French word 'Environner', from which the term 'environment' is derived?

To encircle (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of these elements would be studied by both an Ecologist and an Environmental Scientist?

All of the above. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes a biogeographic region?

A large-scale region, often at national or state level, with distinctive geographical features (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following are considered to be natural ecosystems?

Forests, grasslands, rivers,and deserts (B) Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes a terrestrial ecosystem from an aquatic ecosystem?

The primary habitat: land versus water (C) Signup and view all the answers

The structure of an ecosystem is primarily determined by which interaction?

Interactions between biotic and abiotic components (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is an example of an ecosystem with a very small scale?

A single tree (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes an abiotic component of an ecosystem?

The non-living physical environment (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of these is NOT considered one of India's distinctive geographical regions?

The Sahara Desert (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which statement best describes man-modified ecosystems?

Ecosystems significantly altered by human land use (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the impact of removing a keystone species from a food web?

It may cause the entire food chain to collapse because the system depends on the species. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is a key characteristic of apex predators in an ecosystem?

Healthy adults do not have any natural predators within the same ecosystem. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is a graphical representation of the relative amounts of energy, biomass or number of organisms across trophic levels?

Ecological pyramid (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which type of ecological pyramid measures the total dry weight or caloric value of organisms at each trophic level?

Pyramid of Biomass (C) Signup and view all the answers

How is the number of organisms at each level shown in a Pyramid of Numbers?

As a count of individuals per unit area (A) Signup and view all the answers

In which way do plant based producers such as grasses and phytoplankton contribute to a food web?

They provide a broad base in the number pyramid due to their large numbers. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is also known as a 'pyramid of productivity'?

Pyramid of Energy (B) Signup and view all the answers

Why is it important to conserve apex predators, based on what the provided content discusses?

They keep the physical environment intact by controlling the prey populations (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary consequence of exceeding the environmental and energy limits of an ecosystem?

Serious undesirable effects on the ecosystem. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the result of organisms being unable to adjust a changed environment?

They ultimately disappear from the ecosystem. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which category of ecosystem services directly provides raw materials like timber and food?

Provisioning services. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes what 'regulating services' provide?

The control of ecosystem processes (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is an example of a 'cultural service' provided by ecosystems?

Spiritual enrichment. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary role of 'supporting services' in an ecosystem?

To provide the foundation for all other ecosystem services. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is a major reason for the degradation of ecosystems and biodiversity?

A lack of understanding of the value of ecosystem services. (D) Signup and view all the answers

How does the value of ecosystem services compare to the global economy, according to the provided information?

Ecosystem services are considered to be of greater economic value. (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary reason the pyramid of energy is consistently upright?

Energy decreases at each subsequent trophic level. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is considered an advantage of the pyramid of energy over other ecological pyramids?

It is not affected by the size or metabolic rate of organisms. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Why might biomass be misleading when analyzing energy flow?

Organisms with the same mass can have different energy content. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is a significant limitation when using the pyramid of energy?

It requires knowledge of the rate of biomass production of organisms. (B) Signup and view all the answers

According to Smith's criteria, what is a key factor related to the structure of an ecosystem?

Its species diversity. (B) Signup and view all the answers

What determines the relative amount of energy needed to maintain an ecosystem?

The complexity of its structure. (D) Signup and view all the answers

How do ecosystems change as they mature?

They transition from less complex to more complex forms. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What characteristic is associated with early stages of ecosystem succession?

Excessive potential energy and high energy flow per unit biomass. (C) Signup and view all the answers

In a grassland ecosystem, which of the following represents the typical order of organisms from the base to the apex of the pyramid of numbers?

Insects -> frogs, birds -> hawks, eagles, foxes (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes the shape of the pyramid of numbers in a forest ecosystem?

Spindle-shaped (A) Signup and view all the answers

In a parasitic food chain, why is the pyramid of numbers inverted?

The parasites and hyperparasites are greater in numbers than the producers and herbivores. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the statements below applies to a pyramid of biomass?

It represents the total amount of living organic matter at each trophic level. (D) Signup and view all the answers

In an aquatic ecosystem, which trophic level would have the highest number of organisms, based on a typical pyramid of numbers?

Producers like zooplankton (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which is a component that determines the shape of an ecological pyramid?

Number and biomass (D) Signup and view all the answers

How does the number of organisms typically change as you move up trophic levels in an upright ecological pyramid?

It decreases at each level. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following food chains is most likely to exhibit an inverted pyramid of numbers?

Trees -> Birds -> Lice (B) Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Environmental Science & Education

Unit 1 covers the concept, importance, and components of the environment, ecosystems, ecosystem services, biodiversity, and environmental education/ethics.
Unit 2 focuses on natural resources (renewable and non-renewable), natural resource management, and environmental pollution (air, water, soil pollution, solid waste management, and climate change).
Suggested readings include various textbooks on environmental studies like Asthana, Basu, and Bharucha, as well as other relevant resources.

Environment: Concept, Importance, and Components

The word "Environment" originates from the French word "environner," meaning to encircle or surround.
Biologist Jacob Van Uerkal (1864-1944) introduced the term "environment" in Ecology.
Environment is defined as the sum total of living and non-living components, influences, and events surrounding an organism.
The Environment Protection Act of 1986 defines environment as the sum total of land, water, air, interrelationships among themselves and with human beings and other living organisms.

Ecology and Ecosystem

Ecology is the study of the interactions of organisms with each other and their environment.
Environmental Science is an interdisciplinary study of the interactions among physical, chemical, and biological components of the environment, with a focus on environmental pollution and degradation.
It encompasses various subjects like biology, chemistry, physics, statistics, microbiology, biochemistry, geology, economics, law, and sociology.
The narrow definition of environmental science is the study of human impact on the physical and biological environment of an organism.

Types of Environment Based on Human Interference

Natural environment: Inherent, unaltered, and not manipulated by humans. Life processes and evolution are unhindered.
Human-modified environment: A naturally occurring environment that has been modified to some extent by human intervention.
Human-made environment: An environment deliberately controlled and converted by humans, such as cities, towns, crop fields, and artificial lakes/dams/industries.

Components of Environment

Abiotic: light, humidity, water, temperature, atmospheric gases, altitude, latitude, and seasonal changes.
Biotic: plants (flora), animals (fauna), human beings, parasites, and microorganisms.
Energy: solar, geothermal, water, and nuclear energy.

Segments of the Environment

Atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and biosphere.

Structure of the Atmosphere

The atmosphere is the layer of air surrounding the Earth.
It's primarily composed of 79% nitrogen and 20% oxygen, with smaller amounts of other gases like carbon dioxide, water vapor, neon, helium, methane, krypton, hydrogen, and xenon.
The atmosphere is layered: troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, and exosphere.
Different layers have distinct characteristics related to weather, temperature, and atmospheric phenomena.

Hydrosphere

A hydrosphere is the total amount of water on a planet, including surface water, groundwater, and water in the air.
Water is crucial for life on Earth.
A significant portion of Earth's water is saline (97%), while the rest is fresh water.

Lithosphere

The rigid, rocky outer layer of the Earth.
Consists of the crust and the solid outermost layer of the upper mantle.
Different thicknesses in oceanic and continental crust.

Ecosystem Structure and Function

Ecosystems are regions where living organisms interact with their environment.
Abiotic components: Non-living factors (e.g., climate, soil, water, minerals).
Biotic components: Living factors (e.g., plants, animals, microorganisms).
Interconnected through interactions like feeding relationships (food chains/webs).
Size and complexity vary dramatically, from a single tree to an entire rainforest.
Ecosystem structure is created due to the interaction between abiotic and biotic components, and varies over space and time.

Ecosystem Services

Benefits obtained from the regulation of ecosystem processes (air quality, climate, water, and erosion control, various other services discussed in the notes).
These services are crucial to human well-being, impacting provisioning (food, water, etc.), regulating (climate, disease control), cultural (aesthetic and spiritual value), and supporting (nutrient cycling, water cycle) services.

Energy Flow in the Ecosystem

Energy flows from the sun, through producers (plants), to consumers (herbivores, carnivores, omnivores) and decomposers.
The process of photosynthesis converts solar energy into chemical energy (food for producers).
Only about 10% of energy is transferred to the next trophic level in a food chain.

Food Chains, Food Webs, and Ecological Pyramids

Food chains trace the flow of energy through the ecosystem.
Food webs are complex networks of interconnected food chains.
Ecological pyramids illustrate the relative amounts of organisms, energy, and biomass at different trophic levels.

Ecological Pyramids

Three types of ecological pyramids are discussed - number, biomass, and energy. They show the relationship between biomass and trophic levels. Note: There are discussion points for inverted pyramid types.

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Description

Test your knowledge of key concepts in Environmental Science and Ecology with this quiz. You'll explore the origins of the term 'environment,' various ecosystems, and the distinctions between Ecology and Environmental Science. Perfect for students and enthusiasts alike!