✔ Q.1. Why are some substances biodegradable and some non-biodegradable?

ANS.Substances are classified as biodegradable and non-biodegradable because some

substances can be decomposed by microorganisms and some cannot.
Substances that are broken down into simple soluble forms are called biodegradable
substances and the substances that are not decomposed by microorganisms into harmless
substances are called non biodegradable substances.
✔ Q.2. Give any two ways in which biodegradable substances would affect the
environment.
ANS.Biodegradable substances affect the environment by:
→ The biodegradable substances such as tree leaves, plant parts, and kitchen
wastes can be used as humus after composting. This will enhance the soil fertility.
→ The biodegradable substances mainly contain carbon. These substances after
decomposition release that carbon back into the atmosphere.
✔ Q.3. Give any two ways in which non-biodegradable substances would affect the
environment.
ANS.Non-biodegradable substances affect the environment by:
→ They contaminate soil and water resources as they cannot be decomposed by
microorganisms.
→ These substances, when accidentally eaten by stray animals, can harm them and
can even cause their death.
✔ Q.1. What are trophic levels? Give an example of a food chain and state the
different trophic levels in it.
ANS. The various links or steps in a food chain at which the transfer of food and energy takes
place are called trophic levels.
The producers form the first trophic level as they manufacture food. The primary consumers
form the second trophic level, the secondary consumers form the third, and the tertiary
consumers form the fourth trophic level.

In the above fig. Grass is the producer which is eaten by the grasshopper known as the primary
consumer. Then the grasshopper is eaten by shrew, secondary consumer and lastly shrew
eaten up by owl, tertiary consumer.
✔ Q.2. What is the role of decomposers in the ecosystem?
ANS.Various role played by decomposers in the ecosystem are:
→ They clean the environment.
→ They decompose biodegradable substances into useful substances.
→ They release nutrients into soil by decomposing dead and decaying matter, thus
making the soil fertile.
→ They maintain the nutrient pool by returning back the nutrients in the pool.
✔ Q.1. What is ozone and how does it affect any ecosystem?
ANS.Ozone (O3) is a molecule, made up of three atoms of oxygen.
Ozone (O3) forms a layer in the upper atmosphere. It is very essential for life on this planet. It
shields the surface of the earth from ultraviolet radiation (UV) coming from the sun as these
radiations are very harmful causing skin cancer and cataract in humans. It also does harm to
the crops.
✔ Q.2. How can you help in reducing the problem of waste disposal? Give any two
methods.
ANS. We can help in reducing the problem of waste disposal by these methods:
→ By separating biodegradable substances from non-biodegradable substances.
→ By reducing, reusing and recycling non-biodegradable substances.
EXERCISES
✔ Q.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.► (c) Fruit-peels, cake and lime-juice
(d) Cake, wood and grass
✔ Q.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 and human
✔ Q.3. Which of the following are environment-friendly practices?
(a) Carrying cloth-bags 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
✔ Q.4. What will happen if we kill all the organisms in one trophic level?
ANS.If we kill all the organisms of one trophic level it will create an imbalance in the ecosystem.
As an Example, In a food chain Grass → Dear → Lion, If we remove all lionsĺ then population of
deer will increase which will cause overgrazing. This will lead to deforestation. It may even lead
to soil erosion causing further conversion of fertile land into barren desert.
✔ Q.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.Impact of removing all organisms of a trophic level is different for different trophic levels.
For example, if we remove producers from a food chain, no organism will get food, if we remove
herbivores from a food chain then carnivores will die and producers will also die due to
competition for space and nutrients. No, we can't remove any trophic level without causing
damage to the ecosystem as one is dependent on the other for their survival. If we remove any
one this will create imbalance in the ecosystem.
✔ Q.6. What is biological magnification? Will the levels of this magnification be
different at different levels of the ecosystem?
ANS.Biological magnification is defined as the phenomena of accumulation or increase in the
concentration of some toxic substances at each trophic level.
The levels of biomagnification will be different at different trophic levels. For example, in a pond
of water, DDT was sprayed and the producers were found to have 0.04 ppm concentration of
DDT. Since many types of planktons are eaten by some fishes and clams, their body
accumulates 0.23 ppm of DDT. Sea gull that feeds on clams accumulates more DDT as one
sea gull eats many clams. Hawk, the top carnivore, has the highest concentration of DDT.
✔ Q.7. What are the problems caused by the non-biodegradable wastes that we
generate?
ANS. The problems caused by non-biodegradable wastes are:
→ The cause of biomagnification.
→ They increase pollution.
→ They make the environment unclean.
→ They kill useful microorganisms.
✔ Q.8. If all the waste we generate is biodegradable, will this have no impact on
the environment?
ANS. If all the waste generated would be biodegradable this will also create problems. As the
numbers of decomposers will be quite low so wastes cannot be broken down into harmless
simpler substances at the right time. It will become breeding ground for flies causing spread of
diseases. It will also emit a foul smell which makes the lives of people miserable.
✔ Q.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 a cause for concern because:
→ It causes skin darkening, skin cancer, ageing, and corneal cataracts in human
beings.
→ It can result in the death of many phytoplanktons that lead to increased global
warming.

To limit the damage to the ozone layer, the release of CFCs into the atmosphere must be
reduced. CFCs used as refrigerants and in fire extinguishers should be replaced with
environmentally-safe alternatives. Also, the release of CFCs through industrial activities should
be controlled.