1. What is Ecosystem? Give an account of structure of Ecosystem.

(5M)
Ans. An Ecosystem can be defined as a structural and functional unit of
biosphere or segment of nature consisting of community of living beings and s
between them. The term ecosystem was first introduced by Sir Arthur Tansely
(1935).
The structure of an ecosystem is characterized by the physical organization of
biotic and abiotic components. The major structural features of ecosystems
are :
1.Species Composition
2.Stratification
3.Trophic Organization
4. Nutrients
1. Species Composition: Each Ecosystem has its own type of species
composition. A great variety of species is found in forest Ecosystem,
whereas a few species occur in desert ecosystem.
2. Stratification: The organisms in each ecosystem form one or more strata
or layers , each comprising the population of particular kind of species. In
some ecosystem such as tropical rain forest, the crown of trees, bushes
and ground vegetations form different strata and are occupied by
different species. On the other hand, the desert ecosystem shows a low
discontinuous herb layers consisting of fewer and bare patches of soil.
3. Trophic organization: Trophic (food) structure of ecosystem is based on
the existence of several trophic level in the ecosystem. The producers
(autotrophs) form the first trophic level or T1, Herbivores the second or T2
and carnivores constitute the third or T3. There may be 2-3 levels of
carnivores. The top carnivore belongs to T4 or T5 trophic levels.
Decomposers form the ultimate or detritus trophic level.
The amount of living materials presents in different trophic levels
at a given time is called standing crop. It is commonly expressed in terms
of either fresh or dry weight.
4. Nutrients: In an ecosystem the nutrients necessary for the growth of living
organisms are accumulated in the biomass and the abiotic components
like soil. The amount of nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and
 calcium present in the soil at any given time is termed as standing state.
Different ecosystems have different standing state of nutrients.
2. What is Ecosystem? Give an account of Function of Ecosystem. (5M)
Ecosystems have some functional attributes which keep the components parts
running together. A knowledge of the rates of different processes at which they
occur in the ecosystem is necessary to understand the interrelations, structure
and function of the ecosystem. The major functional attributes of the ecosystem
are :
i. Productivity
ii. Energy Flow
iii. Nutrient Cycling
iv. Development and Stabilization
1. Productivity
The rate of organic matter or biomass production is called productivity. The
productivity of an ecosystem is of two types:
Primary Productivity:
The rate at which radiant energy is captured by the producer for the synthesis
of organic compounds through photosynthesis is called primary productivity.
The primary productivity is further distinguished as gross primary productivity
or GPP (the rate of total capture of energy or the rate of total production of
organic matter per unit are and time ) and Net primary productivity or NPP (the
rate at which energy or organic matter is stored by the producer after
respiration and maintenance per unit area and time).
Secondary Productivity:
The rate of increase in the biomass of consumers per unit area and time is called
secondary productivity.
2.Energy Flow
The functioning of the ecosystems depends on the flow of energy through
matter. Energy enters the ecosystem from the solar radiations and is converted
into chemical form by the producers. From these the energy passes from one
trophic level to the next through food.
3. Nutrient cycling
 In an ecosystem the nutrients necessary for the growth of living organisms
are accumulated in the biomass and the abiotic components like soil. Green
plants prepare food and roots absorb nutrients from the soil. Herbivores feed
on the part of the plant production , and in turn serves as food for carnivores.
Decomposers carry out the function of breaking down complex organic
materials into simpler inorganic products which can be used by the producer.
4. Development and stabilization
Each ecosystem possesses a natural tendency to persist. The development
and stabilization of ecosystem depends on the functional attributes which
keep the components parts running together.
3. Give an account of Energy flow in the Ecosystem. (5M)
❖ Energy flow is the flow of energy through living things within an
ecosystem. One of the significant variables that support the survival of
such a large number of creatures is the energy flow in the ecosystem.
❖ A network of links between living and non-living components makes up
an ecosystem.
❖ The sun provides all the energy that living beings require. Green plants
absorb the solar energy from there the energy can passes from one
trophic level to the next trophic level through food.
❖ The flow of energy, in the ecosystem can governed by two basic laws of
thermodynamics that is…
I. Energy can neither be created nor be destroyed but can be transformed
from one state to another.
II. Every transformation or transfer of energy is accompanied by its
dispersion.
❖ Energy flow is always unidirectional or one way flow of energy in the
ecosystem. That is from producers to herbivores and from harbivores to
carnivore. It can not be in reverse direction.
❖ There is a decrease in the content and flow of energy with the rise in
trophic levels.
❖ 1 – 6% of solar radiation is trapped by producers in their photosynthetic
activity. The rest is dissipated as heat. The remaining form of energy can
be utilized by the next trophic level.
❖ On an average in different ecosystem the different consumers levels can
get only 10% of the gross primary productivity of the producer. So flow of
energy is also called as 10% law of energy flow.
5. What is food chain and food web?
A food chain explains which organism eats another organism in the
environment. The food chain is a linear sequence of organisms where nutrients
and energy is transferred from one organism to the other. This occurs when one
organism consumes another organism. It begins with the producer organism,
follows the chain and ends with the decomposer organism.
The transfer of food energy from the source in plants through a series of
organisms with repeated eating and being eaten is referred as food chain.
Food chain are of 2 types.
1. Grazing food chain: It extends from producers through herbivores to
carnivores. Producers are autotrophic organisms which synthesize organic food
from simple inorganic raw materials through photosynthesis. The animals that
feed on the plants are called Herbivores. The herbivores can be eaten by
carnivores.
Some common examples of food chain are given below:
2. Detritus Food Chain: It starts with dead organic matter and passes through
detritus feeding microorganisms in soil to organisms feeding on detritus feeders
and their predators. The ecosystem exhibiting detritus food chain are thus less
dependent on direct solar energy.

Food web
❖ A network of food chains which are interconnected at various trophic
levels so as to forma number of feeding connections amongst different
organisms of a biotic community is called food web.
❖ A food web is similar to a food chain but the food web is comparatively
larger than a food chain.
❖ Occasionally, a single organism is consumed by many predators or it
consumes several other organisms. Due to this, many trophic levels get
interconnected.
❖ The food chain fails to showcase the flow of energy in the right way. But,
the food web is able to show the proper representation of energy flow,
as it displays the interactions between different organisms.