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Our Environment — Question 5

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Question 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?

Answer

Yes, the impact of removing all the organisms in a trophic level will be different for different trophic levels.

  1. Primary Producers (Plants) — Removing plants will cause the collapse of the entire food chain as without photosynthesis the energy input into the ecosystem would stop.
  2. Primary Consumers (Herbivores) — Removing all herbivores would result in a surge in plant population. Also, carnivores that rely on herbivores as a food source would face a shortage of prey and ultimately die of starvation.
  3. Secondary Consumers (Carnivores) — Removing all carnivores would result in a surge in herbivores population leading to overgrazing and potential damage to plant population.

No, the organisms of any trophic level cannot be removed without causing any damage to the ecosystem.

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Science | Chapter 13: Our EnvironmentWeb Content

Chapter 13: Our Environment — Quick Revision Guide

Introduction

Our environment is a complex web of living and non-living components. This chapter covers ecosystems, food chains, energy flow, ozone layer depletion, and waste management.

Key Points at a Glance

  1. Ecosystem: biotic (producers, consumers, decomposers) + abiotic (temperature, water, soil, light)
  2. Food chain: linear energy transfer; Grass → Grasshopper → Frog → Snake → Hawk
  3. Trophic levels: T1 (producers), T2 (primary consumers), T3, T4; usually 4–5 levels max
  4. 10% law (Lindeman): only 10% energy transfers to next level; rest lost as heat in life processes
  5. Food web: interconnected chains; more stable; if one species declines, alternatives exist
  6. Biological magnification: non-biodegradable chemicals (DDT) concentrate at higher trophic levels
  7. Ozone (O3) in stratosphere absorbs UV; CFCs deplete ozone; Montreal Protocol (1987) limits CFCs
  8. Biodegradable waste: broken down by microorganisms; composting, vermicomposting, biogas
  9. Non-biodegradable waste: persists; plastic, glass, DDT; reduce, reuse, recycle
  10. Problems: biomagnification, plastic pollution, e-waste toxicity, air pollution from burning waste

Real-World Connections

Banning single-use plastic reduces pollution; composting reduces landfill load; ozone layer is slowly recovering; understanding food chains helps conservation; DDT ban protected bird populations.

Quick Self-Test (5 Questions)

  1. What is the most important concept you learned from this chapter?
  2. Can you write three key equations/formulae from this chapter from memory?
  3. Draw a labelled diagram relevant to this chapter without looking at your notes.
  4. Explain one real-world application of a concept from this chapter.
  5. What is one common mistake students make in this chapter, and how can you avoid it?

Further Study

  • NCERT Textbook Chapter 13
  • NCERT Exemplar Problems
  • Bright Tutorials Detailed Notes: ch13-our-environment.html
  • Bright Tutorials Practice Questions: ch13-our-environment.html
  • Previous Year CBSE Board Papers

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