Tag: basics of ecology

Biological or biotic community is an assemblage of populations of different species of plants, animals, bacteria and fungi which live in a particular area and interact with one another through competition, predation, mutualism etc. Each biotic community has a specific composition and structure e.g., pond community.

Keystone species is a species, which has a significant and disproportionately large influence on the community structure and characteristics. It has often considerable low abundance and biomass as compared to dominant species. Removal or decrease in number of keystone species causes serious disruptions in structure and function of community.

Biosphere  is biologically inhabited part of Earth, along with its physical environment consisting of lower atmosphere, land and water bodies in other words-atmosphere, lithosphere and hydrosphere.

Biosphere  is biologically inhabited part of Earth along with its physical environment consisting of lower atmosphere, land and water bodies (in other words-atmosphere, lithosphere and hydrosphere).

In an aquatic ecosystem, fishes can consume phytoplanktons and other producers. In such a system, fishes will be primary carnivores or primary consumers or herbivores as compared to the grazing food chain. Some bigger fishes can consume smaller fishes. In this case, bigger fishes will act as secondary consumers or secondary carnivores feeding on primary carnivores. Thus, fishes can occupy more than one trophic levels. Phytoplanktons will always be producers and zooplanktons will always be primary consumers. The frog will always act as secondary consumer feeding on primary consumers i.e., insects. Thus, the correct answer is option B.

Biosphere is biologically inhabited part of earth along with its physical environment consisting of lower atmosphere, land and water bodies.
Biome is a large regional unit delimited by a specific climatic zone, having a particular major vegetation zone and its associated fauna eg tundra desert, ocean etc. 
Ecotone is the transition zone between two communities, e.g., forest and grassland.
Biota is a general term, which refers to living organisms.

Man made or artificial ecosystems have low stability. Because usually man is interested in only a few economically beneficial species only and only those species will be used by man to create an ecosystem e.g., agriculture field is a man made artificial ecosystem having only those plants which are economically beneficial. Thus, the correct answer is option A.

Biome is a large regional unit delimited by a specific climatic zone, having a particular major vegetation zone and its associated fauna. For example, tundra desert, temperate deciduous forests etc. 

Ecosystem is a segment of nature or biosphere consisting of a community of living beings and the abiotic or physical environment both interacting and exchanging materials between them.

The ecosystem is a segment of biosphere consisting of a community of living beings and the abiotic or physical environment, both interacting and exchanging materials between them. The word ecosystem was first coined by Tansley in 1935 and previously the term 'biocoenosis' was used.