Olympiad Test : Ecosystem - 1 - Class 5 MCQ

Consumers are organisms that get their energy by eating other organisms, whether they are plants or animals. There are different types of consumers, such as herbivores (which eat plants), carnivores (which eat animals), and omnivores (which eat both plants and animals).

• Producers (option A) are organisms like plants and algae that make their own food through photosynthesis.
• Herbivores (option B) are a type of consumer that eats only plants.
• Decomposers (option C) break down dead organisms and recycle nutrients back into the environment.

Evergreen forests, also known as tropical rainforests, thrive in regions with high rainfall throughout the year. These forests are typically found in:

• Western Ghats: The Western Ghats experience high rainfall, particularly along the western slopes, creating ideal conditions for evergreen forests.
• North Eastern India: Areas like Assam, Meghalaya, and parts of Arunachal Pradesh receive heavy rainfall and support dense evergreen forests.
• Andaman and Nicobar Islands: These islands receive substantial rainfall, contributing to the growth of evergreen forests.

Thus, all of these regions have the conditions necessary for the growth of evergreen forests.

Carnivores are animals that exclusively eat other animals (meat). They are a key part of the food chain and are typically found at the higher trophic levels. Examples include lions, tigers, and eagles.

• Herbivores eat only plants.
• Producers (like plants) make their own food through photosynthesis and serve as the base of the food chain.
• Decomposers break down dead plants and animals, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem.

Thus, carnivores are the part of the food chain that only eat meat.

The biosphere is the largest unit of the biological system. It encompasses all the ecosystems on Earth and includes all living organisms (plants, animals, microorganisms) and their interactions with the physical environment (air, water, soil).

Here’s a brief explanation of the other terms:

• Population: A group of individuals of the same species living in a specific area.
• Biome: A large geographical biotic unit characterized by specific vegetation types, climate, and animal life (e.g., desert, forest).
• Ecosystem: A community of living organisms interacting with each other and their environment in a specific area.

The biosphere is the broadest level of biological organization, encompassing all other levels.

Savanna and Prairies are types of grassland ecosystems. Grasslands are large open areas covered with grasses and small plants, with few trees.

• Savannas are typically found in tropical regions and are characterized by seasonal rainfall and a mix of grasses and scattered trees.
• Prairies are found in temperate regions and are dominated by grasses with few trees, often experiencing dry conditions.

Both of these ecosystems have specific plant and animal species adapted to the grassland environment.

Decomposers, such as fungi, bacteria, and other microorganisms, break down dead plants and animals into simpler substances. These substances release essential nutrients back into the soil, which can be reused by producers (plants). This recycling process ensures that nutrients are continually available in ecosystems.

Consumers are organisms that obtain their energy by eating other organisms. In the given chain:

• Rabbit eats plants (producers) and is a primary consumer.
• Snake eats the rabbit and is a secondary consumer.
• Eagle eats the snake and is a tertiary consumer.

So, the Rabbit, Snake, and Eagle are all consumers.

A forest is an ecosystem that includes various living organisms (plants, animals, microorganisms) and their interactions with the physical environment (air, water, soil). When we destroy a forest, we are destroying this whole interconnected system, which is an ecosystem.

A. Aquatic ecosystem → Marine (3):
Aquatic ecosystems include water bodies such as oceans, seas, rivers, and lakes. The marine ecosystem specifically refers to saltwater environments like oceans, which are part of the aquatic ecosystem.

B. Forest ecosystem → High density of living organisms (4):
Forest ecosystems have a high density of living organisms because they are rich in biodiversity. They provide habitats for numerous plants, animals, and microorganisms due to their abundant resources, such as water, food, and shelter.

C. Desert ecosystem → Less rainfall regions (1):
Deserts are characterized by their extremely low levels of rainfall. Plants and animals in desert ecosystems are adapted to survive in arid conditions with minimal water availability.

D. Grassland ecosystem → Savanna (2):
Grasslands, especially savannas, are regions dominated by grasses with scattered trees and shrubs. They are ecosystems found in areas with moderate rainfall, typically between forest and desert biomes.

This matching highlights the characteristics of each ecosystem type, explaining their unique features.

Primary consumers are herbivores that feed on plants. Cows and giraffes are herbivores that eat plants, so they are primary consumers.

• Buffaloes are herbivores, but cats are carnivores, so this pair does not represent primary consumers.
• Insects and butterflies can be primary consumers when they feed on plants (e.g., nectar), but the more typical primary consumers are large herbivores like cows and giraffes.

Thus, the correct answer is A: Cows and giraffes.