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Part-B

( 16 MARKS)

Question 1 (Nov/Dec-2010)
1.(a) What is Deforestation?
The destruction of forests cover by the activities of man and domestic animals
is called deforestation.
The total forest area of the world in 1900 was estimated to be 7000 million ha
which was reduced to 2890 million ha in 1975 and fell down to just 2300 million
ha by 2000.
Deforestation rate is relatively less in temperate countries but it is very alarming
in tropical countries, where it is as high as 40-50% and at the present rate it is
estimated that in the next 60 years, we would lose more than 90% of our tropical
forests.
Now the rate of deforestation has been estimated to be between 25.55 ha / min.
The deforestation in India is about 3.5 million ha /year. Asia has lost almost 95%
of its frontier forest.

MAJOR CAUSES OF DEFORESTATION:

1. Growth of human population:
Due to over population requirements of paper shelter, wood, timber, has
been increased. Man has utilized larger area of forests for housing
agriculture, factories & railway tracts.
2. Shifting cultivation:
The replacement of natural forest for monoculture can lead
disappearance of number of plant and animal species. 300 million people
lived by shifting cultivation. They are supposed to clear 5 lakhs ha /
annum.

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3. Industries & Road, Dam construction:

It causes destruction of forest or submergence of forest under water.
Hence developmental activities in the forest area should be discouraged
4. Mining:
Mining activities destroys forest areas
5. Timber extraction:
Due to the increase in the population, the demand for wood also
increases which led to deforestation.

6. Over grazing:
It exposes the soil to erosion by water and wind, compact the soil
(which diminishes its capacity to hold water) and is a major cause of
desertification.
7. Forest fire:
Due to climatic change, human intervention and rise in temperature
cause frequent forest fires which lead deforestation.
8. Fuel requirement:
Increase in demand for fuel wood has shoot up to 300 500 Million
tons in 2001, compared to 65 Million ton during independence.

(OR)
2. (a) Briefly discuss the benefits and problems of Dams.
India has more number of river valley projects (RVP) referred to as
Temples of Modern India.
Dams are responsible for the destruction of vast areas of forest.
India has more than 1550 large dams. Maximum number of dams in the
state of Maharastra (600) followed by Gujarat (more than 250) and Madhya

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Pradesh (130). The highest one is Tehri dam on river Bhagirathi in Uttranchal &
the largest in terms of capacity in Bhakra dam on river Sutlej in Himachal Pradesh.
Big dams have been in sharp focus of various Environmental groups all
over the world which is mainly because of several ecological problems related to
tribal or native people associated with them.
EFFECTS OF DAM ON FOREST:
Large scale devastation of forests takes place which breaks the natural and
ecological balance of the region.
Big RVP also caused water logging which leads to reduce fertility of land.
Floods, drought & land slides become more prevalent in mining area
The impounding of water in the dam may create Major / Minor earthquakes
and leads to flood in the down stream side of a dam.
Forests are the repositories of invaluable gifts of nature in the form of
biodiversity. By destroying them, we are going to lose these species even
before knowing them.
These species could be having marvelous economic or medicinal value and
deforestation results in loss of their store house of species, which have
evolved over millions of years in single stroke.
EFFECTS OF DAM ON TRIBAL PEOPLE
1. The greatest social cost of big dam is wide spread displacement of tribal
people.
2. The displacement & cultural change affects the tribal people mentally (or)
physically. They do not accommodate the modern food habits and life
styles.
3. Tribal people may be ill treated by modern society
4. Tribal people & their culture cannot be questioned and destroyed.
5. Many of the displaced people were not recognized and resettled (or)
compensated (Environmental refugees)

3.(a) Various type of Forest ecosystem.

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Forest is one of the land area inhabited by dense growth of trees herbs &
shrubs. Maximum biodiversity has been noticed in the forest area.
Produce innumerable material good.
Provide environmental services essential for life.
About 1/3 of the worlds land area is forested which includes closed as well
as open forests.
The cover of natural forest has declined over the years.
The greatest loss occurred in tropical Asia where 1/3 rd of the forest resources
have been destroyed.
USES OF FOREST:
Commercial uses:
Forest provide us a large number of commercial goods which include
timber, firewood, pulpwood, food items, gum, resins, non edible oils, rubber,
fibers, lac, bamboo canes, fodder, medicine, drugs and many more items, the total
worth of which is estimated to be more than $ 300 billion per year.
Half of the timber cut each year is used as fuel for heating and cooking.
1/3rd of the harvest is used for building materials
1/6th of harvest is converted into pulp and used for paper.
Many Forest lands are used for mining, agriculture grazing and recreation and for
development of dams. It also serves as tourist spots by which government gets
revenue annually.
Ecological uses:
A typical tree produces commercial goods work about $590 whereas it
provides environmental services worth nearly $ 196250.
Ecological services provided by our forests are as follows.
Production of oxygen:
The trees produce O2 by photosynthesis which is so vital for life on
this earth. They are rightly called as earths lungs.

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Reducing global warming:

The forest canopy act as a sink for CO2 thereby reducing the problem
of global warming caused by green house gas CO2.
Wild life habitat:
Forests are the homes of millions of wild animals and plants. About 7
Million species are found in the tropical forests alone.
Regulation of hydrological cycle:
Forests water sheds act, like giant sponges absorbing rainfall, slowing
down the run off and slowly releasing the water for recharge of springs.
Soil conservation:
Forests bind the soil particles tightly in their roots and prevent soil
erosion. They also act as wind breaks.
Pollution moderators:
Forests can absorb many toxic gases and can help in keeping the air
pure. They have also been reported to absorb noise and thus help in
preventing air and noise pollution.
EXPLOITATION OF FOREST RESOURCES:
With growing civilization the demands for raw material like timber, pulp,
minerals, fuel wood etc., shoot up resulting in large scale logging, mining and road
building and clearing of forest.
Our forests contribute substantially to the natural economy. Excessive use
of fuel wood and charcoal, expansion of urban, agricultural and industrial areas
and over grazing have together led to over exploitation of our forest leading to
their rapid degradation.
In the world nearly about 30% of the area is covered by the forest.
Developing countries are rapidly over exploiting their forest wealth by the
following two ways.
(i)
(ii)

Increasing agricultural production by destroying forests

Wood used as fuel.

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It has been estimated that minimum area of forests required maintaining

ecological balance is about 33% of total geographical area unfortunately at present
it is only 22.19% in India which is considered to be very low. The per capital
forest land in India is 0.11 hectares as against the world average of 1.08 hectares.
It is reported that Central American countries may lose forests within next 50
years. Ethiopia has last all but the remaining 3.5% of its forests. Srilanka may lose
valuable tropical forest within a period of 20 years. Thailand lost 45% of it forest
up to 1985. Indonesia is chopping rain forest at the rate of one million hectares a
year. In Philliphines, 60% of the forests have been cut during the last 30 years.
It is important to reduce the gap between demand and supply of forest material
through regeneration of forests.

(b). What is Ecological pyramids?

Graphical representation of trophic structure & function of an ecosystem starting
with producers at the base and successive trophic levels forming the apex is known
as ecological pyramid. It is of three types.
Pyramid of numbers:
It represents the number of individual organisms at each trophic level.
We may have upright or inverted pyramid of numbers depending upon the type of
ecosystem and food chain.
In grassland, grasses are small in size and very large in numbers so the producers
form a broad base. The herbivores in a grass lands are insects while tertiary
carnivores are hawks or other birds which are

gradually less and less in number and hence the pyramid apex becomes gradually
narrower forming an upright pyramid.

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HAWK
TERTIARY CONSUMERS
SECONDARY CONSUMERS

SNAKE

INSECTS
PRIMARY CONSUMERS

GRASSES
PRODUCERS

In a forest ecosystem, big trees are the producers which are less in number. A large
number of herbivores and form much broader middle level. The secondary
consumers like for snakes etc are less in number & top carnivores like lion, tiger
are stall smaller in number.
LION
TERTIARY CONSUMERS
FOX
SECONDARY CONSUMERS
INSECTS,BIRDS
PRIMARY CONSUMERS
BIG TREES
PRODUCERS

Parsitic food chain shows an inverted pyramid of number. The producers like a
few big trees harbours fruit eating birds acting like herbivores which are larger in
number. A much higher number of lice, bugs etc grow as parasites on these birds

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while a still greater number of hyperparasites like bugs, fleas and microbes feed
upon them, thus making an inverted pyramid.

FLEAS,MICROBES

HYPER PARASITE

LICE,BUGS

PARASITE
BIRDS
PRIMARY CONSUMERS
TREE
PRODUCERS

Pyramid of Biomass:
It is based upon the total biomass at each trophic level in a food chain.
The pyramid of Biomass can also be upright or inverted.
The pyramid of biomass in a forest is upright in contrast to its pyramid of numbers.
This is because the producers accumulate a huge biomass while the consumers
total biomass feeding on them declines at higher trophic levels resulting in broad
base and narrowing top.

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The pond ecosystem shows an inverted pyramid of Biomass the total biomass of
producer is much less as compared to Herbivores (Zooplankton, insects),
carnivores and tertiary carnivores. Thus the pyramid takes an inverted shape with
narrow base & broad apex.

Pyramid of energy:

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The amount of energy present at each trophic level is considered for this
type of pyramid. Pyramid of energy gives the best representation of the trophic
relationships and it is always upright.
At every successive trophic level there is a huge loss of energy in the form of heat,
respiration etc. Thus at each next higher level only 10% of the energy passes on.
Hence there is a sharp decline in energy level of each successive trophic level as
we move from producer to carnivores.

(OR)
4.(a) What are the cause for Loss of Biodiversity?
1. Survival
Without biological diversity, we would perish. Biodiversity meets the
basic survival needs of a vast number of people. In most communities the
livelihood of the people revolves around the biodiversity of the area. For
instance, in the forest belt of Ghana most men are hunters. These hunters
survive on the availability of antelopes, rabbits, snails, etc.
2. Health and healing
Even today, a large number traditional communities depend on
traditional medicine for primary health care, most of which are derived
from plants and animals. Approximately 25% of all prescription drugs
are derived from plants.
3. Food Security
Biodiversity is critical for agriculture. All our food is derived from the
biological world. Wheat, potatoes, vegetables, fruits, milk, meat, honey etc
are the outcomes of Biodiversity. Many plants species such as asafetida,
ginger, mint, turmeric etc are used as spices all over the world.
Biodiversity is also a source of new crops of improved variety and of biodegradable pesticides.
4. Productive Value

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Biodiversity also has a productive value. There are many products used by
human which are derived from natural sources. Cinchona plant is used to
make medicines, and wood is used as fuel. Production of charcoal is
through plants and trees. A number of dyes and dye based products are also
obtained from plants.
5. Ethical Value
Each species is unique and has the rights to exist. Human do not have the
right to eliminate any species. Scientific and ethical principle should guide
developmental activities. Ethical use of natural elements has deep roots
within human culture, religion, and society. A sustainable world requires an
ethics that is ultimately incorporated into culture and is long lasting.
6. Aesthetic pleasure
Biodiversity also has great aesthetic value. Each species and ecosystem
adds to the richness and beauty of life on earth. Perhaps no medium can
match the sheer joy of watching a sunset over an ocean, the sight of a
leaping deer, the sounds of singing bird, or the smell of wet earth after the
first rains. Other examples of aesthetic rewards include eco-tourism,
Ornithology, wild life, keeping pets, gardening etc.

7. Ecological Services
Species evolve to fill particular niches in an ecosystem or habitat. Many
species also depend on each other in intricate ways of survival. Destroying
one species can lead to further extinction or changes. Specific life forms
present in a particular habitat help to create conditions for other life forms to
live. For example, a single tree provides not only its products, which may
have economic value, but it is also a habitat for innumerable living things.
In addition, it also plays a vital role in conserving soil and water and helping
to keep the air clean, nutrient cycling and climate regulation. In one study,
published in 1997, in the science journal Nature, researchers estimated the
value of these ecosystem services at between $ 16 Trillion and $ 54 Trillion
a year.

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(b). Explain the Conservation Of Biodiversity.

Everyday, around the globe, species are being lost and others are being pushed
towards extinction. This threatened biodiversity needs to be conserved.
Biodiversity conservation is scientific management at its optimum level and
derives sustainable benefits for both the present and the future
In situ conservation:
In situ means the natural or the original place. In this method, the plants
and animals are conserved in their natural habitats.
National Parks:
A national park conserves the environment and the wild life therein.
National parks are areas dedicated to conserve wild animals and natural
environment. All private rights are non-existent and all forestry operation and
others usages such as grazing of domestic animals are prohibited in these areas.
Conservation of species of a habitat with minimal or very low intensity of
human activity occurs in a natural park. No one apart from the public servant on
the duty and permitted persons by chief wildlife warden resides in the park. In
India, there are 90 national parks.
Wild life sanctuary:
A wild life sanctuary is dedicated to protect wild life, but it considers the
conservation of species only and its boundary is not limited by the state
legislation. Hunting without permit is prohibited and grazing and movement of
cattle is regulated in sanctuaries and absolutely prohibited in Natural Park
which is established in or outside a sanctuary. In a sanctuary, human activities
are allowed but in national park human interference are totally prohibited.
Conservation of species and habitats occurs by manipulative management. No
person resides in the park other than the public servant on duty and permitted

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persons by the chief wild life wardens. It comprises of core, buffer and
restoration zones. In India, there are 492 wild life sanctuaries.
Ex situ conservation
In this technique, plant and animal species are conserved their natural
habitats. Ex situ conservation is the chief mode of preservation of genetic resource.
This can be done through establishment of gene banks, zoos, botanical gardens,
culture collections etc
Gene banks
Gene banks also known as germplasm banks are established for ex situ
conservation. Here seeds, pollen grains, vegetative propagating parts of various
endangered plants can be preserved in viable conditions. The result of storing seeds
under frozen conditions is to slow down the rate at which they lose their ability to
germinate. Seeds of crop plants such as maize and barely could probably survive
thousand of years in such conditions. A range of crops like millets, oil seeds,
vegetables, turnip can be maintained for several years in liquid nitrogen without
any decline in viability.
Botanical gardens:
Rare and endangered plant species are conserved in botanical gardens. In
addition to conservation in botanical gardens, they are also used for the purpose of
study and research of specific plant characters and for disseminating scientific
information and experience to promote sustainable development
Aquaria
The aquaria are mainly for captive propagation of threatened or endangered
fresh water species. It also finds its role in the educational facilities. However, now
it is assuming new importance in captive breeding programmes. The world
conservation Union is currently developing captive breeding programmes for
endangered fish.

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Question 2 (Apr/May-2010)
5.(a) .(a) What is Deforestation:

(refer question No.1(a)in Part-B)

6.(a) i)Define food chain & food web.

The sequence of eating and being eaten in an ecosystem is known as
food chain. It determines how energy and nutrients move from one organism to
another through an ecosystem.

Food web is a net work of food chain where different types of organisms
are connected at different trophic level, so that there are a number of options of
eating and being eaten at each trophic level trophic level.
ii)Energy flow in an ecosystem
Each trophic level in a food chain or web contains a certain amount of biomass, the
dry weight of all organic matter contained in its organisms.
In a food chain or web, the chemical energy stored in Biomass is transferred from
one trophic level to another.
With each transfer some usable energy is degraded and lost to the environment as
low quality heat. Thus only a small portion of what is eaten and digested is
actually converted into an organisms bodily material or biomass, and the amount of
usable energy available to each successive trophic level declines.
The percentage of usable energy transferred as biomass from one trophic level to
the next is called Ecology efficiency. It rages from 5% to 20% depending on the
types of species and the ecosystem involved, but 10% is typical.
Assuming 10% Ecological efficiency (90% loss) at each trophic transfer, if green
plants in an area manage to capture 10,000 units of energy from the sun, than only
about 1000 units of energy will be available to support herbivores and only about
100 units to support carnivores.
The more trophic levels or steps in a food chain or web, the greater the cumulative
loss of usable energy as energy flows through the various trophic le vels.

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Energy flow pyramid explains why the earth can support more people if they eat at
lower trophic levels by consuming grains rather than passing such crops through
another trophic level and eating grain eaters.
The large loss in energy between successive trophic levels also explains why food
chains and webs rarely have more than four or five trophic levels.
In most cases too little energy is left after four or five transfer to support organisms
feeding at these high trophic levels. This explains why there are so few top
carnivores. It also explains why such species usually are the first to suffer when
the ecosystem that support them are disrupted and why they are so

(b) Various components of ecosystem ,

forest ecosystem
Terrestrial
* Sunlight

Aquatic
* Light penetration

* Temperature

* Water currents

* Precipitation

* Dissolved nutrient concentration

*Wind

* Suspended solids

* Latitude

* Salinity

* Altitude
* Fire frequency
* Soil
Each population in an ecosystem has a range of tolerance to variations in its
physical & chemical environment.
Limiting Factor Principle

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Too much or too little of any abiotic factor can limit or prevent growth of a
population, even if all other factors are all or near the optimum range of tolerance.
On land, precipitation often is limiting factor.Soil nutrients act as a limiting factor.
Important limiting factors for aquatic ecosystem include temperature, sunlight,
dissolved oxygen content, nutrient availability and salinity.
Biological Component (biotic)
Living organisms in ecosystem based on how they get food, are classified into
i)
Producers (autotrophs)
ii)
Consumers (heterotrophs)
Producers/Autotrophs can make their own food from the compounds that are
obtained from their environment.
Producers are the source of all food in an ecosystem
Most Producers capture sunlight to make carbohydrates by photosynthesis
6 CO2+6H2O+Solarenergy

C6H12O6+6O2

A few producers, mostly specialized bacteria can convert simple compounds from
their environment into more complex nutrient compounds without sunlight a
process called chemosynthesis
Consumers/Heterotrophs are the organisms, which depend directly or indirectly
on food provided by producers.
All other organisms in an ecosystem are consumers or heterotrophs which get their
energy and nutrient by feeding on other organism or their remains. Consumers are
classified as follows
i)
ii)

iii)

Herbivores/Primary consumers: They feed directly on producers are

known as primary consumers (Rabbit, cow)
Carnivores: They feed on other consumers. If they feed on herbivores
they are called secondary consumers and if they feed on other
carnivores are known as tertiary consumers.
Omnivores: They feed on both plants and animals.

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iv)

Detritivores (or) Detritus feeders: They feed on the parts of dead

organisms, wastes of living organism, their cast off and partially
decomposed matter eg beetles, termites and crab.
v)
Decomposers: They are specialized consumers that recycle organic
matter in ecosystem. They do this by breaking down dead organic
material to get nutrients and releasing the resulting simple inorganic
compounds into the soil and water where they can be taken up as
nutrients by producers.
Producers, consumers and decomposers use the chemical energy stored in glucose
and other organic compounds to fuel their life process. In most cells this energy is
released by aerobic respiration which uses oxygen to convert organisms nutrients
back into CO2 & H2O.
C6H12O6+6CO2

6CO2+6H20+energy

Some decomposers get the energy they need by breaking down glucose in the
absence of oxygen. This form of cellular respiration is known as anaerobic
respiration or fermentation. The end product of this process is compounds such as
CH4, C2H5OH, CH3COOH and H2S.
The survival of any individual organisms depends on the flow of matter and energy
through its body. However an ecosystem as a whole survives primarily through a
combination of matter recycling and one way energy flow.
(OR)
6.(a) What is the main objective of Conservation Of Biodiversity?
(refer question No.4(b)in Part-B)
(b) Define Ecological succession.
One characteristic of all communities and ecosystems is that their structures
change constantly in response to changing environmental conditions. The gradual
change in species composition of a given area is called Ecological succession.
During succession some species colonize on area and their populations become
more numerous, whereas populations of other species decline and may even
disappear.

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Ecologistrecognize two types of Ecological succession, depending on the

conditions present at the beginning of the process.
Primary succession - This involves the gradual establishment of biotic
communities on nearly lifeless ground.
Secondary succession - which involves the establishment of biotic communities in
an area where some type of biotic community is already present.
Ecological successions starting on different types of areas or substrate are named
differently as follows.
i)

Hydrarch (or) hydrosere:- Starting in watery area like swamp, bog and

pond.
ii)

Mesarch:- Starting in an area of adequate moisture.

iii)
Xeraarch (or) xerosere:- starting in a dry area with little moisture they can
be of the following types.
Lithosere: Starting on a base rock
Psammosere : Starting on sand
Halosere: Starting on saline soil
Primary succession:
It begins with an essentially lifeless area where there is no soil in a
terrestrial ecosystem or no bottom sediment in an aquatic ecosystem.
Examples include base rock exposed by retreating glaciers or severe soil erosion,
newly cooled lava, an abandoned high way or parking lot or a newly created
shallow pond or reservoir.
Before a community of plants can become established on land there must be soil.
Depending mostly on the climate it takes natural processes several hundred to
several thousand years to produce fertile soil.

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Soil formation begins when hardy pioneer species attach themselves to

inhospitable patches of base rock. Lichens & mosus which can with stand the lack
of moisture and soil nutrients and extreme temperature.
As patches of soil build up and spread, eventually the community of lichens and
mosses is replaced by a new community.
Typically it consists of small perennial grasses and herbs.
These early successional plant species grow close to the ground, can establish
large populations quickly under harsh conditions and have short lives. Some of
their roots penetrate the rock and help break it up into more soil particles. The
decay of their wastes and dead bodies also adds more nutrients to the soil.
After hundreds of years, the soil may be deep and fertile enough to store enough
moisture and nutrients to support the growth of less hardy mid successional plant
species of herbs, grasses and low shrubs. Trees that need lots of sunlight and are
adapted to the areas climate and soil usually replace those species.
As these tree species grow and create shade, they are replaced by late
successional plant species that can tolerate shade, unless fire flooding, severe
erosion, tree cutting, climate change or other natural or human processes disturb
the area, what was once bare rock becomes a complex forest community.

Question 3 (Nov/Dec-2011)
7.(a) : Deforestation:

(refer question No.1(a)in Part-B)

8.(a) Describe a food chain & a food web.

(refer question No.6(a)in Part-B)

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(b) Explain Threats To Biodiversity.

1. Unplanned development and habitat destruction
When people cut down trees, fill a wetland, plough grasslands or burn a
forest, the natural habitat of a species is changed or destroyed. Large scale
development projects such as industrial plants or hydroelectric projects have
contributed substantially to the loss of biodiversity rich areas. Projects such as
construction of large dams not only result in submergence of large tracts of forests
but also introduce human settlements and roads within forest areas.
2. Poaching and overexploitation for commercial gain:
Many plants and animals have been over exploited by humans, sometimes
to the point of extinction. Many species such as tigers and elephants are killed or
poached for their skin, tusks, claws, etc. which have high commercial value.
Others, such as several snake and bird species are caught and smuggled out for
their value for collectors and as pets. A rapidly expanding pharmaceutical industry,
for which no collections regulations exist, also affects medicinal plants.
3. Environmental pollution:
Soil, water and air pollution affects the functioning of ecosystems and may
reduce or eliminate sensitive species. For example, the decline of fish eating birds
and falcons due to pesticide pollution. Lead poisoning is major cause of mortality
of many species such as ducks and swans and cranes. In India, industrial effluents
are destroying coral reefs and other marine life.
4. Global climate change:
In the coming years, climatic change could also affect global biodiversity.
Many species which cannot adjust to the warmer climatic conditions could become
extinct. A change in the climatic conditions may also result in the characteristics of
habitats, there by affecting the species within those habitats. Some habitats such as
islands and coastal systems, which are at risk of flooding and submergence due to
rising sea levels, could suffer heavily, particularly high losses of biodiversity.
5. Invasion by introduced species:
The introduction of non native species deliberately or accidently has been a
major threat to biological diversity worldwide. The introduced animals and plants
pose a threat to local species of fauna and flora for eg: Lantana camera originally

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introduced as the ornamental plant from Brazil is spreading rapidly in our forests at
the expense of local species. Water hyacinth clogs rivers and threatens the survival
of many aquatic species in the several tropical countries, including India.
6. Nature of legal systems:
In planning legal enforcements, a perfect combination of economic realities
and involvement of the people is required. Protection for wildlife in India is
negligent. Parks do not have enough rangers to keep out poachers and villagers
are often allowed to live within sanctuaries, which leads to growing conflicts
between the local populations and animals particularly tigers.
7. Mining:
Every mining activity involves digging up tones of earth in orders to get to
the ore. In the process it leads to deforestation and consequently, the
biodiversity of the particular place is threatened. Moreover, the streams are
polluted with dangerous chemicals.
8. Exploitation of water resources:
Over exploitation of surface water creates water scarcity in the absence of
rainfall and the water pollution harms the aquatic diversity and ultimately threatens
its survival.

9. Forest life:
Fire plays an important role in the forest ecosystems. Common causes
include lightning, human carelessness, volcanic eruption, etc. Fires in forest due to
natural or manmade reasons harm the insects, birds, and wild animals.
10.Eutrophication
Over the past four decades, nutrient loading has emerged as one of the most
important factors of biodiversity loss in terrestrial, fresh water, and coastal
ecosystem. Excessive nutrient enrichment of water bodies stimulates the growth of
algae and lowers oxygen production. It leads to the death of fish and other aquatic
organisms.

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11.Waste disposal:
Dumping of nuclear and radioactive waste on land or water kills the
plant and animal species leading to their extinction.
12.Other factors:
Other ecological factors that may also contribute to the extinction of plant
and animal species are as follows;
Distribution range: The smaller the range of distribution, the greater
the threat of extinction.
Degree of specialization: The more specialized an organism is, the
more vulnerable it is to extinction.
Position of organism in food chain: The higher the organism is in food
chain, the more susceptible it becomes.
Reproductive rate: Large organisms tend to produce fewer off springs
at widely spaced intervals.

9.(a)

components of ecosystem forest ecosystem (refer question No.6(b)in

Part-B)
(b)

CONSERVATION OF BIODIVERSITY:
(refer question No.6(a)in Part-B)

10..(a) Describe a food chain & a food web.

(refer question No.6(a)in Part-B)
(OR)
(b). i.Loss of Biodiversity
(refer question No.4(a)in Part-B)
ii. Conservation Of Biodiversity:
(refer question No.4(b)in Part-B)

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11.(a) Grasslands
Grasslands dominated by unsown wild-plant communities ("unimproved
grasslands") can be called either natural or 'semi-natural' habitats. The majority of
grasslands in temperate climates are 'semi-natural'. Although their plant
communities are natural, their maintenance depends upon anthropogenic activities
such as low-intensity farming, which maintains these grasslands through grazing
and cutting regimes. These grasslands contain many species of wild plants
grasses, sedges, rushes and herbs 25 or more speerican prairie grasslands or
lowland wildflower meadows in the UK are now rare and their associated wild
flora equally threatened. Associated with the wild-plant diversity of the
"unimproved" grasslands is usually a rich invertebrate fauna; also there are many
species of birds that are grassland "specialists", such as the snipe and the Great
Bustard. Agriculturally improved grasslands, which dominate modern intensive
agricultural landscapes, are usually poor in wild plant species due to the original
diversity of plants having been destroyed by cultivation, the original wild-plant
communities having been replaced by sown monocultures of cultivated varieties of
grasses and clovers, such as Perennial ryegrass and White Clover. In many parts of
the world "unimproved" grasslands are one of the least threatened habitats, and a
target for acquisition by wildlife conservation groups or for special grants to
landowners who are encouraged to manage them appropriately.
( OR)
b) i)HOT SPOTS OF BIODIVERSITY
(refer question No.3 in Part-A)
iii)

THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY
(refer question No.8(b) in Part-B)

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13.b) DEFORESTATION
(refer question No.1(a)in Part-B)
ii) DAMS AND THEIR EFFECTS ON FOREST AND PEOPLE:
India has more number of river valley projects (RVP) referred to as
Temples of Modern India.
Dams are responsible for the destruction of vast areas of forest.
India has more than 1550 large dams. Maximum number of dams in the
state of Maharastra (600) followed by Gujarat (more than 250) and Madhya
Pradesh (130). The highest one is Tehri dam on river Bhagirathi in Uttranchal &
the largest in terms of capacity in Bhakra dam on river Sutlej in Himachal Pradesh.
Big dams have been in sharp focus of various Environmental groups all
over the world which is mainly because of several ecological problems related to
tribal or native people associated with them.
EFFECTS OF DAM ON FOREST:
Large scale devastation of forests takes place which breaks the natural and
ecological balance of the region.
Big RVP also caused water logging which leads to reduce fertility of land.
Floods, drought & land slides become more prevalent in mining area
The impounding of water in the dam may create Major / Minor earthquakes
and leads to flood in the down stream side of a dam.
Forests are the repositories of invaluable gifts of nature in the form of
biodiversity. By destroying them, we are going to lose these species even
before knowing them.
These species could be having marvelous economic or medicinal value and
deforestation results in loss of their store house of species, which have
evolved over millions of years in single stroke.
EFFECTS OF DAM ON TRIBAL PEOPLE
6. The greatest social cost of big dam is wide spread displacement of tribal
people.

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7. The displacement & cultural change affects the tribal people mentally (or)
physically. They do not accommodate the modern food habits and life
styles.
8. Tribal people may be ill treated by modern society
9. Tribal people & their culture cannot be questioned and destroyed.
10.Many of the displaced people were not recognized and resettled (or)
compensated (Environmental refugees)