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Question
Major conduit of energy is ____i______ in land and ____ii______ in aquatic ecosystems.
Major conduit of energy is ____i______ in land and ____ii______ in aquatic ecosystems.
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Solution
The correct option is C i - detritus food chain, ii - grazing food chain
A food chain refers to the chronological series of organisms each depending on other for food. There is flow of nutrients and energy from one organism to another at different trophic levels in a food chain.
Different organisms occupy different levels in the food chain and each level is referred to as trophic levels.
There are two types of food chains :
- Detritus food chain (DFC) : It begins with dead and decaying organic material. This food chain is composed of decomposers like bacteria and fungi (heterotrophic organisms) which meet their energy requirements by degrading dead organic matter (detritus).
Figure : Detritus food chain
- Grazing food chain (GFC) : It begins with autotrophs like green plants, algae, cyanobacteria, etc., that are able to synthesise their own food and pass on the energy to herbivores (clams) and further to carnivores (salmon fish).
Figure : Grazing food chain (GFC) of aquatic ecosystem
In aquatic ecosystems, GFC is the major conduit (channel) for flow of energy as the decomposition is very less whereas in terrestrial (land) ecosystems, a much larger fraction of energy flows via the detritus food chain. Hence option c is correct.
A network of interconnected food chains in a community of different organisms forms a food web. Each living organism in an ecosystem is a part of multiple food chains and their overlapping form the food web. It is a more realistic representation of feeding patterns or food relationships between living organisms in an ecosystem.
Figure : Food web
A food chain refers to the chronological series of organisms each depending on other for food. There is flow of nutrients and energy from one organism to another at different trophic levels in a food chain.
Different organisms occupy different levels in the food chain and each level is referred to as trophic levels.
There are two types of food chains :
- Detritus food chain (DFC) : It begins with dead and decaying organic material. This food chain is composed of decomposers like bacteria and fungi (heterotrophic organisms) which meet their energy requirements by degrading dead organic matter (detritus).
Figure : Detritus food chain
- Grazing food chain (GFC) : It begins with autotrophs like green plants, algae, cyanobacteria, etc., that are able to synthesise their own food and pass on the energy to herbivores (clams) and further to carnivores (salmon fish).
Figure : Grazing food chain (GFC) of aquatic ecosystemIn aquatic ecosystems, GFC is the major conduit (channel) for flow of energy as the decomposition is very less whereas in terrestrial (land) ecosystems, a much larger fraction of energy flows via the detritus food chain. Hence option c is correct.
A network of interconnected food chains in a community of different organisms forms a food web. Each living organism in an ecosystem is a part of multiple food chains and their overlapping form the food web. It is a more realistic representation of feeding patterns or food relationships between living organisms in an ecosystem.
Figure : Food webSuggest Corrections
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