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Question
Read the following statements (I - III) and select the correct statements related to the food chain?
I. Food chains can never occur independently in an ecosystem and various food chains are interconnected with each other forming an interlocked system known as the food web.
II. Grazing food chains and detritus food chains are linked to each other.
III. A food chain always starts with a living plant.
Read the following statements (I - III) and select the correct statements related to the food chain?
I. Food chains can never occur independently in an ecosystem and various food chains are interconnected with each other forming an interlocked system known as the food web.
II. Grazing food chains and detritus food chains are linked to each other.
III. A food chain always starts with a living plant.
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Solution
The correct option is A I and II
The process of transfer of energy from producers through a series of organisms, that is from primary consumers to secondary consumers to tertiary consumers by the process of eating and being eaten, constitute a food chain.
Food chains can never occur independently in an ecosystem, as it affects the stability of the ecosystem. So various food chains are interconnected with each other forming an interlocked system known as the food web. For example, consumers like tigers cannot depend only on rabbits for their food. Hence statement I is correct.
There are two types of food chains :
- Grazing food chain : In this food chain the consumers utilise the plant or plant part as their food. This food chain begins from green plants at the base, who are able to synthesize their food utilizing solar radiation and the primary consumer is herbivores.
- Detritus food chain : It starts from dead and decaying organic matter of animals and plants which are consumed by the micro-organisms and then the energy passed on to detritus feeding organisms (earthworms) called detritivores or decomposers and then to other predators (sparrows). This food chain is not starting with living plants. Hence statement III is incorrect.
Detritus food chain may be connected with the grazing food chain at some levels as follows :
- Some of the organisms of the detritus food chain like small animals (earthworms) are preyed upon by the animals of the grazing food chain.
- When an organism of the grazing food chain dies the decomposers release nutrients or minerals trapped in their body into the surrounding which can be utilised again by plants.
- Some organisms like cockroaches, crows are omnivores; they are common consumers in both the chains. Hence statement II is correct.
Figure : Grazing food chain is linked to detritus food chain
The process of transfer of energy from producers through a series of organisms, that is from primary consumers to secondary consumers to tertiary consumers by the process of eating and being eaten, constitute a food chain.
Food chains can never occur independently in an ecosystem, as it affects the stability of the ecosystem. So various food chains are interconnected with each other forming an interlocked system known as the food web. For example, consumers like tigers cannot depend only on rabbits for their food. Hence statement I is correct.
There are two types of food chains :
- Grazing food chain : In this food chain the consumers utilise the plant or plant part as their food. This food chain begins from green plants at the base, who are able to synthesize their food utilizing solar radiation and the primary consumer is herbivores.
- Detritus food chain : It starts from dead and decaying organic matter of animals and plants which are consumed by the micro-organisms and then the energy passed on to detritus feeding organisms (earthworms) called detritivores or decomposers and then to other predators (sparrows). This food chain is not starting with living plants. Hence statement III is incorrect.
- Some of the organisms of the detritus food chain like small animals (earthworms) are preyed upon by the animals of the grazing food chain.
- When an organism of the grazing food chain dies the decomposers release nutrients or minerals trapped in their body into the surrounding which can be utilised again by plants.
- Some organisms like cockroaches, crows are omnivores; they are common consumers in both the chains. Hence statement II is correct.
Figure : Grazing food chain is linked to detritus food chainSuggest Corrections
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