Question

Which one of the following is a characteristic feature of cropland ecosystem?

• A. Absence of soil organisms
• B. Least genetic diversity
• C. Absence of weeds
• D. Ecological succession

Answer 1

Answer: (B)

Least genetic diversity

Least genetic diversity is a characteristic feature of cropland ecosystem.

A crop land ecosystem will have a major crop cultivated in a given area. It shows that the diversity in that particular area will be least. Whereas it is the opposite when forest ecosystem is considered.

The cropland Ecosystem:

This is manmade ecosystem. Man has been doing his best in modifying the croplands to get maximum benefit out of them. A cropland ecosystem may be illustrated by crops like wheat, maize, rice, sugarcane etc. It has following components.

1. Producers: A crop along with the weeds growing in the field are the producers of a cropland ecosystem. In the cropland ecosystem of maize, weeds like Cynodon dactylon, Euphorbia hirta, Alysicarpus, Launea nudicairlis are very common.

2. Consumers: Herbivores are the primary consumers of the cropland ecosystem. These include rats, rabbits, birds, man and insects. The second order and the third order consumers are represented by frogs, snakes, birds such as hawk etc.

3. Decomposers and transformers: Bacteria and fungi like Bacillus, Aspergillus, Clostridium, Agaricus, Mucor, Aspergillus and Fusarium are common decomposers and transformers of cropland ecosystem of maize.