Name- S.

Nithin
Reg. No 16BME0062
Slot- E2

DIGITAL ASSIGNMENT 1

1. What is the nature of an ecosystem? Explain the structure and function of an ecosystem
using a live example
Ans- It is the functional unit of nature, where animals and plants interact with each other
and also the environment for survival.
Natures of ecosystem
1) Terrestrial ecosystem
(i) Forest
(ii) Desert
(iii) Grassland
(iv) Mountain
2) Aquatic ecosystem
(i) Marine ecosystem
(ii) Freshwater ecosystem
Lets take an example of a land ecosystem.

An ecosystem consists of following components

(i) Abiotic components-
Includes solar radiation, inorganic chemicals, wind currents, moisture
(ii) Biotic components
Include all living organisms in the ecosystem here the deer, bird, fish, Frog, trees,
plants etc
Biotic components of the ecosystem is divided into
(i) Autotrophic Can make their own food from abiotic components
(ii) Heterotrophic depends on other living creatures for food
The Producers are the autotrophs mostly green plants. They use the suns energy for
preparation of food by photosynthesis. They take in carbon dioxide exhaled by other living
organisms and gives oxygen in exchange, which is used by all other living organisms.
Next class of living organisms are consumers. They consume the food prepared by the
producers. There are three types of consumers
(i) Primary Consumer These are purely herbivorous they depend directly on the producers
for food. Ex- Deer
(ii) Secondary Consumer They are carnivorous and omnivorous. These are flesh eating
animals they depend on primary consumers for food. Ex- crow, fox, wolves.
(iii) Tertiary consumers- They prey upon all other living organisms. Ex- Lion, Tiger.
Decomposers These are organisms which transform the dead living organisms into simple
organics materials that are again used by producers to prepare food.
Functional Components of the ecosystem
(i) Inorganic constituents water,air , salts
(ii) Energy input The sun
(iii) Organisms plants, animals and microbes
All the three components of the ecosystem interact and form an ecosystem
2. How ecosystem is degraded? What are the measures to protect it from degradation in a
long term concept?

Ans- Undesirable changes in the environment that can affect any component of the
ecosystem in an adverse manner is called degradation.

Ecosystem is degraded by the followings ways

(i) Pollution- human activities causes pollution of abiotic components of the

environment which affects the ecosystem and is thus degraded
(ii) Overpopulation- more population implies more demand for resources and more
rapidly we use the resources more it is going to get exhausted
(iii) Deforestation- Clearing up forest for urban expansion, agriculture, animal grazing
results in deforestation which is one of the most important reasons for global
warming
(iv) Natural causes- Natural calamities like droughts, tsunamis, cyclones can lead to
destruction of plant and animal species or their habitat
(v) Invasion by alien species- if any foreign species is introduced to a new ecosystem
where the resources are present for the alien species then it becomes invasive and
can spoil the balance in that ecosystem
Ways to protect ecosystem

(i) Sustainable development- Sustainable development aims in developing the present

world keeping in minds the needs of the future.
(ii) Strategic management- it aims to develop the ecosystem keeping in mind the socio
economic politically relevant issues in mind.
(iii) Command and control- it refers to conservation by governing laws. Threats,
contracts or agreements
(iv) Educating the future generation about the importance of the ecosystem.
(v) Setting up of sanctuaries, national parks, Forest reserves to protect the animals and
plants in environment.
(vi) Avoiding over exploitation of natural resources
(vii) Setting up gene banks to protect existing gene pool.

3. Explain the impact of human activities on nutrient cycle (Carbon, Water & Nitrogen)

Ans- Human activity as a whole is affecting every single dimension of the nature.

Carbon Cycle

Carbon is present in all the living organisms present in the world.

Human activities like
(i) burning of fossil fuels releases large amount of carbon dioxide into atmosphere.
(ii) Clearing up forest covers affect the carbon cycle in two ways (a) plants fix CO2 to
give O2 (b) clearing up big forest and using the land for agriculture lessens
the quantity of carbon present because small plants store less carbon than bigger
plants.
Impact-
(i) More CO2 and CH4 in the atmosphere results in increase in global temperature.
 (ii) Higher global temperatures increases decomposition rate in soil, which releases
more CO2
(iii) Increase in global temperature leads to change in oceanic temperatures which
disturbs the ocean ecosystem, limits ocean ability to store and absorb carbon
(iv) Global warming leads to increase in ocean water levels slowly land area will get
submerged

Nitrogen Cycle

Activities-
(i) Burning of fossil fuels alters carbon levels which in turn affects the nitrogen cycle
(ii) Use of fertilizers in agriculture

Impacts-
(i) Nutrient imbalance in plants due to excess use of fertilizers, there is often change
in carbon storage so there are lot of other effects
(ii) Unused nitrogen from the fertilizers goes into rivers as nitrates and people
consume it which causes anoxia
(iii) Increase in availability of nitrogen lessens productivity of both aquatic and
terrestrial ecosystem

Water cycle

Water pollution- releasing effluents in water that affects the natural process in an
undesirable manner.
Ex- industrial release, throwing garbage

Affects
 (i) Human activities cause global warming, which leads to warmer air and warmer
air holds more water which intensifies water cycle
(ii) Combustion of fossil fuels adds sulfur and nitrogen compounds to the air. These
compounds mix with the water vapor in the atmosphere and make it more acidic
(iii) Many plants and animals cannot live in the more acidic conditions. They die and
it affects everything in the food web.

4. Give a list of endangered species of India.

Ans- Endangered Species- Species of animal and plant that are in serious risk of getting
extinct.

Endangered Animals of India-

(i) Wayanaad mahaseer

(ii) Ganges shark
(iii) Deccan labeo
(iv) Sawfish
(v) Niligir mystus
(vi) Great Indian bustard
(vii) Indian vulture
(viii) Pink headed duck
(ix) Himalayan quail
(x) Madras spotted skink
(xi) Gharial
(xii) Red crowned roofed turtle
(xiii) Charles Darwin frog
(xiv) Asiatic cheetah
(xv) Himalayan wolf
(xvi) Nicobar shrew
(xvii) Malabar large spotted civet
(xviii) Indian javan rhinoceros
(xix) Asiatic Lion
(xx) Bengal Tiger
(xxi) Indian Elephant
(xxii) Ganges River Dolphin
(xxiii) Nicobar flying fox
(xxiv) Snow leopard

Endangered Plants in India-

(i) Amentotaxus assamica

(ii) Ilex khasiana
(iii) Diospyros celibica
 (iv) Pterocarpus santalinus
(v) Cholrophytum tubersom
(vi) Kingiodendron pinnatum
(vii) Actinophne lawsoni
(viii) Polygala irregularis
(ix) Lotus corniculatus
(x) Psilotumnudum
(xi) Acacia planifrons
(xii) Ceropegia odorota
(xiii) Colchicum iuteum

5. Why India is known as a mega biodiversity country? Write the biodiversity found
around your
village/ town

Ans- Any region with vast diversity of wild plants and animals is called a biodiverse region.
India is a huge mega bio diversity. India is one of the 12 mega diversity nation in the world.
Indian subcontinent is spread over an area of 3029 million hectares with variety of terrain.
The subcontinent in bound by Himalayas in the north, bay of Bengal in east, Indian ocean in
south and Arabian sea in the west.
The Himalayan region and western ghats are two biodiversity hotspots in India. The
reason India has large species richness because of the variety of climatic conditions and
variety of land terrain. The climate of India varies from cold desert of Ladakh to hot desert
of Rajasthan. The humid western ghats to icy mountains of Himalaya. Many peaks rise well
over 7000 highest being Kanchenjunga 8335 m.
The variety of ecosystems present in India are forest ecosystem, grassland ecosystem,
wetland ecosystem, marine ecosystem, coastal ecosystem etc.
India comprises of 2.4% of world by area, but having 11% of flora and 6.5% of fauna. There
are over 46000 species of plants, out of which 35% are endemic. There are 81000 species of
animals, only 44 species of mammals are confined to India.55 bird species are endemic to
India, 187 reptiles are Endemic, 110 amphibians are endemic to India that is 62 % of the
whole number. Among the lizards in India 50% are endemic. India is the home to the Royal
Bengal Tiger, The one horned Rhino which is only found in India. India is rich in endemism
and species richness it ranks 10th in the World.

Biodiversity found in Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu is the home to the great Nilgiris. Which houses large variety of flora and fauna
species.
Fauna-

Asian Elephant
Bengal tiger
Indian leopard
Sloth bear
Nilgiri langur
Flying squirell
Indian porcupine
Indian Rock Pyhton

Flora

Tamil Nadu accounts for highest number of flowering plants 410 in India out of 18259.

Aenhenrya agastyamalayana
Agrostis peninsularis
Agrostis schmidii
Allophylus concanius
Andropogon pumilus
Anthraxon Ianceolatus
Biophytum intermedium