LSE-02

Assignments 1& 2, Year-2003

Dear Student,

As explained in the Programme Guide for B.Sc., you are required to do 2 assignments for the elective course in Ecology (Course Code: LSE-02). One of the assignments is Tutor-marked (TMA), and the other is Computer-marked (CMA). The block-wise distribution of assignments is as follows:

Assignment – 1 (TMA) is based on Blocks 1 to 4

Assignment – 2 (CMA) is based on Blocks 1 to 4

The instructions for doing the assignments are given in the Programme Guide under the Section 7.1 - Assignment. Read the instructions carefully before you start to work on the assignments.

The details regarding assignment submission are given below.

Assignment No. /

Date of Submission

/

Where to Send

Assignment – 1 (TMA)
Code: LSE-02/AST-1/TMA-1/2003 / 12 weeks after receiving the printed material with assignments. / The Coordinator of your Study Centre.
Assignment – 2 (CMA)
Code: LSE-02/AST-2/CMA-1/2003 / 12 weeks after receiving the printed material with assignments. / The Director (SR&E),
Indira Gandhi National Open University,
Maidan Garhi,
New Delhi – 110068.

Some Suggestions:

Submit your assignment-response well in time. Your response received after the due

date shall not be accepted.

Retain a zeroxed copy of your assignment-response for your record.

Best of luck to you

ASSIGNMENT – 1

(Tutor-Marked Assignment)

Course Code: LSE-02

Assignment Code: LSE-02/AST-1/TMA-1/2003
Max. Marks: 100
  1. Define air pressure. Describe with the help of suitable diagrams the global air circulation of earth and the factors responsible for this air movement. (1+9)

2.Write short notes on the following:

i)Tolerance range and limiting factors of an ecosystem

ii)Factors limiting productivity of an aquatic ecosystem

iii)Profile of Indian Deserts

iv)Imperative Value Index (IVI) of species in a community. (2½4)

3.a) Differentiate between the terms, soil and residual soil.

b) Describe the process of soil formation.

c) List and describe the principal residual soil types of India and give their area of occurrence. (1+7½+1½)

4.a)Describe the flow of energy in an ecosystem.

b)Explain the reason for there being only a few links in the food chain.

c)Explain with the help of an example the concept of energy budget in an ecosystem. (5+2½+2½)

5.Describe with the help of a diagram the carbon cycle. Discuss the impact of human activities on the carbon cycle. (7+3)

  1. Differentiate between the following:

i)Autecology and synecology

ii)Marine and Brackish water

iii)Ammonification and nitrification

iv)Neckton and Neuston

v) Spring overturn and autumn overturn in a lake.

vi)Major and minor community in an ecosystem

vii)High energy nitrogen fixation and biological fixation

viii)Internal and external nutrient budgets in an ecosystem.

ix) Autogenic and allogenic succession

x)Nonbiodegradable and biodegradable materials (110)

  1. Explain the term heribivory. Describe the various defence mechanisms in plants against herbivores and the counter measures adopted by the herbivores against them. Also explain with the help of examples, plant and herbivore interactions. (2+4+2+2)
  2. Write short notes on:

i)Historical overview of human population.

ii)Deforestation due to mining.

iii)Environmental degradation due to urbanisation.

iv)Green house effect and global warming.

v)The three main agents of water pollution and the various sources of water pollution. (25)

  1. Differentiate between threatened and endangered species. Explain the necessity for conserving wild life. (1+9)
  2. Differentiate between primary and secondary air pollutants. Describe the various factors that may cause air pollution. (1+9)

ASSIGNMENT – 2

(Computer-Marked Assignment)

Course Code: LSE-02

Assignment Code: LSE-02/AST-2/CMA-1/2003
Max. Marks: 100
  1. The term ecology was first coined in 1868 by:

1)Hanns Reiter

2) Karl Mobius

3) Isodore Geoffry St. Hilaire

4) St. George Jackson Mivart

  1. Electromagnetic radiation:

1) has a dual nature of wave and particle

2) is a form of energy

3) propagates in the form of descrete packets of energy called photons

4) All of the above

  1. Match the following most appropriately:

i)Pyrenometera)measures duration of sunshine

ii) Radiometerb)measures the energy of sunlight of short

wave lengths; indirect sunlight and scattered skylight radiation.

iii)Sunshine recorderc)measures the intensity of light

iv)Photometerd)measures the flux of energy of all wave

lengths received on a single surface of the

receiver.

Choose the correct answer from the key given below:

iiiiiiiv

1)abcd

2)bdac

3)cadb

4)dcbd

  1. Pollen grain though more dense than water can float on it because water has

1)high surface tension

2)higher pH

3)high level of oxygen

4)high level of dissolved carbon dioxide.

  1. When the temperature of fresh water drops below 4ºC then :

1)movement of water molecules ceases

2)bonds between the water molecules become relatively less rigid and more open,

3)air molecules get trapped in pockets formed between water moieties causing the ice that is formed to be lighter

4)all of the above.

  1. At low soil pH the following nutrients Al, Fe, Mn

1)enhance soil fertility

2) become toxic to plants

3) improve plant growth

4)increase soil moisture

  1. The incorporation of atmospheric nitrogen into usable nitrogen compounds in aerated soil is brought about by the organism

1)Chlorobium

2)Chlostridium,

3) Azobacter

4)All of the above.

  1. The accumulation of energy by plants during photosynthesis is called:

1)Primary production efficiency

2)Primary production

3)Net primary production

4)Useable production

  1. In an ecosystem as a general rule, for every 10 kcal of plant tissue available to the herbivore about …………………… kcal will be eaten.

1)0.1

2)2

3)1

4)0.2

10.Which among the following does not form a part of the phosphorous cycle?

1)lightening

2)phosphate fertilizer

3)mining activity

4)human excreta

11.The process by which organic nitrogen is metabolised and released in an inorganic form such as ammonia by many heterotrophic bacteria, actinomycetes and fungi in soil and water is called:

1)Ammonification

2)Nitrification

3)Deammonification

4)Denitrification

12.Forests which occur near the equator and where both temperature and humidity remain high and more or less uniform and annual rainfall exceeds 200-225 cm and is generally distributed throughout the year are called:

1)Temperate rain forests

2)Subtropical rain forests

3)Tropical seasonal forests

4)Tropical rain forests

13.The grasslands in the moist subhumid zone of the Indian subcontinent, covering the Ganges alluvial plains in North India are called:

1)Phragmities - Sacchrum - imperata type

2)Sehima - dichanthium type

3)Themeda

4)Dicanthium-cenchrus lasirus type

14.The excretion of very concentrated urine by a few nocturnal rodents is an adaptation to:

1)Tundra biome

2)Desert biome

3)Forest biome

4)Grassland biome

15.The quantity of dissolved oxygen in an aquatic ecosystem is affected by the:

1)Temperature of water

2)Salinity of water

3)Photosynthetic activity of aquatic plants

4)All of the above.

16.Exclusive species are completely or almost completely restricted to one kind of community and belong to the Fidelity class:

1)2

2)3

3)4

4)5

17.In a population Natality rate = , where Nn =

1)Total population

2)Children in age group 14 to 16 years

3)Production of new individuals in a population

4)Reproducing part of the population

18.The model of succession which is based on the premise that presence of early successional species is not essential and unaffected by present residents is called:

1)Hydrarch model

2)Tolerance model

3)Inhibition model

4)Facilitation model

19.Mature stages in succession are characterized by:

1)Greater species diversity and greater biomass

2)Gross production almost equals total community respiration and large amounts of inorganic nutrients are locked in organic matter in soil and vegetation

3)Substratum is rich in organic food and complex food chains are present which are largely detrital

4) All of the above

20.The interaction in which one species reduces or adversely affects the population species but remain unaffected is called:

1)Mutualism

2) Amensalism

3) Neutralism

4)Commensalism

  1. The secondary plant substances like nicotine, opium, caffine used by certain defensive plants to deter herbivores feeding on them, are all:

1)Terpenoids

2)Phenylpropanes

3)Alkaloids

4)Alcohol

22.The term for two species sharing a resource by exploiting it at different terms is called

1)Spatial partitioning

2) Temporal partitioning

3) Permanent portioning

4) All of the above.

23.In a given area, the environmental impact of human population depends on

1)Number of people

2)The average amount of resource each person uses

3)Environmental degradation and pollution resulting from each unit of resource used

4)All of the above.

  1. Match the following:

Classification Primates

a.Suborder Prosimi i)chimpanzees

  1. Superfamily Ceboidea ii)lemurs
  2. Superfamily Cercopethecoideaiii) New world monkeys
  3. Superfamily Hominoidea iv) Old world monkeys

Choose the correct answer from the given key:

abcd

1)iiiiiivi

2)iiiiiiiv

3)iiiviiii

4)iviiiiii

25.In evolution of man, the first species in fossil records, believed to have lived a human type of existence was:

1)Australopithecus africanus

2)Australopithecus afarensis

3)Homo habilas

4) Homo erectus

26.The annual average growth rate of a country where the population was 380 million in the year 1950 and 1000 million in the year 2000 would be:

1)5.3%

2) 3.3%

3)4.3%

4)2.3%

27.A population growing at 5% growth rate per year will double in:

1)12 years

2) 14 years

3) 22 years

4) 35 years

  1. The birth rate of a population in the year 1999 of a country with 2,50,000 people, where number of births recorded that year were 3000, will be:

1)12 births per 1000 people

2)13 births per 1000 people

3)14 births per 1000 people

4)15 births per 1000 people

  1. In the year 1999 in the same country of population of 2,50,000 people the death rate of the country where 1500 deaths occurred will be:

1)5 deaths per 1000 people

2)6 deaths per 1000 people

3)7 deaths per 1000 people

4)8 deaths per 1000 people

  1. The rate of natural increase in population in the year 1999 in the same country of 2,50,000 people (see questions 28 & 29) will be:

1)6 per thousand or 0.6%

2)8 per thousand or 0.8%

3)7 per thousand or 0.7%

4)9 per thousand or 0.9%

  1. Deforestation results from:

1)Shifting cultivation

2)Developmental projects

3)Fuel requirements

4)All of the above.

  1. Irrigation of land without sufficient drainage leads to:

1)Water logging of soil

2)Good plant growth

3)Fall in the water table

4)All of the above.

  1. Among these animals which is not extinct?

1)Labrador duck

2)Pink head duck

3)Heath hen

4) African elephant

  1. Match the following:

Air pollutants Source

a.Oxides of carbon - CO2 and COiRice cultivation

b.Methane and other hydrocarbonsiiBurning of Biomass -burning of forests and

Savannnah grasslands forpasture and cropland.

c.Oxides of sulphur – SO2 & SO3iiiaerosal sprays

d.Chloroflourocarbons and chloro-ivmunicipal incineration.

compounds

Choose the correct choice from the key given below

abcd

1)iviiiiii

2)iiiiviii

3)iiiiviii

4)iiiiiiiv

  1. Plants like …………….. being highly sensitive to air pollutants are used as bioindicators.

1)mimosa

2)lichens

3)wheat

4) all of the above

  1. Acid rain on a lake ecosystem causes:

1)Elimination of key organisms at pH 5.3

2)Changes in phytoplankton species and cessation of fish reproduction

3)Disappearance of bottom dwelling organisms and appearance of filamentous algae

4)All of the above.

37.Which of the following statements are not correct:

i)deme is a population of species which is subdivided into a number of local breeding population

ii)Population is a group of freely interbreeding individuals of the same species in a specific area at a given time

iii)Natality refers to the rate at which new individuals are added to a population through emigration

iv)Species diversity in a community is calculated only by the number of species present.

Choose the correct choice given below:

1)i and iv

2)ii and iii

3)iii and iv

4)ii and i

38.A community which has one or a few dominant species is characterized by:

1)high stability

2)low species diversity

3)high species diversity

4)none of the above.

39.Ecotone is:

1)a zone of vegetation, separating two different types of community

2)a region where the influence of two different patterns of environments work together, resulting in highly specialised vegetation

3)also called transition zone

4)all of the above.

  1. Match the following:

Plant nameType

a.Sciophytesi)bright light loving plants

b. Heliophytes ii)organisms having narrow limits of tolerance to high or low temperatures

c.Eurythermal iii)shade loving plants

d.Stenothermal iv)organisms able to tolerate a wide range of

Choose the correct answer from the key given below:

abcd

1)iiiiiiiv

2)iiii ivii

3)iiiviiii

4)iviiiiii

  1. …………………….. light is a low energy wave with deep penetrability.

1)blue

2)green

3)red

4)yellow

  1. Insects are mostly absent from marine environment except for:

1)Halobates

2)Isotoma

3)Sminthurus

4)All of the above.

  1. Match the following:

Plant Name Type of Hydrophyte plants

a)Wollfiai)rooted emergent plants

b)Trapaii)free floating plants

c)Saggittariaiii)rooted submerged plants

d)Hydrillaiv)rooted plants with floating leaves.

Choose the correct answer from the key given below

abcd

1)iiiviiii

2)iiiiiiiv

3)iiiiivii

4)iviiiiii

  1. Cation exchange capacity of soil=

1)Exchangeable O H + exchangeable bases

2)Exchangeable OH – exchangeable bases

3)Exchangeable H – exchangeable bases

4)Exchangeable H + exchangeable bases

  1. The primary useable source of fresh water on our planet is:

1)rain

2)glaciers

3)springs

4)lakes

  1. Open woodlands in India receive:

1)0.25 metre or less rain per year

2)0.25 – 0.75 metre rain per year

3)0.75 – 1.25 metres rain per year

4)over 1.25 metres rain per year

  1. Green plants that manufacture their own food by the process of photosynthesis in the presence of sunlight are called:

1)Herbivores

2)Heterotrophs

3)Autotrophs

4)Detritivores.

  1. Match the following:

a)Primary productivityi)total amount of solar energy fixed into

organic matter by plants through photosynthesis

b)Gross primary productionii)amount of biomass or organic matter

accumulated by plants per unit are in a given period

c)Net primary productioniii)Energy accumulated by plants during

photosynthesis.

d) Primary production iv)rate at which energy accumulates in the ecosystem

Choose the correct answer from the key given below

abcd

1)iiiivi

2)iiiiviii

3)iviiiiii

4)iiiiiiiv

  1. Match the following:

a)Net primary productivity of open oceani)900g/m2/yr

b)Net primary productivity of Tundra and alpine vegetation.ii)125g/m2/yr

c)Net primary productivity of Estuariesiii)140g/m2/yr

d)Net primary productivity of Savannasiv)1500g/m2/yr

Choose the correct answer from the key given

abcd

1)iviiiiii

2)iiiiviii

3)iiiiiiiv

4)iiiiiivi

  1. Which is not an indeterminate threatened species?

1)Three banded armadillo of north eastern Brazil

2)Short eared rabbit of Sumatra

3)Mexican Prairie dog

5)The Hawaiian monk seal.

Enrolment No.

1