Unit I- Topic 1: Ecology and ecosystem
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
What is the definition of Ecology?
How the term Ecology is derived from?
What are the divisions of Ecology?
Define environment.
How the name/word environment derived from?
What are the components of Environment?
What is the definition of ecosystem?
Discuss the types of Ecosystem.
Explain the terms: 1) Natural & manmade/ artificial ecosystem, 2) terrestrial and aquatic
ecosystem, 3) Lentic and lotic ecosystem
What do you mean by “Structure of Ecosystem”
What are biotic and abiotic components?
Classify and discuss the abiotic and biotic components of the environment.
Explain the terms: 1) Producer, 2) consumer (Primary, secondary, tertiary, Top carnivore) , 3)
autotrophs, Chemoautotrophic Bacteria, & heterotrophs, 4) herbivorous & carnivores,
omnivores, 5) Parasites and scavengers 6) decomposer 7) saprotrophs, detrivores or detritus
feeders
What is the main difference between a producer and a consumer?
What is the main difference between a primary consumer and a secondary consumer?
What is the main difference between a scavenger and a decomposer?
How are the different biotic components related to each other?
How are decomposers related with other biotic and abiotic community?
Define food chains and food web. Give examples of each. Differentiate between food chain and
food web
What would happen if there were no decomposers?
What would happen to each of the other entities of the food chain if due to any disease
population of frogs is drastically reduced?
What is the difference between the term terrestrial and aquatic?
What differences are there between terrestrial producers and aquatic producers?
What are the major types of Food chain? Compare .
Define trophic level.
How many trophic levels are possible in an ecosystem? Can you think of an ecosystem that has
more than 5 trophic levels? If YES, give example? If NOT, why?
How Wolves Change Rivers ?: A case study --Summarize what you learnt from the video
Answer following question from the video/case study.
What is trophic cascade?
Why wolves needed to reintroduce in the Yellowstone national park?
How the wolves drastically revived the ecosystem Yellowstone national park.
Identify the different TROPHIC LEVELS in Yellow stone national park after the introductions of
Wolves
Draw a schematic of food web in Yellow stone national park after the introductions of Wolves
Give one example of the following if present in the above ecosystem
a. Secondary consumer
b. Autotroph
c. Top carnivore
d. Omnivore
e. Heterotroph
Unit I- Topic 2 & 3: pyramids
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Write short none on Ecological Pyramid?
What are the Three Types of Ecological Pyramids?
What are the different features of Pyramids of Numbers?
Can you think of an inverted pyramid of number? If yes, draw? If NO, why?
Discuss: Single Channel Energy Flow Model & Double channel or ‘y’ shaped energy flow model.
What is energy? How does it flow in the eco-system? Explain with example.
What do you mean by Nutrient cycling (biogeochemical cycles)?
Name the Nutrients essential for the living organisms.
How does the flow of nutrients differ from the flow of Energy in Ecosystem?
Write the chemical reactions occurring during CARBON cycling.
Unit I- Topic 4: Ecological succession
1.
2.
3.
4.
Define ecological succession.
Differentiate primary and secondary succession.
Explain the terms: Pioneer Organisms, lichens, Climax Community
What are the different Stages of Primary Succession?
Unit I- Topic 5, 6 & 7: Biodiversity and its conservation.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
What is Biodiversity? Discuss their types and importance.
What do you mean by Biodiversity Hot-spots?
Name few biodiversity hot spots in world and Indian context.
Should we be concerned about biodiversity?
What are the Major Threats to the biodiversity? Briefly explain each factors.
What are the flora and fauna diversity. List two factors on which they depends.
What is key stone species?
What is Biodiversity conservation? Explain clearly different aspect of in-situ and ex-situ
conservation.
Name few endangered species in Indian and world context.
What is the role of doomsday vault at Spitzbergen?
What are the differences between Wildlife Sanctuaries and National Parks?
Name few important Wildlife Sanctuaries and National Parks of India.
Unit II- Topic 8: Components of Environment
1. Discuss the components of Components of Environment as per American literature.
2. Write short notes on : 1. Hydrosphere (Water) 2. Atmosphere (Air) 3. Lithosphere (Land) 4.
Biosphere (Flora/Fauna/Microbes) 5. Anthrosphere (man made things).
3. Discuss the different steps in the Formation rocks and soil.
Unit II- Topic 9: Resource classification & forest resource
1.
2.
3.
4.
What is meant by Natural Resource? What are the Earth’s Natural Resources?
Classify natural resources.
What are Nonrenewable Resources?
What are examples of Nonrenewable Resources?
5. What are the major natural resources? (Forest resources Water resources Mineral resources
Food resources Energy resources Land resources)
6. What are forests good for?/ Importance of Forest.
7. Discuss the Causes of Deforestation.
8. What is deforestation and what are its consequences. Write methods of its protection.
Unit II- Topic 10: Water resource and mineral
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
What is the present scenario of fresh water availability in the world?
How much fresh water is available for human consumption?
Why scarcity of fresh water?
What are the Objectives of building the Dams?
What are the benefits and problems associated with building big dams?
Discuss Upstream & downstream Impact of Dams.
Discuss the major social and ecological impact of three Gorges dam in china.
Defined mineral resources and what are their types.
Unit II- Topic 11: Land and energy resources
1. What is meant by Land resources?
2. Case study on East Kolkata Wet Land:
a. Define the wetlands.
b. Give the three benefits wetland provides.
c. What are the threats to wetlands and why?
d. Where is the geographic location of East Kolkata Wet Land (EKWL)?
e. How EKL help in removal of sewage explain it?
f. What benefit EKWL provides to city of Kolkata.
g. What are the threats to EKWL?
h. What will be effect on Kolkata if the wetlands are dried out?
i. To an ecologist perspective what are possible solution to save these wetlands?
3. What is the primary source of energy in earth?
4. How solar radiation is composed of.
5. Write the range of frequencies in electromagnetic spectrum?
6. How Energy Resources are classified?
7. Discuss Non-Renewable Resources & Renewable Resources.
8. Discuss Advantages vs. Disadvantages associated with each of the energy resources: Fossil, fuels,
Hydro, Wind, Geothermal, Solar, and atomic energy.
9. What are the specific limitations of implementation of solar power in Indian context.
Unit III- Air Pollution
1. Define air pollution
2. Write the names of the major air pollutants.
3. Discuss the sources of major air pollutant.
4. Discuss the cause, effect and solution of acid rain.
5. Discuss the cause, and effect on human health of particulate matter on air.
6. What is secondary air pollutant? Write the names of the secondary air pollutants.
7. What is PAN? How it is formed in atmosphere? What is the effect of PAN on human health?
8. Write the names of the indoor air pollutants and its effect on human health.
Unit IV- Water Pollution
1.
2.
3.
Write short note on Eutrophication.
What is BOD? Why it is important parameter to measure pollution level of water? How it is
measured?
Why BOD has lower value than BOD?