Question 1:
What is an ecosystem?
Answer:
Ecosystem is a complex set of relationship that exists between the biotic and the abiotic components and with their environment.
Question 2:
What do you mean by natural environment?
Answer:
Natural environment includes both the physical and the biological environment containing biotic and abiotic components.
Question 3:
Which are the major components of the environment?
Answer:
The major components of the environment are natural and human-made phenomena.
Question 4:
Give four examples of human-made environment.
Answer:
Buildings, parks, bridges, roads, industries and monuments.
Question 5:
What is lithosphere?
Answer:
The outer layer or the crust of the earth is known as the lithosphere. It includes all the big and small land masses. Land occupies about 29 per cent of the earth’s surface.
Question 6:
Which are the two major components of biotic environment?
Answer:
The two major components of biotic environment are plants and animals.
Question 7:
What is biosphere?
Answer:
Biosphere is the interactive zone between land, water and air that supports all living (biotic) things. Plants, animals, humans and micro-organisms are part of the biosphere. It is a very narrow zone and exists only above 20,000 metres from the deepest point (ocean) to the highest point (mountain).
Question 8:
Man modifies his environment.
Answer:
Human life is closely related to the environment on the earth. They modify it according to their needs. They learn to cultivate crops, domesticate animals and lead a settled life. The manufacturing was introduced to modify the raw materials and to make finish goods. It enabled large-scale production of goods and services.
Question 9:
Plants and animals depend on each other.
Answer:
Being a part of an ecosystem, plants and animals depend on each other. For instance, trees, shrubs, grasses, creepers and parasites together form an interdependent community in a given area. In the animal kingdom, very often one species feeds on another and depends on the same for its own survival. The interdependence is the keynote of entire life.