Q.2 Explain Levels of Ecological Organization.
Answer:
In ecosystem, the levels of organization range from organism to biosphere. The followings are the levels of ecological organization:
1. Species
A species is a group of organisms which can interbreed freely in nature to produce fertile offspring.
Examples
Human, Cat, Dog etc.
2. Population
A group of organisms of the same species inhabiting a specific geographical area at a particular time is called population. Example:- Number of rats in a field.
3) Community
All the populations that live in a habitat and interact in various ways with one another are collectively called a community.
Example
Forest is an example of community.
4) Ecosystem
Living organisms cannot live isolated from the nonliving part of their environment. The biotic (living organisms). and abiotic components (air, water, light, soil etc.) of environment interact with each other to form a stable system. The self-sufficient unit of an environment that is formed as a result of interactions between its biotic community and the abiotic components is called ecosystem.
Examples
i. A pond, a lake and a forest are examples of natural ecosystems.
ii. An aquarium is an example of artificial ecosystem.
5) Biosphere
Definition
All ecosystems of the world together form the biosphere. It includes all the ecosystems of the planet Earth. In other words, the biosphere consists of all organisms present on the earth and all regions of the Earth where they live.
Range
Biosphere ranges from the floor of oceans to the tops of the highest mountains.
Thickness
It is about 20 km thick. The biosphere makes a thin layer surrounding the planet Earth. If you consider the Earth as of the size of an apple, then the biosphere will be as thick as the apple’s skin.
