RBSE Solutions Class 11 Biology Chapter 38 Ecology

RBSE Class 11 Biology Chapter 38 Multiple Choice Objective Questions

Question 1. Study of interaction between animals and their environment –
(a) Biology
(b) Zoology
(c) Physiology
(d) Ecology
Answer: (b) Zoology
In simple words: The study of how animals interact with their surroundings, including other animals and non-living things, is called zoology. It focuses on the life of animals.

🎯 Exam Tip: Remember to distinguish between broader fields like Biology and specific branches like Zoology, which focuses on animals, or Ecology, which studies interactions.

Question 2. Greek word "Oikos" means –
(a) Habitat
(b) Study
(c) Community
(d) Population
Answer: (a) Habitat
In simple words: The Greek word "Oikos" means home or dwelling place, which is why it relates to the concept of habitat in ecology.

🎯 Exam Tip: Understanding the origin of scientific terms, like "oikos" for ecology, helps in remembering their core meaning.

Question 4. Who defined ecology as "study of structure and function of nature” –
(a) Taylor
(b) Krebs
(c) Odum
(d) Alton.
Answer: (a) Taylor
In simple words: Taylor defined ecology as looking at how nature is built and how it works. This means studying its parts and what they do.

🎯 Exam Tip: When asked about definitions, always remember the key phrase and the scientist associated with it to score full marks.

Question 5. A group of animals of a species is called –
(a) Population
(b) Biosphere
(c) Community
(d) Ecosystem
Answer: (b) Biosphere
In simple words: A population is a group of the same kind of animals living in one area. Biosphere is a very broad term for all life zones on Earth.

🎯 Exam Tip: Be careful with ecological terms; a 'population' is specific to one species, while 'community' involves multiple species, and 'biosphere' is the global sum of all ecosystems.

Question 6. The organisation of communities in a given area is called –
(a) Community
(b) Population
(c) Biome
(d) Biosphere
Answer: (c) Biome
In simple words: When different communities are organized together in a specific area, it forms a larger unit called a biome. Biomes are big regions with similar climates and living things.

🎯 Exam Tip: Understand the hierarchy of ecological organization: organism, population, community, ecosystem, biome, and biosphere, to correctly identify the level of organization.

Question 7. The study of geographical distribution of organisms –
(a) Plant geography
(b) Animal geography
(c) Bio-geography
(d) Agriculture geography
Answer: (c) Bio-geography
In simple words: Bio-geography is the study of where living things are found around the world. It looks at why certain plants and animals live in specific places.

🎯 Exam Tip: Remember that 'bio-geography' is the overall term for studying the distribution of all living organisms, encompassing both plants and animals.

Question 8. The basic unit of ecological study is –
(a) Organism
(b) Ecosystem
(c) Biome
(d) Population
Answer: (a) Organism
In simple words: The smallest and most fundamental unit that ecologists study is a single living thing or organism. Everything else builds up from there.

🎯 Exam Tip: Always recall that individual organisms are the starting point for ecological studies, as they are the smallest independent units.

RBSE Class 11 Biology Chapter 38 Very Short Answer Questions

Question 1. Who first interpreted the term ecology?
Answer: Heckel first explained what the term "ecology" meant.
In simple words: Heckel was the first to interpret the meaning of ecology.

🎯 Exam Tip: When naming individuals for their contributions, ensure correct spelling and association with the concept.

Question 2. Term ecology originated from which language?
Answer: The word "ecology" comes from the Greek language.
In simple words: Ecology comes from Greek words.

🎯 Exam Tip: Many scientific terms have Greek or Latin roots; knowing this helps understand their origin and meaning.

Question 3. Who defined ecology as study of structure and functioning of nature.
Answer: Odum defined ecology as the study of the structure and function of nature.
In simple words: Odum said ecology is about how nature is built and how it works.

🎯 Exam Tip: Associate key definitions with the correct scientists, especially in biology, to show a deep understanding.

Question 4. Which is the basic unit of ecology?
Answer: The basic unit of ecological study is an organism.
In simple words: A single living thing, or organism, is the smallest unit studied in ecology.

🎯 Exam Tip: Always remember that an individual organism is the fundamental level at which ecological processes begin to be understood.

Question 5. The role of organism in an ecosystem is called?
Answer: The role of an organism in an ecosystem is often referred to as its ecological niche, or simply its individual organism's function.
In simple words: An individual organism's specific job or role within an ecosystem is what it does.

🎯 Exam Tip: When describing an organism's role, consider its niche, which includes its habitat, food source, and interactions, rather than just its presence.

RBSE Class 11 Biology Chapter 38 Short Answer Questions

Question 1. Define Ecology?
Answer: Ecology is the study of how living things interact with each other and with their non-living surroundings. It explores the relationships between organisms and their environment.
In simple words: Ecology is the study of how living things and their environment interact.

🎯 Exam Tip: A good definition of ecology always includes both living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) interactions.

Question 2. Write the hierarchy of organisation towards complexity.
Answer: Nature has many levels of organization for living things, moving from simple to complex. First, every animal's body is made of cells, which contain protoplasm and genes. A group of similar cells forms tissue. Different tissues then combine to make an organ. Organs work together in organ systems. Finally, various organ systems together make up an individual organism. This individual organism is considered a basic unit in ecology.
In simple words: Life is organized from simple to complex: cells make tissues, tissues make organs, organs make organ systems, and organ systems make an individual living thing. An individual is a basic unit in nature.

🎯 Exam Tip: Clearly listing each level of organization (cells, tissues, organs, organ systems, organism) in order is key to explaining the hierarchy of complexity.

Question 3. Define ecology and ecosystem?
Answer: Ecology is the study of how living things interact with each other and their environment. An ecosystem, on the other hand, includes a community of living things and all the non-living parts of their surroundings, like air, water, and soil, interacting together in a continuous cycle of activities.
In simple words: Ecology is studying how living things and their environment interact. An ecosystem is all the living things and non-living parts in an area working together.

🎯 Exam Tip: Differentiate ecology (the study) from an ecosystem (the functional unit) by emphasizing that ecology is the scientific discipline while an ecosystem is the natural system itself.

Question 4. Define autecology?
Answer: Autecology is the study of how a single species of animal or plant interacts with its environment. For example, it could involve studying just one mango tree or one tiger and how it lives in its specific habitat.
In simple words: Autecology is the study of one type of living thing (like one kind of plant or animal) and how it lives in its surroundings.

🎯 Exam Tip: Remember that 'autecology' focuses on individual species, while 'synecology' (community ecology) looks at groups of species.

RBSE Class 11 Biology Chapter 38 Essay Type Questions

Question 1. What do you mean by Ecology? Give the definition of ecology given by Odum and Mishra and interpreter them.
Answer: Ecology is the study of how living organisms interact with each other and their surroundings. It explores the relationships between living beings and their environment. Reiter (1868) first used the term Ecology, and Ernst Haeckel (1869), a German scientist, explained and defined it.

Many scientists have defined ecology in different ways:

• **Taylor (1936):** Defined ecology as the study of all organisms and their relationship with the environment.
• **Philip Handler (1970):** Stated that ecology is the study of the relationship between an organism and its environment.
• **Odum:** Defined ecology as "the study of the structure and function of nature." This means looking at how natural systems are built and how they operate.
• **Ramdeo Misra (1968):** India's leading ecologist, defined ecology as the study of interactions between the shapes and functions of organisms and environmental factors.

🎯 Exam Tip: When asked to interpret definitions, state the definition clearly and then explain what each part of the definition means in simpler terms, linking it back to the core concept of interactions.

Question 2. Describe the organisation level concept.
Answer: The concept of organization levels describes how living things in nature are arranged from simple to complex structures.
There are many levels of organization for organisms. We know that the body of every animal is made of cells, which contain protoplasm and genetic material. A group of cells forms a tissue, and tissues then combine to form an organ. Organs work together to form an organ system, and different organ systems create an individual organism. This organism is the basic unit of ecology.
Moving further, a group of animals of the same species living in a specific area is called a population. When different species live together in an area at the same time, they form a community. The continuous activities and interactions between this community and the non-living parts of the environment (like air, water, and soil) make up an ecosystem. All the ecosystems on Earth together form the largest organization, called the biosphere or ecosphere. The biosphere includes the lithosphere (land), hydrosphere (water), and atmosphere (air), all working together.
In simple words: Life is organized from simple parts to complex systems. It starts with cells, then goes to tissues, organs, organ systems, and finally an individual living thing. Groups of the same kind of living things are populations. Many different groups living together make a community. The community and its non-living environment form an ecosystem. All ecosystems on Earth combine to form the biosphere.

🎯 Exam Tip: Clearly explain each level of organization, starting from the smallest (cell/organism) and moving to the largest (biosphere), and define each term accurately.

Question 3. What is Synecology? Describe its three branches.
Answer: Synecology is the study of different communities of animals or plants within an ecosystem. It is also known as community ecology, focusing on how groups of different species interact with each other and their environment.
Ecology also has several other branches:

• **Animal ecology:** Studies animals and their relationship with their environment.
• **Plant ecology:** Studies how different plant species interact with each other and their physical environment.
• **Habitat ecology:** Focuses on the ecology of various habitats found on Earth (biosphere). It has four main types:
  1. Freshwater ecology (Limnology)
  2. Marine ecology (Oceanology)
  3. Terrestrial ecology (land-based)
  4. Estuarine ecology: Studies partly closed coastal waters where one or more rivers flow in, and which have a free connection to the open sea.
• **Ecogeography or Biogeography:** Deals with how organisms are distributed across different geographical regions. It aims to explain current and past patterns of organism distribution.
• **Production ecology:** Focuses on the total (gross) and usable (net) production of various ecosystems and how to manage them for maximum yield.
• **Radiation Ecology:** Studies the effects of radiation on the environment and the living organisms within it.
• **Human Ecology:** Examines the significant characteristics and interactions of human beings within their environment.
• **Space ecology:** Studies the effects of the space environment on organisms.
• **Palaeontology:** Deals with the ecology of organisms that are now extinct.
• **Chemical ecology:** Focuses on how animals adapt to particular chemical substances.
• **Pedoecology:** Studies the composition of soil and its effects on organisms.
• **Energy ecology:** Studies how energy flows within an ecosystem.
• **Pollution ecology:** Studies pollution and its impact on organisms.

🎯 Exam Tip: When defining synecology, clearly state its focus on communities. When listing branches, provide a brief, clear explanation for each to show comprehensive knowledge.