Ecology and Ecological Factors
Multiple Choice Questions and Answers
1. The study of interactions between living organisms and environment is called
(a) ecosystem
(b) phytogeography
(c) ecology
(d) phytosociology
Answer: (c) ecology
2. The major source of water for the soil is
(a) groundwater
(b) capillary water
(c) precipitation
(d) combined water
Answer: (c) precipitation
3. The science dealing with soil is called
(a) pedology
(b) aerology
(c) geology
(d) palaeontology
Answer: (a) pedology
4. The soil which cracks and shrinks most as it dries is
(a) chalky soil
(b) clay soil
(c) sandy soil
(d) soil rich in minerals
Answer: (b) clay soil
5. Soil particles arranged in order of increasing size are
(a) sand-silt-clay
(b) clay-sand-silt
(c) silt-clay-sand
(d) clay-silt-sand
Answer: (d) clay-silt-sand
6. Soil that is of made up of particles that have been carried in water and then deposited, is called
(a) subsoil
(b) clay
(c) silt
(d) loam
Answer: (c) silt
7. Plants absorb from the soil
(a) hygroscopic water
(b) capillary water
(c) gravitational water
(d) both hygroscopic and gravitational water
Answer: (b) capillary water
8. Storage capacity of a soil is the extent to which it can hold
(a) gravitational water
(b) capillary water
(c) hygroscopic water
(d) capillary water plus hygroscopic water
Answer: (b) capillary water
9. Which one of the following factors is biotic?
(a) photoperiod
(b) CO2 content of the soil
(c) texture and porosity of soil
(d) rainfall
Answer: (b) CO2 content of the soil
10. Solubility and availability of plant nutrients related to
(a) soil pH
(b) soil porosity
(c) soil temperature
(d) soil colour
Answer: (a) soil pH
11. Which is the characteristic feature of a physiological dry soil?
(a) there is plenty of water in the soil
(b) light available to the plant is not sufficient
(c) soil is stony
(d) concentration of salt is very high in soil water
Answer: (d) concentration of salt is very high in soil water
12. The grazing animals can change the type of vegetation by
(a) bringing in plant pathogens
(b) selective grazing
(c) cross pollination
(d) bringing the seeds for other plants
Answer: (b) selective grazing
13. The term biosphere is used for the zone of earth where life exists
(a) on the lithosphere surface
(b) in the hydrosphere
(c) in the lithosphere and hydrosphere
(d) in the lithosphere hydrosphere and atmosphere
Answer: (d) in the lithosphere hydrosphere and atmosphere
14. Where do the tropical rain forests occur?
(a) Jammu and Kashmir
(b) Himachal Pradesh
(c) Bihar
(d) Andamans
Answer: (d) Andamans
15. The branch of science that deals with the development of forest and utilisation of forest products is
(a) horticulture
(b) silviculture
(c) sericulture
(d) pharmacognosy
Answer: (b) silviculture
16. In India coniferous forests are found in
(a) Madhya Pradesh
(b) Himalayan region
(c) Satpura Hills
(d) Rajasthan
Answer: (b) Himalayan region
17. Xerophytes have long roots
(a) to give mechanical support
(b) due to light
(c) to draw water from deep water beds
(d) none of the above
Answer: (c) to draw water from deep water beds
18. Soil salinity is measured by
(a) porometer
(b) photometer
(c) conductivity meter
(d) calorimeter
Answer: (c) conductivity meter
19. The factor governing the structure of earth surface is
(a) topographic
(b) edaphic
(c) biotic
(d) temperature
Answer: (a) topographic
20. What is the main causative factor of desertification?
(a) developmental activities
(b) tourism
(c) overgrazing
(d) irrigated agriculture
Answer: (c) overgrazing
21. Prickly pear (Argemone mexicana) is an ecological indicator of
(a) iron rich soil
(b) poorly drained soil
(c) nitrate rich soil
(d) recently flooded soil
Answer: (d) recently flooded soil
22. Plants which can withstand wide range of temperature are called
(a) stenothermic
(b) monothermic
(c) mesothermic
(d) eurythermic
Answer: (d) eurythermic
23. Ephemerals are
(a) drought enduring plants
(b) drought resistant plants
(c) drought escaping plants
(d) drought evading plants
Answer: (c) drought escaping plants
24. Plants which can survive in narrow range of temperature are
(a) helikothermic
(b) euthermic
(c) hypothermic
(d) stenothermic
Answer: (d) stenothermic
25. Halophytes grow on physiological dry soil due to the presence of
(a) excess salt in water
(b) excessive salt in plants
(c) excessive humidity in the air
(d) low water requirement
Answer: (b) excessive salt in plants
26. Halophytes are peculiar in having
(a) pneumatophoric stem
(b) velamen tissue
(c) vivipary
(d) saline water
Answer: (c) vivipary
27. A man made ecological factor is
(a) ploughing
(b) farming
(c) grazing
(d) fire
Answer: (d) fire
28. In India, coniferous forests are found in
(a) Himalayas
(b) Western ghats
(c) Eastern ghats
(d) All the above
Answer: (a) Himalayas
29. Grassland with scattered trees is
(a) evergreen forest
(b) deciduous forest
(c) savannah
(d) tropical rainforest
Answer: (c) savannah
30. Plants growing in shade are
(a) sciophytes
(b) xerophytes
(c) mesophytes
(d) heliophytes
Answer: (a) sciophytes
31. Heliophytes are plant growing in
(a) saline soil
(b) shade
(c) extreme dry condition
(d) full sunlight
Answer: (d) full sunlight
32. Study of interrelationships between environment and a community is known as
(a) synecology
(b) autecology
(c) phytoecology
(d) ecosystem
Answer: (a) synecology
33. A habitat with long severe winter and growing season restricted to a few months of summer forms
(a) Savannah
(b) Taiga
(c) Grasslands
(d) Tundra ecosystem
Answer: (d) Tundra ecosystem
34. In desert grassland which type of animals are relatively more abundant?
(a) aquatic
(b) fossorial
(c) arboreal
(d) diurnal
Answer: (b) fossorial
35. Study of relationship between communities and environment is called
(a) autecology
(b) synecology
(c) ecology
(d) ethnology
Answer: (b) synecology
36. Ecologically fixed and genetically irreversed species are called
(a) ecotone
(b) ecological equivalents
(c) ecotype
(d) none of these
Answer: (c) ecotype
37. Physical and chemical conditions of soil are studied under
(a) biotic factors
(b) edaphic factors
(c) climatic factors
(d) topographic factors
Answer: (b) edaphic factors
38. Plant decomposers are
(a) monera and fungi
(b) fungi and plants
(c) protista and animalia
(d) animalia and monera
Answer: (a) monera and fungi
39. What is the best pH of the soil for cultivation of plants?
(a) 3.4 -5.4
(b) 6.5 – 7.5
(c) 4.5 – 8.5
(d) 5.5 – 6.5
Answer: (b) 6.5 – 7.5
40. A plant species having different areas of geographical distribution is are called
(a) allopatric
(b) sympatric
(c) allelomorphs
(d) phytogeographic
Answer: (a) allopatric
41. Which of the following is important for specification?
(a) seasonal isolation
(b) reproductive isolation
(c) behavioral isolation
(d) tropical isolation
Answer: (b) reproductive isolation
42. What is true for individuals of same species?
(a) live in same niche
(b) live in same habitat
(c) interbreeding
(d) live in different habitats
Answer: (c) interbreeding
43. Species can be defined as
(a) group of individuals in an area
(b) population of interbreeding individuals
(c) individuals of a community
(d) organisms occupying the same habitat
Answer: (b) population of interbreeding individuals
44. The lowermost layer of atmosphere in which man and other living organisms exist, is called
(a) thermosphere
(b) troposphere
(c) stratosphere
(d) mesosphere
Answer: (b) troposphere
45. The term ecology was coined by
(a) Reiter
(b) Tansley
(c) E Munch
(d) Odum
Answer: (a) Reiter
46. Functional aspects of a species with reference to its place of occurrence is
(a) Ecology
(b) Ecological niche
(c) Species
(d) Environment
Answer: (b) Ecological niche
47. Dominant producers of neritic zone of sea are
(a) phytoplankton
(b) zooplankton
(c) microorganism
(d) diatoms
Answer: (a) phytoplankton
48. Ozone layer occurs in
(a) mesosphere
(b) thermosphere
(c) stratosphere
(d) troposphere
Answer: (c) stratosphere
49. Aerenchyma occurs in
(a) epiphytes
(b) halophytes
(c) hydrophytes
(d) xerophytes
Answer: (c) hydrophytes
50. Geographic limit within which a population exists is called
(a) biome
(b) ecosystem
(c) niche
(d) habitat
Answer: (d) habitat