EasyBiologyHigh School (9–10)GeneralEcology and Environment › Ecosystems and Food ChainsConceptualBoard Exam
Rohan keeps fish in a glass aquarium and has to clean it every week…
Contributed by StemPy LabTry it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
Rohan keeps fish in a glass aquarium and has to clean it every week. A pond in the park stays healthy without anyone cleaning it. Explain the difference, using the words natural, artificial and decomposers.
Need a reminder? The key ideaShow
An ecosystem is the living things of an area (biotic) with the non-living parts (abiotic). Producers make food by photosynthesis; consumers are herbivores, carnivores, omnivores and parasites; decomposers (bacteria and fungi) break down dead matter and return nutrients to the soil.
The worked solution
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Step 1. The pond. It is a natural ecosystem. Its decomposers break down waste and dead matter, and plants use the nutrients again.
Step 2. The aquarium. It is artificial. It has too few decomposers and plants to deal with the waste of so many fish in a small tank.
Step 3. So. Rohan must do the cleaning that nature does in the pond.
Answer: the pond is a natural ecosystem with its own decomposers; the aquarium is artificial, so people must clean it.
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