Explain organic farming. In a developing nation like India, discuss its benefits as a viable practice.

Question:

Explain organic farming. In a developing nation like India, discuss its benefits as a viable practice.

Answer:

In an eco-friendly and pollution-free environment, organic farming mainly aims at sustainable production. Cultivation on land happens through techniques such as green manure, crop rotation, composting and biological pesticides along with beneficial microbes instead of pesticides and chemical fertilizers. Few of its benefits are:

• Regulates diseases and pests without causing harm to the environment

• Maintains long-term soil fertility

• Assures that water remains safe and clean.

• To make it economic, use resources which already exists with the farmer

• Produces high-quality crops and nutritious food.

Use of organic farming techniques in developing nations makes much more sense. Modern agricultural practices make use of expensive herbicides and chemical fertilizers which ooze out from the soil and contaminate water bodies damaging the fertility of the soil.

Write notes on electronic wastes. Write about the various sources of e-wastes and issues associated with its disposal.

Question:

Write notes on electronic wastes. Write about the various sources of e-wastes and issues associated with its disposal.

Answer: 

Solid wastes can be recyclable, biodegradable, non-biodegradable and can be categorized as municipal wastes – the sewage, hospital and nursing wastes, industrial wastes and electronic wastes. Mobiles, irreparable computers, and other such electronic goods are known as e-waste or electronic wastes. Some of their sources are:

• Many developing countries like India, China import irreparable electronic goods for their precious metals like nickel, gold, copper.

• E-wastes should be disposed of in landfills or incinerated

• Manual extraction of metals from e-wastes takes place in developing countries. Hence working with them can expose one to toxic substances present in it, leading to skin diseases

• Recycling is the only solution for e-waste treatment.

Describe any three assisted reproductive techniques practiced to treat infertility.

Question:

Describe any three assisted reproductive techniques practiced to treat infertility.

Answer:

 Assisted Reproductive Techniques refer to the medical procedures used to treat infertility. Few of the assisted reproductive techniques are:

• In-vitro Fertilization- In-vitro fertilization involves the steps:

Stimulation of the ovaries by giving human gonadotropins ↓ Retrieving the released eggs ↓ Fertilization of the eggs with the selected sperms. ↓ Development of eggs into embryos under laboratory environment ↓ The embryos are implanted in the uterus of the female

• Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection- In this method, one sperm is injected into the egg. But this procedure might damage the egg. The babies might involve defects in the reproductive organs in case of the abnormal Y chromosome.
• Gamete Intrafallopian Tube Transfer- This method is used in case of fallopian tubes that are functioning properly. In this technique, the eggs and sperms obtained are not fertilized in the laboratory. They are inserted into the far end of the fallopian tube either through the vagina or through the abdomen with the help of a laparoscope.

Explain the ecosystem service. Write any four ecosystem services rendered by the natural ecosystem. Are you in support or against imposing a charge on the service given by the ecosystem?

Question:

Explain the ecosystem service. Write any four ecosystem services rendered by the natural ecosystem. Are you in support or against imposing a charge on the service given by the ecosystem?

Answer:

Ecosystem services are the products of ecosystem processes. The major services of ecological services are forests. Some of their services are:

• Water and air purification

• Droughts and flood alleviation

• Cycling nutrients

• Fertile soil generation

• Rendering wildlife habitat

• Promoting biodiversity

• Crop pollination

• Provisions of a storage site for carbon

• Facilitating with cultural, aesthetic and spiritual values

No, not in favors of levying a charge. However, it is necessary to understand what nature is offering for free. Misusing or overusing resources may impose a heavy cost.

How can the loss of biodiversity be prevented?

Question:

 How can the loss of biodiversity be prevented?

Answer:

The occurrence of different types of habitat, species, ecosystem, gene pool, a gene in a particular area in biodiversity. It can be conserved with various conservational strategies and management of abiotic and biotic resources. Listed below are a few conservational strategies:

• Natural conservation or protection of useful plants and animals in their natural habitats.

• Conserving crucial habitats like breeding and feeding areas, facilitating the growth and multiplication of endangered species

• Regulation or banning hunting activities

• Through bilateral or multilateral agreements, habitats of migratory entities should be conserved

• Spreading awareness of the significance of conservation of biodiversity

• Avoiding over-exploitation of natural resources

Write three different types of food chains in the ecosystem.

Question:

Write three different types of food chains in the ecosystem. 

Answer:

There are basically three different types of food chains in the ecosystem, namely –

• Grazing food chain (GFC) – This is the normal food chain that we observe in which plants are the producers and the energy flows from the producers to the herbivores (primary consumers), then to carnivores (secondary consumers) and so on.
• Saprophytic or Detritus food chain (DFC) – In this type of food chain, the dead organic matter occupies the lowermost level of the food chain, followed by the decomposers and so on.
• Parasitic food chain (PFC) – In this type of food chain, large organisms either the producer or the consumer is exploited and therefore the food passes to the smaller organism.

Explain the biogeochemical cycle. What is the significance of the reservoir in this cycle? With a reservoir situated in earth’s crust, give an example of a sedimentary cycle.

Question:

Explain the biogeochemical cycle. What is the significance of the reservoir in this cycle? With a reservoir situated in earth’s crust, give an example of a sedimentary cycle.

Answer: 

The movement of nutrient molecules through different components of an ecosystem is known as a biogeochemical cycle. There are two types of nutrient cycles – Sedimentary and gaseous. For the gaseous type of cycle, the atmosphere is the reservoir(nitrogen cycle) and for the sedimentary cycle – the crust of the earth is the reservoir (phosphorous cycle). The function of the reservoir is to be able to compensate for the deficiency that takes place due to the inequality in the flow of efflux and influx. Various environmental factors such as temperature, moisture in the soil, pH etc govern the rate of liberation of nutrients into the atmosphere. The phosphorus cycle is an example of the sedimentary type of cycle as it moves from land and approaches the bottom of the seas and reverts to the land, whose natural reservoir is the crust of the earth. Phosphorous is contained in rocks in the form of phosphates. Soil erosion and weathering cause them to enter water bodies. Movements of the crustal plates lead to seafloor being uplifted and hence exposure of phosphates on the land surfaces. Weathering over a period of time liberates phosphates, which are softened in soil and seeped by plant roots. Herbivores and other entities attain this element from producers. Decomposition of dead organisms and waste products by phosphate-solubilizing bacteria release phosphorous.