Question:
Every trophic level has a certain mass of living material at a particular time. What is it called?
Every trophic level has a certain mass of living material at a particular time. What is it called?
Show Hint
Use this word association to remember the difference:
* Standing Crop = Living organic material (think of harvestable biological crops).
* Standing State = Inorganic mineral status of the soil environment.
* Standing Crop = Living organic material (think of harvestable biological crops).
* Standing State = Inorganic mineral status of the soil environment.
Updated On: Jul 7, 2026
- Standing crop
- Primary productivity
- Standing state
- Ecological efficiency
Show Solution
Verified By Collegedunia
The Correct Option is A
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: Understanding the Question:
The question asks for the correct ecological term used to describe the total mass of living organic material present at a specific trophic level in an ecosystem at any given time.
Step 2: Key Formula or Approach:
Ecosystem analysis requires distinguishing between biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) pools of matter:
* The organic biogenic component is quantified as the standing crop.
* The inorganic nutrient component is quantified as the standing state.
Step 3: Detailed Explanation:
Let's define each ecological concept to see why the options match or differ:
* Standing crop (Option A): This is defined as the total biomass or mass of living organic matter present at a given trophic level per unit area at a specific time. It can be measured either as fresh weight or dry weight. Dry weight is more accurate because it excludes fluctuating water content.
* Standing state (Option C): This refers to the total amount of inorganic nutrients—such as nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium, and carbon—present in the soil or abiotic environment of an ecosystem at any given time.
* Primary productivity (Option B): This is a rate function, not a static mass measurement. It represents the velocity at which solar energy is captured and converted into organic matter by autotrophs per unit area over a year.
* Ecological efficiency (Option D): This is a ratio representing the percentage of energy transferred from one trophic level to the next higher level (usually averaging around 10% according to Lindeman's efficiency law).
Step 4: Final Answer:
The mass of living material at a specific trophic level is called the standing crop, which corresponds to option (A).
The question asks for the correct ecological term used to describe the total mass of living organic material present at a specific trophic level in an ecosystem at any given time.
Step 2: Key Formula or Approach:
Ecosystem analysis requires distinguishing between biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) pools of matter:
* The organic biogenic component is quantified as the standing crop.
* The inorganic nutrient component is quantified as the standing state.
Step 3: Detailed Explanation:
Let's define each ecological concept to see why the options match or differ:
* Standing crop (Option A): This is defined as the total biomass or mass of living organic matter present at a given trophic level per unit area at a specific time. It can be measured either as fresh weight or dry weight. Dry weight is more accurate because it excludes fluctuating water content.
* Standing state (Option C): This refers to the total amount of inorganic nutrients—such as nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium, and carbon—present in the soil or abiotic environment of an ecosystem at any given time.
* Primary productivity (Option B): This is a rate function, not a static mass measurement. It represents the velocity at which solar energy is captured and converted into organic matter by autotrophs per unit area over a year.
* Ecological efficiency (Option D): This is a ratio representing the percentage of energy transferred from one trophic level to the next higher level (usually averaging around 10% according to Lindeman's efficiency law).
Step 4: Final Answer:
The mass of living material at a specific trophic level is called the standing crop, which corresponds to option (A).
Was this answer helpful?
0
0
Top CBSE CLASS XII Biology Questions
- All algae have
- With a neat, labelled diagram, describe the parts of a typical angiosperm ovule.
- With a neat diagram explain the 7-celled, 8-nucleate nature of the female gametophyte
- Draw a labeled diagram of male reproductive system.
- Draw a labeled diagram of female reproductive system.
View More Questions
Top CBSE CLASS XII Ecosystems and Biodiversity Questions
- State the conclusions derived by David Tilman’s long-term ecosystem experiments using outdoor plots.
- Which of the following is not a functional unit of an ecosystem?
- Assertion (A): Ecosystems require a constant supply of energy to synthesize the molecules they require.
Reason (R): This is to counteract the universal tendency towards increasing disorderliness as per Second Law of Thermodynamics. - What is the carrying capacity of a species in a habitat?
Explain the growth curve that takes this capacity into account.
- Which of the following ecosystems is most productive in terms of net primary productivity?
Top CBSE CLASS XII Questions
- 2, b, c are in A.P. and the range of determinant $\begin{vmatrix}1&1&1\\ 2&b&c\\ 4&b^{2}&c^{2}\end{vmatrix}$ is [2, 16]. Then find range of c is
- A boy of mass 50 kg is standing at one end of a, boat of length 9 m and mass 400 kg. He runs to the other, end. The distance through which the centre of mass of the boat boy system moves is
- A capillary tube of radius r is dipped inside a large vessel of water. The mass of water raised above water level is M. If the radius of capillary is doubled, the mass of water inside capillary will be
- A circular disc is rotating about its own axis. An external opposing torque 0.02 Nm is applied on the disc by which it comes rest in 5 seconds. The initial angular momentum of disc is
- A circular disc is rotating about its own axis at uniform angular velocity \(\omega.\) The disc is subjected to uniform angular retardation by which its angular velocity is decreased to \(\frac {\omega}{2}\) during 120 rotations. The number of rotations further made by it before coming to rest is
View More Questions