JK Academy Std 5 Science Ch 4: Environmental Balance
Textual Exercises
Can you tell?
(1) Who eats birds?
Ans. Birds are eaten by other birds such eagles, kites and owls. They are also eaten by carnivores animals like the tiger, lion, etc. Even snakes and reptiles eat birds. Birds are eaten by house cats too.
(2) What is the food of plants?
Ans. Plants make their own food in the presence of sunlight using water and the carbon dioxide from the air. They also take the nutrients from the soil to produce their food.
(3) Find the different food chains of which the worm and the mouse form a link.
Grass – worm – grasshopper-mouse-eagle
Grass –worm-grasshopper-mouse-snake-eagle
(4) What is the deer’s food?
Ans. The deer is herbivorous animal; it eats grass and other vegetation.
(5) What is food for the tiger?
Ans. A tiger is carnivorous; it eats other animals.
(6) If one of the links in a chain is lost from the chain, can the food chain last?
Ans. Even if one of the links in the chain is lost, the food chain cannot last.
Exercises
1. What’s the solution?
We have to remove insects from the grain without using insecticides.
Ans. To remove insects from the grain without using insecticides, we can mix the grains with Bay leaves and Neem leaves.
2. Use your brain power!
Make up a food chain:
Frog, kite, worm, snake, grass.
Grass—worm—frog—snake—kite
3. Answer the following questions.
(a) What is a food chain? Give an example of it.
Ans. Our environment consists of many components. Each of the components is food for the next. They are all connected. That is why they say it is a chain. Such a chain is called a food chain.
For example: grass – deer – tiger – vulture – decomposers
(b) How is the balance in the environment maintained?
Ans. When the various cycles in the environment go on uninterrupted, environmental balance gets maintained.
4. What substances in the soil are useful for the growth of plants?
Ans. Micro-organisms living in the soil help the process of decomposition of plant residue, dead animals, excreta, etc. As a result, substances that help the growth of plants are formed and get added to the soil. Plants use them for their growth.
5. True or false?
(a) Micro – organisms form a part of the environment. True
(b) It is necessary to maintain biodiversity. True
(c) A grasshopper eats birds. False
Activities
1. Find out more about the birds you see in your surroundings.
2. Make up your own slogans about maintaining environmental balance.
Extra Questions
Fill in the blanks.
1. The variety we see in all the living things that belong to a particular area is called the biodiversity of that place.
2. The surroundings and the conditions in those surroundings which affect the life of the organisms are together known as the environment.
3. The environment includes many components such as sunlight, air, water, soil, plants and animals, etc.
4. Environmental science studies the interaction between living and non-living things.
5. Micro-organisms living in the soil help the process of decomposition.
6. Living things get a continuous supply of water because of the water cycle.
7. When the various cycles in the environment go on uninterrupted, environmental balance gets maintained.
8. The water cycle, various other cycles and food chains in nature help to maintain the balance in the environment.
Answer the following questions:
1. What is biodiversity?
Ans. The variety we see in all the living things that belong to a particular area is called the ‘biodiversity’ of that place.
2. What efforts do scientists put to study the biodiversity of a place?
Ans. To study the biodiversity of a place, scientists make a large number of observations. They make these observations in different conditions such as day and night, in different seasons, etc. They use special devices to make observations of living things that are found at great heights or depths as well as of micro-organisms. Observations of many scientists are brought together and studied again. Only when all such efforts are made over a long period of time can we be sure of the biodiversity of a place.
3. What do you mean by environment? What does it include?
Ans. The surroundings and the conditions in those surroundings which affect the life of the organisms there, is together known as the environment. It includes many components such as sunlight, air, water, soil, plants and animals, etc.
4. What does Environment science study?
Ans. Environmental science studies the interaction between living and non-living things.
5. What is a food chain? Give an example of it.
Ans. Our environment consists of many components. Each of the components is food for the next. They are all connected. That is why they say it is a chain. Such a chain is called a food chain.
For example: grass – deer – tiger – vulture – decomposers
6. Explain food web.
Ans. One living thing can be a part of a number of food chains. Many food chains that are interconnected form the food web.
7. Describe the oxygen-carbon dioxide cycle.
Ans. Living things use oxygen from the air for breathing and give out carbon dioxide gas. Plants use the carbon dioxide from the air for making their food. Oxygen is given out in this process and gets added to the air again. This is the Oxygen-carbon dioxide cycle.
8. What helps to maintain the food chains in the environment?
Ans. The continuous interaction between the living and non-living things helps maintain the food chains in the environment.
9. Why is it important to maintain environmental balance?
Ans. For the existence of living things, it is important that environmental balance is maintained.
This is very important for students
Questions and answers those are given here are very helpful for both the teachers and students.