Ecosystem Services

Estimated time: 2 minutes

Maharashtra State Board: Class 12
CISCE: Class 12

Key Points: Ecological Services

Ecosystem services are the benefits humans obtain from ecosystems, supporting life and maintaining environmental balance.
These services are grouped into supporting, provisioning, regulating, and cultural services, including nutrient cycling, food, climate regulation, and recreation.
Ecosystems provide essential functions like oxygen production, carbon dioxide removal, rainfall generation, and climate control.
Pollination, seed dispersal, decomposition, and nutrient cycling by organisms help maintain soil fertility, crop production, and waste recycling.
Ecosystem services have economic, ecological, and survival value, but human activities can disturb them, making conservation of biodiversity important.

Answer the following question.
Mention four significant services that a healthy forest ecosystem provides.

Discuss the role of healthy ecosystem services as a pre-requisite for a wide range of economic, environmental and aesthetic goods and services

Given below are the features of Seed A and Seed B. Study them carefully and answer the question that follows.

SEED A	Papery endosperm, swollen cotyledon, perisperm develops from nucellus, suspensor, haustoria substitute endosperm.
SEED B	Swollen endosperm, papery cotyledons or absent, perisperm does not develop from nucellus, suspensor and haustoria do not substitute endosperm.

Identify the type of Seed A and Seed B. Cite one example of each of Seed A and Seed B.

Mention any 'two' ecological services forthe benefit of mankind

The unique feature of hot dilute soup is that there was no free ______ in it.

Classify the following to form Column B as per the category given in Column A:

(Nature trails, Pollination, Sea food, Carbon sequestration, Animal therapy, Pest control, Health care, Nutrient cycling.)

Define the Standing crop.

Answer the following question:

Why do Green plants start evolving CO₂ instead of O₂, at high temperatures?