Category 4 · Environment & Ecology
Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecosystems
8 micro topics in Environment & Ecology for UPSC Prelims, in book order: Terrestrial Ecosystems: Forest Ecosystem in India, Grasslands, Tundra, Deserts, Mountains; Aquatic Ecosystems and Factors Affecting Their Productivity; and 6 more.
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4.1
Terrestrial Ecosystems: Forest Ecosystem in India, Grasslands, Tundra, Deserts, Mountains
Terrestrial ecosystems are land-based ecosystems, grouped into biomes by climate and vegetation. The main ones are forests, grasslands, tundra, deserts and mountains. Forests are of three broad kinds: tropical (rainforest, deciduous), temperate (broadleaf, coniferous) and boreal…
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4.2
Aquatic Ecosystems and Factors Affecting Their Productivity
Aquatic ecosystems are ecosystems in which water is the main medium, and they cover about 70 percent of the Earth's surface. They are divided into freshwater ecosystems, with low salt content, such as ponds, lakes, rivers…
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4.3
Freshwater Ecosystem
Freshwater ecosystems have a salt content of less than 0.5 parts per thousand and make up less than 1 percent of the Earth's surface, though they hold a large share of its species. They are of…
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4.4
Marine Ecosystem and Marine Organisms
The marine ecosystem is the largest ecosystem on Earth, covering about 71 percent of the surface and holding about 97 percent of its water, with an average salinity of about 35 parts per thousand. It is…
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4.5
Plankton: Phytoplankton and Zooplankton
Plankton are organisms, mostly microscopic, that live in water and drift with currents because they cannot swim against them. The word comes from the Greek for wanderer. They are divided into phytoplankton, the plant-like photosynthetic producers,…
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4.6
Factors Affecting Phytoplankton Biodiversity and Their Importance
Phytoplankton diversity and abundance in the sea depend on a set of physical, chemical and biological factors. Light is the first: it limits photosynthesis to the euphotic zone, and its quantity and colour vary with depth,…
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4.7
Sea-Grass and Seaweeds
Seagrasses and seaweeds are two different groups of marine plant-like organisms. Seagrasses are true flowering plants that grow in shallow, sandy or muddy coastal waters, with roots, stems, leaves, flowers and seeds, and they form underwater…
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4.8
Human-Modified Ecosystems
Human-modified ecosystems, also called anthropogenic or artificial ecosystems, are ecosystems created or heavily changed by human activity to meet human needs. The main kinds are agro-ecosystems such as croplands, plantations, orchards and fish ponds, urban ecosystems…
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Frequently asked questions
Which topics are in Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecosystems?
Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecosystems has 8 micro topics in Environment & Ecology: Terrestrial Ecosystems: Forest Ecosystem in India, Grasslands, Tundra, Deserts, Mountains; Aquatic Ecosystems and Factors Affecting Their Productivity; Freshwater Ecosystem; Marine Ecosystem and Marine Organisms; Plankton: Phytoplankton and Zooplankton; Factors Affecting Phytoplankton Biodiversity and Their Importance; Sea-Grass and Seaweeds; Human-Modified Ecosystems.
Is Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecosystems important for UPSC Prelims?
Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecosystems is a part of the UPSC Prelims Environment & Ecology syllabus map on MaargX UPSC. Each of its 8 published topics has key terms, a Mains angle and practice questions.