Population Ecology & Interactions — NEET Biology
📚 Practice ConceptList the attributes that populations possess but not individuals. 2. If a population growing exponentially double in size in 3 years, what is the intrinsic rate of increase (r) of the population? 3. Name important defence mechanisms in plants against herbivory. 4. An orchid plant is growing on the branch of mango tree. How do you describe this interaction between the orchid and the mango tree? 5. What is the ecological principle behind the biological control method of managing with pest insects? 6. Define population and community. 7. Define the following terms and give one example for each: (a) Commensalism (b) Parasitism (c) Camouflage (d) Mutualism (e) Interspecific competition 8. With the help of suitable diagram describe the logistic population growth curve. 9. Select the statement which explains best parasitism. (a) One organism is benefited. (b) Both the organisms are benefited. (c) One organism is benefited, other is not affected. (d) One organism is benefited, other is affected. 10. List any three important characteristics of a population and explain.
Which of the following statements concerning different types of population interactions are NOT correct? S1: In amensalism, one species is harmed, while the other species derives significant benefit from the interaction. S2: Commensalism, like parasitism, involves close physical association between the interacting species, where one benefits and the other is unaffected. S3: Predation always results in the death of the prey organism, and phytophagous insects are not ecologically considered predators. S4: Mutualism is an interaction where both species derive benefits, and it typically does not involve co-evolutionary relationships between them. S5: Competition is defined as a process where the fitness of one species is significantly lowered in the presence of another, regardless of resource abundance for all species.
View solution & NCERT explanation
Correct answer: A — S1, S3 and S4 only
This question focuses on identifying incorrect statements about various interspecific population interactions. Let's analyze each statement: S1: This statement is NOT correct. NCERT defines amensalism as 'one species is harmed whereas the other is unaffected.' It does not state that the other species benefits. S2: This statement is correct. NCERT mentions 'Predation, parasitism and commensalism share a common characteristic– the interacting species live closely together.' And commensalism is where 'one species is benefitted and the other is neither benefitted nor harmed.' S3: This statement is NOT correct. Predation does not 'always' result in the death of the prey (e.g., grazing). Furthermore, NCERT states, 'Nearly 25 per cent of all insects are known to be phytophagous (feeding on plant sap and other parts of plants)... animals eating plants are categorised separately as herbivores, they are, in a broad ecological context, not very different from predators.' So, phytophagous insects *are* considered predators. S4: This statement is NOT correct. While mutualism is an interaction where 'benefits on both the interacting species' are conferred, NCERT explicitly states that plant-animal interactions in mutualism 'often involve co-evolution of the mutualists.' The statement claims it 'typically does not involve co-evolutionary relationships', which is false. S5: This statement is correct. NCERT defines competition as 'a process in which the fitness of one species... is significantly lower in the presence of another species.' It also states that 'resources need not be limiting for competition to occur' (referring to interference competition). Therefore, statements S1, S3, and S4 are NOT correct. Option A accurately identifies these incorrect statements. This question demands a precise understanding of the definitions and nuances of different ecological interactions.
What does NCERT say about List attributes that populations?
Has this concept appeared in NEET?
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