Class 7 - Geography - Ch1 - Environment - NCERT Solutions

NCERT Chapter Solutions and other Questions and Answers

Q1. Answer the following questions.
(i) What is an ecosystem?
 Answer: It is a system formed by the interaction of all living organisms with each other and with the physical and chemical actors of the environment in which they live, all linked by transfer of energy and material. Large rain forest, grassland, desert, mountains, lake, river, ocean and even a small pond are examples of ecosystem.

(ii) What do you mean by natural environment? 
Answer:  All living and non-living things which exist together naturally form natural environment. It refers to both biotic and abiotic conditions exist on the earth. Land, water, air, plants and animals comprise the natural environment.

(iii) Which are the major components of the environment? 
Answer: Following are the major components of the environment:

1. Natural components: Land, Water, Air, biosphere.
2. Man made components: Bridge, buildings, roads, monuments etc.
3. Activities and interactions of human beings: social, family, political, economic activities etc.

(iv) Give four examples of human made environment.
 Answer: Bridge, buildings, roads, monuments, hospitals.

(v) What is lithosphere?

Answer: Lithosphere is the solid crust or the hard top layer of the earth. It is made up of rocks and minerals and covered by a thin layer of soil. Is irregular surface forms various landforms like mountains, valleys, plains etc.

(vi) Which are the two major components of biotic environment?
 Answer:  Plants and animals.

(vii) What is biosphere? 
Answer: Plant and animal kingdom together make biosphere or the living world. It is a narrow zone of the earth where land, water and air interact with each other to support life.

2. Tick the correct answer.
(i) Which is not a natural ecosystem?
(a) Desert 

(b) Aquarium 

(c) Forest
Answer: (b) Aquarium

(ii) Which is not a component of human environment?
(a) Land 

(b) Religion 

(c) Community
Answer: (a) Land

(iii) Which is a human made environment?
(a) Mountain 

(b) Sea 

(c) Road
Answer: (c) Road

(iv) Which is a threat to environment?
(a) Growing plant
(b) Growing population
(c) Growing crops
Answer: (b) Growing population

3. Match the following. 
Answer:
(i) Biosphere        - (d) narrow zone where land water and air interact
(ii) Atmosphere   - (a) blanket of air which surrounds the earth
(iii) Hydrosphere - (b) domain of water
(iv) Environment - (c) our surroundings

4. Give reasons.
(i) Man modifies his environment 
Answer: Environment is our basic life support system. To fulfill his needs, man builds homes, factories and modifies the environment and its mineral wealth. For food, shelter and agriculture, he cuts forests and utilize land and water.

(ii) Plants and animals depend on each other
 Answer: Plants and animals are also interdependent on each other. Plants consume carbon dioxide and give oxygen to air and prepare food, thus are producers. Animals consume plants and plant products. They also absorb oxygen and release carbon dioxide for plants. The dead and decaying animals act as nutrition to plants. Forests are the natural habitat for wild life.

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