Q1.
Study the picture carefully and spot the organisms listed in Table 12.4. Using the internet or your school library, find out what do these organisms eat. Record your observations in Table 12.4 by identifying whether each organism feeds only on plants and plant products, only on animals, or on both.
Answer
All nine organisms of Table 12.4 can be found in the forest habitat of Fig. 12.1(b): the deer and the hare grazing, a Bengal fox in the open, a mouse and a squirrel near the tree, a vulture overhead, a shikra perched on a branch, mushrooms on a dead stump, and the trees themselves.
| Name of the organism | Performs photosynthesis | Feeds on plants and plant products | Feeds on animals | Feeds on both plants and animals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deer | No | Yes — grass and leaves of plants | No | No — only on plants |
| Hare | No | Yes — grasses, tender shoots, bark | No | No — only on plants |
| Vulture | No | No | Yes — flesh of dead animals | No — only on animals |
| Bengal Fox | No | Yes — fruits | Yes — rodents, insects, birds | Yes — omnivore |
| Bird (Shikra) | No | No | Yes — lizards, small birds, insects | No — only on animals |
| Squirrel | No | Yes — nuts, seeds, fruits | Sometimes insects and eggs | Yes — mainly plants |
| Mouse | No | Yes — grains and seeds | Yes — insects | Yes — omnivore |
| Mushroom | No | Neither — it grows on dead plants and animal matter and breaks it down (a decomposer) | ||
| Tree | Yes | No | No | No — it makes its own food |
Why it happens: the table sorts the forest into three roles. The tree is a producer — it alone brings energy into the forest, from sunlight. The deer, hare, fox, shikra, squirrel, mouse and vulture are consumers — they pass that energy along. The mushroom is a decomposer — it takes the energy and nutrients left in dead bodies and returns the nutrients to the soil. Every organism in a forest fits one of these three roles.