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Ecology basics

Ecology basics for UPSC Prelims and Mains, taught in 2 parts. Each part has tables, exam traps, a recap and practice questions, and every paragraph is explained in Marathi.

Quick recap: Quick recap: Ecology basics on one page

Both parts of Ecology basics condensed for quick revision: ecosystem structure, energy flow, pyramids and biomagnification; succession, interactions, special species roles and ecotones; the biogeochemical cycles; a one-table overview and eight mixed questions.

Parts of this chapter

Part 1

Ecosystem structure, food chains and energy flow

Ecology and its levels of organisation, habitat and niche; the ecosystem and its abiotic and biotic parts; producers, consumers, decomposers and detritivores; grazing and detritus food chains and food webs; one-way energy flow and the ten per cent law; gross and net primary productivity; pyramids of number, biomass and energy; bioaccumulation and biomagnification. Part 2

Succession, interactions and biogeochemical cycles

Primary and secondary succession, pioneer species, xerosere and hydrosere, the climax community; mutualism, commensalism, parasitism, predation, competition and amensalism; keystone, flagship, umbrella, indicator and invasive species; ecotones and the edge effect; gaseous and sedimentary cycles; the carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulphur and water cycles, eutrophication and acid rain.

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