Question

Which of the food chain directly depends on solar radiation?
A. Predator
B. Grazing
C. Detritus
D. None of the above

Answer 1

Hint: The solar radiation acts as a major source of energy for all ecosystems except the deep sea hydro-thermal ecosystem. Of the solar radiation incident on the earth surface, less than 50% is the photosynthetically active radiation (PAR).

Complete Answer:
Food chain is the linear network in which there are different trophic levels and each comprises different types of animals. There are different levels in the food chain.
These are:
- The lowest level in the food chain is known as primary producers that comprises grasses, trees, shrubs etc. It is having the maximum level of energy.
- The second level in the food chain is known as the primary consumer that comprises all herbivores like cow, goat, horse etc. It is having energy less than primary producers but more than secondary consumers.
- The third level in the food chain is known as a secondary consumer that comprises all carnivores like lions, tigers etc. Mostly, it is the topmost level in the food chain and having the least energy.
For the production of food like grasses, shrubs, leaves etc. that acts as a primary producer, solar radiation is necessary as it helps in the photosynthesis process by which the production of food takes place. The primary consumer totally depends on the primary producer as it is a source of energy in it.

The correct option is B i.e. grazing.

Additional information: Plants and chemosynthetic bacteria utilize the solar radiation for the production of food by the process of photosynthesis. Less than 50% of the solar radiation that falls on earth’s surface is considered as PAR and 2-10% of these PARs are utilized by the plants for the photosynthetic process.

Note: When the food chain gets interlinked then it forms a food web which comprises 2-3 food chains.
Food chain is necessary for ecological balance and also for the flow of energy and nutrients.
In the food web, the nutrient's movement is cyclic in nature while energy flow is unidirectional and non-cyclic in nature.