Observe the diagram and answer the given question.
The amount of nutrients, such as carbon etc., present in the soil at any specific time is referred to as:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → Standing state
Option (2) Standing state — Correct. The amount of a nutrient present in the soil at a given time is its standing state; it differs between ecosystems and between seasons.
Note: This question is from the topic “Nutrient Cycling” in Chapter 14, Ecosystem, of the pre-rationalised NCERT book. This portion is not in the present NCERT book, where the chapter is now Chapter 12, Ecosystem. The extract below is from the pre-rationalised edition.
NCERT Extract (Pre-rationalised edition, Chapter 14, Ecosystem):
Nutrient Cycling – “You have studied in Class XI that organisms need a constant supply of nutrients to grow, reproduce and regulate various body functions. The amount of nutrients, such as carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium, etc., present in the soil at any given time, is referred to as the standing state. It varies in different kinds of ecosystems and also on a seasonal basis.”