Banner for the Ecology and Biodiversity module of UPSC GS3

GS3 · Module 16 of 22

Ecology and Biodiversity – UPSC GS3

This module of the GS Paper 3: Economy, Environment, S&T & Security course covers ecosystems, biogeochemical cycles, biodiversity, protected areas and conservation laws. It has 4 study lessons and a 32-question practice quiz. Free lessons can be read in full; premium lessons show a preview.

Lessons in this module

1. Ecosystems: Structure, Energy Flow and Nutrient Cycles

Free 7 min

Ecology is the study of relationships between organisms and their environment. The term was coined by Ernst Haeckel (1866). A.G. Tansley (1935) introduced the term ecosystem: a functional unit of living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic)…

2. Biodiversity: Levels, Hotspots, Threats and Global Frameworks

Premium 7 min

Biodiversity is the variety of life at all levels. The term was popularised by E.O. Wilson. It has three levels: Genetic diversity: variation within a species, such as India's thousands of rice varieties. It is…

3. Wildlife Conservation: Protected Areas, Laws and Species Projects

Premium 7 min

The 42nd Amendment (1976): added Article 48A (a Directive Principle): the State shall protect and improve the environment and safeguard forests and wildlife; added Article 51A(g) (a Fundamental Duty): citizens must protect the natural environment,…

4. Forests, Wetlands, Mangroves and Coral Reefs

Premium 7 min

India State of Forest Report (ISFR) 2023 (released by the Forest Survey of India, Dehradun, in December 2024): forest cover: about 7.15 lakh sq km, or 21.76% of geographical area; forest and tree cover together:…

Module quiz: Ecology and Biodiversity (32 questions)

Maps & infographics in this module

Mangrove forest in the Sundarbans. Credit: Wikimedia Commons · CC0.

An oak savanna, a grassland ecosystem with scattered trees. Credit: Wikimedia Commons · Public domain.

Bar chart illustrating the 10 percent law with 10,000 energy units at producers falling to 1,000, 100 and 10 at successive trophic levels — Because so much energy is lost as heat at each step, top predators are always few.

Cycle diagram of the nitrogen cycle showing fixation, nitrification, assimilation, consumption, ammonification and denitrification with the bacteria involved — Excess fertiliser nitrogen leaks out as nitrate (eutrophication) and nitrous oxide (a greenhouse gas).

Card diagram of species interactions: mutualism, commensalism, parasitism, predation, competition and amensalism with examples — Signs show the effect on each partner: benefit (+), harm (−) or no effect (0).

The Western Ghats in Kanyakumari district, Tamil Nadu. Credit: Wikimedia Commons · CC0.

Frequently asked questions

Lessons: Ecosystems: Structure, Energy Flow and Nutrient Cycles; Biodiversity: Levels, Hotspots, Threats and Global Frameworks; Wildlife Conservation: Protected Areas, Laws and Species Projects; Forests, Wetlands, Mangroves and Coral Reefs.

Answer: A.G. Tansley. 1935.

Answer: energy. Energy.

Answer: aquatic ecosystems. Phytoplankton.

Answer: Nitrosomonas. Nitrification.

Join to unlock every lesson, revision note and mock test

Structured GS1–GS4, CSAT and Essay courses with maps, infographics, module quizzes and full-length mocks.

Create a free account See plans

Ecology and Biodiversity – UPSC GS3

Lessons in this module

1. Ecosystems: Structure, Energy Flow and Nutrient Cycles

2. Biodiversity: Levels, Hotspots, Threats and Global Frameworks

3. Wildlife Conservation: Protected Areas, Laws and Species Projects

4. Forests, Wetlands, Mangroves and Coral Reefs

Maps & infographics in this module

Frequently asked questions

What is covered in Ecology and Biodiversity for UPSC GS3?

The term "ecosystem" was coined by:

Which ecological pyramid is always upright?

The pyramid of biomass is inverted in:

Conversion of ammonia to nitrite is done by:

Related modules

Join to unlock every lesson, revision note and mock test