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Difficulty: MediumPollution Types, Causes, Effects, and Control

Match each biological organism or indicator listed on the left with its corresponding ecological application or environmental pollution condition on the right.

  • Fruticose lichensServes as a bio-indicator of clean air due to extreme sensitivity to atmospheric sulfur dioxide (SO2SO_2).
  • Tubifex worms (sludge worms)Tolerates and indicates organically polluted aquatic environments with low dissolved oxygen levels.
  • Mayfly nymphsIndicates unpolluted aquatic habitats with high dissolved oxygen concentration.
  • Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes)Utilized in phytoremediation to absorb heavy metals and excess agricultural nutrients from wastewater.

Answer

Fruticose lichens match with sensitivity to sulfur dioxide in clean air; Tubifex worms match with tolerance to low dissolved oxygen in organically polluted water; Mayfly nymphs match with unpolluted water requiring high dissolved oxygen; and Water hyacinth matches with phytoremediation of heavy metals and excess nutrients.
Fruticose lichens serve as bio-indicators of clean air because sulfur dioxide damages their chlorophyll and hinders growth. Tubifex worms indicate heavily polluted water enriched with organic matter where oxygen levels are minimal. Mayfly nymphs require pristine, oxygen-rich freshwater streams to survive. Water hyacinth is an aquatic plant species deployed in phytoremediation for absorbing excessive nutrients and heavy metal contaminants.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify atmospheric pollution bio-indicators.
Fruticose lichens absorb rainwater directly and lack cuticles, making them vulnerable to sulfur dioxide (SO2SO_2), which correlates them to clean air conditions.
Air quality bio-monitoring relies on lichen presence or absence.
2
Evaluate aquatic indicator organisms based on dissolved oxygen requirements.
Mayfly nymphs require pristine, oxygenated water, whereas Tubifex worms possess physiological adaptations to survive high organic loads and hypoxic sediments.
Benthic macroinvertebrates reflect the biological oxygen demand (BOD) and pollution severity of water bodies.
3
Identify biological pollution control mechanisms.
Water hyacinth acts as a hyperaccumulator species capable of removing excess nutrients and toxins through phytoremediation.
Plant-based bioremediation is an effective biological control method for nutrient enrichment and heavy metal removal.

Key Concept

Bio-indicators of Pollution and Biological Remediation
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Topics

Pollution Types, Causes, Effects, and Control

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