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Difficulty: MediumBasic Ecological Concepts and Ecosystem Structure

Arrange the following ecological units in increasing order of structural complexity, starting from the simplest level of biological organization to the broadest global level.

  1. 1A single village weaver bird (*Ploceus cucullatus*) nesting in a savanna grassland.
  2. 2A flock of village weaver birds of the same species residing within the savanna grassland.
  3. 3All populations of weaver birds, acacia trees, locusts, and snakes living together in the savanna grassland.
  4. 4The savanna biological community interacting with physical factors such as rainfall, soil minerals, solar radiation, and air temperature.
  5. 5The entire zone of Earth where life exists, encompassing all terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

Answer

The correct sequence from simplest to broadest ecological level of organization is: individual organism, population, biotic community, ecosystem, and biosphere.
In ecology, levels of biological organization are arranged hierarchically according to increasing structural complexity: Organism (single living individual) → Population (group of same species) → Community (assembly of different populations) → Ecosystem (community plus abiotic environment) → Biosphere (global sum of all ecosystems).

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the individual organism level
A single weaver bird represents an individual organism.
An organism is the fundamental individual unit of life.
2
Group organisms of the same species into a population
A flock of weaver birds of the same species forms a population.
A population consists of organisms belonging to the same species in a given area.
3
Combine distinct populations inhabiting the same area into a community
The weaver birds, acacia trees, locusts, and snakes form a biological community.
A community includes all biotic components (interacting species) in a habitat.
4
Integrate abiotic factors with the biotic community to form an ecosystem
The savanna organisms interacting with sunlight, soil, water, and air form an ecosystem.
An ecosystem includes both living organisms (biotic) and non-living physical components (abiotic).
5
Extend to the global scale to identify the biosphere
The total global ecosystem containing all life forms on Earth is the biosphere.
The biosphere is the highest ecological level encompassing all biomes and ecosystems.

Key Concept

Hierarchy of Ecological Organization
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Topics

Basic Ecological Concepts and Ecosystem Structure

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