NEETZoologyOrganisms and Populations
Given below are two statements: one is labelled as Assertion (A) and the other is labelled as Reason (R). Assertion (A): In a broad ecological context, a sparrow eating any seed is considered a predator. Reason (R): Predators act as conduits for energy transfer across trophic levels and keep prey populations under control. In the light of the above statements, choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Options
- ABoth (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A)
- BBoth (A) and (R) are true but (R) is not the correct explanation of (A)
- C(A) is true but (R) is false
- D(A) is false but (R) is true
Correct answer
A. Both (A) and (R) are true and (R) is the correct explanation of (A)
Step-by-step solution
Assertion (A) is true. In ecology, predation is viewed as nature's way of transferring energy fixed by plants to higher trophic levels. Therefore, herbivores, including a sparrow eating a seed, are considered predators in a broad ecological context. Reason (R) is also true and correctly explains (A). The fundamental ecological role of a predator is to act as a conduit for energy transfer across trophic levels. Because the sparrow transfers energy from the seed (producer) to itself (consumer), it fulfils the definin