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Topic Food Chain
Asked 5 times across 3 UPSC exams over 27 years (1997–2024), peaking in 2014.
Key insights
- Most tested in CSE — 3 of 5 PYQs
- Most asked in 2014
- Recurs across 5 years (1997–2024)
How it travelled across exams
First appearance in each exam — the same idea, reframed.
CSE 1997 → CISF 2023 → CAPF 2024
How the concept evolved
Rising — more than half its appearances (3 of 5) are since 2016.
Related concepts
Ideas UPSC tests alongside this one — keep exploring.
Sample questions
You've seen the pattern — here are a few of the actual PYQs.
CAPF2024
In an ecosystem why is the number of trophic levels of a food chain usually limited?
- A Lower trophic level has lesser energy than the higher trophic level
- B Because of the loss of energy at each trophic level ✓
- C Higher trophic level individual can control the lower ones more efficiently
- D Limited trophic level makes a food chain less vulnerable to parasites
✓ Correct answer: (B)
Environment & Ecology › Ecology & Ecosystems
CISF2023
Which one of the following groups of organisms correctly makes a food chain?
- A Grass, Goat, Human ✓
- B Elephant, Goat, Grass
- C Tiger, Snake, Grass
- D Insect, Frog, Grass
✓ Correct answer: (A)
Science & Technology › Biology & Health
CSE2017
Due to some reasons, if there is a huge fall in the population of species of butterflies, what could be its likely consequence/consequences ?
- Pollination of some plants could be adversely affected
- There could be a drastic increase in the fungal infections of some cultivated plants
- It could lead to a fall in the population of some species of wasps, spiders and birds
Select the correct answer using the code given below :
- A 1 only
- B 2 and 3 only
- C 1 and 3 only ✓
- D 1, 2 and 3
✓ Correct answer: (C)
Environment & Ecology › Ecology & Ecosystems
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