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Q2(a):
(a) The shift from grain to meat diets creates more demands for cereals. Why?
Solution :
Step 1: The Bioenergetic Framework (Trophic Dynamics)
The demand for cereals in meat-based diets is governed by the Ten Percent Law proposed by Lindeman (1942) [Per the Laws of Thermodynamics regarding energy transfer in ecosystems]. In any food chain, only approximately $10\%$ of the energy available at a specific trophic level is transferred to the next higher level. The remaining $90\%$ is lost as heat through metabolic processes (respiration, movement, excretion, and maintenance of homeostasis).
Step 2: Analysis of Trophic Efficiency
To quantify the inefficiency of meat production, consider the direct consumption of cereals versus indirect consumption through livestock:
| Pathway | Trophic Level | Energy Efficiency |
|---|---|---|
| Direct Consumption | Producer to Primary Consumer (Human) | Highest (Energy consumed directly) |
| Meat Production | Producer to Primary Consumer (Livestock) to Secondary Consumer (Human) | Low ($10\% \times 10\% = 1\%$ of primary energy) |
Step 3: Calculating Grain Requirement (The Conversion Ratio)
Livestock animals, particularly cattle, act as biological converters with low feed-conversion efficiency. The Feed Conversion Ratio (FCR) represents the amount of grain (cereals/soy/corn) required to produce $1\text{ kg}$ of animal protein. Depending on the species, it takes significantly more mass in grain to produce a smaller mass in meat:
- Beef: Requires roughly $7\text{--}10\text{ kg}$ of grain to produce $1\text{ kg}$ of beef.
- Pork: Requires roughly $4\text{--}5\text{ kg}$ of grain to produce $1\text{ kg}$ of pork.
- Poultry: Requires roughly $2\text{--}3\text{ kg}$ of grain to produce $1\text{ kg}$ of poultry.
Step 4: Ecological and Resource Logic
When a human shifts from a vegetarian diet (direct consumption of producers) to a meat-heavy diet (consumption of primary consumers), the human population effectively moves up the trophic ladder. This transition necessitates an exponential increase in primary production (cereals) to support the intermediary livestock biomass.
Per the Pyramid of Energy, because energy is discarded at every metabolic step in the animal, sustaining the same human population on meat requires:
$E_{demand} = (\text{Human caloric requirement}) \times (\text{Conversion Loss Factor})$
If we define the loss factor $L$ as the reciprocal of the efficiency ($1/0.1$), the demand for grain increases by an order of magnitude, leading to increased pressure on agricultural land, irrigation water, and fertilizer inputs [Based on the Principles of Sustainability and Trophic Ecology].
Visual Representation of Trophic Loss
Final Solution: The shift to a meat-based diet creates higher demands for cereals because of the inherent energy loss (approx. 90%) between trophic levels. To produce animal protein, large quantities of cereals must be diverted to livestock as feed; due to inefficient conversion ratios (FCR), a human meat-based diet requires significantly more primary grain production than a plant-based diet to sustain the same caloric intake.
More Questions from Class 12 Biology Strategies for Enhancement in Food Production LONG ANSWER QUESTIONS
- Q1: You are a Botanist working in the area of plant breeding. Describe the various steps that you will undertake to release a new variety.
- Q2(b): (b) A 250 kg cow produces 200 g of protein per day but 250 g of Methylophillus methylotrophus can produce 25 tonnes of protein Name this emerging area of research. Explain its benefits.
- Q3: What are the advantages of tissue culture methods over conventional method of plant breeding in crop improvement programmes?
- Q4: ‘Modern methods of breeding animals and plants can alleviate the global food shortage’. Comment on the statement and give suitable examples.
- Q5: Does apiculture offer multiple advantages to farmers? List its advantages if it is located near a place of commercial flower cultivation.
- Q6(a): (a) Mutations are beneficial for plant breeding. Taking an example, justify the statement.
- Q6(b): (b) Discuss briefly the technology that made us self-sufficient in food production.
- Q7: Discuss how the property of plant cell totipotency has been utilised for plant propagation and improvement
- Q8: What are three options to increase food production? Discuss each giving the salient features, merits and demerits.
CBSE Solutions for Class 12 Biology Strategies for Enhancement in Food Production
- Strategies for Enhancement in Food Production Class 12 EXERCISES
- Strategies for Enhancement in Food Production Class 12 MULTIPLE-CHOICE QUESTIONS
- Strategies for Enhancement in Food Production Class 12 SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
- Strategies for Enhancement in Food Production Class 12 VERY SHORT ANSWER TYPE QUESTIONS
Chapters in CBSE - Class 12 Biology
- Reproduction in Organisms
- Human Reproduction
- Reproductive Health
- Principles of Inheritance and Variation
- Molecular Basis of Inheritance
- Evolution
- Human Health and Disease
- Microbes in Human Welfare
- Biotechnology: Principles and Processes
- Biotechnology and Its Applications
- Organisms and Populations
- Ecosystem
- Biodiversity and Conservation
- Environmental Issues
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