Class 8 Chapter 12 How Nature Works in Harmony explains the idea of habitats, populations, communities, food chains, food webs, decomposers, ecological balance, and how human activities affect natural systems.
Nature functions through countless connections among living beings and the physical environment. Plants, animals, microorganisms, water, soil, sunlight, and air interact continuously and maintain harmony within ecosystems.
How Nature Works Worksheet
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Science Class 8 Chapter 12 Study Notes
Through real-life examples such as elephant corridors, ponds, forests, and the Sundarbans, students will learn how every organism—big or small—plays an essential role in maintaining life on Earth.
Habitat
A place where an organism lives.
Each habitat contains:
- Biotic components – living organisms (plants, animals, microbes)
- Abiotic components – non-living factors (air, water, soil, sunlight, temperature)
Different organisms survive only when habitat conditions meet their needs.
Examples
- Pond habitat: fish, frogs, algae, snails, lotus, ducks, water, mud
- Forest habitat: trees, shrubs, insects, birds, mammals, soil, air, sunlight
Who Eats Whom?
Food Chain
A linear sequence of “who eats whom.”
Example:
Grass → Grasshopper → Frog → Snake → Eagle
Trophic Levels
- Producers – plants
- Primary consumers – herbivores
- Secondary consumers – small carnivores
- Tertiary consumers – large carnivores
Food Web
Interconnected food chains showing complex feeding relationships.
What Happens to Waste in Nature? (Decomposers)
Decomposers (Saprotrophs)
- Fungi & bacteria break down dead matter and waste.
- Return nutrients to soil → plants reuse them.
- Examples: mushroom, beetles, flies on dung.
In nature nothing is wasted — everything is recycled.
Interactions That Maintain Balance
- Mutualism (Both benefit) – Bee & flower
- Commensalism (One benefits, other unaffected) – Orchid on a tree
- Parasitism (One benefits, one harmed) – Tick on dog
Competition for food, space, water keeps population balanced.
How Nature Works in Harmony Question Answers
Q1. What are abiotic components? Give two examples.
Abiotic components are the non-living parts of a habitat that affect living organisms.
Examples: air, water, soil, sunlight, temperature.
Q2. Why is a pond called an aquatic ecosystem?
A pond is called an aquatic ecosystem because organisms living in it depend on water for survival, and both biotic and abiotic components interact in water.
Q3. What is meant by coexistence of organisms?
Coexistence means different organisms living together in the same habitat by using resources in different ways without harming each other.
Q4. How does sunlight affect living organisms?
Sunlight helps plants prepare food through photosynthesis and influences temperature, which affects the activity of animals.
Q5. How do human activities disturb ecosystems?
Deforestation destroys habitats
Pollution harms water and soil
Pesticides kill useful organisms
Overfishing reduces fish population
These actions disturb natural balance and biodiversity.
Q6. Explain the importance of mangroves using the Sundarbans example.
Mangroves protect coastal regions by reducing storm impact.
They prevent soil erosion and absorb carbon dioxide.
The Sundarbans support rich biodiversity and protect human settlements from floods and cyclones.
Q7. Explain types of interactions among organisms with examples.
Mutualism: Bee and flower (both benefit)
Commensalism: Orchid on tree (one benefits, other unaffected)
Parasitism: Tick on dog (one benefits, one harmed)
These interactions help maintain balance in nature.