Question

Which of the following statements are correct?

1. Alexander Von Humboldt was the first to present the relationship between organisms and environment.

2. Eugene Odum is credited with the term "ecosystem."

3. Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring led to the formation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

• A. 1 & 3
• B. 1 & 2
• C. 2 & 3
• D. All are correct

Answer 1

Answer:

A. 1 & 3

• Correct Answer: Option A) 1 & 3

• Statement 1: "Alexander Von Humboldt was the first to present the relationship between organisms and environment."

• This statement is correct. Alexander von Humboldt (1769-1859) was a German naturalist and explorer who pioneered the study of the relationship between organisms and their environment. He was among the first to describe the fundamental connections between climate, geography, and the distribution of plant and animal species. His work "Cosmos" and his travels in the Americas laid the foundation for biogeography and modern ecological thinking.

• Statement 2: "Eugene Odum is credited with the term 'ecosystem.'"

• This statement is incorrect. While Eugene Odum (1913-2002) made significant contributions to ecosystem ecology and wrote the influential textbook "Fundamentals of Ecology," he did not coin the term "ecosystem." The term "ecosystem" was actually coined by British ecologist Arthur Tansley in 1935. Odum helped develop and popularize ecosystem concepts but didn't create the term.

• Statement 3: "Rachel Carson's Silent Spring led to the formation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency."

• This statement is correct. Rachel Carson's groundbreaking book "Silent Spring," published in 1962, exposed the dangers of pesticides, particularly DDT, to wildlife and humans. The book sparked widespread environmental awareness and public concern, which ultimately led to the creation of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1970 under President Richard Nixon. Carson's work is widely credited with launching the modern environmental movement in the United States.