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Environment and Biodiversity - 2

Description: Environment and Biodiversity - 2
Number of Questions: 25
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Tags: Environment and Biodiversity - 2 General Awareness Environment and Biodiversity
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Cattle, sheep and termites are responsible for the release of which of the following greenhouse gases?

  1. Methane

  2. Carbon dioxide

  3. Nitrous oxide

  4. All of the above


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Methane is produced when bacteria break down the organic matter in moist places that lack oxygen, such as swamps, natural wetlands, paddy fields, landfills and digestive tracts of cattle, sheep and termites.

Which of the following universities is conducting an intensive research on the production, utilisation and storage of hydrogen fuels in India?

  1. Delhi University

  2. Banaras Hindu University

  3. Aligarh Muslim University

  4. Jawaharlal Nehru University


Correct Option: B
Explanation:

Banaras Hindu University (BHU); Murugappa Chettiar Research Centre (MCRC), Chennai and IIT Kharagpur are among the leading research groups working on biological, biomass and other renewable energy routes to produce hydrogen. The BHU, IIT Chennai and the National Physical Laboratory are working on the hydrogen storage methods. The BHU has modified a commercially available motorcycle (100 cc, four strokes) and a three-wheeler (175 cc, four strokes) to operate on hydrogen as a fuel.

Pyrolisis and gasification are methods to obtain energy from which of the following?

  1. Wastes having high moisture content
  2. Wastes having high organic content
  1. Only 1

  2. Only 2

  3. Both 1 and 2

  4. Neither 1 nor 2


Correct Option: B
Explanation:

Pyrolysis is a process of chemical decomposition of organic matter brought about by heat. In this process, the organic material is heated in the absence of air until the molecules thermally break down to become a gas comprising smaller molecules (known collectively as syngas). Gasification can also take place as a result of partial combustion of organic matter in the presence of a restricted quantity of oxygen or air. These methods are suitable for obtaining energy from wastes rich in organic content and low in moisture.

Consider the following statements:

  1. Tidal energy is more reliable than wind energy or solar power.
  2. The Indian state of Tamil Nadu is the first to invest into harnessing tidal energy and building a tidal power station off its coast.

Which of the above statements is/are true?

  1. Only 1

  2. Only 2

  3. Both 1 and 2

  4. Neither 1 nor 2


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Only 1 is true.

In which of the following months is Van Mahotsav celebrated?

  1. May

  2. June

  3. July

  4. August


Correct Option: C
Explanation:

Van Mahotsav is a week-long festival of tree planting that is organised every year in the month of July all across India and lakhs of trees are planted. It is one of the best ways of preventing Earth from global warming. 

Most of the terrestrial hotspots are found at the

  1. Tropics

  2. Polar areas

  3. Temperate regions

  4. Savanna regions


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Most of the terrestrial hotspots are found at the Tropics. A variety of approaches has been utilised to identify areas of high species richness and endemism. The term 'hotspots' was coined by Norman Myers (1988) to indicate areas of high conservation value that are facing significant threats to conservation. In general, species diversity per unit area tends to increase with decreasing latitude, with highest diversity found in the Tropics. 

The gas which leaked from the Union Carbide Plant in Bhopal in 1984 was

  1. methane

  2. methyl isocyanate

  3. carbon monoxide

  4. chlorine


Correct Option: B
Explanation:

The gas which leaked from the Union Carbide Plant in Bhopal in 1984 was methyl isocyanate. 

The amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased in recent years. Environmentalists suggest this change is a direct result of

  1. overcutting of forests and the increased use of fossil fuels

  2. dumping of inorganic material into lakes and rivers

  3. improper storage of solid and nuclear waste

  4. use of herbicides and toxic substances such as asbestos and DDT


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

The amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased in recent years. Environmentalists suggest this change is a direct result of the overcutting of forests and the increased use of fossil fuels. Deforestation and the use of fossil fuels are both suspected of increasing the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. This is of worldwide concern because of its potential effects on the environment, such as global warming due to the weakening of the ozone layer which protects the earth from harmful solar radiation. 

Consider the following facts about marine habitats:

  1. Neritic zone is the coastal waters extending upto continental shelf, different from the littoral zone.
  2. The benthic zone is the ecological region at the lowest level of a body of water.

Which of the above given facts is/are true?

  1. Only 1

  2. Only 2

  3. Both 1 and 2

  4. Neither 1 nor 2


Correct Option: C
Explanation:

The neritic zone, also called coastal waters, the coastal ocean or the sublittoral zone, is the part of the ocean extending from the low tide mark to the edge of the continental shelf, with a relatively shallow depth extending to about 200 metres (110 fathoms or 667 feet). The neritic zone has generally well-oxygenated water, low water pressure, and relatively stable temperature and salinity levels. The benthic zone is the ecological region at the lowest level of a body of water such as an ocean or a lake, including the sediment surface and some sub-surface layers. Organisms living in this zone are called benthos. For example, the benthic invertebrate community, including crustaceans and polychaetes.

Consider the following facts:

  1. The Western Ghats are home to four types of ecoregions.
  2. The Wayanad forests mark the transition between the northern and southern ecological regions of the Western Ghats.
  3. The northern ecological regions are more species-rich.

Which of the above given facts is/are true?

  1. Both 1 and 2

  2. Only 2

  3. Both 2 and 3

  4. 1, 2 and 3


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

The Western Ghats are home to four tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregions, i.e. the North-Western Ghats moist deciduous forests, North-Western Ghats montane rain forests, South-Western Ghats moist deciduous forests, and South-Western Ghats montane rain forests. The evergreen Wayanad forests of Kerala mark the transition zone between the northern and southern ecologic regions of the Western Ghats. The southern ecologic regions are generally wetter and more species-rich.

Consider the following facts:

  1. Nutrient cycle traces the movement of only organic matter in the living world.
  2. Detritus is the term used to describe non-living organic material.

Which of the above given facts is/are true?

  1. Only 1

  2. Only 2

  3. Both 1 and 2

  4. Neither 1 nor 2


Correct Option: B
Explanation:

A nutrient cycle (or ecological recycling) is the movement and exchange of organic and inorganic matter back into the production of living matter. The process is regulated by food web pathways that decompose matter into mineral nutrients. In biology, detritus is non-living particulate organic material (as opposed to dissolved organic material). It typically includes the bodies or fragments of dead organisms, as well as faecal material.

Which of the following pairs are correctly matched?

  1. Prairie - North America
  2. Steppe - Southern Africa
  3. Pampas - South America
  1. Both 1 and 2

  2. Both 2 and 3

  3. Both 1 and 3

  4. 1, 2 and 3


Correct Option: C
Explanation:

A temperate grassland or shrubland biome is known commonly as steppe in central Asia, prairie in North America, and pampas in South America.

Dobson units are used to measure the

  1. increase in nutrient concentration in unit volume of a water body

  2. intensity of noise source

  3. reduction in column ozone

  4. size of toxins accumulated in living organisms


Correct Option: C
Explanation:

The Dobson unit (DU) is a unit of measurement of the columnar density of a trace gas in the Earth's atmosphere. It originated and continues to be widely used as a measure of total-column ozone, which is dominated by ozone in the stratospheric ozone layer.

Consider the following facts:

  1. River Kosi is known as the ‘Sorrow of Bengal’, on account of the massive floods it has caused in the past.
  2. In the past 250 years, Kosi has shifted its path almost 120 kilometres from East to West.

Which of the above given facts is/are true?

  1. Only 1

  2. Only 2

  3. Both 1 and 2

  4. Neither 1 nor 2


Correct Option: B
Explanation:

The river Kosi is known as the 'Sorrow of Bihar' as it flows from Nepal to India and has caused widespread human suffering in the past through flooding and very frequent changes in course. It is river Damodar which is often labelled as the ‘Sorrow of Bengal’. Over the last 250 years, the river Kosi has shifted its course over 120 km (75 miles) from East to West. Its unstable nature has been attributed to the heavy silt it carries during the monsoon season which causes flooding in India that has extreme effects. 

Which of the following microorganisms can fix nitrogen?

  1. Cyanobacteria
  2. Green sulfur bacteria
  3. Azotobacteraceae
  4. Rhizobia
  5. Frankia
  1. 1 and 4

  2. 1, 3 and 4

  3. 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

  4. 1, 2, 3 and 4


Correct Option: C
Explanation:

Nitrogen fixation is a process by which nitrogen (N2) in the atmosphere is converted into ammonia (NH3). Nitrogen fixation also refers to other biological conversions of nitrogen. Biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) occurs when atmospheric nitrogen is converted to ammonia by an enzyme called nitrogenase. All the given microorganisms can fix atmospheric nitrogen.

Which of the following are important coral reef sites in India?

  1. Gulf of Mannar
  2. Lakshwadeep
  3. Gulf of Kutchh
  4. Andaman and Nicobar
  1. 1 and 3

  2. 2 and 4

  3. 1, 2 and 4

  4. 1, 2, 3 and 4


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

Coral reefs in India cover an area of 2375 square kilometres, with 4 major coral reef areas identified for intensive conservation and management. These are Gulf of Mannar, Gulf of Kutchh, Lakshwadeep Islands and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Together, they contain 80% of global coral diversity.

Pink-headed Duck and Himalayan Quail are

  1. extinct species

  2. critically endangered species

  3. vulnerable species

  4. least concern category species


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Some species of birds have gone extinct in recent times, including the Pink-headed Duck (Rhodonessa Caryophyllacea) and the Himalayan Quail (Ophrysia Superciliosa).

Lonesome George, who died on 24th June, 2012, was the last surviving member of his subspecies. Broadly speaking, what would you identify him as?

  1. An octopus

  2. A tortoise

  3. A walrus

  4. A hippopotamus


Correct Option: B
Explanation:

Lonesome George was a male Pinta Island tortoise (Chelonoidis nigra abingdonii) and the last known individual of the subspecies, also known as the Galápagos' tortoise. In his last years, he was known as the rarest creature in the world. George served as a potent symbol for conservation efforts in the Galápagos and internationally.

What does the Red Data Book contain?

  1. Extinct species

  2. List of all flora and fauna of the world

  3. Endangered species

  4. All of the above


Correct Option: C
Explanation:

The Red Data Book is the state document established for documenting rare and endangered species of animals, plants and fungi, as well as some local sub-species that exist within the territory of the state or country. This book provides central information for studies and monitoring programmes on rare and endangered species and their habits.

Consider the following facts:

  1. No human habitation is permitted inside biosphere reserves.
  2. The Indian government has designated 18 sites as biosphere reserves.
  3. The Thar Desert, situated in Rajasthan, has been selected by the Indian government as a potential biosphere reserve.

Which of the above given facts are true?

  1. 1 and 2

  2. 2 and 3

  3. 1 and 3

  4. 1, 2 and 3


Correct Option: B
Explanation:

Biosphere reserves are another category of protected areas. Under this, a large area is declared as a biosphere reserve where wildlife is protected, but local communities are allowed to continue to live and pursue traditional activities within the reserve. The Indian government has established 18 biosphere reserves of India, (categories roughly corresponding to IUCN category V protected areas), which protect larger areas of natural habitat (than a National Park or Animal Sanctuary), and often include one or more National Parks and preserves, along buffer zones that are open to some economic uses.

The Indian Vulture has suffered a decline of 99-97% between 2000 and 2007. What has/have been the primary cause(s) behind it?

  1. Poisoning caused by a cattle drug
  2. Genetic pollution caused by uncontrolled hybridisation
  1. Only 1

  2. Only 2

  3. Both 1 and 2

  4. Neither 1 nor 2


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

The Indian Vulture and the Indian White-rumped Vulture, G. bengalensis species have suffered a 99%-97% population decrease in Pakistan and India, and between 2000-2007, annual decline rates of this species and the Slender-billed Vulture averaged over 16%. The cause of this has been identified as poisoning caused by the veterinary drug diclofenac. The drug is believed to be swallowed by vultures with the flesh of dead cattle which were given diclofenac in the last days of life. Diclofenac causes kidney failure in several species of vultures. As of August 2011, the ban for veterinary use has been in place for approximately a year, but diclofenac was still being used for animals throughout India.

During which months is the Antarctic ozone hole visible?

  1. March to June

  2. February to April

  3. August to October

  4. September to December


Correct Option: D
Explanation:

The ozone hole is visible during the Antarctic spring, from September to early December, as strong westerly winds start to circulate around the continent and create an atmospheric container.

Which of the following is the correct order of layers of atmosphere with respect to increase in distance from the earth?

  1. Troposhere – Stratosphere – Mesosphere – Exosphere – Thermosphere

  2. Troposhere – Stratosphere – Thermosphere – Exosphere – Mesosphere

  3. Troposhere – Stratosphere – Mesosphere – Thermosphere – Exosphere

  4. Troposhere – Stratosphere – Exosphere– Mesosphere – Thermosphere


Correct Option: C
Explanation:

Troposphere: The layer of the atmosphere closest to the earth is the troposphere. It begins at the surface of the earth and extends to about 4-12 miles. The temperature of the troposphere decreases with height. This layer is known as the lower atmosphere. Stratosphere: Above the troposphere is the stratosphere, which extends to about 30-35 miles above the earth's surface. Temperature rises within the stratosphere, but still remains well below freezing. Mesosphere: From about 35 to 50 miles above the surface of the earth, lies the mesosphere, where the air is especially thin and molecules are great distances apart. Temperatures in the mesosphere reach a low of -184°F (-120°C). The stratosphere and the mesosphere are the middle atmosphere. Thermosphere: The thermosphere rises several hundred miles above the earth's surface, from 50 miles up to about 400 miles. Temperature increases with height and can rise to as high as 3,600°F (2000°C). Nonetheless, the air would be cold because the hot molecules are so far apart. This layer is known as the upper atmosphere. Exosphere: Extending from the top of the thermosphere to 6200 miles (10,000 km) above the earth is the exosphere. This layer has very few atmospheric molecules, which can escape into space.

Consider the following statements:

  1. Ocean acidification due to global warming deactivates coral growth.
  2. Some areas show increase in agricultural growth due to global warming, such as Siberia.

Which of the given statements is/are correct?

  1. Only 1

  2. Only 2

  3. Both 1 and 2

  4. Neither 1 nor 2


Correct Option: C
Explanation:
  1. As carbon dioxide is absorbed, it reacts with ocean water to form carbonic acid. This process is called ocean acidification. Over time, this acid causes the pH of the oceans to decrease, making ocean water more acidic. This can have drastic consequences on corals and other marine life.
    1. Some areas show increase in agricultural growth due to global warming as increased carbon dioxide levels may accelerate the growth of some crops. Arctic, Antarctic, Siberia and other frozen regions of earth may experience more plant growth due to milder climates.

Amosite, crocidolite and chrysotile and their many varieties are most lethal to human health. They are types of

  1. asbestos

  2. particulate matter

  3. persistent free radicals

  4. volatile organic compounds


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

All types of asbestos fibres are known to cause serious health hazards in humans. While it is agreed that amosite and crocidolite are the most hazardous asbestos fibre types, chrysotile asbestos has produced tumors in animals and is a recognised cause of asbestosis and malignant mesothelioma in humans.

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