Explanation: Since water covers about 70% of Earth’s surface, it also is the largest biome (ecosystem) on Earth with a wide range of flora and fauna. Water bodies combined together are considered hydrosphere.
Q52. The non-biotic pollutant of underground water is
(a) Bacteria
(b) Algae
(c) Arsenic
(d) Viruses
Answer: (c)
Explanation: Arsenic is one of the non-biotic pollutants of underground water. Long-term exposure to arsenic from drinking water and food can cause cancer and skin lesions. In utero and early childhood, exposure has been linked to negative impacts on cognitive development.
Q53. The use of microorganism metabolism to remove pollutants such as oil spills in the water bodies is known as
(a) Biomagnification
(b) Bioremediation
(c) Biomethanation
(d) Bioreduction
Answer: (b)
Explanation: Bioremediation is the process of using microorganisms to remove environmental pollutants such as cleaning up contaminated soil, oil spills, etc.
Q54. Which of the following aquatic plant is effective in preventing the water pollution caused by industrial waste?
(a) Water Hyacinth
(b) Elephant Grass
(c) Parthenium
(d)(b) and (c)
Answer: (a)
Explanation: Water hyacinth multiplies rapidly in polluted environments & easily scavenges some inorganic &organic compounds from water.
Q55. Consider the following statements and choose the correct ones.
The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is the world’s oldest and largest global environmental organization.
IUCN was founded in 1948, its Green data book does conservation planning, monitoring to protect endangered species.
On 30 January 2014, IUCN announced that it is celebrating 50 years of the IUCN Red List of threatened species.
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 1 and 3 only
(c) 2 and 3 only
(d) All are correct
Answer: (b)
Explanation: IUCN, the world’s oldest and largest global environmental organization, is celebrating its completion of 50 years. It was founded in 1948. It lists out all types of organisms vulnerable to any kind of loss, in its Red data book.
Q56. An artificial ecosystem is represented by
(a) Agriculture land
(b) Pisciculture tank
(c) Zoo
(d) Aquarium
Answer: (d)
Explanation: The aquarium represents an artificial ecosystem. These ecosystems are created by humans to mimic the natural ecosystems.
Q57. Consider the following statements:
Assertion (A): Forests are a renewable resource.
Reason (R): They enhance the quality of the environment.
Select the correct answer from the codes given below:
Codes:
(a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
(b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
(c) A is true but R is false.
(d) A is false but R is true.
Answer: (b)
Explanation: Forests are renewable natural resources and enhance the quality of the environment by providing oxygen needed to sustain life on the earth. Although both assertion and reason are correct statements reason is not the correct explanation of the assertion.
Q58. Due to growing demand of which of the following product, tropical forest are being damaged the most-
(a) Pork
(b) Sugar
(c) Meat of Goat
(d) Beef
Answer: (d)
Explanation: International beef & trade industry is depleting tropical forest land for cattle ranching by incentivizing tropical nations.
Q59. A higher-order biotic level includes
(a) Population
(b) Cells
(c) Genes
(d) Tissues
Answer: (a)
Explanation: Population represents one of the higher-order biotic levels. It is defined as a group of individuals of a given species that live in a specific geographic area at a given time.
Q60. El-Nino is-
(a) Warm Ocean Current
(b) Sea Storm
(c) Tropical Disturbance
(d) Another name of Typhoon
Answer: (a)
Explanation: The warmest of the waters of the western tropical Pacific Ocean when shifts towards the North-Western coast of South America all along the equator. They piled up off the coast of South America. These warm waters are termed as El-Nino current. During normal monsoon years, these pile up near the Indonesian coast bringing good monsoons to India.
Q61. Consider the following statements
Tree Foundation, an NGO engaged in the conservation of the sea turtle found more than 1000 dead Olive Ridley Turtles on the shores of Nagapattinam.
The Olive Ridley turtles find the coastline of Nagapattinam as favourable nesting habitat and that’s why they reach the shore from December to March every year.
The Olive Ridley looks very similar to the Kemp’s Riddle but has a deeper body and slightly up-turned edges to its carapace (shell).
Olive Ridley weighs around 45 kilograms and is 70cm in size and this makes them the smallest of the sea turtles along with Kemp riddles.
Which of the following statements are correct?
(a) 1, 2 and 3
(b) 2, 3 and 4
(c) 1, 3 and 4
(d) All of the above
Answer: (b)
Explanation: Tree foundation, an NGO engaged in the conservation of the sea turtle, found more than 100 dead Olive Ridley turtles on the shores of Nagapattinam. The Olive Ridley turtles are rusty-coloured carapaces and have slightly smaller heads and shells than the Kemp turtles. These Olive Ridley turtles generally occur through the Antilles, around the north coast of South America, in West Africa, the Indian Ocean, Australia, and Southeast Asia. As per the reports, the populations of Olive Riddles have declined in Pakistan, Myanmar, Malaysia, and Thailand, and possibly on the east coast of India, south of Orissa, and in the Andaman and Nicobar islands.
Q62. Discussing the consequences of global climate change at a conference, representatives of a developing nation suggest that those nations that contribute the most greenhouse gases (GHGs) to the atmosphere should contribute the most to paying for adaptive responses worldwide. Further, this representative pointed out that her poor country contributes less than 1% of the annual GHGs and has less than 0. 1% of the world’s wealth. This representative’s appeal represents:
(a) The precautionary principle
(b) The polluter pays and equity principles
(c) An argument for mitigation instead of adaptation.
(d) Stages 2 and 3 of the climate change sceptic’s responses
Answer: (b)
Explanation: In environmental law, the polluter pays principle is enacted to make the party responsible for producing pollution, to be held responsible for paying the damage done to the natural environment. The precautionary principle is a strategy to cope up with the possible risks in cases where scientific understanding is incomplete as yet, in cases such as GMD, nanotechnology, etc. There are 5 stages of sceptical responses to climate change. These are
(i) Denial of the existence of the problem
(ii) Denial that humans are responsible for it
(iii) Denying that it is in fact a problem
(iv) Denying the possibility that it can be solved
(v) Claiming that it is already too late to solve the problem.
Q63. The concept of the ecological niche was first introduced by
(a) C. C. Park
(b) E. P. Odum
(c) J. Grinnell
(d) G. E. Hutchinson
Answer: (c)
Explanation: Joseph Grinnell was the first person to introduce the concept of ecological niche use in his 1917 paper titled “The niche relationships of the California Thrasher”.
Q64. The Earth summit was organized by-
(a) UNESCO
(b) UNCED
(c) WHO
(d) UNICEF
Answer: (b)
Explanation: Earth Summit was organized by UNCED i.e. United Nations Conference on Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in the year 1992. It is also known as Rio Summit and Rio Conference.
Q65. The highest chemical pollution is caused by the industrial effluents of
(a) Leather industry
(b) Paper industry
(c) Rayon industry
(d) Textile industry
Answer: (a)
Explanation: The highest chemical pollution is caused due to industrial effluents from Leather Industry. It contains a complex mixture of both organic and inorganic pollutants like chlorinated phenols, chromium, Azodyes, Lead, Mercury, Arsenic, Polychlorinated Biphenyls, Formaldehyde resins, etc.
Q66. Silent valley is located in-
(a) Assam
(b) Kerala
(c) Africa
(d) Andhra Pradesh
Answer: (b)
Explanation: Silent valley is a National Park in Nilgiri Hills in Kerala’s Palakkad District. It consists of tropical rainforests & moist deciduous forests. Along with Karimpuzha& Mukurthi National Park, it forms the part of NilgiriInternational Biosphere Reserve.
Q67. Eco-Mark is given to the Indian products that are
(a) Pure and unadulterated
(b) Rich in proteins
(c) Environment-friendly
(d) Economically viable
Answer: (c)
Explanation: The government of India launched the eco-labelling scheme known as `Eco-mark’ in 1991 for easy identification of environment-friendly products. Its purpose is also to increase consumer awareness about the ecological impact of different products.
Q68. Which one of the following naturally occurring greenhouse gases causes the highest percentage of the greenhouse effect?
(a) Carbon dioxide
(b) Methane
(c) Ozone
(d) Water vapour
Answer: (d)
Explanation: Water vapour is the most potent of the greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere. The amount of water vapour in the atmosphere is dependent on air temperature. The warmer the surface, the greater the rate of evaporation of water from the surface. As a result, increased evaporation leads to a greater concentration of water vapour in the lower atmosphere capable of absorbing infrared radiation and increasing the global temperature.
Q69. Which one of the following trees is considered to be an environmental hazard?
(a) Babool
(b) Amaltas
(c) Neem
(d) Eucalyptus
Answer: (d)
Explanation: Eucalyptus is considered an environmental hazard due to various reasons. Eucalyptus is responsible for replacing indigenous forests in several parts of the world, depleting food and shelter sources and therefore affecting animals and birds. Growing Eucalyptus in low rainfall areas may cause adverse environmental impacts due to competition for water with other species.
Q70. The “Valley of Flowers” is located in which state?
(a) Uttarakhand
(b) Jammu and Kashmir
(c) Kerala
(d) Himachal Pradesh
Answer: (a)
Explanation: ‘Valley of Flowers’ is a National Park in the state of Uttarakhand in the Western Himalayas. E.g. Asiatic black bears, snow leopards, etc. are found. Valley of Flowers along with Nanda Devi National Park makes up Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve.
Q71. Which one of the following is the most stable ecosystem?
(a) Desert
(b) Mountain
(c) Ocean
(d) Forest
Answer: (c)
Explanation: Ocean is the most stable ecosystem. It is also one of the highly productive ecosystems.
Q72. Which one of the following is related to ozone formation?
(a) Photosynthesis process
(b) Photochemical process
(c) Chemosynthesis process
(d) Hydrolysis process
Answer: (b)
Explanation:Photochemical process is related to ozone formation as it is through this process radicals react with volatile organic compounds (VOC) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) to form ozone.
Q73. Which of the following environmentalists first gave the concept of Biodiversity ‘Hotspots?
(a) Julia Hill
(b) John Muir
(c) Norman Myers
(d) Gaylord Nelson
Answer: (c)
Explanation:The concept of biodiversity hotspots was given by biologist Norman Myers. A biodiversity hotspot is a bio-geographic region that is both a significant reservoir of biodiversity and is threatened with destruction.
Q74. Namdapha is a national park in-
(a) Mizoram
(b) Manipur
(c) Tripura
(d) Arunachal Pradesh
Answer: (d)
Explanation:Namdapha National Park is the third-largest in India. It is also a biodiversity hot spot in Eastern Himalayas. It is located in Arunachal Pradesh. It has tropical rainforests. It is a tiger reserve.
Q75. Solar radiation plays the most important role in the
(a) Carbon cycle
(b) Oxygen cycle
(c) Water cycle
(d) Nitrogen cycle
Answer: (c)
Explanation: Solar radiation plays an important role in the water cycle. It helps in the evaporation of water from several places like the ocean, ponds, etc. It also facilitates the melting of glaciers, Ice-caps, and other snow-laden areas which contribute to the water cycle.
