22 February 2023

Q1. Which of the following species are naturally found in India:

• Red-headed vulture
• Flying Squirrel
• Koala
• Golden Langur

Select the correct answer code:

1. 1, 4
2. 2, 3
3. 1, 2, 4
4. 1, 2, 3, 4

Solution: (C)

• The red-headed vulture also known as the Asian king vulture, Indian black vulture or Pondicherry vulture, is an Old World vulture mainly found in the Indian subcontinent, with small disjunct populations in some parts of Southeast Asia.
• Flying squirrel, (tribe Pteromyini), any of more than 50 species of gliding squirrels.
• Three species are North American, two live in northern Eurasia, and all others are found in the temperate and tropical forests of India and other parts of Asia.
• Gee’s golden langur (Trachypithecusgeei), also known as simply the golden langur, is an Old World monkey found in a small region of western Assam, India and in the neighbouring foothills of the Black Mountains of Bhutan.
• The Koala is an arboreal herbivorous marsupial native to Australia.

Q2. In dry areas of low rainfall, thorny shrubs and scrubs grow. How do such plants adapt to the low level of moisture:

• Such plants generally have shallow roots to utilize water more efficiently.
• Some plant leaves have thorny and waxy surface to reduce loss of moisture by transpiration.

Which of the above statements is/are correct:

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. Both 1 and 2
4. Neither 1 nor 2

Solution: (B)

Statement 1:

• They have adapted to desert conditions by developing extremely long root systems to draw water from deep underground near the water table.
• The mesquite’s roots are considered the longest of any desert plant and have been recorded as long as 80 feet.

Statement 2:

• Some have succulent leaves to store moisture.
• Some have thorny leaves to reduce water loss by transpiration.
• Waxy leaves protect soil moisture beneath the coating.

 Q3. Which of the following is a National Park, a UNESCO world heritage site and a Ramsar site in India:

1. Sundarbans national park
2. Manas national park
3. Keoladeo national park
4. Both a) and c)

Solution: (D)

• Both Sunderbans National Park, Assam and Keoladeo National Park, Rajasthan are both UNESCO World Heritage Sites and Ramsar Sites.

Q4. The chemical oxygen demand (COD) test is commonly used to measure which of the Following:

1. Measuring oxygen levels in blood
2. Computing oxygen levels in forest ecosystems
3. Oxygen required to decompose organic constituents present in the wastewater
4. Amount of oxygen used in an oxygenation process.

Solution: (C)

• The amount of oxygen that is required for the chemical oxidation of the organic and inorganic chemicals present in the wastewater by utilising oxidising agents like Potassium permanganate, Potassium dichromate etc. is called as chemical oxygen demand (COD).
• COD is the oxygen demand that is consumed by both inorganic and organic matter present in the wastewater sample.

Q5. Mosses is a bioindicator. What do you understand by this statement:

• It reflects changes to ecosystems such as pollution.
• It cannot be cloned or genetically engineered.
• It does not contain mRNA.

Select the correct answer code:

1. 1 only
2. 2, 3
3. 3 only
4. 1, 2

Solution: (A)

• Mosses are a common flowerless plant found in all cities especially in damp (humid) or shady locations.
• It generally absorbs water and nutrients from their immediate environments.
• So, according to scientists, delicate mosses found on rocks and trees in cities around the world can be used as low-cost bio indicator to monitor urban pollution and to measure the impact of atmospheric change.
• As a bio indicator, mosses respond to pollution or drought- stress by changing its shape, density or disappearing.
• This characteristic will allow scientists to calculate atmospheric alterations and air pollution.

Q6. Consider the following statements about Bioremediation Technology:

• Bioremediation is the use of living microorganisms to degrade the environmental contaminants into less toxic forms.
• One of the advantages of Bioremediation is that it is effective in all environmental conditions.
• Genetic engineering can be used to create microorganisms specifically designed for bioremediation.
• Any contaminant with heavy metals such as cadmium and lead can be readily and completely treated by bioremediation using microorganisms.

Which of the above statements is/are incorrect:

1. 1, 3
2. 2, 4
3. 1, 3, 4
4. 1, 2, 4

Solution: (B)

• Bioremediation is the use of living microorganisms to degrade the environmental contaminants into less toxic forms.
• Bioremediation can be effective only where environmental conditions permit microbial growth and activity.

Statement 3:

• This will be a standard practice in the industry in coming years. For e.g.Alcanivorax, a bacteria with oil-eating abilities, can be used to create species that are much more capable of cleaning oil spills. Bio-remediation is a slow process, so.
• Heavy metals such as cadmium and lead are NOT readily absorbed or captured by microorganisms.

Q7. Consider the following statements regarding Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF):

• It is a global program that provides funding and technical assistance to non-governmental organizations and other private sector partners to protect critical ecosystems.
• It focus on the mega diverse countries in the world.
• The fund is a joint program of Conservation International, the European Union, the Global Environment Facility, the Government of Japan and the World Bank.

Which of the above statements is/are correct:

1. 2, 3
2. 1, 3
3. 1 only
4. 1, 2, 3

Solution:  (B)

• Biodiversity—the rich array of life on Earth—is fundamental to human survival, but under tremendous and growing threat.
• The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) was founded in 2000 to address this challenge by empowering civil society in developing countries and transitional economies to protect the world’s biodiversity hotspots, which are some of Earth’s most biologically rich yet threatened terrestrial ecosystems.
• Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) is a joint biodiversity conservation initiative of l’Agence Française de Développement, Conservation International, European Union, Global Environment Facility, Government of Japan, and World Bank.
• CEPF works to protect ecosystems and the species within them by awarding grants to local and international civil society organizations working in biodiversity hotspots around the world.
• Grant recipients include nonprofit organizations, indigenous peoples groups and small businesses, among others.

Q8. With reference to Bio-geo chemical cycles, which of the following are gaseous cycles:

1. Carbon cycle
2. Phosphorus cycle
3. Water cycle
4. Both a and c

Solution: (D)

• The circulation of elements or mineral nutrients from non-living to living and then back to non-living is called Biogeo chemical cycling.
• Based on the nature of the reservoir, there are two types of cycles namely gaseous and sedimentary cycles.
• Gaseous Cycle – where the reservoir is the atmosphere or the hydrosphere
• Example: Carbon cycle, Water cycle, Nitrogen cycle etc.
• Sedimentary Cycle – where the reservoir is the earth’s crust
• Example: Phosphorus cycle, Sulphur cycle etc.
• Carbon cycle involves a continuous exchange of carbon between the atmosphere and organisms.
• Carbon from the atmosphere moves to green plants by the process of photosynthesis, and then to animals.
• By process of respiration and decomposition of dead organic matter it returns back to atmosphere.
• Water or hydrologic cycle involves the continuous circulation of water in the Earth-atmosphere system which is driven by solar energy.
• Water on our planet is stored in major reservoirs like atmosphere, oceans, lakes, rivers, soils, glaciers, snowfields, and groundwater.
• Water moves from one reservoir to another by the processes of evaporation, transpiration, condensation, precipitation, deposition, runoff, infiltration, and groundwater flow.
• Phosphorus occurs in large amounts as a mineral in phosphate rocks and enters the cycle from erosion and mining activities.
• The main storage for phosphorus is in the earth’s crust.
• Hence it is a sedimentary cycle.

Q9. Olive Ridleys Turtles are naturally found in India in:

• Andhra Pradesh coast
• Odisha coast
• Maharashtra coast

Select the correct answer using the codes below:

1. 1 only
2. 2 only
3. 1, 2
4. 1, 2, 3

Solution: (D)

• Olive Ridley turtle is the smallest and most abundant of all sea turtle found in the world.
• It is found in warm waters of the Pacific and Indian oceans.
• It commences its journey from Indian Ocean towards Bay of Bengal during their mating season in October and November every year.
• The Gahirmatha Beach in Kendrapara district of Odisha (India), which is now a part of the Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary, is the largest breeding ground for these turtles.
• Green turtles and olive ridleys are known to nest in Maharashtra in small numbers.
• Goa has records of three species of sea turtles: olive ridley, leatherback and green turtles.
• Recently many of these turtles were found dead near the Andhra Pradesh coast.

Q10. Consider the following statements about United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC):

• The UNFCCC was adopted in 1992 at the Rio Earth Summit.
• The UNFCCC established a framework for action to stabilise concentrations of greenhouse gases in the earth’s atmosphere.
• The framework sets binding limits on greenhouse gas emissions for individual countries.
• Nearly all member states of the United Nations have ratified the convention.

Which of the above statements is/are correct:

1. 1, 2, 3, 4
2. 2, 3, 4
3. 1, 2, 4
4. 1, 2, 3

 Solution:  (C)

• The UNFCCC was adopted in 1992 at the Rio Earth Summit, which marked the beginning of the international community’s first concerted effort to confront the problem of climate change.
• Known also as the Rio Convention, the UNFCCC established a framework for action to stabilise concentrations of greenhouse gases in the earth’s atmosphere.
• The UNFCCC entered into force in 1994, and a total of 197 parties have ratified.
• The framework sets non-binding limits on greenhouse gas emissions for individual countries and contains no enforcement mechanisms.