Environment, Ecology & Biodiversity MCQs

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National Chambal Sanctuary is a tri-state (Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh & Uttar Pradesh) protected area in northern India. It aims at the protection of the Critically Endangered gharial, the red-crowned roof turtle and the Endangered Ganges river dolphin.

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In our solar System, Mars and Venus show the Green House Effect, but Titan, the largest planet of Saturn and Pluto, shows the opposite phenomena which is called Anti-Green House Effect.

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Biofuel is considered as an alternative to diesel fuel. It is used for other purposes also i.e. hydrogen needs, clean up oil, work as cooking oil etc. It can work as a replacement of energy needs starting from vehicle fuel to central home heating.

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Bioremediation is a process that is used to treat contaminated water, soil and subsurface material, by improving environmental factors to stimulate growth of microorganisms and degrade the caused pollutants.

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A biodiversity hotspot is a bio-geographic region with a significant reservoir of biodiversity that is under threat from humans. The concept of biodiversity hotspots was originated by Norman Myers in two articles in “The Environmentalist”. To qualify as a biodiversity hotspot on Myers 2000 edition of the hotspot-map, a region must meet two strict criteria: it must contain at least 0.5% or 1,500 species of vascular plants as endemics, and it has to have lost at least 70% of its primary vegetation.

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All the three given sites are mangrove forests. However, Coondapur is located in Karnataka and is on Western Coast.

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Using recycled materials such as tires and melted glass to pave roads instead of natural resources such as the tar or asphalt produced from petroleum refining is considered a sustainable means of resource utilization. Rest two statements are incorrect and can be eliminated by commonsense.

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One of the mandates of the Biodiversity Board is to prepare Biodiversity Registers for each LSG involving the local communities.  Biodiversity registers are being prepared with the help of the local people and hence referred as People’s Biodiversity Register (PBR). Preparation of Biodiversity Register is an attempt to realize the biodiversity at Local Self Government level, States and the whole Country. Identification of biological resources and documentation is one of the prerequisites for the Register preparation which can lead to new discoveries and development of new commercial products, patenting of such products, equitable distribution of benefits, if any, and through this, paving the way for a new economic order in the country through biodiversity conservation. PBR is not simply a register with names of species and their distribution in a given area. It is a comprehensive data base recording people’s traditional knowledge and insight of the status, uses, history, ongoing changes and forces driving these changes on the biological diversity resources of their own localities. This will also provide information on the current utilization patterns of biodiversity, its economic benefits to the local communities. The registers form a baseline data for future management strategies required for the sustainable utilization of biodiversity in a decentralized manner. Further, it helps equitable sharing of benefits arising out of commercial utilization of biodiversity resources and knowledge on their uses. The Biodiversity Register offers conservation, protection of IPR and the traditional knowledge. {Source} 

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Both are correct statements

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Besides carbon dioxide, agricultural practices also contribute significantly to global warming by releasing methane and nitrous oxide in the air. A substantial part of methane in the atmosphere comes from flooded rice paddies. Similarly, nitrogen fertilisers are a major source of nitrous oxide in the atmosphere. Elevated levels of carbon dioxide can benefit crops and can be sequestered in carbon sinks. But no such benefits can accrue from methane and nitrous oxide. Moreover, the heat-trapping capacity of methane and nitrous oxide is much more than that of carbon dioxide. While methane has a half-life of 10 years in the atmosphere, nitrous oxide can remain in the atmosphere as long as carbon dioxide. Again, de-nitrification of nitrogenous fertilizers produces dinitrogen oxide which has the potential to destroy the Ozone layer.