Environment & Biodiversity MCQs

Notes:
Montane Wet Temperate Forests is found in upper
reaches of North Bengal hills with an
altitude between 1650 m-3000 m. The main sites of these forests are Selimbong, Kankibong, Little Rangit,
Lopchu, Mahaldiram, Paglajhora, etc
in the districts of Darjeeling and
Kalimpong. The species commonly found in these forests are oak, maple,
pine, fir, deodar and spruce.

Notes:
Solar energy does not generate waste or contaminate water, or cause any pollution—an extremely important factor given the scarcity of water. Unlike fossil fuels and nuclear power plants, wind energy has one of the lowest water-consumption footprints, which makes it a key for conserving hydrological resources.

Notes:
The Basel Protocol on Liability and Compensation was adopted at the Fifth Conference of Parties (COP 5) on10 December 1999. The objective of the Protocol is to provide for a comprehensive regime for liability as well as adequate and prompt compensation for damage resulting from the transboundary movement of hazardous wastes and other wastes, including incidents occurring because of illegal traffic in those wastes.

Notes:
In ecology, the trophic level is the position that an organism occupies in a food chain – what it eats, and what eats it. Ecosystem represents the most complex trophic level. Each species in an ecosystem is affected by the other species in that ecosystem. There are very few single prey-single predator relationships. Most prey are consumed by more than one predator, and most predators have more than one prey. It is also marked by multi trophic interactions that involve more than two trophic levels in a food web.

Notes:
Particulate matter (PM) is a complex mixture of extremely small particles and liquid droplets that get into the air. This complex mixture includes both organic and inorganic particles, such as dust, pollen, soot, smoke, and liquid droplets. Ozone is created in the atmosphere when the sun’s rays split oxygen molecules into single atoms. These atoms combine with nearby oxygen to form a three-oxygen molecule, called ozone.

Notes:
Valley of Flowers National Park is a national park, located in North Chamoli, in Uttarakhand. At 3352 to 3658 meters above sea level, the gentle landscape of the Valley of Flowers National Park complements the rugged mountain wilderness of Nanda Devi National Park to the east.

Notes:
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) uses a color-coded alert system for weather events. A green alert indicates no action is required. A yellow alert signals potential rainfall of 6-11 cm in 24 hours, while an orange alert indicates heavy rainfall of 6-20 cm. A red alert warns of extremely heavy rainfall exceeding 20 cm in a 24-hour period.

Notes:

• The Asian Waterbird Census is conducted in January each year and is coordinated by the Wetlands International South Asia and the Bombay Natural History Society in india.
• It is an integral part of the global waterbird monitoring programme, the International Waterbird Census (IWC), coordinated by Wetlands International.
• It was initiated in 1987 in the Indian subcontinent and since has grown rapidly to cover major region of Asia.
• It is the longest-running citizen science initiative.
• Under this initiative, systematic counting and monitoring of waterbirds is undertaken to study trends and condition of wetlands, covering hundreds of sites.

Notes:
Macquarie Island, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is a subantarctic island 1,500 km southeast of Tasmania. It is a unique geological wonder, composed of oceanic crust and mantle rocks exposed above sea level. The island is home to 28 native vertebrates, including the royal penguin and Macquarie Island shag, with over 750,000 royal penguin pairs breeding annually. The island is also known for its megaherbs and endemic plants like the cushion plant Azorella macquariensis. It has no permanent human population but hosts a research station since 1948. The island’s ecosystem has been impacted by introduced species like rabbits and cats, leading to conservation efforts. Macquarie Island is subject to fierce winds and is an important site for seabirds and seals, with 3.5 million seabirds and 80,000 elephant seals arriving each year to breed and molt.

Notes:
Glover’s Reef is a part of The Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996. This is the world’s second largest reef system, extending 300 km along the coast of Belize. It’s a host to seven protected areas inclusive of three atolls: Turneffe, Lighthouse, and Glover’s Reef. The complex supports 1,400 known species, among them 17 endangered ones such as the American crocodile, manatee, and different sea turtles. The system, notable for its pristine condition, was deemed by Charles Darwin as the “most remarkable reef in the West Indies”.