Environment, Ecology & Biodiversity MCQs

Notes:
The Gajner Wildlife Sanctuary (GWS) is located at a distance of about 32.0 km from Bikaner in Rajasthan. There is a lake in this sanctuary and a variety of animals come here to quench their thirst in summer. It is a lush green forest which is a haven to the nilgai, chinkara, black buck, wild boar, flocks of imperial sand grouse and many other species of migratory birds that make the sprawling forest their winter home. This is one of the proposed forests for the reintroduction of cheetahs in India.

Notes:
The Navegaon National Park (NNP) is located in the Gondia district of Maharashtra and covers an area of 133.78 km2. It is an important conservation unit in Central India in general and Vidarbha in particular. It acts a “Green-lung” for the adjoining human settlements and helps in maintaining the environmental balance. It is a home to number of fishes, 209 species of birds, 9 species of reptiles and 26 species of mammals which includes Tiger, Panther, Jungle cat, Small India Civet, Palm Civet, Wolf, Jackals, Bisons, Sambars, etc. The one of the unique features of this sanctuary is the existence of diverse vegetation type ranging from dry mixed forests to moist forests. Its forests belong to the category of “Southern Tropical Dry Deciduous Forests” – 5A/C3 as per the revised classification of the forests by Champion and Seth.

Notes:
The Nameri National Park (NNP) is located in the foothills of the eastern Himalayas in the Sonitpur District of Assam and covers an area of 200 km2. This forest has over 600 species. Some notable species are Gmelina arborea, Michelia champaca, Amari and Bonjolokia. The park is an ideal habitat for a host of other animals including the tiger, leopard, sambar, dhole (the Asiatic wild dog), pygmy hog and Indian wild bison. It is home for orchids like Dendrobium, Cymbidiumand Cypripedioideae.

Notes:
The Rowa Wildlife Sanctuary (RWS) is located in Tripura and covers an area of only 0.86 square kilometres. The sanctuary is known for varies rare species plants and animals providing immense scope for the botany and zoology experts. According to statistics, the small sanctuary is a safe abode for 150 species of birds, wild beasts and primates.

Notes:
The Chandoli National Park (CNP) is a natural World Heritage Site and is spread over Satara, Kolhapur and Sangli Districts of Maharashtra. It covers an area of 317.67 square kilometres. The historical places of the park include the 17th century Shivaji’s Forts, Prachitgad and Bhairavgad, of the Maratha kings Shivaji and his son Sambhaji. It is home to Bengal tigers, Indian leopards, Indian bison, leopard cats, sloth bears, etc.

Notes:
The Band-e Amir National Park is the Afghanistan’s first national park, located in the Bamyan Province. It is a series of six deep blue lakes separated by natural dams made of travertine, a mineral deposit. The site of Band-e Amir has been described as Afghanistan’s Grand Canyon, and draws thousands of tourists a year. The river is part of the system of the Balkh River.

Notes:
Lichens are very sensitive to air pollution and water pollution. Areas with healthy lichen populations are lower in air pollution and water pollution. Lichens can thus be used as reliable biological indicators of pollution.

Notes:
Gambusia is a large genus of fish in family Poeciliidae. Gambusia species are also known as mosquito fish, which, refers more specifically to two species, G. Affinis and G. Holbrooki. These can be introduced into ponds to eat mosquito larvae. That’s why, Insectivorous fish used for mosquito control is Gambusia.
 

Notes:
The Hukawang Valley is an isolated valley in Myanmar (Burma), roughly 5,586 square miles in area. The Burmese government has also designated 6500 square kilometre of the valley as the protected forest reserve. It is the world’s largest tiger reserve.

Notes:
The eastern swamp deer, a sub-species of the swamp deer, is restricted only to Kaziranga National Park. Found in Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan, the swamp deer has now been declared extinct in Bangladesh and Pakistan.