Environment & Biodiversity MCQs

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Energy Conservation Building Code was launched in 2007. It addresses the issues pertaining to design of new, large commercial buildings to optimize the buildings’ energy demand based on their location in different climatic zones. However, compliance with ECBC norms is voluntary in nature at present.

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The India Meteorological Department which is an agency of the Ministry of Earth Sciences of the Government of India was established in 1875. It is responsible for meteorological observations, weather forecasting, and seismology.

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Wildlife corridor or Green corridor is an area of habitat which connects wildlife populations separated by human activities. Wildlife corridors may be both natural or created. These corridors help animals that move between isolated patches on a daily basis and also those that migrate between habitats seasonally.

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Phenotype refers to a set of observable characteristics of an individual or group resulting from the interaction of its genotype with its environment. Gene pool refers to the stock of different genes in an interbreeding population.

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Biotic resources describe living or once living resources of a community; for example organisms, such as plants and animals wood, alkaloids, latex obtained from plant are also biotic resources. They are obtained from the biosphere and have life. The resources which are composed of non-living things are called Abiotic Resources. For example, water, minerals, metals, wind, solar energy etc.

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According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), automobile emissions are the number one source of carbon monoxide, lead, nitrogen oxides, and volatile organic compounds released into the atmosphere that are primarily responsible for air pollution. Industrial processes are the number two cause of lead pollution in the air, following automobile emissions.

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The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer was designed to reduce the production and consumption of ozone depleting substances in order to reduce their abundance in the atmosphere, and thereby protect the earth’s fragile ozone Layer. The original Montreal Protocol was agreed on 16 September 1987 and entered into force on 1 January 1989. In 1995, the United Nations named September 16 the International Day for the Protection of the Ozone Layer, also known as World Ozone Day.

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Forests are home to a large number of plants and animals. They are the “green lungs” and serve as water purifying systems of nature. In a forest, there are various types of interactions that occur between the living and the non-living components. The oxygen released during photosynthesis is used by the animals for respiration. In this way, plants and animals help in maintaining the balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Therefore, forests can be considered as a dynamic living entity.

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Lichens are found in both nature and in human-made environments, including rocks, trees, barren earth, metal and concrete. They are sensitive to air pollution because they receive all nutrients from the atmosphere, which makes them valuable as indicator species. The presence of sulphur dioxide force them to perish.

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Los Glaciares National Park in Argentina hosts the largest ice cap outside Antarctica and Greenland. This UNESCO World Heritage Site, established in 1937, spans over 726,927 hectares and is home to 47 active glaciers, including the well-known Perito Moreno Glacier. Divided by Lake Argentino and Lake Viedma, the park holds the scenic Mount Fitz Roy and Cerro Torre in its northern segment. The park’s varied ecosystem sustains unique species and attracts over 688,000 visitors every year, making it a favorite among nature lovers and providing a crucial research site for scientists studying climate change.