Environment & Biodiversity MCQs

Notes:
Indian Network on Climate Change Assessment consists of over 120 institutions and over 250 scientists country wide. It carries out research on the effects of climate change in different regions and sectors in India and also suggests suitable adaptation and mitigation strategies.

Notes:
The Adaptation Fund was set up to finance the projects and programs aimed at helping developing countries to adapt to the harmful effects of climate change. The Adaptation Fund is supervised and managed by the Adaptation Fund Board (AFB).

Notes:
Deciduous forests can be seen in areas receiving 60 to 120 cms of rainfall annually.

Notes:
Micrixalus fuscus (dusky torrent frog or brown tropical frog) is a species of small frog that is found in the dense forested hill streams in the Western Ghats.

Micrixalus saxicola (Malabar tropical frog, black torrent frog, small torrent frog, Jerdon’s olive-brown frog) is a species of frog of the Micrixalidae family and is found in the forest streams in the Western Ghats.

Notes:
The species commonly found in Sub-alpine Forests are junipers, birch, rhododendrons,
berberis, maling bamboo, laurel, etc. Oak and magnolia occur around the region of
Kalimpong. In the upper Singalila range, dwarf rhododendrons, meadows and
small flowering bushes occur.

Notes:
Plants and animals interact with each other in the environment. In the food chain, some animals each other animals and use them for food. Some animals depend on others through symbiotic relationships. Plants provide a global benefit to animals by releasing oxygen into the atmosphere.

Notes:
Bandhavgarh National Park is located in the Umaria district of Madhya Pradesh. Bandhavgarh was declared a national park in 1968. This park is known for high density of Tigers. The park derives its name from the most prominent hillock of the area, which was said to be given by Hindu Lord Rama to his brother Lakshmana to keep a watch on Lanka (Ceylon).

Notes:
The glorious Pin Valley National Park is located in the cold desert area of Lahaul and Spiti in Himachal Predesh and is home to more than 20 species of animals and birds, including the endangered Snow Leopard. Wildly furious but majestic Pin River flows right through it. The park is located in the desert habitat of the Spiti Valley, within the Cold Desert Biosphere Reserve, in the Himalayas region.

Notes:
Thalweg Doctrine is a part of international law that aims to resolve water boundary disputes. The doctrine states that the boundary between two states divided by a flowing body of water may be drawn along the thalweg, which is the line of the greatest depth of the channel. The boundary would follow the center of the principal navigable channel of the waterway.

The Thalweg Doctrine has been used in several disputes, including:

1. The Shatt al-Arab between Iraq and Iran
2. The Danube in central Europe (Croatia–Serbia border dispute)
3. The Kasikili/Sedudu Island dispute between Namibia and Botswana
4. The 2004 dispute settlement under the UN Law of the Sea

The Thalweg Doctrine has also been used in the Sir Creek dispute between India and Pakistan. The dispute is not settled yet due to a lack of trust.

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.