Environment & Biodiversity MCQs

Notes:
A flood is an overflow of water that submerges the low lying lands. Some of the reasons which are responsible for floods are deforestation, tilling of land, etc. Afforestation is a method that can be helpful in preventing floods.

Notes:
The Screening Criteria under Environment Impact Assessment are based upon the following:
1. Scales of investment
2. Type of development
3. Location of development

Notes:
Acid rain is a rain or any other form of precipitation that is unusually acidic i.e. it possesses elevated levels of hydrogen ions (low pH). It is caused by emissions of oxides of sulphur (SO2 or SO3) and nitrogen oxide, which react with the water molecules in the atmosphere to produce acids.

Notes:
Fuel cells do not emit any pollution at their point of use when run on pure hydrogen. The “well-to-wheels” emissions of fuel cell electric vehicles running on renewable hydrogen (extracted from water using clean energy) are almost 100 percent lower than those of conventional gasoline vehicles.

Notes:
If the environmental lapse rate is greater than – 5.5 K/km, then there is some small amount of vertical turbulence and the atmosphere is said to be stable. It is also referred to as being sub-adiabatic.

Notes:
For the protection of coral reefs, the Gulf of Kutch was declared Marine National Park under the provisions of the Wildlife (protection) Act, 1972. It is the first national marine park of India.

Notes:
Manas National Park is located in the Himalayan foothills of Assam. It is also a UNESCO Natural World Heritage site, a Project Tiger Reserve, and Elephant Reserve. It is contiguous with the Royal Manas National Park in Bhutan. Manas is famous for its population of the wild water buffalo.

Notes:
The Keibul Lamjao National Park is a national park in the Bishnupur district of the state of Manipur in India. It is 40 km2 (15.4 sq mi) in area, the only floating park in the world, located in North East India, and an integral part of Loktak Lake.

Notes:
Mylo is a leather-like material made from mycelium, the underground root structure of mushrooms. Mylo is a sustainable alternative to leather because it can be grown without polluting substances. It is also more sustainable than synthetic leathers, which are usually made from petroleum-derived inputs.
Mylo is grown in a controlled indoor environment. The growing process is designed to be low impact and takes less than two weeks. It emits fewer greenhouse gases and uses less water and resources than animal-based leather.
Mylo is 80% bio-based and is completely biodegradable and compostable. However, when extra durability is needed, the mushroom leather is reinforced with polyurethane, which decreases its biodegradability.

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.