Environment & Biodiversity MCQs

Notes:
The following Eight Biomes were considered in the first phase of the LTEO Programme namely; Western Himalaya, Eastern Himalaya, North-Western Arid Zone, Central Indian Forests, Western Ghats, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Jammu & Kashmir and Sundarbans.

Notes:
The concept of sustainable development was described by the Bruntland Commission Report of 1987. It described sustainable development as “development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

Notes:
A cryogenic storage facility which is used to archive biological samples for use in research and experiments is known as Biobank. Biobanks are an important resource in medical research which support many types of contemporary research like genomics and personalized medicine.

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:
Littoral and Swamp Forests or the Mangrove Forests mostly contain sundari mangrove trees. The other main
species found in these forests are
casuarina trees, goran, gnewa, baen,
dhundal, etc.

Notes:
Absence of fish along a river indicates zone of degradation. This zone is found for a certain length just below the point where sewage is discharged into the river-stream. This zone is characterised by water becoming dark and turbine with formation of sludge deposits at the bottom. D.O is reduced to about 40% of the saturated value.

Notes:
Carbon monoxide inhibits the blood’s ability to carry oxygen to body tissues including vital organs such as the heart and brain. When CO is inhaled, it combines with the oxygen carrying haemoglobin of the blood to form carboxyhemoglobin (COHb). Once combined with the haemoglobin, that haemoglobin is no longer available for transporting oxygen.

Notes:
The predominant wild animal species that inhabits the Park is the deer, of which the most easily sighted are the graceful little chinkara or Indian gazelle, and the chital. Other species that have their habitat in the park are nilgai, sambar, chausingha or four-horned antelope, blackbuck, sloth bear, leopard and the common langur.

Notes:
In any ecosystem, there is conversion of inorganic into organic material with the help of the radiant energy of the sun by the autotrophs; consumption of the autotrophs by heterotrophs; decomposition and mineralisation of the dead matter to release them back for reuse by the autotrophs, these events are repeated over and over again. There is unidirectional movement of energy towards the higher trophic levels and its dissipation and loss as heat to the environment.

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.