Environment & Biodiversity MCQs

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Micro-organisms that can live within the pore interstices of sedimentary and even igneous rocks to depths of several kilometers are referred to as Lithophiles. Some of these mico-organisms are known to live on surface rocks, and make use of photosynthesis for energy.

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Aghanashini River forms estuary in the Kumta taluka of Uttar Kannada district.

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Basel Convention is an international treaty that was designed to reduce the movements of hazardous waste between nations, and specifically to prevent transfer of hazardous waste from developed to less developed countries (LDCs). It ultimately aims at biodiversity conservation.

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The conference was held in Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, in 1972. The conference is widely recognized as the beginning of modern political and public awareness of global environmental problems.

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National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has developed a series of interactive maps and graphs to describe the global climate and how it has changed over time. They focus on 5 key climate indicators:
• carbon dioxide concentration
• global surface temperature
• Arctic sea ice
• land ice
• sea level

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Reverse osmosis (RO) is a water purification technology that uses a semipermeable membrane to remove ions, molecules, and larger particles from drinking water. It can remove many types of dissolved and suspended species from water, including bacteria, and is used in both industrial processes and the production of potable water (Desalination of marine water). It is most commonly known for its use in drinking water purification plants particularly in countries of middle east.

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Thermal pollution is defined as the addition of excess of undesirable heat to water thereby making it harmful to man, animal or aquatic life. A common cause of thermal pollution is the use of water as a coolant by power plants and industrial manufacturers. The change in ambient temperature of water decreases oxygen supply and affects ecosystem composition.

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Sri Lanka is separated from the mainland portion of the Indian subcontinent by the Gulf of Mannar and Palk Strait. It is an island country in South Asia, located southeast of India and northeast of the Maldives.

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Ecological sanitation is a sustainable system for handling human excreta, using dry composting toilets. This is a practical, hygienic, efficient and cost-effective solution to human waste disposal. With this composting method, human excreta can be recycled into a resource (as natural fertiliser), which reduces the need for chemical fertilisers.

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The Goldman Environmental Prize is a prize awarded annually to grassroots environmental activists, one from each of the world’s six geographic regions: Africa, Asia, Europe, Islands and Island Nations, North America, and South and Central America. It was created in 1990 by philanthropists Richard N. Goldman and his wife, Rhoda H. Goldman.