Environment & Biodiversity MCQs
Environment, Ecology & Biodiversity Multiple choice questions for GK paper in SSC, NDA, CDS, UPSC, UPPSC and State PSC Examinations.
41. Arrange the following gases in descending order of relative contribution to total global warming:
1) Carbon dioxide
2) Methane
3) CFCs
4) Nitrous oxide
Select the correct option from the codes given below:
[A] 1, 2, 3, 4
[B] 2, 1, 3, 4
[C] 1, 3, 2, 4
[D] 3, 1, 2, 4
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [1, 2, 3, 4]
Notes:
Some of the greenhouse gases occur naturally in the atmosphere, while others result from human activities. Carbon dioxide contributes around 60%, Methane – 20%, CFC’s – 14% and N2O – 6%.
42. Which of the following countries does not come under the top 4 emitters of Greenhouse gases?
[A] China
[B] U.S.A
[C] Australia
[D] India
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Australia]
Notes:
According to the Emissions Gap Report which is released by the United Nations Environment Programme, the top four emitters of greenhouse gases globally are China, India, United States of America and the European Union.
43. Which of the following are micro-organisms that can live within the pore interstices of sedimentary and even igneous rocks to depths of several kilometers?
[A] Lithotroph
[B] Hemotrophs
[C] Lithophiles
[D] Phototrophs
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Lithophiles]
Notes:
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.
44. Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding the Land Use, Land-Use Change, and Forestry?
1) It is a greenhouse gas inventory sector.
2) It can provide a relatively cost-effective way of offsetting emissions.
Select the correct option from the codes given below:
[A] Only 1
[B] Only 2
[C] Both 1 & 2
[D] Neither 1 & 2
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Both 1 & 2]
Notes:
Land Use, Land-Use Change, and Forestry, which is also termed as LULUCF is a green house inventory sector. It provides us a relatively cost-effective way of offsetting the green house emissions.
45. Mixed forest comprise of which of the following trees grown together?
[A] Grassland and shrubs
[B] Deciduous and Shrubs
[C] Evergreen and Deciduous
[D] Evergreen and Shrubs
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [Evergreen and Deciduous ]
Notes:
The growing of evergreen and deciduous trees together form the mixed forests.
46. Which of the following represents the most complex trophic level?
[A] Species
[B] Ecosystem
[C] Population
[D] Community
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Ecosystem]
Notes:
In ecology, the trophic level is the position that an organism occupies in a food chain – what it eats, and what eats it. Ecosystem represents the most complex trophic level. Each species in an ecosystem is affected by the other species in that ecosystem. There are very few single prey-single predator relationships. Most prey are consumed by more than one predator, and most predators have more than one prey. It is also marked by multi trophic interactions that involve more than two trophic levels in a food web.
47. Which of the following gas leaked in the Bhopal Gas tragedy in December 1984?
[A] Methyl isocyanate
[B] Methyl isochlorate
[C] Methyl phosphate
[D] Methyl isopropate
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Methyl isocyanate]
Notes:
In the gas tragedy that occurred at the Union Carbide India Limited pesticide plant in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, on 2-3 December 1984, over 500,000 people were exposed to toxic methyl isocyanate (MIC) gas and other chemicals. An estimated 10,000 or more people died in human disaster.
48. The ambient air is stable when the ambient lapse rate is _____:
[A] Neutrally stable
[B] Sub-adiabatic
[C] Hyper-adiabatic
[D] Super-adiabatic
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Sub-adiabatic]
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.
49. Which one of the following is an indicator of air pollution?
[A] Cycas
[B] Algae
[C] Bryophytes
[D] Lichens
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Lichens]
Notes:
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.
50. On the border of which two countries can the Iguaçu National Park be found?
[A] Brazil and Argentina
[B] Brazil and Paraguay
[C] Argentina and Chile
[D] Brazil and Uruguay
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Brazil and Argentina]
Notes:
The Iguaçu National Park is a World Heritage Site straddling the borders of Brazil and Argentina. This locale is famous for the panoramic Iguaçu Falls, consisting of about 275 individual falls, spanning 2,700 meters. Most importantly, the park serves as a sanctuary for numerous rare animals like jaguars, ocelots, and jaguarundis. The phenomenal waterfall isn’t only a top tourist attraction but also an important habitat for species like the great dusky swifts. Proclaimed a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1984, the park exemplifies global importance in wildlife conservation.
