Environment & Biodiversity MCQs

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A landslide is the movement of rock, earth, or debris down a sloped section of land. It is mainly caused due to a variety of factors. some of the man-made factors are- Deforestation, removal of the upper layer of soil, etc and the natural causes are rain, earthquake, etc.

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Scoping is a process of detailing the terms of reference of Environment Impact Assessment. Quantifiable impacts are to be assessed on the basis of factors like magnitude, prevalence, frequency and duration.

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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.

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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.

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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 Kyoto Protocol was an international treaty which extended the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change that commits state parties to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, based on the scientific consensus that global warming is occurring and that human-made CO2 emissions are driving it. 

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Denitrification is the biological conversion of nitrate to nitrogen gas, nitric oxide or nitrous oxide. It involves nitrate reduction by bacterial species such as Pseudomonas and Clostridium, usually in anaerobic conditions that ultimately produces molecular nitrogen (N2). These bacteria use nitrate as an electron acceptor instead of oxygen during respiration.

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Valley of Flowers National Park is a national park, located in North Chamoli, in Uttarakhand. At 3352 to 3658 meters above sea level, the gentle landscape of the Valley of Flowers National Park complements the rugged mountain wilderness of Nanda Devi National Park to the east.

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The Gondwana Rainforests, designated as a World Heritage Site, are located in southeast Queensland and northeast New South Wales in Australia. They personify extraordinary instances of Earth’s evolutionary phases, with over 50 sheltered areas playing host to more than 200 rare or endangered species. These rainforests are remnants from the ancient supercontinent Gondwana, evident through tree lineages such as Red and Yellow Carabeen. Unfortunately, they are threatened by climate change and provide important habitats for scarce species like the Hastings River Mouse and Parma Wallaby. Drawing around 2 million tourists each year, these vast rainforests cover an impressive 366,500 hectares.

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The Pantanal Conservation Area, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, accounts for 1.3% of the vast Pantanal wetland in Brazil and spans across 187,818 hectares. It provides shelter for more than 650 bird species, 325 fish species, and 80 mammal species, including giant armadillo and jaguar. The area’s unique ecosystem extends from floodplains to the Amolar Mountains, supporting diverse habitats and maintaining regional fish stocks. Moreover, it is an all-important breeding ground for wetland birds and refuge for globally threatened species like the hyacinth macaw. Additionally, it is a Ramsar Wetland and a UNESCO Man & Biosphere Reserve.