Environment & Biodiversity MCQs

Notes:
Xerosere is a type of plant succession which is limited by water availability. Xerosere originates on rock surfaces which are in an unweathered state. There are different stages in a xerarch succession.

Notes:
Littoral and Swamp Forests also known as
The Mangrove Forests is found in Ganga-Brahmaputra delta (Sundarbans) i.e. in the districts of South 24
Parganas and Southern region of North 24 Parganas.

Notes:
Lichens are used as air pollution indicators, especially of the concentration of Sulphur dioxide in the atmosphere. If air is very badly polluted with sulphur dioxide there may be no lichens present, just green algae may be found. If the air is clean, shrubby, hairy and leafy lichens become abundant.

Notes:
Ecology is the scientific study of interactions among organisms and their environment, such as the interactions organisms have with each other and with their abiotic environment. Topics of interest to ecologists include the diversity, distribution, amount (biomass), number (population) of organisms, as well as competition between them within and among ecosystems.

Notes:
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. 

Notes:
Green undecomposed material used as manure is called green manure. It is obtained in two ways: (a) growing green manure crops usually belonging to leguminous family and incorporating into the soil after sufficient growth or (b) by collecting green leaf from plants grown in wastelands, field bunds and forest. The most important green manure crops are sunnhemp, dhaincha, etc.

Notes:
Ranthambore National park is spread over an area of 392 sq km. along with its nearby sanctuaries like, the Mansingh Sanctuary and Kaila Devi Sanctuary. The park is majorly famous for its tigers, and is one of the best locations in India to see the majestic predators in its natural habitat.

Notes:
India’s first national park was established in 1936 as Hailey National Park to protect the endangered Bengal tiger. It is now known as Jim Corbett National Park. It is located in Nainital district of Uttarakhand and was named after Jim Corbett, a British- Indian hunter and tracker-turned-conservationist, who played a key role in its establishment.

Notes:
The Península Valdés, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999, provides a sanctuary for marine mammals, hosting half of the world’s southern right whale population. The conservation area, located in Argentina, also houses breeding colonies of southern elephant seals and sea lions. A unique hunting strategy has evolved among its resident orcas. Furthermore, the 400,000-hectare desert-like headland features towering cliffs, expansive gulfs, and sandy beaches. Discovered by a Spanish expedition in 1779, it shows signs of Neolithic occupation like obsidian tools. The peninsula, divided into five sections, each offering unique attractions like whale watching, is home to myriad bird species, penguins, maras, and guanacos.

Notes:
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.