Shankar IAS Test: Terrestrial Ecosystems- 2 - UPSC MCQ

Shifting cultivation is indeed about clearing land and using ash to enrich soil, but it is not for long-term agricultural use; the land is abandoned after a short period of cultivation.

Population pressure leads to land degradation, overgrazing causes soil erosion, and deforestation increases aridity.

Afforestation helps in changing the local climate and meeting the needs of the local population, thus preventing desertification.

Deforestation leads to fewer trees absorbing water (C), increasing runoff (B), which then causes a decline in groundwater levels (D) and ultimately results in reduced rainfall (A).

While the first statement is true, land degradation in India is caused by various factors, not just the expansion of urban areas.

Deforestation typically leads to a decrease in biodiversity, not an increase.

While the report does highlight a decline in deforestation, the reason for this decline is not exclusively due to increased awareness and sustainable practices; it's a complex issue with multiple contributing factors.

Expansion of agriculture, especially in arid regions, leads to disruption of natural ecosystems and increases aridity, facilitating desertification.

The Atlas reports that 29.07% of India’s total land area is experiencing land degradation.

The National Urban Renewal Mission is not directly related to combating desertification, unlike the other listed programs.

Shifting cultivation involves clearing forest land for temporary agriculture, then moving to a new area when the soil becomes less fertile.

Such development projects often necessitate clearing large forest areas, leading to extensive deforestation.

The textile industry is generally not reliant on wood as a raw material, unlike the others listed.

Forests play a crucial role in the water cycle through transpiration, where trees absorb water and release it into the atmosphere.

Mining in forested areas often leads to deforestation and significant soil erosion.

Overgrazing causes soil compaction, increased agriculture disrupts ecosystems, and population pressure leads to land overexploitation.

India aims to restore 26 million hectares of degraded land by 2030.

Afforestation typically leads to a decrease in local temperature, not an increase.

The report states that 420 million hectares, approximately 10.34% of the total forest area, were lost in this period.

The report does link a percentage of emerging diseases to forests, and the reasoning correctly explains this link as increased human exposure to zoonotic pathogens due to forest degradation and deforestation.