UPSC Prelims Previous Year Questions 2022: Environment | Environment for UPSC CSE PDF Download

Ans: (b) 

• The Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 declares the wild animals as government property only in the context of their protection or if they are being hunted/killed. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.
• When an animal is declared as a protected animal under Wildlife (Protection) Act (WPA), 1972 then it will enjoy the same protection either if it is present in a protected area or outside of a protected area. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
• According to Section 11 (1) (a) of Wild Life protection Act, 1972 the Chief WildLife Warden may, if he is satisfied that any wild animal specified in Schedule I has become dangerous to human life or is so disabled or deceased as to be beyond recovery, by order in writing and stating the reasons therefor, permit any person to hunt such animal or cause such animal to be hunted: 1[Provided that no wild animal shall be ordered to be killed unless the Chief WildLife Warden is satisfied that such animal cannot be captured, tranquilised or translocated: Provided further that no such captured animal shall be kept in captivity unless the Chief WildLife Warden is satisfied that such animal cannot be rehabilitated in the wild and the reasons for the same are recorded in writing. Explanation. For the purposes of clause (a), the process of capture or translocation, as the case may be, of such an animal shall be made in such a manner as to cause minimum trauma to the said animal.]. Hence statement 3 is not correct.

Ans: (a)
Species of Ant is well known as the cultivator of the fungi. Few other insects such as termites, beetles, and marsh periwinkles are also able to cultivate fungi. Hence, option A is correct.

Ans: (c)

• Central Ground Water Authority has been constituted under Section 3 (3) of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 to regulate and control the development and management of groundwater resources in the country. Hence, option (c) is correct.
• Powers & Functions: The Authority has been conferred with the following powers:
  • Exercise of powers under section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 for issuing directions and taking such measures in respect of all the matters referred to in sub-section(2) of section 3 of the said Act.
  • To resort to penal provisions contained in sections 15 to 21 of the said Act.
  • To regulate and control, management and development of groundwater in the country and to issue necessary regulatory directions for the purpose.
  • Exercise of powers under section 4 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 for the appointment of officers.

Ans: (a)
Greenwashing is the practice of making an unsubstantiated or misleading claim about the environmental benefits of a product, service, technology or company practice. Greenwashing can make a company appear to be more environmentally friendly than it really is. Hence, option (a) is correct.

Ans: (a)

• The Climate Action Tracker (CAT) is an independent scientific analysis that tracks government climate action and measures it against the Paris Agreement. CAT quantifies and evaluates climate change mitigation targets, policies and action.
• It also aggregates country action to the global level, determining likely temperature increases during the 21st century using the MAGICC climate model. By collaboration of two organisations, Climate Analytics and New Climate Institute, the CAT provides independent analysis to policymakers. Hence, option (a) is correct.

Ans: (d)

• Wetland ecosystems are rich in biodiversity and support an astonishing variety and number of life forms, making them uniquely productive. Wetlands start by playing a crucial role in the water cycle, the nutrient cycle and the carbon cycle. The nutrient cycle, in turn, influences water quality, and the carbon cycle influences vegetative land cover and carbon sequestration in soils.
• Most freshwater wetlands are rich in aquatic plants. Some aquatic plants can also absorb carbon under certain conditions and become peat. These plants are also capable of absorbing pollutants such as heavy metals and cleansing the water system. They absorb excess nutrients and contribute to achieving a vital balance in the system through the processes of denitrification and detoxification and oxygenation of water. If rainforests and tropical forests are the lungs of the earth, then surely wetlands function as its kidneys. Hence, option (d) is correct.

Ans: (b)

• According to the WHO Air Quality should not Guidelines the 24-hour mean of PM 2.5 exceed 15 μg/m3 and annual mean of PM2.5 should not exceed 5 μg/m³.
• PM10 can penetrate and lodge deep inside the lungs, while PM2.5 can penetrate the lung barrier and enter the blood system.
• Ozone at ground level is one of the major constituents of photochemical smog. The highest levels of ozone pollution occur during periods of sunny weather.
• Excessive ozone in the air can have a marked effect on human health. It can cause breathing problems, trigger asthma, and cause lung diseases.

Hence, option (b) is correct.

Ans: (c)
Guchhi mushroom is a species of fungus in the family Morchellaceae of the Ascomycota. They are pale yellow in colour. This cannot be cultivated commercially and grown in the foothills in Himachal Pradesh, Uttaranchal, and Jammu and Kashmir. Hence, option (c) is correct.

Ans: (a)

• Mahseer roughly translates as mahi – fish and sher – tiger, and hence is also referred as tiger among fish. It is a large cyprinid and known to be the toughest among the fresh water sport fish.
• The body colour of an adult Golden Mahseer is golden on dorsal side and fins are reddish-yellow. Also the fish is characterized by their large scales and thick powerful lips with relatively longer barbels (sensory hair-like organs in front of the mouth).
• Mahseer is a sensitive species that can barely tolerate a modified water environment. Out of the 47 species of Mahseer that exist in the world, India is home to fifteen.

Hence, option (a) is correct.

Ans: (a)

• Nitrogen fixation, any natural or industrial process that causes free nitrogen (N2), which is a relatively inert gas plentiful in air, to combine chemically with other elements to form more-reactive nitrogen compounds such as ammonia, nitrates, or nitrites.
• Two kinds of nitrogen-fixing microorganisms are recognized: free-living (nonsymbiotic) bacteria, including the cyanobacteria (or blue-green algae) Anabaena and Nostoc and general such as Azotobacter, Beijerinckia, and Clostridium; and mutualistic (symbiotic) bacteria such as Rhizobium, associated with leguminous plants, and various Azospirillum species, associated with cereal grasses. e.g., alfalfa, beans, clovers, peas, soybeans etc.

Hence, option (a) is correct.

Ans: (a)

• Mineral Accretion Technology also called ‘Biorock Technology’, it is a method that applies safe, low voltage electrical currents through seawater, causing dissolved minerals to crystallise on structures, growing into a white limestone (CaCo₃) similar to that which naturally makes up coral reefs and tropical white sand beaches.
• Biorock, also known as Seacrete or Seament, refers to the substance formed by electro-accumulation of minerals dissolved in seawater.

Hence, option (a) is correct.

Ans: (c)

• Miyawaki is a technique pioneered by Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki, that helps build dense, native forests in a short time.
• It has revolutionised the concept of urban afforestation by turning backyards into mini- forests.
• This method includes planting trees (only native species) as close as possible in the same area which not only saves space, but the planted saplings also support each other in growth and block sunlight reaching the ground, thereby preventing the growth of weed.
• The saplings become maintenance-free (self sustainable) after the first three years.

Hence, option (c) is correct.