Environment And Ecology - Practice Test 1 - UPSC MCQ

Biotic and Abiotic

Explanation: Biotic are the living components of the ecosystem while abiotic are the non-living components.

Biological Oxygen Demand

Explanation: Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) (also called biological oxygen demand) is the amount of dissolved oxygen needed (i. e., demanded) by aerobic biological organisms to break down organic material present in a given water sample at certain temperature over a specific time period.

20 March

Explanation: World Sparrow Day is an initiative of the Nature Forever Society to celebrate March 20, every year as World Sparrow Day. Sparrow is threatened by the destruction of Natural habitat and change in building code in urban area.

2010

Explanation: National Green Tribunal Act 2010 for effective and expeditious disposal of cases relating to environmental protection and conservation of forests and other natural resources including enforcement of any legal right relating to environment and giving relief and compensation for damages to persons and property and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto. It is a specialized body equipped with the necessary expertise to handle environmental disputes involving multi-disciplinary issues.

22 April

Explanation:    Earth Day is an annual event created to celebrate the planet's environment and raise public awareness about pollution. The first Earth Day was in 1970. Nelson, after seeing the damage done by a 1969 massive oil spill in Santa Barbara, California, was inspired to organize a national "teach-in" that focused on educating the public about the environment.

protection of stratospheric ozone layer

Explanation: The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer was finally agreed upon on 16 September 1987 at the Headquarters of the International Civil Aviation Organization in Montreal. The Montreal Protocol stipulates that the production and consumption of compounds that deplete ozone in the stratosphere--chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), halons, carbon tetrachloride, and methyl chloroform--are to be phased out by 2000 (2005 for methyl chloroform). Scientific theory and evidence suggest that, once emitted to the atmosphere, these compounds could significantly deplete the stratospheric ozone layer that shields the planet from damaging UV-B radiation.Man-made chlorines, primarily chloroflourobcarbons (CFCs), contribute to the thinning of the ozone layer and allow larger quantities of harmful ultraviolet rays to reach the earth.

1995

Explanation: The National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) was constituted under an Act of Parliament with a vision to play the role of a premier institute for capacity development in India and the region. NIDM has been assigned nodal responsibilities for human resource development, capacity building, training, research, documentation and policy advocacy in the field of disaster management.

Red

The colours of the spectrum of white light are violet, indigo, blue, green, yellow, orange and red (VIBGYOR). The white light is a mixture of different colours. Each colour is associated with light of a particular wavelength. Red light has longer wavelengths(and least speed and frequency) than the blue light. The angle of deviation by a prism is not the same for all the wavelength (colours) of light. Hence the prism disperses white light into its constituent colours. The red is deviated least and the violet most.

Mandakini

Explanation: the Indian state of Uttarakhand and adjoining areas received heavy rainfall, which was about 375% more than the benchmark rainfall during a normal monsoon. This caused the melting of Chorabari Glacier at the height of 3800 metres, and eruption of the Mandakini River which led to heavy floods near Gobindghat, Kedar Dome, Rudraprayag district, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Western Nepal,

Carrying Capacity

Explanation: carrying capacity is the maximum number of individuals of a given species that an area's resources can sustain indefinitely without significantly depleting or degrading those resources. Determining the carrying capacities for most organisms is fairly straightforward. For humans carrying capacity is much more complicated. The definition is expanded to include not degrading our cultural and social environments and not harming the physical environment in ways that would adversely affect future generations.

Soil is made up of different-sized particles. Gravel size is (4 - 5mm). Sand is a naturally occurring, finely divided rock, comprising particles or granules ranging in size from 0.0625 (or 1⁄16) to 2 millimeters. Silt is of (0.05 - 0.002mm). Clay particles are very small – less than 0.002 mm.

Homosapiens originated in Africa

Explanation: Homo sapiens evolved to anatomically modern humans solely in Africa, between 200,000 and 100,000 years ago, with members of one branch leaving Africa by 60,000 years ago and over time replacing earlier human populations such as Neanderthals and Homo erectus.

Denitrifying bacteria

Explanation: Denitrifying bacteria are microorganisms that convert nitrates in soil into free atmospheric nitrogen, depleting the soil of fertility and reducing agricultural productivity

Botanic gardens are institutions holding documented collections of living plants for the purposes of scientific research, conservation, display and education.

Greenhouse gases include water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone. Water vapor strongly varies locally The concentration in stratosphere. It's true that water vapor is the largest contributor to the Earth's greenhouse effect.

The major greenhouse gases are water vapor, which causes about 36-70% of the greenhouse effect on Earth (not including clouds); carbon dioxide, which causes 9-26%; methane, which causes 4-9%, and ozone, which causes 3-7%.

Symbiotic

Explanation: A symbiotic relationship occurs when two organisms, individuals or groups of people work together by helping one another with the intent of getting help in return. In a symbiotic relationship, the two people or groups of people live together to provide the greatest benefits to one another.

Kerla

Explanation: Sikkim has become the first organic state of India 

Norkek

Explanation: Norkek Biosphere Reserve, is a national park located at Western Garo Hills near Tura and William Nagar, Meghalaya

Jodhpur

Explanation: The institute carries out scientific research in forestry in order to provide technologies to increase the vegetative cover and to conserve biodiversity in the hot arid and semi-arid region of Rajasthan and Gujarat.

Chilika Lake

Explanation: Chilika Lake is a brackish water lagoon, spread over the Puri, Khurda and Ganjam districts of Odisha state on the east coast of India, at the mouth of the Daya River, flowing into the Bay of Bengal