Daily Static MCQs Quiz for UPSC, IAS, UPPSC/UPPCS, MPPSC. BPSC, RPSC & All State PSC Exams
Subject : Environment & Ecology
1. With reference to Coral reefs, consider the following statements:
1. Coral reefs are underwater structures made from calcium
carbide secreted by corals.
2. Coral reefs are colonies of tiny animals found in marine waters that contain
few nutrients.
3. Coral reefs are found in the deep sea nearby continental shelves.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) Only one
(b) Only two
(c) All three
(d) None
Answer: (A)
Explanation:
- Coral reefs are underwater structures made from calcium carbonate secreted by corals. Coral reefs are colonies of tiny animals found in marine waters that contain few nutrients. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals. Hence, statement 1 is incorrect.
- Coral reefs are often called “rainforests of the sea”. Coral reefs form some of the most diverse ecosystems on Earth. They occupy less than 0.1% of the world’s ocean surface, about half the area of France, yet they provide a home for 25% of all marine species, including fish, mollusks, worms, crustaceans, echinoderms, sponges, tunicates and other cnidarians. Coral reefs are colonies of tiny living animals found in marine waters that contain few nutrients. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
- Coral reefs are found in the deep sea away from continental shelves, around oceanic islands as atolls. Hence, statement 3 is incorrect.
2. With reference to ‘Biomes’, consider the following statements:
1. Biomes are defined by genetic, taxonomic, or historical
similarities
2. Biomes are contiguous areas with similar climatic conditions on the Earth
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (B)
Explanation: Unlike ecozones, biomes are not defined by genetic, taxonomic, or historical similarities. Biomes are often identified with particular patterns of ecological succession and climax vegetation (quasi equilibrium state of the local ecosystem). Hence, statement 1 is incorrect.
3. Which the following Conventions is/are not correctly matched with their themes:
1. Rotterdam Convention- Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides
2. Stockholm Convention - The Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous
Wastes and Their Disposal
3. Basel Convention – Persistent Organic Pollutants
4. Nagoya Protocol- Biological Diversity
Select the answer using the codes given below:
(a) 1 and 2
(b) 2 and 3
(c) 3 and 4
(d) 1 and 4
Answer: (D)
Explanation:
- The Rotterdam Convention was signed on 10th September, 1998 at Rotterdam, Netherlands and came into effect on 24th February, 2004. It is a multilateral treaty on hazardous chemicals and pesticides.
- Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants is an International environmental treaty. This was signed in 2001 and came into effective from May 2004. It aims to eliminate or restrict the production and use of persistent organic pollutants (POPs).
- The Basel Convention is on the Control of Transboundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal. It is usually known as the Basel Convention. It 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 does not, however, address the movement of radioactive waste.
- The Basel Convention was opened for signature on 22 March 1989, and entered into force on 5 May 1992. As of February 2014, 180 states and the European Union are parties to the Convention. Haiti and the United States have signed the Convention but not ratified it.
- The Nagoya Protocol or the Convention on Biological Diversity was opened for signature on 5 June 1992 at the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (the Rio “Earth Summit”) and entered into force on 29 December 1993. The Convention is the only international instrument comprehensively addressing biological diversity.
4. Consider the following statements:
1. Endangered species are those species whose population is
small and the location is confined to limited areas
2. Rare species are those species whose population has declined significantly or
whose habitat is on the verge of complete elimination
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (D)
Explanation:
- Rare species are those species whose population is small and the location is confined to limited areas.
- Endangered species are those species whose population has declined significantly or whose habitat is on the verge of complete elimination.
5. Consider the following statements.
1. Many desert plants have a special photosynthetic pathway
that enables their stomata to remain closed during night time to minimise water
loss through transpiration.
2. In high altitudes, the body compensates low oxygen availability by increasing
red blood cell Production and decreasing the binding affinity of haemoglobin.
Which of the above statements is/are incorrect?
(a) 1 only
(b) 2 only
(c) Both 1 and 2
(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer: (A)
Explanation: Many desert plants have a thick cuticle on their leaf surfaces and have their stomata arranged in deep pits (sunken) to minimise water loss through transpiration. They also have a special photosynthetic pathway (CAM) that enables their stomata to remain closed during day time.
In the low atmospheric pressure of high altitudes, the body does not get enough oxygen. The body compensates low oxygen availability by increasing red blood cell production, decreasing the binding affinity of hemoglobin and by increasing breathing rate.
