Skip to content
GK24
GK QuizEnvironment & Ecology

Environment & Ecology Mixed Quiz: Set 57

  • 20 questions
  • 20 minutes
  • Difficulty: Medium
Start Quiz

About this quiz

Set 57 of the Environment & Ecology mixed quiz has 20 multiple-choice questions from 18 different topics of the subject: Biodiversity and Its Conservation, Sacred Groves and Community Conservation in India, Climate Change and Global Warming and more. 13 of them were asked in real previous-year papers. A topic quiz checks one chapter; this set revises the whole subject at once, the way an exam paper does, where the next question can come from any chapter. Every question carries an explanation of why the correct option is right and why the others are wrong. Keep to the timer, read the explanations at the end, and go back to the notes of any topic where you slipped.

Questions in this quiz

20 questions with answers and explanations

Q1.Environment & EcologyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2016, GS Paper IMedium

What is/are unique about 'Kharai camel', a breed found in India?

1. It is capable of swimming up to three kilometres in seawater.

2. It survives by grazing on mangroves.

3. It lives in the wild and cannot be domesticated.

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

  1. A.1 and 2 only
  2. B.3 only
  3. C.1 and 3 only
  4. D.1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Correct answer: A. 1 and 2 only

The Kharai camel of Kutch in Gujarat can swim through seawater to reach mangrove islands, where it feeds on mangrove leaves.

Q3.Environment & EcologyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2022, GS Paper IMedium

"Climate Action Tracker" which monitors the emission reduction pledges of different countries is a :

  1. A.Database created by coalition of research organisations
  2. B.Wing of "International Panel of Climate Change"
  3. C.Committee under "United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change"
  4. D.Agency promoted and financed by United Nations Environment Programme and World Bank
Show answer
Correct answer: A. Database created by coalition of research organisations

The Climate Action Tracker is an independent scientific analysis run by research groups, not by any UN body. It is produced mainly by two non-profit research organisations, Climate Analytics and the NewClimate Institute, and has tracked national climate action since 2009.

Q4.Environment & EcologyEasy

UJALA, the Government scheme for efficient lighting, stands for

  1. A.Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All
  2. B.Universal Jyoti and Lighting Assistance
  3. C.Urban Jyoti and Affordable Lamps for All
  4. D.Unnat Jan Aadhar Lighting Abhiyan
Show answer
Correct answer: A. Unnat Jyoti by Affordable LEDs for All

The programme began as the Domestic Efficient Lighting Programme and was launched under the UJALA name on 5 January 2015, selling LED bulbs, tubelights and efficient ceiling fans to domestic consumers at a price far below the retail rate.

Q5.Environment & EcologyAsked in: UPSC CAPF · CAPF 2023, Paper IHard

Which of the following statements is/are correct about 'Action for Climate Empowerment' (ACE)?

1. It is a term adopted by the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

2. This term is related to the Paris Agreement.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

  1. A.1 only
  2. B.2 only
  3. C.Both 1 and 2
  4. D.Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer
Correct answer: C. Both 1 and 2

Action for Climate Empowerment is the UNFCCC's own name for its work on climate education and public awareness, and it covers the Paris Agreement too.

Q6.Environment & EcologyEasy

Eutrophication of coastal waters leads most directly to which condition?

  1. A.A rise in dissolved oxygen that helps fish
  2. B.Depletion of dissolved oxygen and the formation of dead zones
  3. C.A fall in water temperature
  4. D.An increase in water salinity
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Depletion of dissolved oxygen and the formation of dead zones

Eutrophication begins with nitrogen and phosphorus from fertiliser, detergent and sewage. The nutrients feed an algal bloom; the bloom is short-lived, and when it dies the bacteria that decompose the mass consume large amounts of dissolved oxygen.

Q7.Environment & EcologyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2022, GS Paper IHard

In the context of WHO Air Quality Guidelines, consider the following statements:

1. The 24-hour mean of PM2.5 should not exceed 15 µg/m³ and annual mean of PM2.5 should not exceed 5 µg/m³.

2. In a year, the highest levels of ozone pollution occur during the periods of inclement weather.

3. PM10 can penetrate the lung barrier and enter the bloodstream.

4. Excessive ozone in the air can trigger asthma.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

  1. A.1, 3 and 4
  2. B.1 and 4 only
  3. C.2, 3 and 4
  4. D.1 and 2 only
Show answer
Correct answer: B. 1 and 4 only

The 2021 WHO guidelines set PM2.5 at 15 µg/m³ for a 24-hour mean and 5 µg/m³ for the annual mean, and ground-level ozone is a known trigger of asthma attacks.

Q8.Environment & EcologyHard

Parliament enacted the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 by using which Article of the Constitution, since protection of wild animals and birds was then a State subject?

  1. A.Article 249
  2. B.Article 250
  3. C.Article 252
  4. D.Article 253
Show answer
Correct answer: C. Article 252

Article 252 allows Parliament to legislate on a State subject for two or more States when the legislatures of those States pass resolutions asking it to do so, and the law then applies to those States and to any other State that adopts it later.

Q9.Environment & EcologyAsked in: UPSC CAPF · CAPF 2017, Paper IEasy

Which of the following diseases are caused by the consumption of water contaminated by mercury and nitrate ?

  1. A.Minamata disease and Osteoporosis
  2. B.Osteoporosis and Blue Baby Syndrome
  3. C.Minamata disease and Blue Baby Syndrome
  4. D.Osteoporosis and Minamata disease
Show answer
Correct answer: C. Minamata disease and Blue Baby Syndrome

Mercury in water causes Minamata disease, and excess nitrate causes blue baby syndrome.

Q10.Environment & EcologyMedium

Which biogeographic zone of India is the smallest in area but very rich in endemic species?

  1. A.Coasts
  2. B.Islands
  3. C.Western Ghats
  4. D.Trans-Himalaya
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Islands

The Islands zone, made up of the Andaman and Nicobar group and Lakshadweep, accounts for only about 0.03 per cent of the area of India, the smallest share of any zone, yet it holds coral reefs and species found nowhere else, such as the Narcondam hornbill and the Nicobar megapode…

Q11.Environment & EcologyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2022, GS Paper IMedium

"If rainforests and tropical forests are the lungs of the Earth, then surely wetlands function as its kidneys." Which one of the following functions of wetlands best reflects the above statement ?

  1. A.The water cycle in wetlands involves surface runoff, subsoil percolation and evaporation.
  2. B.Algae form the nutrient base upon which fish, crustaceans, molluscs, birds, reptiles and mammals thrive.
  3. C.Wetlands play a vital role in maintaining sedimentation balance and soil stabilization.
  4. D.Aquatic plants absorb heavy metals and excess nutrients.
Show answer
Correct answer: D. Aquatic plants absorb heavy metals and excess nutrients.

Kidneys filter waste from the blood, and wetlands likewise filter pollutants out of the water that passes through them.

Q12.Environment & EcologyAsked in: Rajasthan · RSMSSB JE Civil Diploma 2022Medium

Which sect is known for protecting the green trees?

  1. A.Ramsnehi
  2. B.Bishnoi
  3. C.Laldasi
  4. D.Niranjani
Show answer
Correct answer: B. Bishnoi

The Bishnoi community of western Rajasthan follows the twenty-nine tenets laid down by Guru Jambheshwar in the fifteenth century, several of which forbid the felling of green trees and the killing of animals, and it is for this reason that khejri groves and herds of blackbuck survive in the desert…

Q13.Environment & EcologyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2019, GS Paper IMedium

Consider the following statements :

1. Agricultural soils release nitrogen oxides into environment.

2. Cattle release ammonia into environment.

3. Poultry industry releases reactive nitrogen compounds into environment.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. A.1 and 3 only
  2. B.2 and 3 only
  3. C.2 only
  4. D.1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Correct answer: D. 1, 2 and 3

Fertilised soils, cattle and poultry are all major sources of reactive nitrogen in the environment. Reactive nitrogen means nitrogen in forms other than the inert N₂ gas of the air, such as ammonia, nitrogen oxides, nitrous oxide and nitrate.

Q14.Environment & EcologyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2017, GS Paper IMedium

Consider the following statements in respect of Trade Related Analysis of Fauna and Flora in Commerce (TRAFFIC) :

1. TRAFFIC is a bureau under United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

2. The mission of TRAFFIC is to ensure that trade in wild plants and animals is not a threat to the conservation of nature.

Which of the above statements is/are correct?

  1. A.1 only
  2. B.2 only
  3. C.Both 1 and 2
  4. D.Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer
Correct answer: B. 2 only

TRAFFIC is a non-governmental wildlife trade monitoring network, not a UNEP bureau, and its mission is the one given in statement 2.

Q15.Environment & EcologyAsked in: UPSC CAPF · CAPF 2023, Paper IHard

What is 'Climate Neutral Now' initiative?

1. It encourages organizations and other interested stakeholders to act now in order to achieve a carbon neutral world by 2030.

2. It derives its aims from the Paris Agreement.

Select the correct answer using the code given below :

  1. A.1 only
  2. B.2 only
  3. C.Both 1 and 2
  4. D.Neither 1 nor 2
Show answer
Correct answer: B. 2 only

Climate Neutral Now takes its aim from the Paris Agreement, but the target it works towards is a climate-neutral world by the middle of the century, not by 2030.

Q17.Environment & EcologyAsked in: CDS · CDS-II 2024, GKHard

Which one of the following is not among the thematic areas of National Mission on Sustainable Habitat?

  1. A.Energy and Green Building
  2. B.Mobility and Air Quality
  3. C.Waste Management
  4. D.Rural Planning, Green cover and Biodiversity
Show answer
Correct answer: D. Rural Planning, Green cover and Biodiversity

The mission's thematic area is Urban Planning, Green Cover and Biodiversity, because the mission is about cities, not villages.

Q18.Environment & EcologyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2019, GS Paper IEasy

In India, the use of carbofuran, methyl parathion, phorate and triazophos is viewed with apprehension. These chemicals are used as

  1. A.pesticides in agriculture
  2. B.preservatives in processed foods
  3. C.fruit-ripening agents
  4. D.moisturising agents in cosmetics
Show answer
Correct answer: A. pesticides in agriculture

Carbofuran, methyl parathion, phorate and triazophos are all insecticides sprayed on crops, and all are highly toxic. Carbofuran is a carbamate; methyl parathion, phorate and triazophos are organophosphates.

Q20.Environment & EcologyAsked in: UPSC Civil Services · CSE Prelims 2022, GS Paper IMedium

With reference to "Gucchi" sometimes mentioned in the news, consider the following statements:

1. It is a fungus.

2. It grows in some Himalayan forest areas.

3. It is commercially cultivated in the Himalayan foothills of north-eastern India.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. A.1 only
  2. B.3 only
  3. C.1 and 2
  4. D.2 and 3
Show answer
Correct answer: C. 1 and 2

Gucchi is the morel mushroom, a fungus that grows wild in Himalayan forests, but it is not commercially cultivated. Gucchi (Morchella esculenta) has a honeycomb-like cap and is one of the costliest mushrooms in the world, often selling for tens of thousands of rupees a kilogram.

View all quizzes