Environment & Ecology GK Notes

Ecosystems, biodiversity, conservation and environmental conventions.

44 topics805 MCQs368 previous-year questions112 quizzesUpdated 16 October 2026

Environment & Ecology Questions Environment & Ecology Quizzes

Environment and Ecology covers how living things and their surroundings depend on each other, and how India and the world try to protect that balance. The topics on this page run from Ecosystem and Food Chains and Biodiversity and Its Conservation to National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries, Biosphere Reserves and Ramsar Sites, Project Tiger and Project Elephant, Climate Change and Global Warming, International Environmental Conventions, and Endangered Species and the IUCN Red List.

UPSC Prelims asks this subject in depth, often mixing it with current affairs, and state PSC papers follow the same pattern. SSC CGL, SSC CHSL and RRB NTPC ask it in a lighter, factual form. Typical questions: which state a national park is in, which convention deals with wetlands or ozone, which gas causes acid rain, the meaning of a term like ecological succession, and the theme or date of an environment day.

Start with the ecology basics, then move to the protected-area and convention lists, because most questions come from those. Each topic note on GK24 ends with practice MCQs, and the previous-year questions are tagged with the exam and year so you can compare a UPSC framing with an SSC one. Use the mixed quiz sets after every five or six topics to keep the earlier lists fresh.

Topic-wise notes

1
Ecosystem and Food Chains
Components of an ecosystem, producers, consumers and decomposers, grazing and detritus food chains, trophic levels, the ten per cent law and ecological pyramids.
37 MCQs26 previous-year questions
2
Biodiversity and Its Conservation
Levels of biodiversity, hotspots and endemism, causes of biodiversity loss, IUCN Red List categories, in-situ and ex-situ conservation, laws and conventions, with the facts exams ask.
33 MCQs21 previous-year questions
3
National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries
Protected areas under the Wild Life Protection Act, the difference between a national park and a sanctuary, conservation projects, and the parks with the species and states exams ask about.
24 MCQs12 previous-year questions
4
Biosphere Reserves and Ramsar Sites
The Man and the Biosphere Programme, the three zones of a biosphere reserve, India's biosphere reserves, the Ramsar Convention on wetlands, the Montreux Record and the famous Ramsar sites of India.
29 MCQs19 previous-year questions
5
Project Tiger and Project Elephant
Launch, objectives and working of Project Tiger and Project Elephant, the National Tiger Conservation Authority, tiger reserves, elephant corridors and the MIKE programme, with the facts SSC, Railway and State exams ask.
14 MCQs4 previous-year questions
6
Climate Change and Global Warming
The greenhouse effect and greenhouse gases, evidence and impacts of warming, the UNFCCC, Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement, India's national action plan and the difference from ozone depletion, for SSC, Railway and UPSC exams.
27 MCQs18 previous-year questions
7
International Environmental Conventions
Ramsar, Stockholm 1972, CITES, Vienna and Montreal, Basel, the Rio Earth Summit, UNFCCC with the Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement, CBD with Cartagena and Nagoya, and the Minamata Convention.
31 MCQs23 previous-year questions
8
Environmental Laws and Bodies in India
Articles 48A and 51A, the Water, Air, Forest, Wildlife, Environment Protection, Biodiversity and Green Tribunal Acts, the enforcing bodies and global conventions, with the facts SSC, Railway and State exams ask.
25 MCQs17 previous-year questions
9
Air Pollution and Air Quality
Primary and secondary air pollutants, the two kinds of smog, acid rain, particulate matter, the Air Quality Index and its categories, Indian laws and control devices, with the facts exams ask.
30 MCQs18 previous-year questions
10
Water Pollution and River Cleaning
Point and non-point sources of water pollution, BOD, COD and dissolved oxygen, eutrophication and biomagnification, diseases from polluted water, the Water Act of 1974 and India’s river cleaning missions.
22 MCQs13 previous-year questions
11
Ozone Layer and Acid Rain
Good and bad ozone, the ozone hole and the substances that cause it, the Vienna Convention and the Montreal Protocol, and how sulphur and nitrogen oxides make acid rain, with the facts exams ask.
27 MCQs20 previous-year questions
12
Renewable Energy in India
Solar, wind, hydro, biomass, geothermal and tidal energy in India, the institutions and missions that promote them, and the climate commitments that drive the transition.
27 MCQs18 previous-year questions
13
Wetlands, Mangroves and Coral Reefs
The Ramsar Convention and India's wetlands, the adaptations and forests of mangroves, and how coral reefs form, bleach and are protected.
26 MCQs16 previous-year questions
14
Endangered Species and the IUCN Red List
IUCN Red List categories, threatened Indian species and their habitats, the Wildlife Protection Act schedules, species recovery projects and the conventions that exams ask about.
24 MCQs17 previous-year questions
15
Environmental Days and Reports
The dates of the environmental observances and what each commemorates, with the major global and Indian environment reports and the bodies that publish them.
12 MCQs2 previous-year questions
16
Waste Management and Plastic
Kinds of waste, composting, biomethanation and landfills, the 2016 waste rules, the single-use plastic ban, microplastics and bio-medical bin colours.
24 MCQs14 previous-year questions
17
Biomes and Ecological Succession
The major terrestrial and aquatic biomes with their climate and vegetation, and primary, secondary, hydrarch and xerarch succession up to the climax community.
12 MCQs5 previous-year questions
18
Biogeochemical Cycles: Carbon, Nitrogen and Water
Gaseous and sedimentary cycles, the carbon cycle, the five steps of the nitrogen cycle with the bacteria at each, the hydrological cycle and human interference in all three.
14 MCQs3 previous-year questions
19
Soil Pollution, Desertification and Land Degradation
Sources of soil pollution, heavy metal diseases, the forms of water and wind erosion, salinity and waterlogging, the UNCCD and India's soil conservation measures, with the facts exams ask.
18 MCQs8 previous-year questions
20
Noise, Thermal and Radioactive Pollution
Decibel scale and India's noise limits under the 2000 Rules, thermal pollution and dissolved oxygen, radioactive sources, units and isotopes, with the facts SSC, Railway and State exams ask.
14 MCQs3 previous-year questions
21
Forest Conservation and Social Forestry
India's forest laws and policies, Joint Forest Management, the branches of social forestry and the people's movements that saved forests, with the facts exams ask.
15 MCQs7 previous-year questions
22
Environmental Movements and Activists of India
The Bishnoi, Chipko, Appiko, Silent Valley, Narmada Bachao, Jungle Bachao and Mitti Bachao movements with their years, places and leaders, and the activists exams name.
13 MCQs2 previous-year questions
23
Invasive Species and Wildlife Trade
Invasive alien species in India with their native homes and control, plus the law on wildlife trade: CITES appendices, the Wild Life Protection Act schedules and the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau.
12 MCQs1 previous-year questions
24
Bird Sanctuaries and Marine Protected Areas
India's famous bird sanctuaries and wetlands with their states and species, the marine national parks and turtle sanctuary, and the laws and treaties behind them.
11 MCQs1 previous-year questions
25
Sustainable Development and the SDGs
The Brundtland definition and three pillars, the Stockholm, Rio and 2015 conferences, all 17 Sustainable Development Goals with their targets, and India's SDG machinery.
25 MCQs15 previous-year questions
26
Carbon Credits, Net Zero and Green Finance
Carbon credits and carbon markets, the Kyoto mechanisms and Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, net zero targets, India's Carbon Credit Trading Scheme, sovereign green bonds and global climate funds.
20 MCQs10 previous-year questions
27
India's National Action Plan on Climate Change
The 2008 plan and its eight National Missions, their nodal ministries and targets, the state action plans and India's Paris pledges, as exams ask them.
13 MCQs3 previous-year questions
28
Environmental Impact Assessment
What Environmental Impact Assessment is, the EIA Notification of 2006, Category A and B projects, the four stages of clearance, the authorities involved and the role of the National Green Tribunal.
11 MCQs
29
Organic Farming, Pesticides and the Environment
What organic farming is, its methods, biofertilisers and biopesticides, the classes of pesticides, bioaccumulation and biomagnification, the Insecticides Act and India's organic schemes.
18 MCQs8 previous-year questions
30
Tiger Reserves of India: State-wise List
Project Tiger of 1973, the first nine reserves, the NTCA, core and buffer areas and a state-wise list of India's tiger reserves, with the facts SSC, Railway, State and UPSC exams ask.
15 MCQs4 previous-year questions
31
UN Climate Change Conferences (COP) and Their Outcomes
The UNFCCC and its annual COP meetings: Kyoto Protocol and its mechanisms, the Paris Agreement, climate funds, loss and damage, a venue-outcome list and India's Panchamrit.
12 MCQs2 previous-year questions
32
Project Cheetah and Other Species Conservation Projects
Project Tiger, Elephant, Cheetah, Snow Leopard, Hangul, Crocodile, Dolphin, Sea Turtle and the great Indian bustard: launch years, species, sites and agencies exams ask about.
12 MCQs
33
Environmental Organisations: UNEP, IUCN, WWF and Others
Founding years, headquarters, flagship reports and work of UNEP, IUCN, WWF, Greenpeace, IPCC, the treaty secretariats and India's own environmental institutions, as exams ask them.
13 MCQs5 previous-year questions
34
Ecological Concepts: Niche, Ecotone, Keystone and Indicator Species
Habitat and niche, fundamental and realised niche, competitive exclusion, ecotone and edge effect, and keystone, indicator, flagship and umbrella species with exam-ready examples.
12 MCQs6 previous-year questions
35
Major Environmental Disasters: Bhopal, Chernobyl, Minamata and Others
Bhopal, Chernobyl, Minamata, Itai-itai, Fukushima, the London smog and the great oil spills, with the agent behind each disaster and the laws and conventions that followed.
11 MCQs1 previous-year questions
36
Water Conservation and Traditional Rainwater Harvesting
India's traditional water harvesting works from khadin and tanka to zabo and bamboo drip irrigation, modern rooftop and recharge methods, and the water schemes exams ask about.
17 MCQs7 previous-year questions
37
Species Interactions: Mutualism, Commensalism, Parasitism and Predation
Mutualism, commensalism, parasitism, predation, competition and amensalism with their standard examples, parasite adaptations, prey defences and keystone predators, with the facts SSC, Railway, State and UPSC exams ask.
14 MCQs3 previous-year questions
38
Eco-Sensitive Zones, the Western Ghats and Coastal Regulation Zones
Eco-Sensitive Zones around protected areas, the ecologically sensitive areas of the Western Ghats with the Gadgil and Kasturirangan reports, and the four Coastal Regulation Zone categories, as asked in SSC, Railway, State and UPSC exams.
14 MCQs2 previous-year questions
39
Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 and Its Schedules
The Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 made simple: why it was passed, its schedules before and after the 2022 amendment, protected areas, the boards and authorities it created, and the penalties exams ask about.
13 MCQs3 previous-year questions
40
Biogeographic Zones of India
All ten biogeographic zones of India given by Rodgers and Panwar: where each lies, its share of the area, its typical vegetation and wildlife, and the zone-wise pairs exams ask.
12 MCQs3 previous-year questions
41
Marine Pollution, Oil Spills and Ocean Acidification
Marine pollution for exams: sources and types, eutrophication and dead zones, microplastics, mercury and Minamata disease, famous oil spills and clean-up methods, ocean acidification chemistry, and the conventions and Indian laws that apply.
12 MCQs
42
Energy Conservation: BEE, Star Labelling and UJALA
Energy conservation for exams: the Energy Conservation Act 2001, the Bureau of Energy Efficiency, star labelling and ISEER, the PAT scheme and ESCerts, ECBC building codes and the UJALA and street lighting programmes.
12 MCQs1 previous-year questions
43
Sacred Groves and Community Conservation in India
Sacred groves and their names state by state, the Bishnois and Khejarli, Van Panchayats, Joint Forest Management, community reserves, Biodiversity Heritage Sites and community forest rights, with the facts exams ask.
10 MCQs
44
Zoos, Botanical Gardens and Seed Banks: Ex-situ Conservation
Ex-situ conservation in India: the Central Zoo Authority and famous zoos, botanical gardens, gene and seed banks, cryopreservation and the captive breeding programmes.
11 MCQs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Environment questions are asked in UPSC Prelims?

Environment and Ecology has been one of the heavier areas of UPSC Prelims General Studies Paper 1 for the last decade, usually somewhere between 10 and 20 questions, with the exact count changing every year. Many of them link a static concept, such as a Ramsar site or a species, to a recent news event, so read this subject alongside current affairs.

Is Environment and Ecology asked in SSC CGL and RRB NTPC?

Yes, but in a lighter form than UPSC. SSC and Railway papers ask direct facts: a national park and its state, the animal a project protects, the full form of a body like CPCB, the gas responsible for ozone depletion, or the year and place of a famous conference. A few well-revised lists of parks, conventions, days and species cover most of what these exams ask.

Which Environment topics should I prepare first for state PSC exams?

Begin with the ecosystem and biodiversity basics, then the protected-area lists: national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, biosphere reserves and Ramsar sites, with special attention to those in your own state. After that cover Indian environmental laws and bodies, international conventions, and pollution types. State PSC papers often add a state-specific layer, such as local sanctuaries, rivers and forest cover, so check the exam's syllabus for that.

How do I remember all the national parks and wildlife sanctuaries?

Do not try to memorise the whole list in one go. Group parks by state, then attach one hook to each: the flagship species, the river that flows through it, or the reason it was in the news. Revise state by state with MCQs, and give more time to states that appear often in papers, such as Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Karnataka and Uttarakhand. Mixed quizzes then show you which hooks are still weak.

Which international environmental conventions are most asked in exams?

The names that repeat most are the Ramsar Convention on wetlands, the Montreal Protocol on ozone-depleting substances, the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement on climate, the Convention on Biological Diversity, CITES on wildlife trade, and the Basel and Stockholm conventions on hazardous waste and pollutants. For each, learn what it covers, the year, the host city and whether India is a party.

Do I need to follow current affairs for Environment and Ecology?

For UPSC and state PSC exams, yes. New Ramsar sites, tiger reserve additions, climate summit outcomes, IUCN status changes and environmental reports are regular question sources. For SSC and Railway exams, current affairs matter less, but a major event such as a new national park or a big climate conference can still appear. Reading the static note first makes the news item easier to place and recall.