Pariksha SaathiGeneral Studies
Environment and Ecology: Practice Questions with Answers
237 practice questions on Environment and Ecology, with answers; most also have an explanation or a worked solution. Try each one before you open its answer.
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Q.51
The Great Indian Bustard, a critically endangered bird, is the state bird of
- A Gujarat
- B Madhya Pradesh
- C Maharashtra
- D Rajasthan
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Rajasthan
The Great Indian Bustard (Godawan) is the state bird of Rajasthan, and its main surviving population lives in the Desert National Park near Jaisalmer. It is listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN.
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Q.52
The Svalbard Global Seed Vault, built inside a mountain to store duplicate seed samples from gene banks around the world, is located in
- A Sweden
- B Norway
- C Iceland
- D Canada
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Norway
The vault opened in 2008 on Spitsbergen island in Norway's Arctic Svalbard archipelago, where the seeds are kept at about −18 °C and the surrounding permafrost would keep them frozen even if the power failed; it is a back-up for the world's crop diversity.
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Q.53
The progressive increase in the concentration of a persistent toxin such as DDT at successive trophic levels of a food chain is called
- A Bioaccumulation
- B Biomagnification
- C Bioremediation
- D Biodegradation
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Biomagnification
Biomagnification means the toxin becomes more concentrated at each higher trophic level, so top predators such as fish-eating birds are worst affected. Bioaccumulation is the build-up within a single organism over time.
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Q.54
Catalytic converters fitted in motor vehicles to reduce the emission of poisonous gases use which metals as catalysts?
- A Iron and nickel
- B Copper and zinc
- C Lead and tin
- D Platinum, palladium and rhodium
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Platinum, palladium and rhodium
In a catalytic converter, platinum-palladium and rhodium convert unburnt hydrocarbons into carbon dioxide and water, and carbon monoxide and nitric oxide into carbon dioxide and nitrogen. Such vehicles must use unleaded petrol because lead inactivates the catalyst.
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Q.55
Consider the following about the 42nd Constitutional Amendment Act, 1976: 1. It added a Directive Principle on protecting and improving the environment. 2. It added Fundamental Duties, including a duty to protect the natural environment. 3. It moved 'Forests' and 'Protection of wild animals and birds' from the State List to the Concurrent List. Which of the above are correct?
- A 1 and 2 only
- B 2 and 3 only
- C 1 and 3 only
- D 1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) 1, 2 and 3
The 42nd Amendment inserted Article 48A, Article 51A (Fundamental Duties) with its clause (g), and entries 17A (Forests) and 17B (Protection of wild animals and birds) in the Concurrent List. This let Parliament legislate on forests, as in the Forest (Conservation) Act 1980.
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Q.56
In the food chain Grass → Grasshopper → Frog → Snake → Hawk, the frog is a
- A Primary consumer
- B Secondary consumer
- C Tertiary consumer
- D Producer
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Secondary consumer
Grass is the producer, the grasshopper (a herbivore) is the primary consumer and the frog that eats it is the secondary consumer. The snake is the tertiary consumer.
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Q.57
Which of the following statements about the National Green Tribunal is NOT correct?
- A It was set up under the National Green Tribunal Act 2010
- B Its principal bench is at New Delhi
- C It applies the polluter pays principle while deciding cases
- D It is bound by the procedure laid down in the Code of Civil Procedure 1908
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) It is bound by the procedure laid down in the Code of Civil Procedure 1908
The NGT Act says the Tribunal is not bound by the Code of Civil Procedure but is guided by the principles of natural justice. It must apply the principles of sustainable development, the precautionary principle and the polluter pays principle.
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Q.58
The contaminated liquid formed when rainwater percolates through waste in a landfill and dissolves harmful substances is called
- A Leachate
- B Sludge
- C Brine
- D Humus
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Leachate
Leachate can carry heavy metals and organic pollutants into groundwater, which is why sanitary landfills are lined at the bottom and their leachate is collected and treated. Open dumps have no such protection.
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Q.59
In the carbon cycle, which of the following processes removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere instead of adding it?
- A Respiration
- B Decomposition of dead organisms
- C Burning of fossil fuels
- D Photosynthesis
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Photosynthesis
Green plants and algae fix atmospheric carbon dioxide into organic compounds during photosynthesis. Respiration, decomposition and combustion all release carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere.
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Q.60
The pyramid of biomass is inverted in which of the following ecosystems?
- A Pond
- B Grassland
- C Forest
- D Desert
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Pond
In a pond or ocean, the phytoplankton (producers) have a small standing biomass but reproduce very fast, so the biomass of zooplankton and fish above them is greater, giving an inverted pyramid.
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Q.61
Arrange the following in chronological order: 1. Montreal Protocol 2. Ramsar Convention 3. Kyoto Protocol 4. Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment
- A 4, 2, 1, 3
- B 2, 1, 4, 3
- C 4, 2, 3, 1
- D 2, 4, 1, 3
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) 2, 4, 1, 3
Ramsar Convention (1971), Stockholm Conference (1972), Montreal Protocol (1987) and Kyoto Protocol (1997). Ramsar and Stockholm are only a year apart, so they are easily swapped.
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Q.62
Project Elephant was launched by the Government of India in
- A 1992
- B 1973
- C 1985
- D 2002
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) 1992
Project Elephant was launched in 1992 to protect elephants, their habitats and migration corridors and to address human-elephant conflict. Project Tiger dates from 1973.
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Q.63
The Montreal Protocol (1987) is an international agreement to phase out
- A Greenhouse gases
- B Persistent organic pollutants
- C Mercury use
- D Ozone-depleting substances such as CFCs
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Ozone-depleting substances such as CFCs
The Montreal Protocol under the Vienna Convention phases out CFCs, halons and other ozone-depleting substances. Greenhouse gases are governed by the Kyoto Protocol and the Paris Agreement under the UNFCCC.
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Q.64
Harike Wetland, a Ramsar site in Punjab, was created by a barrage at the confluence of
- A Ravi and Beas
- B Sutlej and Ghaggar
- C Beas and Sutlej
- D Chenab and Ravi
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Beas and Sutlej
The Harike headworks at the meeting point of the Beas and the Sutlej created this wetland, an important wintering site for migratory waterfowl.
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Q.65
The 1972 United Nations Conference on the Human Environment at Stockholm led to the creation of
- A IUCN
- B UNEP
- C WWF
- D IPCC
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) UNEP
The United Nations Environment Programme was set up in 1972 as an outcome of the landmark Stockholm Conference. IUCN dates from 1948, WWF from 1961 and the IPCC from 1988.
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Q.66
When a population grows with limited resources, as described by the Verhulst-Pearl logistic model, its growth curve is
- A J-shaped
- B A straight line rising steadily
- C U-shaped
- D S-shaped (sigmoid)
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) S-shaped (sigmoid)
In the logistic model growth slows as the population nears the carrying capacity and then levels off, giving an S-shaped (sigmoid) curve. Exponential growth with unlimited resources gives a J-shaped curve.
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Q.67
Biosphere reserves are recognised internationally under which UNESCO programme, launched in 1971?
- A World Heritage Programme
- B Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme
- C International Hydrological Programme
- D Global Environment Facility
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme
UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme (1971) promotes biosphere reserves that combine conservation with sustainable use by local people; several Indian biosphere reserves are part of its World Network.
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Q.68
The Marine National Park near Jamnagar, which protects coral reefs and mangroves, is located in the
- A Gulf of Mannar
- B Gulf of Kutch
- C Gulf of Khambhat
- D Palk Bay
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Gulf of Kutch
The Marine National Park and Sanctuary in the Gulf of Kutch, Gujarat, protects corals, mangroves and seagrass beds; the Gulf of Mannar in Tamil Nadu is another major coral reef area.
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Q.69
The Kyoto Protocol (1997) imposed legally binding emission reduction targets on
- A Developed countries listed in Annex I
- B All countries equally
- C Only developing countries
- D Only oil-producing countries
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Developed countries listed in Annex I
Following the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, Kyoto bound only the industrialised Annex I countries to cut greenhouse gas emissions. India and China had no binding targets under it.
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Q.70
A charismatic species such as the tiger, chosen to attract public support for conservation of an entire habitat, is called a
- A Umbrella species
- B Keystone species
- C Indicator species
- D Flagship species
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Flagship species
A flagship species is a popular ambassador for a conservation cause. An umbrella species is one whose large habitat needs, when protected, automatically cover many other species.
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Q.71
The Pichavaram mangrove forest, located between the estuaries of the Vellar and Coleroon (Kollidam) rivers, is in
- A Tamil Nadu
- B Kerala
- C Andhra Pradesh
- D Odisha
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Tamil Nadu
Pichavaram lies near Chidambaram in Cuddalore district, Tamil Nadu; its maze of mangrove-lined channels is popular for boating.
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Q.72
Which Article of the Constitution of India directs the State to endeavour to protect and improve the environment and to safeguard the forests and wildlife of the country?
- A Article 21
- B Article 47
- C Article 51A(g)
- D Article 48A
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Article 48A
Article 48A is a Directive Principle of State Policy addressed to the State. Article 51A(g) places a similar duty on every citizen as a Fundamental Duty.
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Q.73
Frankia, a nitrogen-fixing actinomycete, produces root nodules on which of the following non-leguminous plants?
- A Wheat
- B Rice
- C Alnus (alder)
- D Mustard
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Alnus (alder)
Frankia lives symbiotically in the root nodules of non-leguminous plants such as Alnus and fixes atmospheric nitrogen, much as Rhizobium does in the root nodules of legumes.
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Q.74
The only natural habitat of the Asiatic lion in the world is
- A Gir forest, Gujarat
- B Ranthambore, Rajasthan
- C Bandipur, Karnataka
- D Kanha, Madhya Pradesh
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Gir forest, Gujarat
The Asiatic lion survives in the wild only in the Gir National Park and Sanctuary of Saurashtra, Gujarat. Ranthambore, Bandipur and Kanha are tiger reserves.
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Q.75
Which biogeochemical cycle has no significant gaseous (atmospheric) phase and is therefore called a sedimentary cycle?
- A Carbon cycle
- B Nitrogen cycle
- C Water cycle
- D Phosphorus cycle
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Phosphorus cycle
The reservoir of phosphorus is rock, and it moves through weathering, plants, animals and sediments without a gaseous stage. Carbon, nitrogen and water all have important atmospheric phases.
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Q.76
In the IUCN system of protected area management categories, Category II corresponds to a
- A National park
- B Strict nature reserve
- C Natural monument or feature
- D Protected landscape or seascape
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) National park
The IUCN categories are Ia strict nature reserve, Ib wilderness area, II national park, III natural monument or feature, IV habitat/species management area, V protected landscape/seascape and VI protected area with sustainable use of natural resources.
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Q.77
World Wetlands Day, observed on 2 February every year, marks the anniversary of the adoption in 1971 of the
- A CITES
- B Bonn Convention
- C Ramsar Convention
- D Convention on Biological Diversity
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Ramsar Convention
The Convention on Wetlands was adopted at Ramsar, Iran, on 2 February 1971, and World Wetlands Day marks that date. CITES (1973) deals with wildlife trade and the Bonn Convention (1979) with migratory species.
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Q.78
Which of the following is NOT one of the three market-based flexibility mechanisms of the Kyoto Protocol?
- A Clean Development Mechanism
- B Joint Implementation
- C Global Environment Facility
- D International Emissions Trading
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Global Environment Facility
Kyoto's flexibility mechanisms are the Clean Development Mechanism, Joint Implementation and International Emissions Trading. The Global Environment Facility, set up in 1991, is a funding body that serves several environmental conventions.
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Q.79
The Kigali Amendment (2016) to the Montreal Protocol provides for the phase-down of
- A Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
- B Halons
- C Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)
- D Carbon tetrachloride
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs)
HFCs replaced CFCs in refrigeration but are powerful greenhouse gases. The Kigali Amendment, agreed in Rwanda in 2016, brings their phase-down under the Montreal Protocol, linking ozone and climate action.
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Q.80
Consider the following statements: 1. BOD is the amount of oxygen used by microorganisms to decompose the biodegradable organic matter in water. 2. COD measures the oxygen needed to chemically oxidise both biodegradable and non-biodegradable matter, so COD is generally higher than BOD. 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
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Both 1 and 2
BOD counts only the oxygen consumed by microbes, while COD uses a strong chemical oxidant and so also oxidises matter that microbes cannot break down. That is why the COD of a sample is generally higher than its BOD.
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Q.81
The koel (Asian cuckoo) lays its eggs in the nest of a crow, which then incubates them and raises the chicks. This is an example of
- A Commensalism
- B Brood parasitism
- C Mutualism
- D Competition
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Brood parasitism
In brood parasitism the parasitic bird lays its eggs in a host's nest and lets the host raise its young. The parasite's eggs have evolved to resemble the host's eggs in size and colour, reducing the chance of rejection.
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Q.82
Which of the following local names of sacred groves is correctly matched with its state?
- A Orans – Kerala
- B Devrai – Odisha
- C Law Kyntang – Meghalaya
- D Kavu – Rajasthan
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Law Kyntang – Meghalaya
Sacred groves are forest patches protected by communities for religious reasons. They are called Law Kyntang in Meghalaya, Orans in Rajasthan, Devrai in Maharashtra and Kavu in Kerala.
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Q.83
Minamata disease, first reported in Japan in the 1950s, is caused by poisoning with
- A Cadmium
- B Mercury
- C Lead
- D Arsenic
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Mercury
Methyl mercury discharged into Minamata Bay accumulated in fish and caused severe nerve damage in people who ate them. Cadmium causes itai-itai disease, another Japanese pollution disease.
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Q.84
Variation in the potency and concentration of the chemical reserpine produced by the medicinal plant Rauwolfia vomitoria growing in different Himalayan ranges is an example of
- A Species diversity
- B Ecological diversity
- C Beta diversity
- D Genetic diversity
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Genetic diversity
Genetic diversity is variation within a single species. NCERT also cites India's more than 50,000 genetically different strains of rice and 1,000 varieties of mango as examples.
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Q.85
Which of the following is an example of ex-situ conservation?
- A National park
- B Biosphere reserve
- C Seed bank
- D Wildlife sanctuary
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Seed bank
Ex-situ conservation protects species outside their natural habitat, as in seed banks, gene banks, zoos and botanical gardens. National parks, sanctuaries and biosphere reserves are in-situ methods.
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Q.86
The vast belt of coniferous forest across northern North America, Europe and Asia, dominated by spruce, fir and pine, is called the
- A Tundra
- B Savanna
- C Steppe
- D Taiga
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Taiga
The taiga, or boreal forest, lies just south of the tundra and is dominated by evergreen conifers adapted to long, cold winters. The tundra is treeless, while the savanna and steppe are grasslands.
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Q.87
In 2019, India hosted at Greater Noida the 14th Conference of the Parties (COP-14) of which convention?
- A UNFCCC
- B UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)
- C Convention on Biological Diversity
- D Ramsar Convention
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD)
India hosted COP-14 of the UNCCD in September 2019; the convention, adopted in 1994, deals with desertification, land degradation and drought. India had earlier hosted COP-8 of the UNFCCC (New Delhi, 2002) and COP-11 of the CBD (Hyderabad, 2012).
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Q.88
The Wild Ass Sanctuary, the last refuge of the Indian wild ass (ghudkhur), is located in the
- A Desert National Park, Rajasthan
- B Little Rann of Kutch, Gujarat
- C Velavadar, Gujarat
- D Tal Chhapar, Rajasthan
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Little Rann of Kutch, Gujarat
The Indian wild ass survives in the saline desert of the Little Rann of Kutch and adjoining areas. Velavadar and Tal Chhapar are known for the blackbuck, and the Desert National Park for the Great Indian Bustard.
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Q.89
The total amount of ozone in a column of the atmosphere, often described as the thickness of the ozone layer, is measured in
- A Nanometres
- B Hectopascals
- C Decibels
- D Dobson units
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Dobson units
The Dobson unit (DU) expresses the total ozone in a column of air above a place. Values below about 220 DU are used to mark the Antarctic ozone hole.
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Q.90
Which device, whose high-voltage electrode wires give dust particles an electric charge so that they collect on earthed plates, is used to remove particulate matter from the exhaust of thermal power plants?
- A Catalytic converter
- B Cooling tower
- C Electrostatic precipitator
- D Venturi meter
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Electrostatic precipitator
An electrostatic precipitator charges dust particles with electrons from wires kept at several thousand volts, and the earthed collecting plates attract them; it can remove over 99 percent of particulate matter. A catalytic converter treats the gases in vehicle exhaust, not dust.
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Q.91
In ecological succession on a bare rock, the pioneer organisms are usually
- A Mosses
- B Lichens
- C Grasses
- D Shrubs
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Lichens
Lichens can grow on bare rock, secrete acids that weather it and build the first thin soil. Mosses, grasses and shrubs come later in the sere, and a forest is usually the climax community.
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Q.92
Arrange the following Indian laws in the order in which they were enacted: 1. Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 2. Forest (Conservation) Act 3. Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 4. Wildlife (Protection) Act
- A 3, 4, 1, 2
- B 4, 3, 2, 1
- C 4, 3, 1, 2
- D 3, 4, 2, 1
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) 4, 3, 2, 1
Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972, Water Act 1974, Forest (Conservation) Act 1980 and Air Act 1981. A 2023 amendment renamed the Forest Act as the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980.
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Q.93
Which of the following is NOT one of the four major causes of biodiversity loss described as the 'Evil Quartet'?
- A Habitat loss and fragmentation
- B Over-exploitation
- C Alien species invasions
- D Ecological succession
Show answer
Correct answer: (D) Ecological succession
The Evil Quartet is habitat loss and fragmentation, over-exploitation, alien species invasions and co-extinctions. Ecological succession is a natural sequence of community change, not a cause of biodiversity loss.
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Q.94
Green hydrogen is hydrogen produced by
- A Steam reforming of natural gas
- B Coal gasification
- C Electrolysis of water using renewable electricity
- D Burning biomass
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Electrolysis of water using renewable electricity
Green hydrogen is made by splitting water with electricity from solar or wind power, giving zero carbon emissions. Grey hydrogen comes from natural gas, brown or black from coal, and blue is grey hydrogen with carbon capture.
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Q.95
The Kyoto Protocol, adopted in 1997, entered into force in
- A 1999
- B 2002
- C 2005
- D 2008
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) 2005
The Protocol came into force on 16 February 2005, after enough industrialised countries, including Russia, had ratified it. Its first commitment period ran from 2008 to 2012.
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Q.96
Succession that starts in water, as in a newly formed pond, and progresses from wet towards mesic (moderately moist) conditions is called
- A Hydrarch succession
- B Xerarch succession
- C Lithosere
- D Psammosere
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Hydrarch succession
Hydrarch succession (hydrosere) begins in water and moves towards mesic conditions; xerarch succession begins in dry areas such as bare rock (lithosere) or sand (psammosere) and also ends in mesic conditions.
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Q.97
Keibul Lamjao National Park, which floats on the phumdis (floating mats of vegetation) of Loktak Lake in Manipur, is the natural home of the
- A Musk deer
- B Chinkara
- C Sangai (brow-antlered deer)
- D Mouse deer
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) Sangai (brow-antlered deer)
The sangai, the state animal of Manipur, survives in the wild only in Keibul Lamjao, and the floating phumdis are essential to its habitat.
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Q.98
Project Snow Leopard, for the conservation of the snow leopard and its high-altitude habitat in the Himalayan states and union territories, was launched in
- A 1995
- B 2002
- C 2009
- D 2014
Show answer
Correct answer: (C) 2009
Project Snow Leopard was launched in 2009 with a landscape-based approach that involves local communities; Hemis National Park in Ladakh is well known for its snow leopards.
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Q.99
Which region of India has the highest estimated potential for tidal energy?
- A Gulf of Kutch and Gulf of Khambhat
- B Chilika Lake
- C Palk Strait
- D Vembanad backwaters
Show answer
Correct answer: (A) Gulf of Kutch and Gulf of Khambhat
The Gulf of Khambhat and the Gulf of Kutch in Gujarat have a high tidal range, which is essential for tidal power. The Sundarbans delta in West Bengal is the other identified site.
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Q.100
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) was constituted in 1974 under the
- A Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act
- B Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act
- C Environment (Protection) Act
- D Wildlife (Protection) Act
Show answer
Correct answer: (B) Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act
The Water Act 1974 created the Central and State Pollution Control Boards. The Air Act 1981 later gave these same boards powers over air pollution, which is why students often confuse the two.
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How these questions were made
Authored by an AI assistant (Claude) from its own general knowledge of stable, well-established facts (no live lookup) - not reviewed by a subject-matter expert; verify against an official source before relying on any fact.