Environment 2014 MCQs

It is an initiative of UNEP and UNESCO.

• This statement is incorrect. Earth Hour is an initiative organized by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), not the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) or the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

It is a movement in which the participants switch off the lights for one hour on a certain day every year.

• This statement is correct. Earth Hour is an annual global event where people are encouraged to switch off non-essential lights for one hour on a specific day, usually the last Saturday of March, from 8:30 pm to 9:30 pm local time.

It is a movement to raise awareness about climate change and the need to save the planet.

• This statement is correct. The primary goal of Earth Hour is to raise awareness about the impact of human activities on the environment, particularly climate change, and to encourage people to take action towards a more sustainable future for the planet.

Earth Hour began in Sydney, Australia, in 2007 as a symbolic lights-off event. Since then, it has grown into a global movement with millions of participants across more than 180 countries and territories.

The event aims to inspire individuals, communities, and businesses to take tangible steps to reduce their environmental impact and support conservation efforts.

The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA):

• This treaty, also known as the International Seed Treaty, aims to guarantee food security through the conservation, exchange, and sustainable use of the world's plant genetic resources for food and agriculture.
• It promotes the conservation of plant genetic diversity, which is crucial for maintaining biodiversity in agricultural systems and ensuring the availability of diverse crop varieties for future generations.

The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD):

• The UNCCD focuses on combating desertification and land degradation in arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid areas, known as drylands.
• Drylands are home to a significant portion of the world's biodiversity, including unique plant and animal species adapted to harsh conditions.
• By addressing land degradation and promoting sustainable land management practices, the UNCCD contributes to the conservation of dryland biodiversity and the maintenance of ecosystem services.

The World Heritage Convention (WHC):

• The WHC, adopted by UNESCO, aims to identify, protect, and preserve cultural and natural heritage sites of outstanding universal value.
• Many World Heritage Sites are designated for their exceptional biodiversity, such as the Great Barrier Reef, the Amazon Rainforest, and the Galapagos Islands.
• By safeguarding these sites, the WHC plays a crucial role in conserving biodiversity and maintaining the integrity of ecosystems of global significance.

All three international agreements - the International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification, and the World Heritage Convention - have a direct bearing on biodiversity conservation. They address different aspects of biodiversity, from agricultural plant genetic resources to dryland ecosystems and sites of outstanding natural heritage, contributing to the protection and sustainable use of the world's biodiversity.

Animal Welfare Board of India is established under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.

• This statement is incorrect. The Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) was established in 1962 under Section 4 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, not under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
• The AWBI is a statutory advisory body that promotes animal welfare and works to prevent animal cruelty.

National Tiger Conservation Authority is a statutory body.

• This statement is correct. The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) was established in 2005 under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, making it a statutory body.
• The NTCA is responsible for the conservation, protection, and management of tigers and their habitats in India.

National Ganga River Basin Authority is chaired by the Prime Minister.

• This statement is correct. The National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) was established in 2009 and is chaired by the Prime Minister of India.
• The NGRBA is a planning, financing, monitoring, and coordinating authority for the conservation and improvement of the Ganga River Basin.

The National Tiger Conservation Authority is a statutory body, and the National Ganga River Basin Authority is chaired by the Prime Minister, but the Animal Welfare Board of India was established under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, not the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.

Eco-Sensitive Zones are the areas that are declared under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.

• This statement is incorrect. Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs) are not declared under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
• Instead, they are notified by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
• ESZs are declared around protected areas, such as national parks and wildlife sanctuaries, to create a buffer zone and regulate human activities in the vicinity of these protected areas.

The purpose of the declaration of Eco-Sensitive Zones is to prohibit all kinds of human activities in those zones except agriculture.

• This statement is also incorrect. The purpose of declaring Eco-Sensitive Zones is not to prohibit all human activities except agriculture.
• Instead, ESZs aim to regulate and manage human activities in the areas surrounding protected areas to minimize the negative impact on the environment and wildlife.
• The activities allowed in ESZs are regulated based on their potential impact on the ecosystem, and they may include sustainable land use practices, eco-tourism, and limited developmental activities that are compatible with conservation objectives.

A food chain is a linear sequence that shows how energy and nutrients move through an ecosystem. It starts with primary producers (usually plants or algae) and ends with top predators. Each level in the food chain is known as a trophic level.

Diatoms:

• Diatoms are a type of phytoplankton, which are microscopic algae found in aquatic environments.
• They are primary producers, meaning they can produce their own food through photosynthesis using sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water.
• Diatoms form the base of many aquatic food chains and are essential for the survival of other organisms higher up in the food chain.

Crustaceans:

• Crustaceans are a diverse group of animals that include crabs, shrimp, krill, and copepods.
• In this context, the crustaceans mentioned are likely small planktonic crustaceans such as krill or copepods.
• These crustaceans are primary consumers, feeding directly on the diatoms and other phytoplankton.
• By consuming the primary producers, crustaceans transfer the energy from the diatoms to the next level of the food chain.

Herrings:

• Herrings are small, silvery fish found in marine environments.
• In this food chain, herrings act as secondary consumers, preying on the crustaceans.
• By eating the crustaceans, herrings indirectly consume the energy originally produced by the diatoms.

The flow of energy in this food chain can be represented as follows: Diatoms (primary producers) → Crustaceans (primary consumers) → Herrings (secondary consumers)

Energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next, with some energy lost at each step due to metabolic processes, heat loss, and incomplete consumption. Typically, only about 10% of the energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next.

Vegetative propagation produces clonal population.

• This statement is correct. Vegetative propagation is an asexual method of plant reproduction that involves creating new plants from the vegetative parts of a parent plant, such as stems, roots, or leaves.
• Since the new plants are genetically identical to the parent plant, they form a clonal population.

Vegetative propagation helps in eliminating the virus.

• This statement is incorrect. Vegetative propagation does not eliminate viruses from infected plants.
• In fact, if the parent plant is infected with a virus, the new plants produced through vegetative propagation will also be infected, as they are genetically identical to the parent. To eliminate viruses, other techniques like meristem culture or heat therapy are used.

Vegetative propagation can be practiced most of the year.

• This statement is correct. Unlike sexual reproduction, which is often seasonal and depends on factors such as pollination and seed germination, vegetative propagation can be carried out throughout the year, provided the environmental conditions are suitable for plant growth. This allows for a more consistent and continuous production of new plants.