Environment and Ecology: UPSC Previous Year Questions (Prelims)

Explanation

With excessive use of nitrogenous fertilizers in agriculture, the necessity for nitrogen-fixing bacteria decreases as soil nitrogen levels increase. The soil becomes more acidic and nitrate leaches into the groundwater when nitrogenous fertilisers are used excessively or inappropriately. Fertilizers in agriculture increase inputs of nutrients to soils affecting their pH value.

Statement 1 is incorrect: Nitrogen-fixing microorganisms, such as Rhizobium (in leguminous plants), Azotobacter, and Cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) fix atmospheric nitrogen into the soil. But excessive nitrogen fertilizers reduce biological nitrogen fixation because plants get sufficient nitrogen from fertilizers and do not depend on these microbes. Thus instead of increasing, nitrogen-fixing bacteria decrease in population due to reduced plant-microbe symbiosis.

Statement 2 and 3 are correct: The conversion of Nitrogen from one form to the other involves the generation or consumption of acidity and the uptake of urea, ammonium or nitrate by plants will also affect the acidity of the soil. Due to the leaching process, these substances accumulate underground.

Explanation

As a protocol to the Vienna Convention (first inter-national agreement to protect the ozone layer,) Montreal Protocol deals with the substances that deplete the Ozone Layer (ozone-depleting substance-ODS). The Montreal Protocol phases down the consumption and production of the different ODS in a step-wise manner, with different timetables for developed and developing countries (referred to as "Article 5 countries"). The Montreal Protocol is an international treaty de-signed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production and consumption of numerous substances responsible for ozone depletion. Finalized in 1987, it has been hailed as one of the most successful environmental agreements, achieving universal ratification and significantly reducing the presence of ozone-deplet-ing substances (ODS) in the atmosphere.

Explanation

Rio+20 is the short name for the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development which took place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in June 2012 i.e. twenty years after the land-mark 1992 Earth Summit in Rio. At the Rio+20 Conference, world leaders, along with thousands of participants from the private sector, NGOs and other groups, came together to shape how we can reduce poverty, advance social equity and ensure environmental protection on an ever more crowded planet. In Rio, Member States agreed to initiate a process to create a set of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that would build on the Millennium Development Goals and align with the post-2015 development agenda. The conference also endorsed pioneering guidelines for green economy policies. Additionally, governments decided to establish an intergovernmental process under the General Assembly to explore strategies for financing sustainable development.

Explanation

The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee was constituted under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. The Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) functions under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC). It is responsible for the appraisal of activities involving large-scale use of hazardous microorganisms and recombinants in research and industrial production from the environmental angle. The committee is also responsible for the appraisal of proposals relating to the release of genetically engineered (GE) organisms and products into the environment including experimental field trials. The committee oversees the use, import, and export of genetically modified organisms and crops, ensuring they comply with environmental safety standards.

Explanation

BirdLife International is a global partnership of conservation organizations dedicated to the protection of birds, their habitats, and global biodiversity. Established in 1922 as the International Council for Bird Preservation, it has evolved into a worldwide network operating in over 100 countries.

Statement 1 is correct: BirdLife International functions as a global alliance of non-governmental organizations focused on bird conservation. Each partner represents a specific coun-try or territory, working collaboratively to achieve shared conservation goals.

Statement 2 is incorrect: The term "biodiversity hotspots" was introduced by British ecologist Norman Myers in 1988 to identify regions with significant levels of biodiversity under threat from human activities. This concept was later adopted and promoted by organizations such as Conservation International. It did not originate from BirdLife International.

Statement 3 is correct: BirdLife International is responsible for identifying and documenting Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs). These sites are recognized for their critical importance to bird conservation and biodiversity. To date, over 13,000 IBAs have been identified worldwide, serving as a foundation for conservation planning and action.

Explanation

Statement 1 is incorrect: IUCN is an NGO, founded in October 1948 as the International Union for the Protection of Nature (or IUPN) following an international conference in Fon-tainebleau, France. Later the name was changed to International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). CITES is an international agreement between governments, aiming to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival. The CITES Secretariat is administered by UNEP and is located at Geneva, Switzerland.

Statement 2 is correct: IUCN supports scientific research, manages field projects globally and brings governments, non-government organisations, United Nations agencies, companies and local communities together to develop and implement policy.

Statement 3 is correct: CITES is legally binding on its Parties but it does not replace national legislation. It provides a framework that each Party must implement through its own domestic laws to ensure the Convention’s provisions are enforced at the national level.

Explanation

As the world’s largest climate fund, GCF accelerates transformative climate action in developing countries through a country-owned partnership approach and use of flexible financing solutions and climate investment expertise.

Statement 1 is correct: Green Climate Fund aims to make an ambitious contribution to attaining the mitigation and adaptation goals of the international community to counter climate change. The Fund allocates its resources to low-emission and climate-resilient projects and programmes in developing countries.

Statement 2 is incorrect: The GCF was established in 2010 by 194 countries party to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) as an operating entity of the Convention’s financial mechanism. It is not founded under the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), the Asian Development Bank (ADB), or the World Bank.

Explanation

Keibul Lamjao National Park in the Bishnupur district of the Indian state of Manipur is the only floating park in existence and is a crucial component of Loktak Lake, which lies in North East India. Locally known as "Phumdi," the national park is distinguished by floating decaying plant matter. It was established in 1966 as a wildlife sanctuary to protect the Eld’s deer’s natural habitat, which is in risk of extinction (Cervus eldi eldi). It was declared a national park in 1977. The park is unique in that it is "too shallow to be a lake, too deep to be marsh." The park offers a diverse array of aquatic, wetland, and terrestrial ecosystems and is mostly made up of damp, semi-evergreen forests. Fauna found in the park include the brow-antlered deer (Cervus eldi eldi), which is its emblematic species, as well as the Asian Golden Cat, Marbled Cat, Malayan Bear, Hog Deer, Himalayan Black Bear, and others.

Explanation

The Namdapha National Park is located at the inter-national border between India and Myanmar (Burma) in Changlang District, Arunachal Pradesh in northeast India. It is known for its unique climate that ranges from tropical to subtropical, temperate, and arctic due to its vast altitude variation. Spanning from 200 meters to 4,500 meters above sea level, the park encompasses a wide range of ecosystems. The lower altitudes experience tropical and subtropical climates with rich biodiversity, including dense forests and diverse wildlife. As you move higher, the climate shifts to temperate, and eventually, at the highest elevations, it reaches an arctic-like climate, hosting snow-covered peaks. This diversity in climate allows the park to support an incredible variety of flora and fauna, including species like the snow leopard, clouded leopard, and tiger.

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct: Dugongs, or "sea cows," are marine mammals that graze on seagrasses in shallow coastal waters of the Indian and western Pacific Oceans. As the only herbivorous mammal living exclusively in the sea, including in India, dugongs are crucial for maintaining healthy seagrass ecosystems, which support marine biodiversity.

Statement 2 is incorrect: The dugong is not found along the entire coast of India. It is mainly found in the Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay (Tamil Nadu and Kerala) and in the waters of Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The species has a restricted distribution and is not widespread along India’s entire coastline..

Statement 3 is correct: The dugong is listed under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, which provides it with the highest level of protection in India. As a protected species, hunting, poaching, or harm to the dugong is illegal.