Q91. Botanical gardens play a significant role in conservation by:
Biodiversity, Conservation and Sustainable Development: RAS Prelims MCQs
179 RAS Prelims MCQs on biodiversity, conservation of natural resources and sustainable development cover the levels of biodiversity, hotspots, conservation bodies, wildlife law and climate instruments. Alpha diversity, Norman Myers, the IUCN Red List, the Wildlife Amendment Act 2022, the CBD protocols and carbon market ideas like cap and trade and additionality are asked as facts and statements.
Practice questions based on the RPSC RAS Prelims syllabus. They follow the exam pattern but are not past-paper questions.
Showing 91–100 of 179 questions
Q92. Severe and irreversible fragmentation of a species’ natural habitat often leads conservationists to:
Explanation
When a species’ natural habitat becomes severely and irreversibly fragmented, in-situ conservation may no longer be sufficient to ensure its survival. In such extreme cases, conservationists must implement ex-situ measures, such as captive breeding programs in zoos or specialized centers. These efforts aim to stabilize the population and preserve the species’ genetic lineage until potential reintroduction into the wild becomes feasible.
Q93. Find the odd one out in the context of in-situ conservation.
Explanation
Wildlife sanctuaries, national parks, and marine protected areas are all forms of in-situ conservation, as they involve protecting species within their natural ecosystems. A zoological garden, however, is an ex-situ conservation method where animals are kept and managed in human-made enclosures outside their original habitats. This fundamental difference in the location of the conservation effort makes it the odd one out.
Q94. The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) was opened for signature at which major global event?
Explanation
The Convention on Biological Diversity was one of the key international treaties opened for signature during the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, popularly known as the Earth Summit. Held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, this landmark event brought global attention to the urgent need for biodiversity conservation and established the first comprehensive international framework for protecting nature.
Q95. The Cartagena Protocol, adopted under the CBD, primarily deals with:
Explanation
Adopted in 2000 as a supplement to the CBD, the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety focuses on protecting biological diversity from the potential risks posed by living modified organisms resulting from modern biotechnology. It establishes procedures for the safe handling, transport, and use of LMOs, particularly focusing on their transboundary movement to ensure that environmental and human health are not compromised.
Q96. Which of the following statements about the Aichi Biodiversity Targets is correct?
Explanation
The Aichi Biodiversity Targets were a series of twenty ambitious, time-bound goals adopted in Nagoya, Japan, in 2010. Part of the Strategic Plan for Biodiversity, these targets were intended to be achieved by 2020 to halt the global loss of biodiversity. They covered a wide range of issues, from addressing the causes of loss to improving the status of ecosystems globally.
Q97. Read the following statements and select the correct option:
Statement I: India enacted the Biological Diversity Act in 2002.
Statement II: The Biological Diversity Act, 2002 was enacted to fulfill India’s obligations under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
Statement I: India enacted the Biological Diversity Act in 2002.
Statement II: The Biological Diversity Act, 2002 was enacted to fulfill India’s obligations under the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD).
Explanation
India enacted the Biological Diversity Act in 2002 to create a legal framework for managing its rich biological resources. This legislation was specifically designed to fulfill India’s international obligations as a signatory to the Convention on Biological Diversity. Both statements accurately reflect the timing of the Act and its fundamental purpose in aligning national law with global biodiversity conservation standards.
Q98. Identify the incorrect statement regarding the implementation of the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 in India.
Explanation
The Biological Diversity Act established a decentralized three-tier structure consisting of the National Biodiversity Authority, State Biodiversity Boards, and local Biodiversity Management Committees. A key provision of the Act is the regulation of access to biological resources. The claim that foreign individuals can access these resources freely is incorrect, as the law mandates strict prior approval from the NBA for such activities.
Q99. All of the following are protocols/frameworks directly associated with the Convention on Biological Diversity, EXCEPT:
Explanation
The Cartagena Protocol, the Nagoya Protocol and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework are linked with the Convention on Biological Diversity. The Kyoto Protocol belongs to the climate convention, so it is the exception.
Q100. The following question consists of two statements, Assertion (A) and Reason (R). Select the correct answer from the options given below:
Assertion (A): The CBD recognizes that States have sovereign rights over their own biological resources.
Reason (R): Prior to the CBD, genetic resources were widely considered as the "common heritage of mankind," leading to their unregulated exploitation by foreign entities.
Assertion (A): The CBD recognizes that States have sovereign rights over their own biological resources.
Reason (R): Prior to the CBD, genetic resources were widely considered as the "common heritage of mankind," leading to their unregulated exploitation by foreign entities.
Explanation
Before the CBD, genetic resources were often exploited by foreign entities as the "common heritage of mankind" without compensating the source nations. The CBD shifted this paradigm by explicitly recognizing the sovereign rights of States over their own biological resources. This change was essential to empower nations to regulate access and ensure they receive a fair share of benefits from utilization.Answer key for these questions
| Q | Correct answer |
|---|---|
| 91 | (a) Acting as ex-situ conservation centers for rare and threatened plant species. |
| 92 | (c) Start ex-situ measures like captive breeding to prevent imminent extinction. |
| 93 | (d) Zoological Garden |
| 94 | (c) The Earth Summit (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro, 1992 |
| 95 | (d) Safe handling, transport, and use of Living Modified Organisms (LMOs). |
| 96 | (a) A set of 20 time-bound targets from 2010 to halt biodiversity loss by 2020. |
| 97 | (c) Both Statement I and Statement II are correct. |
| 98 | (a) It allows foreign individuals to access India’s biological resources freely without any prior approval. |
| 99 | (d) Kyoto Protocol |
| 100 | (a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A. |
Key facts from Biodiversity, Conservation and Sustainable Development
- Genetic diversity is the variation of genes and alleles within a species; alpha diversity is the diversity of species within a habitat.
- Norman Myers proposed the concept of biodiversity hotspots; the Nicobar Islands are part of the Sundaland hotspot.
- The IUCN maintains the Red List of Threatened Species; the Amazon rainforest is called the lungs of the planet.
- The Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act 2022 removed the vermin schedule; the Centre can declare vermin by notification.
- The Cartagena Protocol, Nagoya Protocol and Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework belong to the CBD; the Kyoto Protocol does not.
- Cap and trade sets an emission limit and allows trade of surplus allowances; one carbon credit equals one tonne of CO₂; additionality means reductions must be real.
Frequently asked questions
How many RAS Prelims practice MCQs are there on Biodiversity, Conservation and Sustainable Development?
This page has 179 practice MCQs on Biodiversity, Conservation and Sustainable Development (Health, Environment and Agriculture). Each has the correct answer, and most have an explanation.
Who proposed the concept of biodiversity hotspots?
The ecologist Norman Myers. A hotspot is a region with a very high number of endemic species that has lost most of its original habitat, such as the Western Ghats and Sundaland.
What is cap and trade?
A mechanism that sets a limit (cap) on total emissions and issues allowances to firms. Firms that emit less than their allowance can sell the surplus to others, which gives a market price to carbon.
What does additionality mean in carbon offsets?
That the emission reductions must be real and would not have happened without the revenue from carbon credits. A project that would have gone ahead anyway does not earn credits.