Environment & Ecology – UPSC Prelims PYQs

King Cobra is the only snake that makes its own nest. Why does it make its nest?

As a result of their annual survey, the National Geographic Society and an international polling firm GlobeScan gave India top rank in Greendex 2009 score. What is this score?

Consider the following statements:

1. The Taxus tree naturally found in the Himalayas.
2. The Taxus tree is listed in the Red Data Book.
3. A drug called “taxol” is obtained from Taxus tree is effective against Parkinson’s disease.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

What are the possible limitations of India in mitigating the global warming at present and in the immediate future ?

1. Appropriate alternate technologies are not sufficiently available.
2. India cannot invest huge funds in research and development.
3. Many developed countries have already set up their polluting industries in India.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

Consider the following which can be found in the ambient atmosphere :

1. Soot
2. Sulphur hexafluoride
3. Water vapour

Which of the above contribute to the warming up of the atmosphere ?

In India,

which one of the following States has the largest inland saline wetland?

Which one of the following Union Ministries implements the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety ?

Where is the headquarters of Animal Welfare Board of India located ?

In the context of CO₂ emission and Global Warming, what is the name of a market-driven device under the UNFCCC that allows developing countries to get funds/incentives from the developed countries to adopt better technologies that reduce greenhouse gas emissions ?

The concept of carbon credit originated from which one of the following ?

The marine animal called dugong which is vulnerable to extinction is a/an

Consider the following names :

1. Ike
2. Kate
3. Gustav

Which of the above are the names of hurricanes that had occurred very recently ?

In the context of alternative sources of energy, ethanol as a viable bio-fuel can be obtained from

Consider the following regions:

1. Eastern Himalayas
2. Eastern Mediterranean region
3. North-western Australia

Which of the above is/are Biodiversity Hotspot(s)?

The Panda belongs to the same family as that of

Which one of the following Union Ministries is implementing the Biodiesel Mission (as Nodal Ministry)?

Consider the following:

1. Rice fields
2. Coal mining
3. Domestic animals
4. Wetlands

Which of the above are sources of methane, a major greenhouse gas?

Consider the following statements:

1. Salt-water crocodile is found in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
2. Shrew and tapir are found in the Western Ghats of the Malabar region.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

For which one of the following snakes is the diet mainly composed of other snakes?

Out of all the Biosphere Reserves in India, four have been recognized on the World Network by UNESCO.

Which one of the following is not one of them?

Where was the World Summit on Sustainable Development (Rio + 10) held?

Consider the following statements:

1. Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) in respect of carbon credits is one of the Kyoto Protocol Mechanisms.
2. Under the CDM, the projects handled pertain only to the Annex-I countries.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

The release

of which one of the following into ponds and wells helps in controlling the mosquitoes?

Which one among the following has the maximum number of National Parks?

Among the following, which one is not an ape?

Wangari Maathai, the Nobel Prize winner from Kenya, is known for her contribution to which one of the following?

Which one of the following is also known as Top Slip?

Which of the following is located in the Bastar region?

The largest coral reef in the world is found near the coast of which one of the following countries?

Dalbergia species is associated with which one of the following?

Consider the following statements :

1. In India, Red Panda is naturally found in the western Himalaya only.
2. In India, Slow Loris lives in the dense forests of the North-East.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Which one of the following countries is the first country in the world to propose a carbon tax for its people to address global warming?

Where is Bundala Biosphere Reserve which has been recently added to the UNESCO’s Man and Biosphere (MAB) network, located?

Consider the following statements :

1. Kyoto Protocol came into force in the year 2005
2. Kyoto Protocol deals primarily with the depletion of the Ozone layer.
3. Methane as a greenhouse gas is more harmful than carbon dioxide

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Match List-I with List-II and select the correct answer using the codes given below the lists:

1. Orissa
2. Assam
3. Chhattisgarh
4. Goa
5. Tripura

List I (National Park/Wild-life Sanctuary) (A) Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary (B) Kangerghat National Park (C) Orang Sanctuary (D) Ushakothi Wildlife Sanctuary

List II (State)

Which one of the following is not a Biosphere Reserve?

Virtual water trade is being looked at by experts as a solution to the world’s water crisis. What does virtual water (VW) imply?

Consider the following statements:

1. Silent Valley National Park is in the Nallamalai range.
2. Pathrakkadavu Hydroelectric Project is proposed to be built near the Silent Valley National Park.
3. The Kunthi river originates in Silent Valley’s rainforests.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Which one of the following statements is correct?

Consider the following statements:

1. The forest cover in India constitutes around 20 % of its geographical area. Out of the total forest cover, dense forest constitutes around 40 %.
2. The National Forestry Action Programme aims at bringing one-third of the area of India under tree/forest cover.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Consider the following statements:

1. Toothless mammals such as pangolins are not found in India.
2. Gibbon is the only ape found in India.

Which of these statements given above is/are correct?

Tarun Bharat Sangh, an organization based in a village near Alwar (Rajasthan) has become famous because of

Match List I (National Park/Sanctuary) with List II (State) and select the correct answer using the codes given below:

1. Chhattisgarh
2. Haryana
3. Himachal Pradesh
4. Karnataka

List I (A) Kanger Ghati National Park (B) Nagerhole National Park (C) Kugti Wildlife Sanctuary (D) Sultanpur Bird Sanctuary

List II

Codes: ABCD

Match List I (Biosphere Reserve) with List II (States) and select the correct answer using the codes given below:

1. Sikkim
2. Uttaranchal
3. Arunachal Pradesh
4. Orissa
5. Meghalaya

List I (A) Simlipal (B) Dehong Deband (C) Nokrek (D) Kanchenjunga

List II

Codes:

Amongst the following Indian States which one has the minimum total forest cover?

The Genetic Engineering Approval Committee, whose permission is required for cultivation of any genetically modified crop such as Bt-Cotton in India, is under the Union Minister of

Consider the following animals of India:

1. Crocodile
2. Elephant

Which of these is/are endangered species?

Consider the following statements:

1. The common blue green algae Spirogyra and Ulothrix are found in both fresh water ponds and oceans.
2. The chameleon can look ahead with one eye, and at the same time look behind with another.

Which of these statements is/are correct?

Assertion (A): Coal-based thermal power stations contribute to acid rain.

Reason (R): Oxides of carbon are emitted when the coal burns.

Assertion (A): Unlike temperate forests, the tropical rain forests, if cleared, can yield productive farm-land that can support intensive agriculture for several years even without chemical fertilizers.

Reason (R): The primary productivity of the tropical rain forest is very high when compared to that of the temperate forests.