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Environment and Ecology – UPSC GS3

This module of the GS Paper 3: Economy, Environment, S&T & Security course covers ecosystems, biodiversity, protected areas, climate and conventions. It has 2 study lessons and a 15-question practice quiz. Free lessons can be read in full; premium lessons show a preview.

Lessons in this module

1. Ecology, Biodiversity and Protected Areas

Free 7 min

An ecosystem = living parts (plants, animals, microbes) + non-living parts (air, water, soil, sunlight) interacting. Producers (green plants) → primary consumers (herbivores) → secondary/tertiary consumers (carnivores). Decomposers (bacteria, fungi) recycle nutrients. 10% law (Lindeman):…

2. Pollution, Climate Change and International Conventions

Premium 8 min

Greenhouse gases (GHGs): carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, ozone, water vapour and fluorinated gases (e.g. HFCs). They trap heat, which causes global warming. Effects: melting glaciers, sea-level rise, extreme heat, erratic monsoons, coral bleaching, and…

 Module quiz: Environment and Ecology (15 questions)

Maps & infographics in this module

Map of selected national parks and tiger reserves of India including Jim Corbett, Kaziranga, Sundarbans, Gir, Kanha and Kuno
Locations are approximate centroids. Check the NTCA and MoEFCC lists for the current number of tiger reserves.
Map of the four biodiversity hotspots in India: Himalaya, Indo-Burma, Western Ghats and Sri Lanka, Sundaland
Approximate extents drawn for revision; hotspot boundaries follow Conservation International.
Energy pyramid showing 10,000 joules at producers falling to 10 joules at tertiary consumers
The energy pyramid is always upright; biomass pyramids can be inverted in water.
An Indian one-horned rhinoceros in Kaziranga National Park
An Indian one-horned rhinoceros in Kaziranga National Park. Credit: Wikimedia Commons · CC0.
Satellite view of the Western Ghats along India's west coast
Satellite view of the Western Ghats along India's west coast. Credit: Wikimedia Commons · Public domain.
Timeline of environmental conventions from Ramsar 1971 to the Kigali Amendment 2016
Pair each convention with its subject – a favourite Prelims match.

Frequently asked questions

Lessons: Ecology, Biodiversity and Protected Areas; Pollution, Climate Change and International Conventions.

Answer: 10%. Only about 10% of energy is passed on; the rest is lost mostly as heat.

Answer: Madagascar. Madagascar is a hotspot outside India.

Answer: 1973. Project Tiger began in 1973.

Answer: HFCs. The Kigali Amendment (2016) phases down hydrofluorocarbons.

Related modules

Indian Economy4 lessons
Growth, Development and Planning3 lessons
Public Finance and the Budget3 lessons
Money, Banking and Monetary Policy4 lessons
Financial Markets and Institutions2 lessons
External Sector and Trade3 lessons
Inclusive Growth, Employment and Industry4 lessons
Infrastructure4 lessons
Agriculture2 lessons
Agricultural Resources and Production4 lessons
Agricultural Marketing, Pricing and Support3 lessons
Food Processing and Allied Sectors3 lessons
Science and Technology2 lessons
Science and Technology in Depth5 lessons
Ecology and Biodiversity4 lessons
Pollution and Environmental Governance3 lessons
Climate Change3 lessons
Disaster Management2 lessons
Disasters and their Management3 lessons
Internal Security2 lessons
Internal Security in Depth5 lessons

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