QUIZ – 2020: INSIGHTS STATIC QUIZ, 12 May 2020 – Environment

Solution: c)

In an aquatic ecosystem, grazing food chain is the major conduit for energy flow. As against this, in a terrestrial ecosystem, a much larger fraction of energy flows through the detritus food chain than through the grazing food chain.

When energy is passed in an ecosystem from one trophic level to the next, only ten percent of the energy will be passed. Around 90% of energy will be lost.

Solution: d)

Electronic scrap components, such as CPUs, contain potentially harmful materials such as lead, cadmium, beryllium, or brominated flame retardants.

CRTs have a relatively high concentration of lead and phosphors (not to be confused with phosphorus), both of which are necessary for the display.

Country’s first e-waste clinic is being opened in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh. It would enable segregation, processing and disposal of waste from both household and commercial units.

Source

Solution: a)

Mukurthi National Park (MNP) is a protected area located in the western corner of the Nilgiris Plateau west of Ootacamund hill station in the northwest corner of Tamil Nadu state in the Western Ghats mountain range of South India. The park was created to protect its keystone species, the Nilgiri tahr.

The park is characterised by montane grasslands and shrublands interspersed with sholas in a high-altitude area of high rainfall, near-freezing temperatures and high winds. It is home to an array of endangered wildlife, including royal Bengal tiger and Asian elephant, but its main mammal attraction is the Nilgiri tahr. The park was previously known as Nilgiri Tahr National Park.

The park is a part of Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, India’s first International Biosphere Reserve. As part of the Western Ghats, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1 July 2012.

Solution: b)

Nitrogen is one of the essential constituents of all living organisms as part of proteins, chlorophyll, nucleic acids and vitamins.

The atmospheric nitrogen cannot be taken directly by plants and animals.

Certain bacteria and blue green algae present in the soil fix nitrogen from the atmosphere and convert into compounds of nitrogen

Lightning also fixes atmospheric nitrogen.

Nitrogen is one of the essential constituents of all living organisms as part of proteins, chlorophyll, nucleic acids and vitamins.

The atmospheric nitrogen cannot be taken directly by plants and animals. Once nitrogen is converted into these usable compounds, it can be utilised by plants from the soil through their root system.

Nitrogen is then used for the synthesis of plant proteins and other compounds. Animals feeding on plants get these proteins and other nitrogen compounds.

When plants and animals die, bacteria and fungi present in the soil convert the nitrogenous wastes into nitrogenous compounds to be used by plants again. Certain other bacteria convert some part of them to nitrogen gas which goes back into the atmosphere.

As a result, the percentage of nitrogen in the atmosphere remains more or less constant.

Solution: b)

Environment Pollution Control Authority (EPCA):

• EPCA was constituted with the objective of ‘protecting and improving’ the quality of the environment and ‘controlling environmental pollution’ in the National Capital Region. The EPCA also assists the apex court in various environment-related matters in the region.
• EPCA is Supreme Court mandated body tasked with taking various measures to tackle air pollution in the National Capital Region. It was notified in 1998 by Environment Ministry under Environment Protection Act, 1986.

Functions:

• To protect and improve quality of environment and prevent and control environmental pollution in National Capital Region.
• To enforce Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in NCR as per the pollution levels.