QUIZ – 2020: INSIGHTS STATIC QUIZ, 2 September 2020 – Environment

Solution: d)

National parks and sanctuaries are areas of significant ecological, floral, faunal or natural significance.

Hunting of wild animals, encroachment and/or destruction of habitat, construction of tourist lodges and other such activities are prohibited in protected areas.

A National park is a protected area which is reserved for the conservation of only animals, where no human interference in any form of harvesting of timber, collecting minor forest products and private ownership rights is allowed.

But, a wildlife sanctuary is a protected area which is reserved for the conservation of only animal and human activities like harvesting of timber, collecting minor forest products and private ownership rights are allowed as long as they do not interfere with the well-being of animals.

They are notified by the State Governments; and protected by the Forest Departments under the provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 & its amendments, Indian Forest Act of 1927, Forest (Protection) Act of 1980, Biological Diversity Act, 2002 and the Forest Rights Act, 2006.

Solution: d)

It does not have any office in Antarctica, so it is based in only 6 continents.

It was set up as a Charitable Public Trust in 1961 (Rio Summit in 1992). It was then known as the World Wildlife Fund-India, much before the terms ‘wildlife’ and ‘environment’ had caught the attention of the government or the public.

NITI Aayog is the nodal agency for SDGs.

Solution: c)

Exotic species introduced to new environments often reset the ecological conditions in that new habitat, threatening the species that exist there; this is the reason that they are also termed invasive species.

Invasive species that are closely related to rare native species have the potential to hybridize with the native species; harmful effects of hybridization have led to a decline and even extinction of native species.

Invasive species can change the food web in an ecosystem by destroying or replacing native food sources. The invasive species may provide little to no food value for wildlife.

Lakes and islands are particularly vulnerable to extinction threats from introduced species.

Solution: a)

Reef-building corals are restricted in their geographic distribution by factors such as the temperature and the salinity (salt content) of the water. The water must also be clear to permit high light penetration.

Because of these environmental restrictions, reefs generally are confined to tropical and semitropical waters. The diversity of reef corals (the number of species), decreases in higher latitudes up to about 30° north and south, beyond which reef corals are usually not found.

Generally, there are about twice as many coral species in Pacific Ocean reefs as in Atlantic Ocean reefs.

Solution: b)

Nitrous oxide emissions occur naturally through many sources associated with the nitrogen cycle, which is the natural circulation of nitrogen among the atmosphere, plants, animals, and microorganisms that live in soil and water.

Nitrous oxide is actually removed from the atmosphere when it is absorbed by certain types of bacteria or destroyed by ultraviolet radiation or chemical reactions.

A natural source of nitrogen oxides occurs from a lightning stroke. The very high temperature in the vicinity of a lightning bolt causes the gases oxygen and nitrogen in the air to react to form nitric oxide. The nitric oxide very quickly reacts with more oxygen to form nitrogen dioxide.