QUIZ – 2020: INSIGHTS STATIC , 15 June 2021 – Environment

Solution: c)

In desert conditions, most of the activity of the plants and animals happens during the night because of very high temperature in the day time. The desert insects make themselves active and pollinate the flowers at night. To attract the insects, most of the desert plants bloom during the night.

Solution: d)

• IUCN status: critically endangered.
• Listed in Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and in the Convention on Migratory Species (CMS) and in Appendix I of CITES.
• Identified as one of the species for the recovery programme under the Integrated Development of Wildlife Habitats of the Ministry of Environment and Forests.
• Project Great Indian Bustard — state of Rajasthan — identifying and fencing off bustard breeding grounds in existing protected areas as well as provide secure breeding enclosures in areas outside protected areas.
• These birds are often found associated in the same habitat as blackbuck. 

Solution: a)

In situ bioremediation is the application of a biological treatment to clean up hazardous compounds present in the environment.

Biosparging: This involves the injection of air under pressure below the water table to increase ground water oxygen concentrations and to enhance the rate of biological degradation of contaminants by naturally occurring bacteria.

Bioventing: Bioventing is a promising new technology that stimulates the natural in situ biodegradation of any aerobically degradable compounds by providing oxygen to the existing soil microorganisms. It uses low air flow rates to provide only enough oxygen to sustain microbial activity.

Bioaugmentation: Bioaugmentation is the introduction of a group of natural microbial strains or a genetically engineered strain to treat contaminated soil or water. Most commonly, it is used in municipal waste water treatment to restart activated sludge bioreactors.

Source

Solution: b)

Regulate: Some organisms are able to maintain homeostasis by physiological (sometimes behavioural also) means which ensures constant body temperature, constant osmotic concentration, etc. All birds and mammals, and a very few lower vertebrate and invertebrate species are indeed capable of such regulation (thermoregulation and osmoregulation).

Conform: An overwhelming majority (99 per cent) of animals and nearly all plants cannot maintain a constant internal environment. Their body temperature changes with the ambient temperature. In aquatic animals, the osmotic concentration of the body fluids change with that of the ambient air, water osmotic concentration. These animals and plants are simply conformers.

Suspend: In bacteria, fungi and lower plants, various kinds of thickwalled spores are formed which help them to survive unfavourable conditions – these germinate on availability of suitable environment. In higher plants, seeds and some other vegetative reproductive structures serve as means to tide over periods of stress besides helping in dispersal – they germinate to form new plants under favourable moisture and temperature conditions. They do so by reducing their metabolic activity and going into a state of ‘dormancy’.

Solution: c)

Why do whales beach themselves?

Cetacean stranding, more commonly referred to as beaching, refers to the phenomenon of dolphins and whales stranding themselves on beaches.

Whale beachings are not uncommon. Scientists say the reason is often unknown but they have a range of theories, including:

• Changes in water temperature.
• Irregularities in whales’ echolocation.
• Geomagnetic disturbances.
• Errors made in navigation.
• Hunting too close to shore.
• Sonar interference.
• Inclement weather.

Highly social mammals, pilot whales are particularly known for stranding in groups because they travel in large, close-knit communities which rely on constant communication.