[Mission 2023] STATIC QUIZ, 24 March 2023 – Environment

Solution: d)

Reasons for the reduction of soil organic carbon:

There may be natural factors such as floods, earthquakes and volcanoes.

The human induced factors are:

Urban expansion

Over grazing

Excessive tillage

Land degradation due to inappropriate agriculture practices

Frequent cropping

Unscientific crop rotation

Improper agriculture practices

Poor irrigation and water management

Solution: c)

A seral stage is an intermediate stage found in ecological succession in an ecosystem advancing towards its climax community. In many cases more than one seral stage evolves until climax conditions are attained.

Solution: b)

Eutrophication is when a body of water becomes overly enriched with minerals and nutrients which induce excessive growth of algae. This process may result in oxygen depletion of the water body. One example is an “algal bloom” or great increase of phytoplankton in a water body as a response to increased levels of nutrients. 

Eutrophication is often induced by the discharge of nitrate or phosphate-containing detergents, fertilizers, or sewage into an aquatic system.

Solution: d)

A niche is the unique functional role or place of a species in an ecosystem. It is a description of all the biological, physical and chemical factors that a species needs to survive, stay healthy and reproduce.

A niche is unique for a species, which means no two species have exact identical niches. Niche plays an important role in conservation of organisms.

If we have to conserve species in its native habitat we should have knowledge about the niche requirements of the species and should ensure that all requirements of its niche are fulfilled.

Solution: c)

Bees and butterflies play a vital role in the pollination of plants and the production of crops by transporting pollen grains from one place to another.

Statement 2 is an absurd statement.

These are some of the common predators of butterflies: wasps, ants, parasitic flies, birds, snakes, toads, rats etc. The decline in butterfly population would therefore adversely affect the food chain.