Environment & Ecology

Key Focus Areas

Pollution

Ecosystems Biodiversity
- Species

Conventions Protected
Areas
 Pollution
Air Pollution - Delhi
Causes : Vehicular emissions, Dust particles, Industrial
emissions, Stubble burning

Measuring Parameters : National Air Quality Index and National

Ambient Air Quality Index
 NAQI & NAAQS

• National Air Quality Index - The Air Quality Index is

based on measurement of particulate matter (PM2.5 and
PM10), Ozone (O3), Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), Sulphur Dioxide
(SO2), Carbon Monoxide (CO), Ammonia and Lead.

• NAAQS - National Ambient Air Quality Standards :

SO₂, NO₂, particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), Ozone, Lead,
Carbon Monoxide, Ammonia, Benzene, Benzo Pyrene,
Arsenic, Nickel.
 Remedial Measures

• Torrefaction

• WAYU (Wind
Augmentation Purifying
Unit)
 Related Issues
• Photo-chemical Smog : Ozone, Volatile Organic Compounds,
Nitrogen oxides.

• Oxy Furnaces :
Which of the following statement(s) is/are correct about the National Air
Quality Index of India?
1. There are six AQI categories ranging from 0 to 500.
2. Lead pollution is measured under it.
Select the correct answer from the code below :
a. 1 only
b. 2 only
c. Both 1 and 2
d. Neither 1 nor 2
Which of the following phenomena are attached to the Ozone found at
ground level?
1. It is formed due to interaction of nitrogen oxides with volatile organic
compounds.
2. Sunlight is the prime requirement for this interaction to take place.
3. It is beneficial to the organisms as it helps to filter out the remaining UV
rays which pass through the stratosphere.
4. It is a vital ingredient in the formation of photochemical smog.

Select the correct statements from the code below :

a. 1 and 2 only
b. 1 and 3 only
c. 3 and 4 only
d. 1, 2 and 4 only
Q. As per the Greenpeace report, which of the following regions are
identified as nitrogen emission hotspots?
1. Delhi-NCR
2. Talcher-Angul
3. Hapur-Kuchesar
4. Lucknow-Bijnor
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
a) 3 and 4 only
b) 1 and 2 only
c) 1, 3 and 4 only
d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
 Forest Fires
Where?

Reasons :

Trees which catch fire :

Zombie Fires
Which of the following statements describes the term “Zombie Fire”?

a) It is a fire which continuously burns underground and has the potential to

ignite the surface.
b) Fire used for efficient Incineration of unburned and wasted gas.
c) It is a fire which converts organic matter into a syngas.
d) Toxic variety of corals found in Indian pacific ocean.
Which of the following are among the ecological significances of Forest Fires:

1. Germination of seeds
2. Ecological succession
3. Removal of Alien species
4. Restoration of Biomass
5. Improving floor Habitat

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

a) 1, 2, 3 and 4 only
b) 2, 3, 4 and 5 only
c) 1, 3 and 4 only
d) 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5
Which of the following is measured through Keetch- Byram Drought
Index?

a. Impact of Drought on Livestock morbidity

b. Increase in drought areas due to climate change
c. Determining forest fire potential
d. None of the above
 Oil Spill
• Where

• Implications

• Remedial Measures : In Situ

and Ex Situ processes,
Bioremediation, Sorbents
 Ocean Deoxygenation
• Context : The International
Union for Conservation of
Nature (IUCN) released a
report titled, ‘Ocean
deoxygenation: Everyone’s
problem’.
 Concepts

• Stratification :

• Acidification : As carbon dioxide (CO2) dissolves in sea water, it

forms carbonic acid, decreasing the ocean’s pH, a process collectively
known as ocean acidification.
Q. “Ocean deoxygenation: Everyone’s problem” report was
recently published by-

a. World Meteorological Organization (WMO)

b. International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
c. Global Environment Facility (GEF)
d. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC)
Which of the following factors increases the rate of ocean
acidification?
1. Carbon sequestration
2. Eutrophication
3. Global Warming
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
a. 3 only
b. 2 and 3 only
c. 1 and 2 only
d. 1, 2, and 3
 Eutrophication
What is it ? -

Eutrophication is characterized by
excessive plant and algal growth due to
the increased availability of nutrients
which reach the water body via run off,
discharge from farmlands, domestic
wastes etc.
Consider the following regarding Eutrophication,
1. Eutrophication is a process by which water bodies receive excess
nutrients stimulating excessive plant growth.
2. Eutrophication also results in Algal bloom.
3. The process gives a death blow to wildlife by depriving oxygen in the
water body.
Which of the above statements are correct?
a. 1 and 3 only
b. 1 and 2 only
c. 2 and 3 only
d. 1, 2 and 3
With reference to Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), consider the
following statements :
1. In any aquatic ecosystem, BOD is the total amount of dissolved oxygen
needed to decompose the organic and inorganic wastes.
2. It is a more reliable method to measure pollution load in water as
compared to Chemical oxygen demand (COD).

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

a. 1 only
b. 2 only
c. Both 1 and 2
d. Neither 1 nor 2
In the context of Ecology, consider the following pairs:

Phenomenon Consequence
1.Eutrophication Increase of nutrient and oxygen levels in the water body
2.Over irrigation of lands Evaporation of salts present in the soil
3.Biomagnification Increase in the size of the pollutant in a tissue of an organism
4.Oil Spill Increase in the Biological oxygen Demand in the water body

Which of the above given pairs is/are correct?

a. 1 and 2 only
b. 3 and 4 only
c. 4 only
d. 2 and 4 only
Locust Attack
Areas affected
 Impact & Remedial Measures
• Primary method- ‘organophosphate chemicals’ applied in small
concentrated doses.
• Mechanical method: Digging trenches , beating and burning
• Baiting: Scattering locust food impregnated with insecticide
• Dusting: Applying a fine dust impregnated with insecticide
With reference to ’Locusts’, recently seen in news, which of the following
statements are correct?
1. They always grow in swarms right from their larvae stage.
2. They cannot grow in desert areas.
3. They are a type of insect which are attracted towards green areas.
4. North East India is more prone to locust attacks due to large forest coverage.
Select the correct answer from the code below :
a. 2 and 3 only
b. 1, 2 and 4 only
c. 3 only
d. 1 and 2 only
 Lonar Lake
Why ?

Haloarchaea or halophilic
archaea is a bacteria culture
which produces pink pigment
and is found in water saturated
with salt.
Blood Red Snow in Antarctica
With reference to the Blood Red snow, which of the following
statements are correct?
1. It is the reddening of the Antarctic snow.
2. The colouring of the snow is caused by carotenoids pigment found
in algae’s chloroplasts.
3. The reddening of the snow absorbs more sunlight and thus melts
faster.
Select the correct answer using the codes given below:
a. 1 and 2 only
b. 2 and 3 only
c. 1 and 2 only
d. 1, 2 and 3
 Elephants in Botswana
• Why ?

• Where?

• Elephant
Conservation in
India
Okawango Delta - Endorheic Basin
 Avian Botulism - Sambhar Lake
Botulinum is a natural toxin produced by a bacteria known as Clostridium
botulin.
With reference to the avian botulism, which of the following
statements are correct?
1.It is a serious neuromuscular illness of birds.
2.Botulinum is a natural toxin produced by a bacteria Clostridium botulin
when it starts reproduction.
3.It affects both herbivores and carnivorous avian species.

Select the correct answer using the code given below:

a. 1 and 2 only
b. 2 and 3 only
c. 1 and 3 only
d. 1, 2 and 3
Which of the following statements regarding atmospheric aerosols is/are
correct?
1. They are microscopic particles suspended in the lower atmosphere.
2. They can scatter sunlight directly back into space, producing a cooling
effect on the planet.
3. They are an important constituent in the formation of ground level
ozone.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below.

a. 1 and 3 only
b. 1 and 2 only
c. 1 and 3 only
d. 1, 2, and 3
Thank You