ENVIRONMENT & ECOLOGY FOR CSE BY VAISHALI ANAND- MCQs SET 4

MCQs SET 4- 2020

1. Which of the following is/are the Biodiversity Heritage Sites (BHS) of India?

1) Khlaw Kur Syiem Kmielng

2) Chilkigarh Kanak Durga
3) Majuli Island
4) Ghariyal Rehabilitation Centre

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

a) 1&2
b) 2&3
c) 3&4
d) All of the above

2. Which of the following statement/s is are true about the Sundarbans Biosphere Reserve (SBR)
of India?

1) It is the second Biosphere Reserve from India which was included in the World Network of
Biosphere Reserves of UNESCO in 2001.
2) It is one of the World Heritage Sites of UNESCO.
3) It is the only coastal wetland tiger habitat in the world.
4) SBR is home to Sajnekhali Wildlife Sanctuary, Lothian Wildlife Sanctuary and Haliday Wildlife
Sanctuary.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

a) 1, 2 & 3
b) 2, 3 & 4
c) 1, 3 & 4
d) All of the above

3. Which of the statement/s is/are true in the context of Amrabad Tiger Reserve?

1) It is India’s largest tiger reserve.

2) Amrabad Tiger Reserve lies in the Nallamala hills of Telengana.
3) It is inhabited by a tribal group- Lambadas.
4) The forests of Amrabad TR form the catchment of River Tungabhadra.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

a) 1 & 2 only
b) 2 only
c) 3 & 4 only
d) 4 only

4. Which of the following statement/s is/ are true about the Satkosia Tiger Reserve?

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1) It was designated as a tiger reserve in 2007.

2) It comprises of Satkosia Gorge wildlife sanctuary and Baisipalli wildlife sanctuary.
3) The forests are on the bank of River Baitarani.
4) Satkosia forests are the meeting point of two bio-geographic regions of India; the Deccan
Peninsula and the Eastern Ghats.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

a) 3 only
b) 1, 2 & 4
c) 1 & 4 only
d) All of the above

5. Which of the following pair/s is/ are correctly matched?

1) Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary- Arunachal Pradesh

2) Neora Valley Wildlife Sanctuary- West Bengal
3) Rajaji National Park- Uttrakhand
4) Sariska Tiger Reserve- Maharashtra

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

a) 1 & 2 only
b) 2 & 3 only
c) 3 & 4 only
d) 1 & 4 only

6. Which of the following pair/s of tribal groups and their states is/ are correctly matched?

1) Idu Mishmis- Arunachal Pradesh

2) Bhutia- Himachal Pradesh
3) Chenchus- Maharashtra
4) Onge- Andaman & Nicobar Islands

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

a) 1 & 4 only
b) 1 & 2 only
c) 2 & 3 only
d) All of the above

7. Which of the following is/ are invasive alien species in India?

1) Fall Armyworm
2) Prosopis juliflora
3) Parthenium hysterophorus
4) Eupatorium odoratum

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

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a) 1, 2 & 3
b) 2, 3 & 4
c) 1, 3 & 4
d) All of the above

8. Which of the following statement/s is/ are true about Bhagirathi Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ)?

1) It is a watershed area along the stretch of river Bhagirathi from Gangotri to Uttarkashi.
2) It was notified by the State Government of Uttarakhand.
3) It was notified under the Environmental Protection Act (1986).
4) The objective of Bhagirathi ESZ is to protect the spiritual-cultural significance of the area and
to protect/ conserve the fragile ecology of the origin of the national river- Ganga.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

a) 1, 2 & 3
b) 2, 3 & 4
c) 1, 3 & 4
d) All of the above

9. Which of the following statement/s is/are correct in the context of Ecologically Sensitive Zones
(ESZs) of India?

1) Eco- Sensitive Zones are the transition zones from areas of high protection to areas involving
lesser protection.
2) These are notified under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
3) All the ESZs of the country extend up to 10 km from the protected areas.

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

a) 1 only
b) 2 & 3 only
c) 1 & 3 only
d) All of the above

10. Which of the following is/are Minor Forest Produce (MFP) of India?

1. Mahua flowers (dried)

2. Tejpatta (dried)
3. Kokum (dried)
4. Neem seeds

Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

a) 1, 2 & 3
b) 2, 3 & 4
c) 1, 3 & 4
d) All of the above

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Answers & Explanations

1. Answer: D

Explanation: As per National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) of India, Biodiversity Heritage Sites (BHS)
are well defined areas that are unique, ecologically fragile ecosystems - terrestrial, coastal, marine
and inland waters having rich biodiversity. There are 17 Biodiversity Heritage Sites in the country.

As per the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 (BDA) the State Government in consultation with local
bodies may notify in the official gazette, areas of biodiversity importance as Biodiversity Heritage
Sites (BHS).

In 2018, 2 new BHS were notified in India. These were-

 Khlaw Kur Syiem Kmielng (Meghalaya)

 Chilkigarh Kanak Durga (West Bengal)

In 2019, 4 new BHS were notified-

 Mandasaru- 1st BHS of Odisha

 Purvatali Rai- Goa
 Naro Hills- Madhya Pradesh
 Patalkot- Madhya Pradesh- It has Bharia tribes.

 Majuli Island in Assam was notified in 2017.

 Ghariyal Rehabilitation Centre (UP) was notified in 2016.

2. Answer: D

Explanation: Sundarbans Ecosystem- It’s a complex ecosystem with complex network of tidal
waterways, mudflats and small islands of salt-tolerant mangrove forests. It is located between river
Baleswar in the east and the river Harinbanga in the west, adjoining to the Bay of Bengal, is the
largest contiguous mangrove forest in the world.

The area is known for its wide range of biodiversity like the Royal Bengal tiger (IUCN status-
Endangered) and other threatened species such as the estuarine crocodile and the Indian python.
Ganges and Irawadi dolphins, and the critically endangered endemic river terrapin are also found
here.

SBR was the second BR from India to be included in WNBR under Man and Biosphere (MAB) Program
of India. The first BR was to be included in MAB was Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.

The core area of Sundarbans BR is Sundarbans National Park which had been declared as a World
Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1987.

Sundarbans Tiger Reserve was created in 1973 under the "Project Tiger" scheme of MoEF&CC. The
core area of Tiger Reserve is Sundarbans National Park and the buffer zone of Tiger Reserve is
Sajnekhali Wildlife Sanctuary.

Sundarbans is spread over two districts i.e. North 24-Parganas and South 24-Parganas of West
Bengal.

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And now Sundarbans is a Ramsar site too!

This is ‘all in one’ package.

3. Answer: B

Statement (1) is incorrect. It is India’s second-largest tiger reserve. The largest is Nagarjunasagar
Srisailam Tiger Reserve across Andhra Pradesh and Telengana.

Statement (3) is incorrect as Amrabad TR is inhabited by Chenchus, a primitive tribal group who are
a hunter-gatherer community.

Statement (4) is incorrect as the forests of Amrabad TR form the catchment of River Krishna. In these
forests, rivers Nallavagu and Dindi merge, forming a major tributary and catchment of the Krishna
river.

The forests support rich diversity of wildlife like tiger, leopard, dhole, wolf, Indian fox, jackal, honey
badger, nilgai, sambar, chowsingha and sloth bear. The aquatic life including the mugger crocodile,
water monitor lizard and turtles. It is also home to endemic yellow-throated bulbul and the star
tortoise.

4. Answer: B

The forests are on the bank of River Mahanadi in Odisha. So, statement (3) is incorrect.

Satkosia spreads along gorge over Mahanadi River in Odisha. It was declared a wildlife sanctuary in
1976.

The area was declared as Satkosia Tiger Reserve in 2007, comprising of two adjoining wildlife
sanctuaries – the Satkosia Gorge sanctuary and Baisipalli sanctuary. The Reserve is spread over four
districts such as Angul, Cuttack, Nayagarh and Boudh.

The forests are also part of the Mahanadi elephant reserve.

Satkosia TR was chosen for tiger re-introduction by National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) &
Odisha government in the year 2018. However, the re-introduction was put on hold following death
of a tiger, which was trans-located from Kanha Tiger Reserve of Madhya Pradesh. It was India’s first
inter-state tiger translocation project. Satkosia TR earlier had good number of tigers but then
number of tigers dwindled.

NTCA has also proposed Simlipal- Satkosia wildlife corridor in Odisha which can serve as a
connecting link for the migration and survival of endangered species. With human pressures on
forests increasing, habitat fragmentation is common. Wildlife corridors connect these fragmented
patches of forest. They help the animals move without any disturbances and also increase the
chance of genetic interchange and flow.

5. Answer: B

The correct answer is –

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 Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary- Sikkim

 Neora Valley Wildlife Sanctuary- West Bengal
 Rajaji National Park- Uttrakhand
 Sariska Tiger Reserve- Rajasthan

6. Answer: A

Explanation: Bhutia tribal group are in Sikkim, West Bengal and Tripura. Chenchus are in Telengana,
Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Odisha.

7. Answer: D

Explanation: Just know the names of a few invasive alien species of India-

Prosopis juliflora; Parthenium hysterophorus and Eupatorium odoratum are all the invasive alien
species (plants) of Western Ghats. Eucalyptus, Wattle (Acacia) and Lanatana (Lantana camara) are
also some other invasive alien species of plants.

Some examples of invasive alien species of animals are- Fall Armyworm; African Apple Snail; Afrian
giant snail; Cotton Mealy Bug etc.

8. Answer: C

Statement (2) is incorrect. It was notified by the MoEF&CC in 2012 through a gazette notification and
not by the state government.

9. Answer: A

Explanation: Eco- Sensitive Zones are the transition zones from areas of high protection to areas
involving lesser protection. The purpose of ESAs is to minimize negative impact of human activities
on the fragile ecosystem encompassing the protected area.

Statement (2) is incorrect as ESZs are notified under the Environment Protection Act, 1986.

Statement (3) is incorrect.

In 2006, SC ordered the creation of ESZs, extending up to 10 km from the protected areas. However,
in 2005, National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) had decided that delineation of boundaries of ESZ has to
be on a case-to case basis. Thus, all ESZs are not extending up to 10 km from the PAs. If can be
decided by the Union Government on case-to-case basis. In the absence of the notification, an area
of 10 kilometre around the PAs is considered ‘default ESZ’ according to the directions of the
Supreme Court.

As per MoEF&CC 2019 Notification- Out of the 651 Protected Areas (PAs) in India, 316 have been
covered under the final ESZ notification which provides for prohibition of mining, stone quarrying
and crushing units located within one kilometre of such protected areas.

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10. Answer: D

Explanation: Back in 2013, the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for Minor Forest Produce (MFP)
scheme was started by the Central government in 2013 to ensure fair and remunerative prices to
MFP gatherers. Usually the tribal people of India are MFP gatherers and depend upon it for their
livelihood.

The Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) from time to time includes new MFPs under its MSP scheme.
For example, in December 2018, 17 new MFPs were added to the MSP scheme and in January 2019,
9 new MFPs were added to the MSP scheme.

Currently, there are total of 49 MFP items covered under MSP scheme. The decision is taken by
MoTA based on the recommendations of the pricing cell, constituted by the TRIFED (Tribal
Cooperative Marketing Development Federation of India).

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