UPSC Prelims Previous Year Questions -General issues on Environmental ecology, Bio-diversity & Climate change (2013 )

 UPSC Prelims - Ecology and Environment -Previous Year Questions (2013)

1. Acid rain is caused by the pollution of the environment by

(a) carbon dioxide and nitrogen

(b) carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide

(c) ozone and carbon dioxide

(d) nitrous oxide and sulphur dioxide

2. Which of the following can be found as pollutants in the drinking water in some parts of India?

1. Arsenic
2. Sorbitol
3. Fluoride
4. Formaldehyde
5. Uranium

Select the correct answer using the codes given below.

(a) 1 and 3 only

(b) 2, 4 and 5 only

(c) 1, 3 and 5 only

(d) 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

3. On the planet earth, most of the freshwater exists as ice caps and glaciers. Out of the remaining freshwater, the largest proportion

(a) is found in atmosphere as moisture and clouds

(b) is found in freshwater lakes and rivers

(c) exists as groundwater

(d) exists as soil moisture

4. In the grasslands, trees do not replace the grasses as a part of an ecological succession because of

(a) insects and fungi

(b) limited sunlight and paucity of nutrients

(c) water limits and fire

(d) None of the above

5. Which one of the following is the correct sequence of ecosystems in the order of decreasing productivity?

(a) Oceans, lakes, grasslands, mangroves

(b) Mangroves, oceans, grasslands, lakes

(c) Mangroves, grasslands, lakes, oceans

(d) Oceans, mangroves, lakes, grasslands

6. With reference to food chains in ecosystems, consider the following statements :

1. A food chain illustrates the order in which a chain of organisms feed upon each other
2. Food chains are found within the populations of a species
3. A food chain illustrates the numbers of each organism which are eaten by others

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 1 and 2 only

(c) 1, 2 and 3

(d) None

7. Consider the following fauna of India:

1. Gharial
2. Leatherback turtle
3. Swamp deer

Which of the above is/are endangered?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 3 only

(c) 1, 2 and 3

(d) None

8. With reference to the food chains in ecosystems, which of the following kinds of organisms is/are known as decomposer organism/organisms?

1. Virus
2. Fungi
3. Bacteria

Select the correct answer using the codes given below.

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

9. Which one of the following terms describes not only the physical space occupied by an organism but also its functional role in the community of organisms?

(a) Ecotone

(b) Ecological niche

(c) Habitat

(d) Home range

10. Which of the following adds/add nitrogen to the soil?

1. Excretion of urea by animals
2. Burning of coal by man
3. Death of vegetation

Select the correct answer using the codes given below.

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

11. In which of the following States is lion-tailed macaque found in its natural habitat?

1. Tamil Nadu
2. Kerala
3. Karnataka
4. Andhra Pradesh

Select the correct answer using the codes given below.

(a) 1, 2 and 3 only

(b) 2 only

(c) 1, 3 and 4 only

(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4

Learn more: 

• UPSC Prelims - Previous Year Questions -Biology Questions

Answers

1. (d) nitrous oxide and sulphur dioxide

2. (c) 1, 3 and 5 only

3. (c) exists as groundwater

4. (c) water limits and fire

5. (c) Mangroves, grasslands, lakes, oceans

6. (a) 1 only

7. (c) 1, 2 and 3

8.  (b) 2 and 3 only

9.  (b) Ecological niche

10. (c) 1 and 3 only

11. (a) 1, 2 and 3 only

Explanation

2. Drinking water in some parts of India has contaminants like Arsenic , fluoride other than many other contaminants. The source of arsenic are runoff from orchards and the source of fluorides are erosion of natural deposits, fertilizers etc.

6. The tree cannot replace the grasses as apart of an ecological succession because of water limits and fire.

11. The lion-tailed macaque are endangered as per IUCN. They are found in the mountain forests scattered across three states: Kerala, Tamil Nadu Karnataka

12. Ecological niche is a term for the position of a species within an ecosystem, describing both the range of conditions necessary for persistence of the species, and its ecological role in the ecosystem. Ecological niche subsumes all of the interactions between a species and the biotic and abiotic environment, and thus represents a very basic and fundamental ecological concept. 

• Ecotone: An ecotone is an area that acts as a boundary or a transition between two ecosystems.
• Home range: A home range is the area in which an animal lives and moves on a periodic basis. It is related to the concept of an animal's territory which is the area that is actively defended. The concept of a home range was introduced by W. H. Burt in 1943.