Environment & Biodiversity MCQs

Notes:
The Chimmini Wildlife Sanctuary (CWS) is located along the Western Ghats in Mukundapuram taluk of Thrissur District of Kerala. The sanctuary is an important bird area with 192 recorded avian species such as grey-headed bulbul, Indian rufous babbler, white-bellied blue-flycatcher, Ceylon frogmouth, Indian edible-nest swiftlet, Malabar trogon and Loten’s sunbird. The sanctuary also offers trekking paths for the adventure traveller.

Notes:
The Sitanadi Wildlife Sanctuary (SWS) is located in Dhamtari District, Chhattisgarh and covers an area of 556 square kilometers. It is a famous tourist attraction which is frequented by wildlife enthusiasts throughout the year. It is named after Sitanadi River which originates from this sanctuary and joins Mahanadi River near Deokhut. Sitanadi Wildlife Sanctuary is known for its lush green flora and rich and unique and diverse fauna and has great potential to emerge as one of the finest wildlife destinations in Central India.

Notes:
The Lakh Bahosi Sanctuary (LBS) is a bird sanctuary spread over two jheels near the villages of Lakh and Bahosi in Kannauj district, Uttar Pradesh and is spread over 3 square kilometres. The sanctuary is home to various migratory birds from November to March. Jackal, blue bull, mongoose, fishing cat and monkeys may also be spotted here. The best time to visit is December to February.

Notes:
The lesser florican is also known as the likh or kharmore. It is the smallest in bustard family. It is endemic to the Indian Subcontinent found predominantly in Madhya Pradesh. Scientific name- Sypheotides indicus, Rank- Species, Family- Otididae, Phylum- Chordata.

Notes:
Eichhornia crassipes, commonly known as Common Water Hyacinth, is an aquatic plant native to the Amazon basin, and is often considered a highly problematic invasive species outside its native range. The plant was introduced by Belgian colonists to Rwanda to beautify their holdings and then advanced by natural means to Lake Victoria where it was first sighted in 1988. There, without any natural enemies, it has become an ecological plague, suffocating the lake, diminishing the fish reservoir, and hurting the local economies.

Notes:
Henderson Island is located between New Zealand and Chile in the Pacific Ocean. Recently, researchers have tagged the island as the most polluted and remotest island of the world after they spotted the highest density of plastic debris on the island than anywhere else on the planet. The earth system called south pacific gyre, a large system of circulating ocean current has been held responsible for the collection of waste over the island. The waste dumped in oceans by various countries is carried by the sea currents and this waste congregates on the island.

Notes:
The Southern Oscillation is a change in air pressure over the tropical Pacific Ocean. When coastal waters become warmer in the eastern tropical Pacific , the atmospheric pressure above the ocean decreases. Climatologists define these linked phenomenaas El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO).

Notes:
The headquarters of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) is in Geneva, Switzerland. CITES is a multilateral treaty to protect endangered plants and animals, adopted in March 1973 by 80 countries. It aims to ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten the survival of the species in the wild.

Notes:
The sudden decrease in atmospheric pressure typically indicates the approach of a low-pressure weather system or area, which can manifest as stormy or windy conditions. A sharp dip in barometric pressure can signal the arrival of a low-pressure storm front bringing precipitation, strong winds and other stormy weather. A rapidly falling pressure gradient is a key sign of an incoming cyclone or hurricane in tropical coastal regions, indicating high winds and torrential rains to come.

Notes:
Red tides are a special type of blooms, which are found at the estuaries. These blooms are pigmented dinoflagellates. These single celled organisms are able to swim short distances. When the algae present in high concentration, the water appears purple or pink in colour.