Environment & Biodiversity MCQs

Notes:
A greenhouse gas is a gas in an atmosphere that absorbs and emits radiation within the thermal infrared range. The primary greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere are water vapour, carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide, and ozone. Nitrogen oxides (NOx) act as indirect greenhouse gases by producing the tropospheric greenhouse gas ‘ozone’ via photochemical reactions in the atmosphere.

Notes:
The Aichi Targets are a set of 20, time-bound, measureable targets for the conservation of biodiversity. The targets were agreed by the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity in Nagoya, Japan, in October 2010. Achievement of the targets will contribute to reducing, and eventually halting, the loss of biodiversity at a global level by the middle of the twenty-first century.

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Kudremukh National Park is located in the state of Karnataka (Chikkamagaluru district). It is abundant in tropical wet evergreen type of forest. The park is a part of the Global Tiger Conservation Priority-I.

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Black soil is known for its ability to hold moisture. This soil can retain moisture for a long time, which can help crops during dry seasons. Black soil is sticky when wet, so it’s difficult to work with. It’s usually tilled after the first shower or during the pre-monsoon period.
The ability of soil to retain water is related to the size of its particles. Clay soil has small, fine particles, so it retains the most water. Sand has larger particles and retains the least water. Silt and loam have medium-size particles and retain a moderate amount of water.

Notes:
The clean energy cess, also known as the coal cess, is a tax levied on coal production and import in India. It was introduced in the 2010 Indian budget to finance and promote clean energy initiatives and fund research in the area. The cess started at Rs. 50 per tonne and has been increased periodically.
As of July 2022, the clean energy cess on coal stands at Rs. 400 per tonne. Revenues from the cess go into the National Clean Energy and Environment Fund (NCEEF). The NCEEF finances projects in renewable energy, clean coal technologies, and environmental remediation programs.

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Power stations are the main source for emission of sulphur dioxide.

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Ozone is the most abundant pollutant in smog.

Notes:
This question is based upon the concept of Iron fertilization, whereby introduction of iron to the upper ocean to stimulate a phytoplankton bloom is adopted. Like all plants, phytoplankton takes up C0₂ from air and converts it to carbon compounds like carbohydrates. The plant quickly dies and starts sinking, taking the carbon with it. What happens thereafter is the key to the technique’s efficacy: If it sinks well below the ocean surface, the carbon would effectively have been put away for a long period (Carbon sequestration). This has led to several experiments in recent times.

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Rock salt domes and old salt mines have been widely hailed as the safest place to dispose of radioactive waste.

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Sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides can rise very high into the atmosphere, where they mix and react with water, oxygen, and other chemicals to form more acidic pollutants, known as acid rain.