Unit 2: Natural resources and ecosystem - Practice Quiz

CHE110 — Environmental Studies 60 Questions
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1 What are natural resources?

Introduction to natural resources Easy
A. Products made only in factories
B. Machines used in industries
C. Materials obtained from nature
D. Buildings constructed by people

2 Which of the following is a renewable resource?

Renewable and non-renewable resources Easy
A. Natural gas
B. Petroleum
C. Coal
D. Solar energy

3 Which resource is non-renewable?

Renewable and non-renewable resources Easy
A. Wind
B. Coal
C. Flowing water
D. Sunlight

4 What is soil erosion?

Land resources and associated problems and remedial measures Easy
A. Growth of forest plants
B. Removal of topsoil
C. Increase in soil nutrients
D. Formation of groundwater

5 Which practice helps prevent soil erosion?

Land resources and associated problems and remedial measures Easy
A. Deforestation
B. Afforestation
C. Mining
D. Overgrazing

6 Which activity commonly causes water pollution?

Water resources and associated problems and remedial measures Easy
A. Treating sewage
B. Collecting rainwater
C. Discharging industrial waste
D. Planting trees

7 Which method helps conserve water at home?

Water resources and associated problems and remedial measures Easy
A. Repairing leaking taps
B. Using extra water
C. Leaving taps open
D. Washing roads daily

8 What is deforestation?

Forest resources and associated problems and remedial measures Easy
A. Protecting wildlife
B. Planting trees
C. Cutting and clearing forests
D. Increasing forest cover

9 Which action is a remedial measure for forest loss?

Forest resources and associated problems and remedial measures Easy
A. Reforestation
B. Excessive logging
C. Forest burning
D. Uncontrolled grazing

10 Which of the following is a fossil fuel?

Energy resources and associated problems and remedial measures Easy
A. Wind
B. Tidal energy
C. Solar power
D. Coal

11 Which energy source produces electricity without burning a fuel?

Energy resources and associated problems and remedial measures Easy
A. Coal
B. Solar energy
C. Diesel
D. Petrol

12 Which action shows responsible conservation?

Role of individual in conservation of natural resources Easy
A. Leaving water running
B. Using disposable items only
C. Wasting electricity
D. Switching off unused lights

13 Which practice follows the principle of the three Rs?

Role of individual in conservation of natural resources Easy
A. Read, record, report
B. Reduce, reuse, recycle
C. Run, repeat, return
D. Remove, replace, repair

14 Which group forms the biotic components of an ecosystem?

Structure and function of ecosystem Easy
A. Air, water, and soil
B. Temperature, rainfall, and wind
C. Sunlight, rocks, and minerals
D. Plants, animals, and microbes

15 What is the main function of producers in an ecosystem?

Structure and function of ecosystem Easy
A. To hunt animals
B. To consume all nutrients
C. To decompose rocks
D. To make food

16 Which of the following is a natural ecosystem?

Types of ecosystem Easy
A. Garden
B. Pond
C. Crop field
D. Aquarium

17 What is the primary source of energy for most ecosystems?

Energy flow in an ecosystem Easy
A. The soil
B. The wind
C. The Sun
D. The Moon

18 Which sequence is a correct food chain?

Food chains and food webs Easy
A. Frog → grasshopper → grass
B. Grass → grasshopper → frog
C. Grasshopper → grass → frog
D. Frog → grass → grasshopper

19 What does an ecological pyramid represent?

Ecological pyramids Easy
A. Relationships between trophic levels
B. Stages of cloud formation
C. Types of weather conditions
D. Layers inside the Earth's crust

20 What is ecological succession?

Ecological succession Easy
A. Daily change in temperature
B. Seasonal change in rainfall
C. Gradual change in a community
D. Sudden movement of animals

21 A village depends on groundwater, fertile soil, sunlight, and nearby forests. Which statement best explains why these are called natural resources?

Introduction to natural resources Medium
A. They are materials that cannot be depleted by human activities
B. They are resources created only through industrial production
C. They are useful only when they can be exported for profit
D. They are materials and conditions from nature that support human needs

22 A town replaces diesel pumps with solar-powered pumps but continues using coal for its electricity backup. Which classification is correct?

Renewable and non-renewable resources Medium
A. Solar energy is renewable, while coal is non-renewable
B. Solar energy is non-renewable, while coal is renewable
C. Both solar energy and coal are renewable resources
D. Both solar energy and coal are non-renewable resources

23 A sloping agricultural field loses topsoil during heavy rain. Which measure would most directly reduce this problem?

Land resources and associated problems and remedial measures Medium
A. Constructing contour bunds across the slope
B. Increasing ploughing along the slope
C. Replacing organic manure with chemical pesticides
D. Removing vegetation from the field margins

24 An irrigated agricultural region develops white crusts on the soil surface and declining crop yields. Which combination is most likely responsible and useful for correction?

Land resources and associated problems and remedial measures Medium
A. Waterlogging and salinity; improve drainage and manage irrigation
B. Deforestation and compaction; stop all irrigation permanently
C. Landslides and alkalinity; increase ploughing on steep slopes
D. Wind erosion and acidity; increase flooding and remove drainage

25 A city experiences falling groundwater levels despite receiving normal annual rainfall. Which action would most effectively address the problem?

Water resources and associated problems and remedial measures Medium
A. Increase rainwater harvesting and reduce groundwater extraction
B. Cover open soil with concrete to speed up runoff
C. Channel all stormwater directly into the nearest river
D. Pump groundwater continuously during the rainy season

26 Fish deaths occur downstream from a town after untreated sewage enters a river. Which process most directly explains the deaths?

Water resources and associated problems and remedial measures Medium
A. Nutrients prevent microbial activity in the river
B. Decomposition consumes dissolved oxygen in the water
C. Suspended particles convert directly into dissolved oxygen
D. Sewage increases oxygen production by aquatic plants

27 A forested watershed is cleared for roads, and the nearby reservoir soon receives more sediment. Which forest function was reduced?

Forest resources and associated problems and remedial measures Medium
A. Root-based soil binding and interception of rainfall
B. Conversion of minerals into fossil fuels
C. Production of tides and ocean currents
D. Prevention of all evaporation from soil surfaces

28 A community forest program allows villagers to collect limited fuelwood while protecting young trees and monitoring regeneration. What principle does this illustrate?

Forest resources and associated problems and remedial measures Medium
A. Replacement of native forests with single crops
B. Complete exclusion of local communities
C. Participatory sustainable forest management
D. Unrestricted commercial exploitation

29 A household wants to reduce both electricity costs and carbon emissions. Which change would provide the most direct benefit?

Energy resources and associated problems and remedial measures Medium
A. Replace LED bulbs with incandescent lamps
B. Increase reliance on coal-generated electricity
C. Keep appliances running to avoid repeated starting
D. Install efficient appliances and use rooftop solar power

30 Why is energy conservation considered an important remedy for problems caused by fossil-fuel use?

Energy resources and associated problems and remedial measures Medium
A. It increases the rate at which coal deposits form
B. It converts all fossil fuels into renewable resources
C. It eliminates the need for electricity generation
D. It lowers fuel consumption and associated emissions

31 Which household practice best follows the principles of reduce, reuse, and recycle?

Role of individual in conservation of natural resources Medium
A. Buying disposable goods, burning waste, and mixing recyclables
B. Replacing repairable products and sending all waste to landfills
C. Using extra packaging, discarding containers, and avoiding segregation
D. Buying durable goods, reusing containers, and separating waste

32 In a pond ecosystem, algae capture solar energy, zooplankton eat algae, and bacteria decompose dead matter. Which statement correctly identifies their roles?

Structure and function of ecosystem Medium
A. Algae are producers, zooplankton are consumers, and bacteria are decomposers
B. All three organisms occupy the same trophic level
C. Algae are consumers, zooplankton are decomposers, and bacteria are producers
D. Algae are decomposers, zooplankton are producers, and bacteria are consumers

33 A wetland is drained and converted into a crop field. Which change is most likely to occur?

Types of ecosystem Medium
A. A natural aquatic ecosystem becomes a managed agroecosystem
B. A terrestrial ecosystem becomes a marine ecosystem
C. A managed agroecosystem becomes an undisturbed natural ecosystem
D. A freshwater ecosystem becomes a fossil-fuel ecosystem

34 A reservoir contains water, fish, algae, microbes, dissolved minerals, and sunlight interacting with one another. Why is it considered an ecosystem?

Types of ecosystem Medium
A. It contains interacting biotic and abiotic components
B. It contains only organisms that produce their own food
C. It has no interaction with surrounding environments
D. It is independent of energy input and nutrient cycling

35 If plants in an ecosystem capture units of energy and approximately passes to herbivores, how much energy is available to herbivores?

Energy flow in an ecosystem Medium
A. units
B. units
C. units
D. units

36 Why does energy decrease at successive trophic levels in an ecosystem?

Energy flow in an ecosystem Medium
A. Higher trophic levels create energy through nutrient absorption
B. Producers store all captured energy permanently in their tissues
C. Energy is completely recycled from decomposers to the Sun
D. Organisms use much energy for metabolism and release it as heat

37 In the food chain grass → grasshopper → frog → snake, pesticide use sharply reduces grasshoppers. What is the most immediate likely effect?

Food chains and food webs Medium
A. Grass increases and frogs have less available food
B. Frogs become producers and increase grass growth
C. Snakes increase because grasshoppers are absent
D. Grass decreases and frogs have more available food

38 Why is a food web generally more stable than a single food chain?

Food chains and food webs Medium
A. Energy increases whenever more species are added
B. Decomposers are absent from interconnected feeding systems
C. Every organism occupies exactly one trophic level
D. Organisms may have alternative feeding relationships

39 A single large tree supports many insects and birds. Which ecological pyramid could be inverted in this community?

Ecological pyramids Medium
A. Pyramid of energy
B. Pyramid of productivity
C. Pyramid of numbers
D. Pyramid of heat loss

40 After a volcanic eruption leaves bare rock, lichens appear first, followed by mosses, grasses, shrubs, and trees. This sequence represents:

Ecological succession Medium
A. Artificial selection of species by farmers
B. Seasonal migration caused by changing daylight
C. Primary succession involving gradual soil formation
D. Secondary succession beginning with an established soil layer

41 A groundwater basin receives 100 units of recharge annually. Agricultural pumping is 70 units, natural discharge is 20 units, and industrial pumping is 25 units. Which conclusion is best supported?

Introduction to natural resources Hard
A. The basin has a surplus of 15 units annually
B. The basin has a deficit only if industrial pumping is non-renewable
C. The basin remains balanced because recharge is renewable
D. The basin has a deficit of 15 units annually

42 Which statement most accurately explains why a renewable resource can become functionally non-renewable for a human population?

Renewable and non-renewable resources Hard
A. Its natural formation always requires geological time
B. Its extraction rate exceeds its ecological regeneration rate
C. Its stock cannot be measured using scientific methods
D. Its availability is independent of environmental conditions

43 A sloping agricultural field experiences severe runoff despite annual ploughing. Which intervention would most directly reduce both soil erosion and nutrient loss?

Land resources and associated problems and remedial measures Hard
A. Using contour farming with vegetative cover
B. Ploughing straight down the slope
C. Replacing crops with a single annual species
D. Increasing irrigation during intense rainfall

44 A region has productive soil but declining yields, surface crusting, and rising electrical conductivity in irrigation wells. Which diagnosis and remedy are most appropriate?

Land resources and associated problems and remedial measures Hard
A. Desertification; increase surface irrigation frequency
B. Waterlogging; remove all soil organic matter
C. Acidification; apply only nitrogen fertilizer
D. Salinization; improve drainage and manage irrigation

45 A lake receives nutrient-rich agricultural runoff. After algal decomposition, fish mortality increases mainly because of which sequence?

Water resources and associated problems and remedial measures Hard
A. Algal shading, increased photosynthesis, warming, oxygen recovery
B. Sedimentation, evaporation, cooling, oxygen enrichment
C. Nutrient dilution, plankton decline, decomposition, oxygen enrichment
D. Nutrient enrichment, algal bloom, decomposition, oxygen depletion

46 A city reduces leakage by 20% but continues to experience falling groundwater levels. Which policy would most effectively address the remaining problem?

Water resources and associated problems and remedial measures Hard
A. Increase extraction during the dry season
B. Expand paved surfaces around recharge zones
C. Replace treated wastewater with bottled water
D. Promote rainwater harvesting and demand management

47 A forest plantation has high tree density but supports fewer native birds than a nearby natural forest. Which explanation is most defensible?

Forest resources and associated problems and remedial measures Hard
A. High density always prevents all nutrient cycling
B. Plantations may lack structural and species diversity
C. Natural forests cannot support specialist organisms
D. Bird diversity depends only on total tree biomass

48 A watershed loses forest cover on upper slopes. Which combined change is most likely during intense rainfall?

Forest resources and associated problems and remedial measures Hard
A. Lower evaporation, higher soil stability, and clearer streams
B. Higher runoff, lower infiltration, and greater sediment transport
C. Higher infiltration, lower erosion, and shorter flood peaks
D. Lower runoff, higher infiltration, and reduced sedimentation

49 Two electricity systems provide equal annual output. System A has lower carbon emissions but produces hazardous waste requiring long-term isolation. System B has higher emissions but readily recyclable components. Which assessment is most appropriate?

Energy resources and associated problems and remedial measures Hard
A. System B is automatically preferable because recycling is possible
B. Both require life-cycle assessment across emissions and risks
C. System A is automatically sustainable in every context
D. Neither system can be evaluated without comparing fuel prices

50 A solar-powered irrigation system is installed in a water-stressed region. Which policy package best prevents one environmental problem from intensifying another?

Energy resources and associated problems and remedial measures Hard
A. Restrict sunlight collection during the irrigation season
B. Increase pump capacity and expand water-intensive crops
C. Provide free pumping and remove groundwater monitoring
D. Link pumping limits with efficient irrigation and recharge

51 Which household action generally has the greatest conservation value when it prevents the need to produce and transport a replacement product?

Role of individual in conservation of natural resources Hard
A. Recycling an item after a short use period
B. Repairing and extending the item's useful life
C. Separating waste without reducing consumption
D. Buying a recycled version of the same item

52 If decomposers are removed from an ecosystem while producers and consumers initially remain, which change is most likely over time?

Structure and function of ecosystem Hard
A. Nutrient availability increases indefinitely
B. Energy is recycled more efficiently between trophic levels
C. Primary production remains permanently unchanged
D. Dead organic matter accumulates and nutrient cycling slows

53 A wetland is drained and replaced by an agricultural field. Which ecosystem-level function is most likely to decline immediately, even if food production increases?

Types of ecosystem Hard
A. Solar energy capture by all organisms
B. Floodwater storage and nutrient retention
C. Geological formation of parent rock
D. Atmospheric movement above the region

54 If producers capture kJ of energy and transfer 12% to primary consumers, while secondary consumers receive 15% of primary-consumer energy, how much reaches secondary consumers?

Energy flow in an ecosystem Hard
A. kJ
B. kJ
C. kJ
D. kJ

55 Why can an ecosystem contain substantial energy in detritus even when energy transfer through grazing food chains is relatively low?

Energy flow in an ecosystem Hard
A. Detritivores create energy from inorganic minerals
B. Energy is recycled from decomposers to producers
C. Plant biomass enters decomposition without immediate consumption
D. Dead organic matter receives energy from decomposers

56 In a food web, a pesticide sharply reduces a top predator. Herbivore abundance rises and plant biomass falls. This pattern best illustrates which process?

Food chains and food webs Hard
A. Mutualism between predators and herbivores
B. Primary succession following habitat formation
C. Bottom-up control through nutrient limitation
D. Top-down control through a trophic cascade

57 A biomass pyramid in a pond is inverted, with phytoplankton biomass smaller than zooplankton biomass. Which explanation resolves this apparent contradiction?

Ecological pyramids Hard
A. Pond producers obtain energy from decomposers
B. Phytoplankton have rapid turnover and high production
C. Energy increases at higher trophic levels
D. Zooplankton convert minerals directly into biomass

58 After a volcanic eruption leaves exposed rock with no soil, which sequence best represents primary succession?

Ecological succession Hard
A. Lichens, soil formation, grasses, shrubs, forest
B. Mature forest, grasses, lichens, bare rock
C. Annual crops, shrubs, lichens, mature forest
D. Shrubs, grasses, bare rock, lichens, forest

59 A grassland abandoned after cultivation develops into shrubland and later woodland. Compared with succession on bare rock, this process is generally faster because it begins with which feature?

Ecological succession Hard
A. Greater dependence on geological weathering
B. A complete absence of competing organisms
C. Pre-existing soil, microbes, seeds, and organic matter
D. Permanent elimination of disturbance and herbivory

60 Why is a pyramid of energy always upright, whereas pyramids of biomass or numbers may be inverted?

Ecological pyramids Hard
A. Biomass and numbers are never measured quantitatively
B. Energy is created at each successive trophic level
C. Consumers always contain fewer individuals than producers
D. Energy transfer is inefficient at every trophic transfer