1
Which of the following is an example of a non-renewable natural resource?
A. Solar energy
B. Coal
C. Wind energy
D. Tidal energy
Correct Answer: Coal
Explanation: Coal is a fossil fuel that takes millions of years to form and cannot be replenished within a human lifespan.
2
What is the primary characteristic of renewable resources?
A. They are available in limited quantities
B. They can be replenished naturally over a short period
C. They cannot be recycled
D. They are man-made resources
Correct Answer: They can be replenished naturally over a short period
Explanation: Renewable resources, like sunlight and wind, regenerate naturally and quickly compared to their consumption rate.
3
Which term describes resources that are derived from living organisms, such as forests and wildlife?
A. Abiotic resources
B. Biotic resources
C. Potential resources
D. Stock resources
Correct Answer: Biotic resources
Explanation: Biotic resources are obtained from the biosphere and have life, such as human beings, flora, and fauna.
4
What is the major cause of land degradation globally?
A. Afforestation
B. Overgrazing
C. Crop rotation
D. Mulching
Correct Answer: Overgrazing
Explanation: Overgrazing strips the land of vegetation, exposing the soil to erosion and compaction, leading to degradation.
5
Deforestation generally leads to which of the following environmental problems?
A. Increase in soil fertility
B. Increase in rainfall
C. Global warming due to increased CO2
D. Decrease in ground temperature
Correct Answer: Global warming due to increased CO2
Explanation: Trees absorb carbon dioxide; their removal results in higher atmospheric CO2 levels, contributing to the greenhouse effect.
6
Which movement in India is famously associated with the protection of trees and forests?
A. Narmada Bachao Andolan
B. Chipko Movement
C. Silent Valley Movement
D. Save the Tiger Project
Correct Answer: Chipko Movement
Explanation: The Chipko Movement began in the 1970s in Uttarakhand, where villagers hugged trees to prevent them from being cut down.
7
What is a significant social impact of constructing large dams?
A. Increased biodiversity
B. Displacement of local communities
C. Creation of new forests
D. Reduction in water conflicts
Correct Answer: Displacement of local communities
Explanation: Large dams often submerge vast areas of land, forcing the relocation of thousands of people and submerging their homes.
8
Which agricultural practice helps in preventing soil erosion?
A. Terrace farming
B. Deforestation
C. Over-irrigation
D. Monoculture
Correct Answer: Terrace farming
Explanation: Terrace farming creates steps on slopes, reducing the speed of water runoff and preventing soil from washing away.
9
What percentage of the Earth's water is fresh water available for human use?
A. About 70%
B. About 30%
C. Less than 1%
D. About 10%
Correct Answer: Less than 1%
Explanation: While 3% of Earth's water is fresh, most is locked in glaciers or underground, leaving less than 1% readily accessible.
10
Which of the following creates a conflict over water resources between states?
A. Rainwater harvesting
B. Construction of check dams
C. Sharing of river water
D. Desalination of ocean water
Correct Answer: Sharing of river water
Explanation: Rivers often flow across state boundaries, leading to disputes over water allocation rights (e.g., Kaveri water dispute).
11
What is the process called when fertile land becomes desert due to drought, deforestation, or inappropriate agriculture?
A. Eutrophication
B. Desertification
C. Salinization
D. Stratification
Correct Answer: Desertification
Explanation: Desertification is land degradation in drylands resulting from various factors, including climatic variations and human activities.
12
Which of the following is a problem associated with the over-exploitation of groundwater?
A. Rising water table
B. Soil aeration
C. Saltwater intrusion in coastal areas
D. Increased river flow
Correct Answer: Saltwater intrusion in coastal areas
Explanation: Pumping out too much fresh groundwater lowers the water table, allowing saline sea water to seep into the aquifer in coastal regions.
13
Which energy resource is obtained from the heat inside the Earth?
A. Solar energy
B. Geothermal energy
C. Biomass energy
D. Hydro energy
Correct Answer: Geothermal energy
Explanation: Geothermal energy utilizes the heat stored beneath the Earth's surface in the form of magma or hot water.
14
What is a major environmental concern regarding nuclear energy?
A. Emission of greenhouse gases
B. Radioactive waste disposal
C. Depletion of oxygen
D. Noise pollution
Correct Answer: Radioactive waste disposal
Explanation: Nuclear power plants produce radioactive waste that remains hazardous for thousands of years and requires difficult, long-term storage.
15
Which gas is the primary component of Biogas?
A. Oxygen
B. Methane
C. Nitrogen
D. Carbon Monoxide
Correct Answer: Methane
Explanation: Biogas is produced by the anaerobic digestion of organic matter and consists mainly of methane (CH4) and carbon dioxide.
16
The '3Rs' principle for conservation of resources stands for:
A. Read, Register, Recall
B. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
C. Random, Rare, Resources
D. Refuse, Reform, Retain
Correct Answer: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
Explanation: The 3Rs represent the hierarchy of waste management strategies to conserve resources and reduce pollution.
17
Which individual action contributes most to water conservation in a household?
A. Leaving the tap running while brushing
B. Fixing leaking taps immediately
C. Washing cars with a hose
D. Taking long showers
Correct Answer: Fixing leaking taps immediately
Explanation: A dripping tap can waste thousands of liters of water a year; fixing it prevents this unnecessary loss.
18
What is 'equitable use of resources' intended to ensure?
A. Resources are used only by the rich
B. Sustainable lifestyles for all
C. Depletion of resources
D. Maximum profit for industries
Correct Answer: Sustainable lifestyles for all
Explanation: Equitable use ensures that resources are shared fairly between developed and developing nations and current and future generations.
19
The term 'Ecosystem' was coined by:
A. Charles Darwin
B. A.G. Tansley
C. Ernst Haeckel
D. E.P. Odum
Correct Answer: A.G. Tansley
Explanation: Arthur G. Tansley introduced the concept of the ecosystem in 1935 to describe the interaction between biotic and abiotic components.
20
Which of the following is an abiotic component of an ecosystem?
A. Bacteria
B. Fungi
C. Temperature
D. Plants
Correct Answer: Temperature
Explanation: Abiotic components are the non-living physical and chemical factors in the environment, such as temperature, light, and water.
21
Organisms that produce their own food using sunlight are called:
A. Heterotrophs
B. Decomposers
C. Autotrophs
D. Saprophytes
Correct Answer: Autotrophs
Explanation: Autotrophs (or producers), such as green plants, synthesize organic compounds from inorganic substances using photosynthesis.
22
What is the primary role of decomposers in an ecosystem?
A. To produce energy
B. To consume herbivores
C. To recycle nutrients
D. To control pollution
Correct Answer: To recycle nutrients
Explanation: Decomposers break down dead organic matter, returning essential nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus to the soil for plants.
23
Which of the following is an example of a Lotic (running water) ecosystem?
A. Pond
B. Lake
C. River
D. Swamp
Correct Answer: River
Explanation: Lotic ecosystems involve flowing water, such as rivers and streams, whereas Lentic ecosystems involve still water like ponds.
24
A forest is an example of which type of ecosystem?
A. Aquatic
B. Terrestrial
C. Artificial
D. Marine
Correct Answer: Terrestrial
Explanation: Terrestrial ecosystems are land-based communities of organisms, including forests, grasslands, and deserts.
25
Which is an example of an artificial (man-made) ecosystem?
A. Tropical rainforest
B. Crop field
C. Ocean
D. Desert
Correct Answer: Crop field
Explanation: Crop fields are managed and maintained by humans for agriculture, making them artificial ecosystems.
26
In a food chain, the transfer of energy takes place from:
A. Consumer to Producer
B. Decomposer to Producer
C. Producer to Consumer
D. Top Carnivore to Herbivore
Correct Answer: Producer to Consumer
Explanation: Energy flows from producers (plants) who capture solar energy, to consumers (herbivores/carnivores) who eat them.
27
According to the 10% law, how much energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next?
A. 10%
B. 50%
C. 90%
D. 100%
Correct Answer: 10%
Explanation: Raymond Lindeman's 10% law states that only about 10% of energy is passed to the next level, while 90% is lost as heat/metabolism.
28
A network of interconnected food chains is called a:
A. Food Cycle
B. Food Web
C. Trophic Level
D. Ecological Pyramid
Correct Answer: Food Web
Explanation: A food web represents the complex feeding relationships in an ecosystem, showing multiple pathways of energy flow.
29
In a grassland ecosystem, a snake eats a frog, which ate a grasshopper, which ate grass. The snake is a:
A. Primary Consumer
B. Secondary Consumer
C. Tertiary Consumer
D. Producer
Correct Answer: Tertiary Consumer
Explanation: Grass (Producer) -> Grasshopper (Primary) -> Frog (Secondary) -> Snake (Tertiary).
30
Which ecological pyramid is always upright?
A. Pyramid of Numbers
B. Pyramid of Biomass
C. Pyramid of Energy
D. None of the above
Correct Answer: Pyramid of Energy
Explanation: The pyramid of energy is always upright because energy is lost as heat at each step; it never flows backward or increases.
31
The pyramid of numbers in a single tree ecosystem is:
A. Upright
B. Inverted
C. Spindle shaped
D. Rectangular
Correct Answer: Inverted
Explanation: One single large tree (producer) supports many herbivores (birds/insects) and even more parasites, creating an inverted shape.
32
The pyramid of biomass in an aquatic ecosystem (pond) is generally:
A. Upright
B. Inverted
C. Linear
D. Circular
Correct Answer: Inverted
Explanation: In aquatic systems, the biomass of producers (phytoplankton) is small but reproduces fast to support a larger biomass of consumers (fish).
33
The gradual process of change in the species structure of an ecological community over time is called:
A. Ecological Succession
B. Evolution
C. Adaptation
D. Food Web
Correct Answer: Ecological Succession
Explanation: Succession is the predictable process where the structure of a biological community evolves over time.
34
Succession that begins on a bare rock where no soil exists is known as:
A. Secondary Succession
B. Primary Succession
C. Tertiary Succession
D. Aquatic Succession
Correct Answer: Primary Succession
Explanation: Primary succession occurs in lifeless areas (e.g., bare rock, lava flow) where soil has not yet formed.
35
Which organisms are typically the 'pioneer species' in Xerosere (rock) succession?
A. Trees
B. Shrubs
C. Lichens
D. Mosses
Correct Answer: Lichens
Explanation: Lichens are hardy organisms that can grow on bare rock and secrete acids to weather the rock into soil.
36
The final, stable community in an ecological succession is called the:
A. Pioneer Community
B. Seral Community
C. Climax Community
D. Intermediate Community
Correct Answer: Climax Community
Explanation: The climax community is the end stage of succession, representing a stable equilibrium with the environment.
37
Secondary succession occurs in which of the following areas?
A. Newly cooled lava
B. Bare rock
C. Flooded land or burned forest
D. Sand dunes
Correct Answer: Flooded land or burned forest
Explanation: Secondary succession happens in areas where a community previously existed but was destroyed, yet the soil remains.
38
In the hydrological cycle, the conversion of water vapor to liquid water is called:
A. Evaporation
B. Transpiration
C. Condensation
D. Precipitation
Correct Answer: Condensation
Explanation: Condensation is the process where water vapor cools and turns back into liquid droplets, forming clouds.
39
Which of the following is a consequence of over-extracting minerals from the earth?
A. Soil enrichment
B. Subsidence of land
C. Improvement of air quality
D. Increase in groundwater level
Correct Answer: Subsidence of land
Explanation: Mining creates hollows underground; when pillars collapse or soil is unstable, the land above can sink or subside.
40
What is 'Jhum cultivation'?
A. Terrace farming
B. Shifting cultivation (Slash and Burn)
C. Organic farming
D. Hydroponics
Correct Answer: Shifting cultivation (Slash and Burn)
Explanation: Jhum is a traditional agricultural practice involving clearing forest land by burning, farming it for a few years, and then abandoning it.
41
Solar cells convert solar energy directly into:
A. Heat energy
B. Electrical energy
C. Mechanical energy
D. Chemical energy
Correct Answer: Electrical energy
Explanation: Photovoltaic cells (solar cells) capture sunlight and use the photovoltaic effect to generate electricity.
42
Which of the following is an example of an estuarine ecosystem?
A. Where a river meets the sea
B. Deep ocean floor
C. High mountain lake
D. Desert oasis
Correct Answer: Where a river meets the sea
Explanation: Estuaries are transition zones where fresh water from rivers mixes with salt water from the ocean.
43
The organisms that feed on dead and decaying matter are called:
A. Herbivores
B. Carnivores
C. Detritivores
D. Omnivores
Correct Answer: Detritivores
Explanation: Detritivores (like earthworms and vultures) feed on detritus (dead organic material).
44
Hydrarch succession takes place in:
A. Dry areas
B. Bare rocks
C. Wet areas / Water bodies
D. Sandy areas
Correct Answer: Wet areas / Water bodies
Explanation: Hydrarch succession starts in water bodies like ponds or lakes and eventually leads to a terrestrial community.
45
Energy flow in an ecosystem is always:
A. Bidirectional
B. Unidirectional
C. Cyclic
D. Multidirectional
Correct Answer: Unidirectional
Explanation: Energy flows from the sun to producers to consumers and leaves as heat; it does not cycle back to the sun.
46
Which of the following creates the base of an ecological pyramid?
A. Producers
B. Primary Consumers
C. Secondary Consumers
D. Decomposers
Correct Answer: Producers
Explanation: The base of the pyramid represents the first trophic level, which always consists of producers (plants/algae).
47
What is the main problem associated with monoculture forestry?
A. It increases biodiversity
B. It makes the forest less susceptible to disease
C. It reduces biodiversity and depletes specific nutrients
D. It prevents timber production
Correct Answer: It reduces biodiversity and depletes specific nutrients
Explanation: Planting a single species (monoculture) limits habitat variety for wildlife and drains specific nutrients from the soil.
48
Which renewable energy source relies on the gravitational pull of the moon?
A. Wind energy
B. Solar energy
C. Tidal energy
D. Geothermal energy
Correct Answer: Tidal energy
Explanation: Tides are caused by the gravitational forces exerted by the Moon and Sun, and this movement is harnessed for energy.
49
Which act serves as a framework for water conservation in India?
A. The Forest Act
B. The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act
C. The Wildlife Protection Act
D. The Mining Act
Correct Answer: The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act
Explanation: This act was enacted in 1974 to provide for the prevention and control of water pollution.
50
The functional aspect of an ecosystem includes:
A. Species composition only
B. Energy flow and nutrient cycling
C. Only abiotic factors
D. Only biotic factors
Correct Answer: Energy flow and nutrient cycling
Explanation: Function refers to how the ecosystem works, which primarily involves the flow of energy and the cycling of materials/nutrients.