Environment – Medium Level – GK Questions

5. coli is used as an indicator because its presence suggests recent fecal contamination and potential presence of other pathogens.

Ground-level ozone is a harmful pollutant causing respiratory problems; stratospheric ozone protects against UV radiation.

Biomagnification causes toxins like DDT or mercury to increase in concentration as they move up the food chain, affecting top predators most.

Use of firewood, dung cakes, and crop residues in traditional chulhas releases harmful pollutants like carbon monoxide and particulate matter indoors.

Warmer water holds less dissolved oxygen; thermal discharge from industries can stress or kill fish and other aquatic organisms.

Photochemical smog forms when sunlight triggers reactions between NOx and VOCs, producing ozone and other secondary pollutants.

The Lion-tailed Macaque is endemic to the Western Ghats and serves as an umbrella species; protecting it conserves the entire rainforest ecosystem.

Habitat fragmentation due to roads, dams, and urbanization isolates populations, reducing genetic diversity and increasing extinction risk.

Critically Endangered is the highest risk category assigned by IUCN for wild species before Extinct in the Wild and Extinct.

In-situ conservation protects species within their natural ecosystems, such as through national parks and wildlife sanctuaries.

Tamil Nadu, particularly the Western Ghats region, harbors a high number of endemic plant species due to its unique topography and climate.

The tundra biome has permanently frozen subsoil (permafrost), short growing seasons, and supports mosses, lichens, and small shrubs.

Symbiosis includes mutualism (both benefit), commensalism (one benefits, other unaffected), and parasitism (one benefits, other harmed).

Photosynthesis uses sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water to produce glucose and oxygen, forming the base of most food chains.

Keystone species, like sea otters or wolves, maintain ecosystem structure; their removal can cause dramatic changes or collapse.

The pyramid of numbers can be inverted in some ecosystems, such as a tree supporting many insects and birds, where producers are fewer than consumers.

A typical food chain flows from producer (grass) to primary consumer (deer) to secondary consumer (wolf) and finally to decomposers (bacteria).

Humus improves soil fertility, structure, and its ability to retain moisture and nutrients.

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) organizes the annual COP conferences to negotiate climate agreements.

Appiko (meaning 'hug' in Kannada) was inspired by Chipko and aimed to save the natural forests of the Western Ghats from clear-felling.