Environment – GK Questions

Secondary pollutants are not emitted directly but form when primary pollutants react in the atmosphere. Ground-level ozone is a classic example.

Sulphur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) react with water, oxygen, and other chemicals to form sulfuric and nitric acids.

Higher BOD indicates higher levels of organic pollution in water, as more oxygen is consumed by aerobic bacteria.

Minamata disease is a neurological syndrome caused by severe mercury poisoning, specifically methylmercury in industrial wastewater.

Cryopreservation involves preserving cells, tissues, or seeds at very low temperatures (liquid nitrogen) and is a form of ex-situ conservation.

The Dodo was a flightless bird endemic to Mauritius that went extinct in the late 17th century due to human activities.

Endemic species are native and restricted to a specific place and are not naturally found anywhere else in the world.

Project Tiger was launched on April 1, 1973, to protect the endangered Bengal tiger in India.

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) uses the Giant Panda as its logo, inspired by a panda named Chi-Chi.

Ex-situ conservation involves protecting species outside their natural habitats, such as in zoos or seed banks.

In-situ conservation involves protecting species in their natural habitats, such as national parks and wildlife sanctuaries.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) maintains the Red List of Threatened Species.

Alpha diversity is the diversity within a particular area or ecosystem. Gamma diversity refers to the total diversity across a landscape.

India has four biodiversity hotspots: the Himalayas, Western Ghats, North-East India, and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.

Benthos are the community of organisms that live on, in, or near the bottom sediments of a body of water.

Primary succession occurs on bare rock. Secondary succession happens in areas where a community has been cleared but soil remains.

Abiotic factors are non-living chemical and physical parts of the environment, such as temperature, light, and water.

An ecotone is a transition area between two biological communities, where two communities meet and integrate.

Edaphology is the study of the influence of soils on living things, particularly plants.

A food chain always begins with a producer (autotroph), such as a green plant, not a consumer.