Challenge Prelims V1.0 – Day 79 – GS Paper (Environment & Ecology)

1. Consider the following:

It is the largest of the living sea turtles. Jellyfish is its primary food. It is found in the tropical and temperate waters.

Which of the following species is being described above?

2. With reference to Bugun Liocichla, recently seen in news, consider the following statements:

1. It is a migratory bird found seasonally in Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary of Arunachal Pradesh.
2. It was the first bird to be discovered in India since its independence.
3. It has been named in honour of the Bugun community in conserving the wildlife.

How many of the statements given above is/are correct?

3. Consider the following statements regarding the light-mantled albatross:

1. It is a seabird native to the Antarctic seas and forages over the cold Antarctic.
2. It was recently spotted in India for the first time.
3. It is classified as near threatened on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

4. Which of the following statements is not correct regarding the various crocodile species in India?

5. What is the significance of species like ”Schistocerca gregaria, Nomadacris succincta and Anacridium sp”?

6. Consider the following statements with respect to the Neelakurinji flower:

1. It is a shrub found in the Bugyal grasslands of Valley of Flowers National Park.
2. It blooms only once in 12 years.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

7. Recently, India’s first dugong conservation reserve was declared by Tamil Nadu. Consider the following statements regarding Dugongs:

1. In India, they are found only in Palk Bay.
2. They are herbivorous amphibians.
3. They are protected under Schedule 1 of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

How many of the statements given above is/are correct?

8. Why is a plant of genus Acacia (wattle) often mentioned in the news?

9. In the context of marine plant diversity, consider the following statements regarding seagrasses:

1. Seagrasses are non-flowering plants with no roots or stems.
2. Seagrasses are found along all the coastal areas of India.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

10. Consider the following statements regarding Saffron:

1. Saffron is a native of Southern Europe and cultivated in Mediterranean countries.
2. It thrives best in warm sub-tropical climate.
3. Photoperiod exerts a considerable influence in the flowering of saffron.

How many of the statements given above is/are correct?

11. Consider the following statements regarding the Red-Eared Slider Turtles:

1. It is native to the south-eastern USA and Mexico.
2. It poses threat to both local hard and softshell turtles.
3. The species is not mentioned in the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

How many of the statements given above is/are correct?

12. Consider following statements regarding the various species of Dolphins in India:

1. In India, only two sub-species of dolphins, the Ganges river dolphin and the Indus River dolphin are naturally found.
2. The Ganges river dolphin is currently listed on Convention of Migratory Species.
3. River Beas is the only habitat of Indus River dolphin in India.

How many of the statements given above is/are correct?

13. Consider the following statements regarding the migratory monarch butterflies:

1. They undertake the longest migration of any insect species known.
2. They are found in the USA, Australia as well as India.
3. They are classified as endangered in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.

How many of the statements given above is/are correct?

14. Arrange the following biodiversity conservation efforts in India in chronological order from earliest to latest.

1. Project Elephant
2. Project Snow Leopard
3. Project Hangul
4. The Asiatic Lion Reintroduction Project

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

15. Consider the following trees:

1. Bamboo (Bambusa vulgaris)
2. Mulberry (Morus alba)
3. Ebony (Diospyros ebenum)

How many of the above are deciduous trees?