Environment Quiz: Environment & Ecology |14 Apr, 2021

The environment is not static. Both biotic and abiotic factors are in a flux and keep changing continuously.

Source: Shankar 

Consumers – Heterotrophs or phagotrophs (other nourishing): Consumers are incapable of producing their own food (photosynthesis). They depend on organic food derived from plants, animals or both.

Source: NCERT

Ecosystems are capable of maintaining their state of equilibrium. They can regulate their own species structure and functional processes. This capacity of ecosystem of self-regulation is known as homeostasis.

Source: NCERT

Ecotone is a zone of junction between two or more diverse ecosystems. For e.g. the mangrove forests represent an ecotone between marine and terrestrial ecosystem. Other examples are – grassland, estuary and river bank.

Source: Shankar

Carnivorous plants are usually categorized based on the way they catch the insects. There are wide varieties of common predator plants — pitcher plants, sundews, sarracenia, Venus fly trap and butterworts.

Source: The Hindu

The All-India Tiger Estimation done every four years once, it is

Steered by the National Tiger Conservation Authority

Technically supported by Wildlife Institute of India

Implemented by State Forest Departments and partners.

Source: The Hindu

The Climate Investment Funds (CIFs) are implemented by the Multilateral Development Banks (MDBs) to bridge the financing and learning gap between international climate change agreements.

• They were designed by developed and developing countries. The World Bank is the Trustee of the CIFs.
• It includes a “sunset clause” to ensure that the Fund’s activities do not prejudice the outcome on the UNFCCC negotiations.

CIFs are two distinct funds

• Clean Technology Fund
• Strategic Climate Fund.

The CTF promotes scaled-up financing for demonstration, deployment and transfer of low carbon technologies with a significant potential for long-term greenhouse gas emissions savings.

Source: World Bank

Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF) and Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) are being introduced with the roll-out of BS VI norms, which were not a part of BS IV.

• Real Driving Emission (RDE) will be introduced in India for the first time with the implementation of Bharat Stage VI emission norms.
• It will measure a vehicle’s emission in real-time conditions against laboratory conditions.
• Onboard Diagnostics (OD) has been made mandatory for all vehicles which will give the vehicle owner or repair technician access to the status of the various vehicle sub-systems.

Source: MOEFCC

Petcoke is a by-product (carbonaceous solid) of the oil refinery process mainly “the bottom of the barrel.”

It is characterized as a high-grade fuel with high calorific value of more than 8,000 Kcal per kg, having low ash content and low volatile matter but high Sulphur content, up to 7%.

Source: Indian Express

The permissible limit according to the World Health Organization (WHO) is 30 microgram per litre.

• However, unlike the limits for arsenic and other toxic or heavy metals specified in the under Bureau of Indian Standards’ Drinking Water Specifications, there is no limit maintained for uranium.

• Earlier, a report brought by Central Ground Water Board noted widespread uranium contamination in groundwater from aquifers across 16 states in India including Punjab, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Haryana, etc.

Uranium can cause serious ailments such as:

• If uranium-laced water, more than permissible level, is consumed for long, it can cause thyroid cancer, blood cancer, depression and other serious ailments.
• Some studies have also linked the excessive ingestion of uranium to chronic kidneys disease.

Source: Down to Earth