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Environment and Natural Resources: 50 Important Questions

Comprehensive practice questions and explanations covering core ecology and environmental science topics. Focuses on ecosystems, trophic dynamics, global environmental treaties, pollution indicators, and natural resource conservation.

Teaching
Environment
English · 9 topics
Checked against the video on 25 Oct 2026

Made by AI from the YouTube video SUPER TET 2026 Science | Environment & Natural Resources | 50 Most Important MCQs | Class 24 (opens YouTube in a new tab) by Balaji Study Adda, then checked against it. All credit for the teaching goes to the creator. Tap a topic’s time to confirm a fact in the video.

Environment and Natural Resources: 50 Important Questions

English9 topics · 5 MCQs · 12 flashcardsWatch the video (opens YouTube in a new tab)

Checked against the video

In short

Comprehensive practice questions and explanations covering core ecology and environmental science topics. Focuses on ecosystems, trophic dynamics, global environmental treaties, pollution indicators, and natural resource conservation.

Ecosystem Basics and Biotic Components

Environment encompasses all living and non-living surroundings that influence an organism's life, including air, water, soil, and living beings.
Must knowBiotic components of an ecosystem consist of all living organisms, classified into producers, consumers, and decomposers.
Green plants act as producers (autotrophs) using photosynthesis and occupy the first trophic level in food chains.
Decomposers, such as bacteria and fungi, break down dead organisms and organic wastes, returning essential nutrients to the soil.
Earthworms serve as biotic decomposers/detritivores, while light, water, air, and temperature represent abiotic components.

Energy Flow and Trophic Dynamics

An ecosystem is defined as the functional structural unit formed by interactions between biotic and abiotic components in a specific area.
The Sun serves as the primary and ultimate source of energy for all terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems on Earth.
Must knowEnergy flow through food chains is strictly unidirectional, transferring from producers to consumers without flowing back to the Sun.
A food web represents a complex, interconnected network of multiple food chains operating within an ecosystem.
According to Lindeman's 10% law, only 10% of the energy is transferred from one trophic level to the next, while 90% is dissipated as heat.

Ecological Pyramids and Adaptations

In an ecological pyramid, producers occupy the broad base because their abundance and total energy are the highest.
Desert plants like cactus modify their leaves into thorns to minimise water loss via transpiration, a structural adaptation.
Biogeochemical cycles circulate vital nutrients such as carbon, nitrogen, and water between living organisms and the abiotic environment.
Condensation is the phase change where water vapour cools upon contact with cold air to form liquid water droplets and clouds.
Must knowSolar energy, wind, and water are renewable resources, whereas fossil fuels like coal and petroleum are exhaustible non-renewable resources.

Ecological Terminology and Concepts

Ernst Haeckel coined the term ecology in 1866 by combining the Greek words *oikos* (house) and *logos* (study).
Must knowA.G. Tansley formulated the term and unified concept of the ecosystem in the year 1935.
Eduard Suess first introduced the term biosphere in 1875 to denote the global ecological system integrating all living beings.
Charles Elton introduced the concept of ecological pyramids (numbers, biomass, and energy) in 1927.
Sustainable development meets present needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own, as defined by the Brundtland Commission in 1987.

Water and Forest Conservation

Oceans and saline bodies cover approximately 71% of Earth's surface, with about 97% of total water being saline and non-potable.
Drip irrigation delivers water drop by drop directly to plant roots, achieving 30% to 70% water savings compared to traditional methods.
Rainwater harvesting collects rooftop runoff to recharge groundwater reserves and maintain local water tables.
Must knowThe Chipko Movement of 1973 in Uttarakhand, led by Sunderlal Bahuguna, mobilised communities to hug trees to prevent deforestation.
Deforestation causes accelerated soil erosion and increases the risk and severity of floods because roots no longer anchor topsoil.
The India State of Forest Report (2023) records total forest cover at 21.76%, which rises to 24.62% when combined with tree cover.

Atmospheric Pollution and Acid Rain

Primary pollutants are emitted directly into the atmosphere, including carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2), and particulate matter.
Secondary pollutants like ozone (O3) and peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) form via chemical reactions involving primary pollutants in the atmosphere.
Must knowAcid rain is primarily caused by sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) reacting with atmospheric water vapour to yield sulfuric and nitric acids.
Excessive accumulation of carbon dioxide (CO2), the primary greenhouse gas, amplifies the greenhouse effect and drives global warming.
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) release chlorine that catalytically destroys ozone molecules in the stratosphere, forming ozone holes.

Water Pollution Diseases and Environmental Accords

Excess mercury (Hg) pollution in drinking water causes Minamata disease, a severe neurological condition first identified in Japan.
Cadmium (Cd) contamination in water sources induces Itai-Itai disease, characterised by debilitating joint and bone pain.
Must knowInfant exposure to high nitrate concentrations in drinking water leads to Blue Baby Syndrome (methemoglobinemia).
Sound intensity is measured in decibels (dB), with exposure levels exceeding 55 dB classified as harmful noise pollution.
The Montreal Protocol (1987) mandated reductions in the production and emission of ozone-depleting substances, primarily CFCs.
The Kyoto Protocol (1997) established binding emissions reduction targets on greenhouse gases for industrialised nations.
The Paris Agreement (2015) committed signatories to holding global average temperature rise well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels.

Wildlife Protection and Environmental Standards

National parks prohibit human settlements, grazing, and commercial exploitation, giving complete statutory protection to wildlife.
Must knowThe Ramsar Convention, signed in 1971 in Ramsar, Iran, established a global framework for the conservation of wetlands.
Jim Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand, established in 1936 (originally Hailey National Park), was India's first national park.
Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve was designated in 1986 as India's first official biosphere reserve.
Project Tiger was launched by the Government of India in 1973 to protect declining Bengal tiger populations.
The Environment (Protection) Act was passed in 1986 following the industrial disaster of the 1984 Bhopal Gas Tragedy.
World Environment Day is celebrated globally every year on June 5.

Biofuels and Sustainable Certification

Biodiesel is primarily extracted from the non-edible seeds of *Jatropha curcas* (Ratanjot) and *Pongamia pinnata* (Karanj).
The waste management hierarchy follows the 3R principle: Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle.
Must knowThe Eco-mark label, represented by an earthen pot (*matka*), certifies household and consumer goods meeting environmental friendliness criteria.
AGMARK is a quality certification mark issued by the Directorate of Marketing and Inspection (Ministry of Agriculture) for agricultural products.
Removing all decomposers from an ecosystem leads to catastrophic waste accumulation and halts essential biogeochemical nutrient cycling.

Key terms

Ecosystem: Functional biological unit consisting of interacting biotic and abiotic components in a specific environment
Producer: Autotrophic organism (such as a green plant) that synthesises its own food via photosynthesis
Decomposer: Heterotrophic microbe (fungus or bacterium) that breaks down dead organic matter and recycles nutrients
10% Law: Trophic efficiency rule stating only 10% of energy transfers to the subsequent trophic level
Primary Pollutant: Harmful substance emitted directly into the troposphere in an active toxic form
Secondary Pollutant: Toxic substance created via chemical interactions between primary pollutants and atmospheric components
Eco-mark: Indian certification label featuring an earthen pot awarded to consumer goods meeting ecological standards

Quick revision

Read these the night before the exam.

Ernst Haeckel coined ecology in 1866; A.G. Tansley coined ecosystem in 1935.
The Sun provides the primary, non-cyclic driving energy for almost all planetary ecosystems.
Lindeman formulated the 10% ecological energy transfer efficiency principle.
Sustainable development was formally defined in 1987 by the Brundtland Commission report.
India's total forest cover stood at 21.76% according to the ISFR 2023 assessment.
Acid precipitation forms when SO2 and NOx react with atmospheric moisture to produce H2SO4 and HNO3.
Mercury ingestion induces Minamata disease; cadmium poisoning causes Itai-Itai disease.
Blue Baby Syndrome results from excessive nitrate concentrations in infant drinking water.
The Montreal Protocol was agreed upon in 1987 to phase out ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons.
The Environment (Protection) Act was passed by the Indian Parliament in 1986.

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