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Q1Environment·Forests, Wetlands and Coastal EcologyPYQ 2018
Consider the following statements:
1. Most of the world's coral reefs are in tropical waters.
2. More than one-third of the world's coral reefs are located in the territories of Australia, Indonesia and Philippines.
3. Coral reefs host far more number of animal phyla than those hosted by tropical rainforests.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- A1 and 2 only
- B3 only
- C1 and 3 only
- D1, 2 and 3Correct
Explanation
Correct. Coral reefs occur predominantly in warm tropical waters, the three named territories together hold over one-third of global reef area, and ocean reefs support roughly 32 of the 34 known animal phyla compared to about 9 in tropical rainforests.
Q2Environment·Forests, Wetlands and Coastal EcologyPYQ 2016
What is/are unique about 'Kharai Camel', a breed found in India?
1. It is capable of swimming up to three kilometres in seawater.
2. It survives by grazing on mangroves.
3. It lives in the wild and cannot be domesticated.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
- A1 and 2 onlyCorrect
- B3 only
- C1 and 3 only
- D1, 2 and 3
Explanation
Correct. The Kharai Camel of Kutch can swim long distances in coastal waters and feeds on mangrove vegetation; however, it is a domesticated breed reared by Jat and Rabari pastoralists.
Q3Environment·Forests, Wetlands and Coastal EcologyPYQ 2015
Which one of the following regions of India has a combination of mangrove forest, evergreen forest and deciduous forest?
- ANorth Coastal Andhra Pradesh
- BSouth-West Bengal
- CSouthern Saurashtra
- DAndaman and Nicobar IslandsCorrect
Explanation
Correct. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands have extensive mangroves along the coast, tropical wet evergreen forests in the interior, and deciduous forests at lower elevations, making them the only listed region with all three types.
Q4Environment·Forests, Wetlands and Coastal EcologyPYQ 2014
Which of the following have coral reefs?
1. Andaman and Nicobar Islands
2. Gulf of Kachchh
3. Gulf of Mannar
4. Sunderbans
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
- A1, 2 and 3 onlyCorrect
- B2 and 4 only
- C1 and 3 only
- D1, 2, 3 and 4
Explanation
Correct. Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Gulf of Kachchh and Gulf of Mannar are the three major coral reef regions of India. The Sunderbans is a mangrove-dominated delta with high turbidity and freshwater inflow, which is unsuitable for coral reef formation.
Q5Environment·Forests, Wetlands and Coastal EcologyPYQ 2011
The 2004 Tsunami made people realize that mangroves can serve as a reliable safety hedge against coastal calamities. How do mangroves function as a safety hedge?
- AThe mangrove swamps separate the human settlements from the sea by a wide zone in which people neither live nor venture out.
- BThe mangroves provide both food and medicines which people are in need of after any natural disaster.
- CThe mangrove trees are tall with dense canopies and serve as an excellent shelter during a cyclone or Tsunami.
- DThe mangrove trees do not get uprooted by storms and tides because of their extensive roots.Correct
Explanation
Correct. The dense, interlocking prop and pneumatophore root systems of mangroves anchor them firmly in soft sediment, enabling them to withstand and attenuate the force of storm surges and tsunami waves.
Q6Environment·Forests, Wetlands and Coastal EcologyPYQ 1996
Assertion (A): Mangroves are very specialised forest ecosystems of tropical and subtropical regions bordering certain sea coasts.
Reason (R): They stabilise the shoreline and act as a bulwark against encroachments by sea.
In the context of the above two statements, which one of the following is correct?
- ABoth A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of ACorrect
- BBoth A and R are true but R is not a correct explanation of A
- CA is true but R is false
- DA is false but R is true
Explanation
Correct. Mangroves are indeed specialised coastal forest ecosystems of the tropics and subtropics, and their ability to stabilise shorelines through sediment trapping and wave attenuation is a key reason for their existence in these coastal zones.
Q7Environment·Forests, Wetlands and Coastal Ecology
The Sundarbans mangrove forest is shared between India and which other country?
- AMyanmar
- BSri Lanka
- CBangladeshCorrect
- DIndonesia
Explanation
Correct. The Sundarbans spans the Ganges-Brahmaputra delta, with roughly 60 percent in Bangladesh and 40 percent in India (West Bengal).
Q8Environment·Forests, Wetlands and Coastal Ecology
Which of the following statements about mangrove ecosystems is/are correct?
1. Mangroves are found only along India's eastern coast.
2. Mangroves act as carbon sinks and can sequester carbon at rates higher than most terrestrial forests.
3. Mangrove forests support both marine and terrestrial food webs.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
- A2 and 3 onlyCorrect
- B1 and 2 only
- C3 only
- D1, 2 and 3
Explanation
Correct. Mangroves are found on both coasts of India (western coast examples include Gujarat and Maharashtra). They are efficient blue-carbon sinks and support interconnected marine-terrestrial food webs.
Q9Environment·Forests, Wetlands and Coastal Ecology
Which of the following statements about the relationship between mangroves and fisheries is correct?
- AMangroves have no connection with marine fisheries productivity
- BMangroves serve as nursery and breeding grounds for many commercially important fish and shrimp speciesCorrect
- CMangroves reduce fish populations by consuming fish larvae
- DMangroves support only freshwater fish species
Explanation
Correct. Mangrove root systems provide sheltered nursery habitats for juvenile fish, shrimp and crabs; an estimated 75 percent of commercially caught tropical fish and shellfish spend part of their life cycle in mangroves.
Q10Environment·Forests, Wetlands and Coastal Ecology
Which of the following is the correct sequence of mangrove species zonation from the seaward edge to the landward edge in a typical Indian mangrove forest?
- AAvicennia — Rhizophora — Bruguiera
- BRhizophora — Avicennia — BruguieraCorrect
- CBruguiera — Rhizophora — Avicennia
- DAvicennia — Bruguiera — Rhizophora
Explanation
Correct. In a typical zonation, Rhizophora (with stilt roots) colonises the outermost seaward zone, Avicennia occupies the middle zone, and Bruguiera and other species dominate the landward fringe.
Q11Environment·Forests, Wetlands and Coastal Ecology
Which one of the following is a characteristic feature of coral polyps?
- AThey are autotrophic organisms that produce their own food through chemosynthesis.
- BThey are tiny, soft-bodied animals belonging to phylum Cnidaria that secrete a hard calcium carbonate skeleton.Correct
- CThey are large, mobile crustaceans that build reef structures from chitin.
- DThey are colonial algae that deposit silica to form reef frameworks.
Explanation
Correct. Coral polyps are cnidarian animals (related to jellyfish and anemones) that extract calcium and carbonate from seawater to build rigid limestone skeletons, which accumulate over time to form reefs.
Q12Environment·Forests, Wetlands and Coastal Ecology
Which of the following best describes the ecological significance of the 'ecotone' between mangroves and adjacent terrestrial forests?
- AIt is a barren zone where neither marine nor terrestrial species can survive
- BIt is a transition zone that often supports higher species diversity than either adjoining ecosystem aloneCorrect
- CIt is always dominated by invasive alien species
- DIt has no ecological importance and is merely a geographical boundary
Explanation
Correct. The ecotone between mangroves and terrestrial forests is a transition zone that exhibits the 'edge effect', often harbouring species from both ecosystems and sometimes unique species adapted to the transitional conditions.