Environmental Geography Questions and Answers

Answer: A

The key's answer is A, B, C all are correct.

A is correct: the Ganges river dolphin lives in the fresh water of the Ganga-Brahmaputra river system (and in the Meghna and Karnaphuli). B is correct: the Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary lies on the Ganga near Bhagalpur in Bihar, a protected area set up for this dolphin. C is correct: the dolphin needs clean, deep and flowing water, so its presence is taken as an indicator of a healthy river; it was declared India's national aquatic animal in 2009.

Since all three statements are true, the options calling A, B or C incorrect are wrong.

Answer: A

The statements that help sustainable development are (a), (c) and (d).

Sustainable development means using resources carefully so that present needs are met while enough is left for future generations. Reducing consumption (a), recycling (c) and reusing things (d), the 'three Rs', all lower the demand on limited resources.

Increasing resource use (b) works against sustainability and would deplete resources faster, so every option that includes (b) is wrong.

Answer: C

The statements describe coniferous forests.

The coniferous forests of the Northern Hemisphere lie in the higher latitudes, roughly 50° to 70° N, in Canada, Scandinavia and Siberia. They are also called taiga, and are made up of tall softwood evergreens such as pine, fir and spruce.

Temperate grasslands and temperate deciduous forests lie in the mid-latitudes, and Mediterranean vegetation is found around the Mediterranean Sea and on the west coasts of continents near 30°-40°.

Answer: A

Shelter belts help in checking wind movement to protect soil cover.

Shelter belts are rows of trees planted to break the force of the wind. They are used in dry and coastal areas, such as western India, to check wind erosion and the movement of sand dunes and so protect the soil cover.

Slowing water flow and preventing gullies are the work of other measures, such as contour ploughing, terracing, check dams and contour barriers. Mulching is the usual method for retaining soil moisture.

Answer: B

The measures are (a), (c), (d) only: mulching, terrace farming and inter cropping.

Mulching covers the bare soil between plants with a layer of organic matter such as straw, which protects it from rain and wind and retains moisture. Terrace farming cuts broad steps into hill slopes, slowing the flow of water so that it does not wash the soil away. Inter cropping grows different crops in alternate rows, so the soil is covered at different times and is protected from rain wash, and different crops use the soil's nutrients differently.

Over grazing (b) is a cause of soil erosion: animals strip the vegetation that holds the soil together. Every option including (b) is therefore wrong.

Answer: D

The correct statements are Only (a), (b) and (d).

The Amazon basin lies on the equator, so it is hot and wet throughout the year (a). People clear patches of forest, burn the vegetation and grow crops for a few years before moving on, which is slash and burn agriculture (b). The dense forest and the many rivers make roads difficult, so aeroplanes and helicopters are used to reach various places in the basin (d).

Statement (c) is wrong. The staple crop of the Amazon's people is cassava (manioc), along with crops such as maize, sweet potatoes and bananas; paddy (rice) is not their main crop. Options containing (c) are therefore wrong.

Answer: B

Water holding capacity is highest in clayey soil.

Clay particles are the finest of all soil particles. Their huge combined surface area and the tiny pores between them hold water by adhesion and capillarity, so a clayey soil soaks up and retains much more water than the others, which is also why it becomes waterlogged and sticky when wet.

Sandy soil has large particles and large pores, so water drains through it quickly and its capacity is the lowest. Loamy soil is a balanced mixture and holds a moderate amount, and a mixture of sand and loam holds less again because of the extra sand.

Answer: C

The National Centre for Disaster Management was established in 1995.

The NCDM was set up in 1995 at the Indian Institute of Public Administration in New Delhi to train officials and research disaster management. It was upgraded and renamed the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) in 2003, and the Disaster Management Act of 2005 made the NIDM a statutory body.

2005 is the year of the Disaster Management Act and of the National Disaster Management Authority. 1975 and 1985 are not connected with the Centre.

Answer: C

The post-disaster measure is Reconstruction.

Disaster management is described as a cycle: mitigation and preparedness before a disaster, response during it, and recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction after it. Rebuilding houses, roads and services is done only once the disaster has struck.

Early warning, land-use zoning and planning and policies are all pre-disaster measures meant to reduce the damage before it happens.

Answer: A

The National Disaster Management Authority was formed in 2005.

The government set up the NDMA by an executive order in May 2005, and the Disaster Management Act, passed in December 2005, gave it statutory status as the apex body for disaster management, chaired by the Prime Minister.

2006 is the year the National Disaster Response Force was constituted under the same Act. 2008 and 2011 have no connection with the formation of the NDMA.