UPSC Essentials | Daily subject-wise quiz — Environment, Geography, Science and Technology (Week 44)Premium Story

UPSC Essentials brings to you its initiative of subject-wise quizzes. These quizzes are designed to help you revise some of the most important topics from the static part of the syllabus. Each day, we will cover one new subject. Attempt today’s subject quiz on Environment, Geography, Science and Technology to check your progress. Come back tomorrow to solve the Economy Quiz.

Consider the following:

1. Animals

2. Plants

3. Fungi

4. Hybrids of species

5. Micro-organisms

How many of the above are included on the IUCN Red List?

(a) Only two

(b) Only three

(d) All five

Consider the following statements about Aichi Biodiversity Targets:

1. They were adopted during the 2010 Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) summit in Montreal.

2. No single country met the all 20 Aichi Targets within its own borders.

3. One of its most notable aim was to protect or conserve 17% of all land and inland waters and 10% of the ocean by the end of the decade.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(d) None

This wetland lies downstream of Wular Lake with which it is connected, and forms an important site for biodiversity conservation. It lies on the Central Asian Flyway; over 40,000 migratory and resident bird species have been recorded annually. This wetland is located within the Jhelum River basin and plays a significant role in flood control, aquifer recharge, and regulating the water flow of Wular Lake.

The above-mentioned lines refer to which of the following wetland?

(a) Hokera Wetland

(b) Renuka Wetland

(d) Hygam Wetland

Consider the following:

1. Chandra’s Surface Thermophysical Experiment (ChaSTE) to measure the thermal conductivity and temperature.

2. Instrument for Lunar Seismic Activity (ILSA) for measuring the seismicity around the landing site.

3. Langmuir Probe (LP) to estimate the plasma density and its variations.

4. Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS) for deriving the elemental composition in the vicinity of landing site.

How many of the above payloads were inducted in the Lander Payload of the Chandrayaan-3 mission?

(a) Only one

(b) Only two

(d) All four

The United Nations declared 2024 the International Year of:

(a) Creative Economy for Sustainable Development

(b) Millets

(d) Camelids

FYI:

— The blue-finned Mahseer, which was on the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) red list of endangered species, has now moved to the ‘least concern’ status.

— Animals, plant and fungi species, subspecies, varieties (plants only) and subpopulations can be assessed on the Red List.

— However, subspecies, variations, and subpopulations cannot be evaluated until the animal, plant, or fungal species has been evaluated.

— Although it is not recommended, undescribed species may be listed in exceptional cases where there is a demonstrated benefit to conservation. Microorganisms, domesticated taxa, and hybrid species are not listed on the Red List.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

(Other Source: http://www.iucnredlist.org)

FYI:

— The Aichi Targets, adopted during the 2010 CBD summit in Nagoya, located in Japan’s Aichi prefecture, included goals such as reducing deforestation by at least half during the coming decade and curbing pollution so that it no longer harmed ecosystems. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

— Many of the targets, however, included vague language and did not hold countries to a specific action, experts say.

— The most notable Aichi objective — and one of the few to include a numerical goal — aimed to protect or conserve 17% of all land and inland waters and 10% of the ocean by the end of the decade. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

— Many of the 24 conservation targets under discussion at the 15th Conference of the Parties (COP15) aim to avoid past mistakes and improve on the world’s last set of conservation goals — the Aichi Biodiversity Targets that expired in 2020. No single country met all 20 Aichi Targets within its own borders, according to a September 2020 UN assessment. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

Therefore, option (b) is the correct answer.

FYI:

— The Hygam wetland lies downstream of another Ramsar Site, Wular Lake, with which it is connected, and forms an important site for biodiversity conservation.

— It lies on the Central Asian Flyway; over 40,000 migratory and resident bird species have been recorded annually. The wetland also supports mammals, amphibians, and fish including the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra), common carp (Cyprinus carpio) and common pochard (Aythya ferina).

— The wetland is located within the Jhelum River basin and plays a significant role in flood control, aquifer recharge, and regulating the water flow of Wular Lake.

— This wetland provides local communities with a range of “ecosystem services”, providing fish, wood and clean water, and regulating the local climate.

— However, it is increasingly threatened by continuous siltation, willow plantations and nutrient accumulation. To tackle these issues, the government of Jammu and Kashmir has been implementing an integrated management action plan since 2002.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

(Other Source: rsis.ramsar.org)

FYI:

— Chandrayaan-3 is a follow-on mission to Chandrayaan-2 to demonstrate end-to-end capability in safe landing and roving on the lunar surface.

— It consists of Lander and Rover configuration.

Lander payloads

— Chandra’s Surface Thermophysical Experiment (ChaSTE) to measure the thermal conductivity and temperature;

— Instrument for Lunar Seismic Activity (ILSA) for measuring the seismicity around the landing site;

— Langmuir Probe (LP) to estimate the plasma density and its variations.

— A passive Laser Retroreflector Array from NASA is accommodated for lunar laser ranging studies.

Rover payloads

— Alpha Particle X-ray Spectrometer (APXS) and Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscope (LIBS) for deriving the elemental composition in the vicinity of landing site.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

FYI:

— The International Year of Camelids (IYC 2024) was proclaimed by the UN.

— The Year will emphasise how vital camelids are to the means of subsistence for millions of households in dangerous situations in more than 90 nations, especially for local communities and Indigenous Peoples.

— Camelids—which include alpacas, Bactrian camels, dromedaries, guanacos, llamas, and vicuñas—have a significant cultural and social value for people worldwide and contribute to food security, nutrition, and economic prosperity.

— The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) pertaining to the eradication of extreme poverty, the empowerment of women, the battle against hunger, and the sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems are significantly advanced by camelids.

— Camelids flourish in environments where other livestock animals cannot, thanks to their ability to provide milk, meat, and fibre for communities to transport goods and people as well as organic fertiliser.

Therefore, option (d) is the correct answer.

(Source: http://www.fao.org)

Daily subject-wise quiz — Polity and Governance (Week 44)

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