54 practice questions on Forests & Forestry from the Environment & Ecology section of the UPSC Prelims syllabus.
54 come with a written explanation and 19 are actual previous year questions.
Try the sample set below - the answer stays hidden until you ask for it.
9 Easy34 Medium11 Hard19 from past papers
Sample questions
Q1
Previous year questionhard
One of the following regions has the world's largest tropical peatland, which holds about three years' worth of global carbon emissions from fossil fuels, and the possible destruction of which can exert a detrimental effect on the global climate. Which one of the following denotes that region?
AAmazon Basin
BCongo Basin
CKikori Basin
DRio de la Plata Basin
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B - Congo Basin
The central Congo Basin contains the Cuvette Centrale peatlands, the world's largest tropical peatland complex, storing carbon equivalent to about three years of global fossil-fuel emissions, so option (b) is correct. The Amazon Basin has extensive rainforest but its peat stores are smaller than the Congo's. The Kikori Basin in Papua New Guinea and the Rio de la Plata Basin in South America do not host peatlands of comparable scale. Hence the Congo Basin is the region described.
Q2
Previous year questionhard
Consider the following statements :
1. Moringa (drumstick tree) is a leguminous evergreen tree.
2. Tamarind tree is endemic to South Asia.
3. In India, most of the tamarind is collected as minor forest produce.
4. India exports tamarind and seeds of moringa.
5. Seeds of moringa and tamarind can be used in the production of biofuels.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
A1, 2, 4 and 5
B3, 4 and 5
C1, 3 and 4
D1, 2, 3 and 5
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B - 3, 4 and 5
Moringa belongs to the family Moringaceae and is not a legume, and it is deciduous rather than truly evergreen, so statement 1 is wrong, and the tamarind is native to tropical Africa, not endemic to South Asia, so statement 2 is wrong. Most tamarind in India is gathered as minor forest produce, India is a leading exporter of tamarind and moringa seeds, and the oil-bearing seeds of both can be used for biofuel, so statements 3, 4 and 5 are correct. This matches the official UPSC key answer of '3, 4 and 5', so the wrong combinations are those that wrongly include the false statements 1 and 2.
Q3
Previous year questionmedium
With reference to 'Forest Carbon Partnership Facility', which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. It is a global partnership of governments, businesses, civil society and indigenous peoples.
2. It provides financial aid to universities, individual scientists and institutions involved in scientific forestry research to develop eco-friendly and climate adaptation technologies for sustainable forest management.
3. It assists the countries in their 'REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation+)' efforts by providing them with financial and technical assistance.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
A1 only
B2 and 3 only
C1 and 3 only
D1, 2 and 3
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: C - 1 and 3 only
The Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF), housed at the World Bank, is a global partnership of governments, businesses, civil society and indigenous peoples (1 correct) that helps developing countries implement REDD+ by providing finance and technical support (3 correct). It does not function as a fund for university or individual scientific forestry research (2 is wrong). Therefore the answer is 1 and 3 only, and options with statement 2 or omitting statement 3 are wrong.
Q4
Previous year questionhard
Consider the following States:
1. Chhattisgarh
2. Madhya Pradesh
3. Maharashtra
4. Odisha
With reference to the States mentioned above, in terms of percentage of forest cover to the total area of State, which one of the following is the correct ascending order?
A2-3-1-4
B2-3-4-1
C3-2-4-1
D3-2-1-4
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: C - 3-2-4-1
Going by the India State of Forest Report figures for the percentage of geographical area under forest cover, Maharashtra has about 16.5 percent, Madhya Pradesh about 25 percent, Odisha about 33 percent and Chhattisgarh about 41 percent. The ascending order is therefore Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, that is 3-2-4-1. The common trap is that Madhya Pradesh has the largest forest cover in absolute area, which misleads candidates into placing it high, but as a percentage of state area it ranks below Odisha and Chhattisgarh. The other sequences misplace either Chhattisgarh or Odisha and are wrong.
Q5
Previous year questionmedium
If you travel through the Himalayas, you are likely to see which of the following plants naturally growing there? 1. Oak 2. Rhododendron 3. Sandalwood
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
A1 and 2 only
B3 only
C1 and 3 only
D1, 2 and 3
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A - 1 and 2 only
Oak forests and Rhododendron are characteristic of the temperate Himalayan slopes, so statements 1 and 2 are correct. Sandalwood is a tree of the dry tropical regions of peninsular India, especially Karnataka, and does not grow naturally in the Himalayas, so statement 3 is wrong. Hence 1 and 2 only.
Q6
Previous year questionmedium
Consider the following trees:
1. Jackfruit (Artocarpus heterophyllus)
2. Mahua (Madhuca longifolia)
3. Teak (Tectona grandis)
How many of the above are deciduous trees?
AOnly one
BOnly two
CAll three
DNone
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B - Only two
Two of the listed trees are deciduous, so the answer is Only two. Mahua and teak shed their leaves in the dry season and are classic deciduous species of tropical India. Jackfruit, by contrast, is an evergreen tree that retains its foliage year-round, so it does not count. With exactly two deciduous trees among the three, the Only one, All three and None options are wrong.
Q7
Previous year questionhard
Consider the following:
1. Cashew
2. Papaya
3. Red sanders
How many of the above trees are actually native to India?
AOnly one
BOnly two
CAll three
DNone
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A - Only one
Only red sanders is native to India, found in the forests of the southern Eastern Ghats, so the count is one and option (a) is correct. Cashew is native to Brazil and was introduced to India by the Portuguese. Papaya is native to tropical America, likely Mexico and Central America, and was also brought to India. Since two of the three are exotic introductions, only red sanders qualifies as indigenous.
Q8
Previous year questionmedium
If a tropical rain forest is removed, it does not regenerate quickly as compared to a tropical deciduous forest. This is because
Athe soil of rain forest is deficient in nutrients
Bpropagules of the trees in a rain forest have poor viability
Cthe rain forest species are slow-growing
Dexotic species invade the fertile soil of rain forest
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: A - the soil of rain forest is deficient in nutrients
In a tropical rain forest most of the nutrients are locked up in the living vegetation, and rapid decomposition plus heavy rainfall leaves the soil itself poor and leached. Once the forest is cleared, the thin nutrient base is quickly washed away, so regeneration is slow, which is option (a). Option (b) is wrong because rain forest seeds are not characteristically poor in viability. Option (c) is not the key reason; growth rates are not the limiting factor compared with soil nutrient loss. Option (d) is wrong because the rain forest soil is not notably fertile and invasion by exotics is not the primary cause cited.
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