Dear aspirants, UPSC prelims is almost here! Now is the time for the final revision and summarizing your preparation. So BYJU’S expert team came up with the 25 Most Important Questions of Environment and Ecology for UPSC Prelims 2023 of the IAS Exam after thorough research of the syllabus and the recent years’ trends. In this article, you will find the probable topics/questions from Environment and Ecology Section.
As per the UPSC 2023 calendar, the IAS Prelims and main exams are scheduled to take place on May 28, 2023 and September 15, 2023 respectively.
Related Links:
| Topic-wise UPSC Prelims Questions PDF | UPSC Cut Off |
| UPSC Prelims 2023 Question Papers PDF | Topic-wise Previous Year Environment Prelims Questions |
| UPSC Prelims Result | UPSC Syllabus |
Relevant Video:
How to revise important topics of Environment for UPSC Prelims 2023?
Environment and Ecology is one of the most important segments of the UPSC syllabus. It is an area where Geography, Biology and General Science also collide, making it a hot topic from an exam point of view. In recent years, questions from Environment and Ecology have witnessed a sharp rise in UPSC Prelims. Moreover, after the merger of the Indian Forest Service exam with the regular CSE Prelims, this subject has become more important. Here are a few tips on how to prepare Environment and Ecology for UPSC CSE.
First of all the aspirants must make sure that they have a basic understanding of the subject. For this, some common textbooks can be referred to, for example, NCERT Science books (Environment sections), Majid Hussain and Irak Bharucha etc. Global warming, Climate change, Greenhouse effects, Pollution and Biodiversity etc are among the frequently asked topics in this exam.
Once you complete the basic and static parts of the subject, when we keep recent years’ question trends in mind, it’s clear that Current Affairs play a very important role in the preparation of the Environment and Ecology. For this, aspirants can keep an eye on Newspapers especially The Hindu and Indian Express’s Science and Technology section. For government rules and notifications regarding pollution control etc. PIB can be a very useful portal, where you get short and authentic news.
The next important thing about the subject is international agreements and contracts. Here you can make a list of all the major agreements in the field of Environment and Ecology. For example Montreal protocol, Minamata convention, Kigali agreement, Rio conference etc. Apart from that, there are many committees formed for the protection of the Environment. The aspirants must go through the reports and important findings of these committees.
Best 25 Environmental Science Topics/Questions Expected in UPSC Prelims 2023
1. What was the reason behind Yamuna river’s recent toxic foam formation?
Explanation: Recently in news, the Yamuna river witnessed the formation of foam on a huge level. The major reason behind froth formation is the presence of phosphates and surfactants in untreated sewage generated from the neighbouring states. These Foam bubbles are produced on the decomposition of organic matter and are toxic in nature.
To read relevant topics, check the linked articles below:
| Tricks to remember river tributaries | Major Indian Rivers |
2. What is “Kaiser-i-Hind”?
Exp.: Kaiser-i-Hind’ (literally means “King of India”) is a large and brightly coloured butterfly. Its scientific name is Teinopalpus imperialis’’. It is mainly found in China and now it has recently been declared the State butterfly of Arunachal Pradesh.
Note:- It’s been included in the IUCN Red Book as endangered species.
To know more about species in the news for UPSC, visit the linked article.
3. “Plan Bee” is concerned with the conservation/protection of which animal?
Exp: “Plan Bee” was launched by Northern Frontier Railway for the protection of Elephants. It aims to keep the elephants away from the train tracks. The plan recently won the Best Innovation Award from the Indian Railways.
What exactly is Plan Bee?
The plan installs unique devices along the railway tracks. These devices create the buzzing sounds of swarming bees. Elephants get irritated/frightened by these buzzing sounds and try to stay away from the tracks. The sound produced by the device is audible from a distance of 400 meters.
Every year dozens of elephants get hit and killed by trains in India. Assam accounts for the largest number of elephant deaths due to train accidents followed by West Bengal and Odisha.
For further related reading see Human-Wildlife conflict
4. What is ecotone?
Exp.: Asked frequently by UPSC, this topic comes under the basic environment and ecology section. An ecotone is a zone of junction between two or more different ecosystems. For example, a mangrove forest represents ecotone marine and terrestrial ecosystems.
Characteristics of Ecotone:-
- It may be very narrow or wide.
- It has conditions intermediate to the adjacent ecosystems. Hence it is a zone of tension.
- It is linear as it shows a progressive increase in the species composition of one incoming community and a simultaneous decrease in species of the other outgoing adjoining community.
- A well-developed ecotones contain some organisms which are entirely different from that
- of the adjoining communities.
- Sometimes the number of species and the population density of some of the species is much greater in this zone than in either community.
Visit Definition and Characteristics of Ecotones for further reading.
5. Volcanic eruptions in Tonga
Exp.: Recently a volcano erupted in Tonga, a small archipelago in the Pacific region. The explosion was so powerful that it created tsunami waves.
(Ring of Fire: The Pacific ‘Ring of Fire’ or Pacific rim, or the Circum-Pacific Belt, is an area along the Pacific Ocean that is characterized by active volcanoes and frequent earthquakes. It is home to about 75 per cent of the world’s volcanoes – more than 450 volcanoes. Also, about 90 per cent of the world’s earthquakes occur here.)
6. Why did Indonesia shift its capital from Jakarta to Nusantara (Borneo)?
Exp.: Reasons behind the change: although Jakarta has been facing huge financial inequality in recent years, experts have suggested that Jakarta is going to sink due to environmental stress and climate change. In recent years, Jakarta has become a very polluted city too.
7. Mass mortality of spot-billed pelicans in Andhra Pradesh.
Exp.: Andhra Pradesh State Forest Department has reported mass mortality of spot-billed pelicans in Naupada swamp at Telineelapuram, Srikakulam district. Telineelapuram is a designated Important Bird Area (IBA), where pelicans have been succumbing to ‘Nematode infestation’ since December 2021. So far the total death toll has crossed 160. IUCN Red List has listed the species in Near Threatened category.
8. India’s first geological park will be built in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh.
Exp.: The first geological park in India will be built in Lamheta, Jabalpur in Madhya Pradesh.
What is a geopark?
Geopark is a unified area, which advances the protection and use of geological heritage in a sustainable manner. It also promotes the economic well-being of the people living there.
9. What are cyclones?
Exp.: Recently too many cyclones have been in news like Barsirai, Asani etc. The study of cyclones is very important as the topic falls under environment, geography and disaster management also.
Read about cyclones in detail in the linked article.
10. What are the “Karewas” of Kashmir?
Exp.: Recently in news, Karewas are highly fertile alluvial soil deposits found in the Kashmir valley.
11. World’s first “wildlife bond” issued by the World Bank.
Exp.: The world’s first wildlife bond has been issued by the World Bank, raising USD 150 million that will be used for the conservation of South Africa’s black rhinos. The Wildlife Conservation Bond is the world’s first-of-its-kind financial instrument. The IBRD has announced that the returns paid by the 5-year bond will be determined by the rate of population growth of animals in two reserves of South Africa, the Great Fish River Nature Reserve and the Addo Elephant National Park.
12. Highlights of State of the world forest report -2022.
Exp.: Recently “The State of the World’s Forests Report” (SOFO) was published. It’s a flagship publication of the Food and Agriculture Organization -FAO (a specialized agency of the United Nations ). It is published every two years.
Findings of the report:
The world has lost 420 million hectares (mha), approximately 10.34% of its total forest area in the last 30 years (between 1990 and 2020) due to deforestation.
Though the rate of deforestation was declining, 10 mha of forests were lost every year between 2015 and 2020. This poses severe risks for 68% of mammal species, 75% of bird species, and 80% of amphibian species that inhabit forests.
See the linked article to read about India’s State of Forest report
13. What is Seoul Forest Declaration-2022?
Exp.: On May 13, 2022, the 15th World Forestry Congress concluded in Seoul (capital of South Korea) followed by the Seoul Forest Declaration.
What is World Forestry Congress?
The World Forestry Congress is held every 6 years with the aim of sharing environmental and forest-related problems from across the globe like biodiversity loss, climate change, and desertification. It is hosted by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
The first such congress was held in Italy In 1926.
14. What is COP 26 – Glasgow?
Exp. The 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) was held in Glasgow (Scotland). Read everything about CoP 26 – Glasgow in the linked article.
15. What are Green Crackers?
Exp. Recently in news, ‘Green crackers’ are low-emission fireworks developed by CSIR-NEERI (Council of Scientific & Industrial Research – National Environmental Engineering Research Institute). These crackers produce less harmful raw materials as they do not contain chemicals like arsenic, lithium, barium, and lead. They also release water vapour which does not allow the dust to rise and hence these crackers are believed to cause 30 per cent less particulate matter pollution as compared to traditional crackers.
For more details read Green Crackers
16. What are Ramsar sites?
Exp.: Ramsar sites are wetlands ( a place where the land is covered by water e.g. marshes, ponds, the edges of a lake/ocean, the delta at the mouth of a river, low-lying flooded areas etc.).
Why the name ‘Ramsar’?
Ramsar is a city in Iran. In 1971, an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands was signed hear. The Convention’s mission is “the conservation and wise use of all wetlands through local and national actions and international cooperation, as a contribution towards achieving sustainable development throughout the world”.
Further reading: Ramsar sites of India.
17. Why Peru impose an environmental emergency?
Exp.: The government of Peru recently declared a 90-day “environmental emergency” in damaged coastal territories, after an oil spill that saw 6,000 barrels of crude oil pour into the sea. The oil spill came out of a tanker which resulted from the eruption of a volcano in Tonga. The incident occurred at the La Pampilla refinery, 30 kilometres north of the Peruvian capital of Lima in the Ventanilla district of the port city of Callao.
In recent years oil spills have always been in news and caused stress in the field of environmental protection. Read everything about Oil Spill in the linked article.
18. What is Kigali Agreement?
Exp.: Kigali agreement is basically an amendment to the Montreal Protocol. In the 28th meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol, negotiators from 197 nations signed an agreement to amend the Montreal Protocol in Kigali ( capital African country, Rwanda) on 15th October 2016.
As per the agreement, these countries are expected to reduce the manufacture and use of Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs) by roughly 80-85% from their respective baselines, till 2045.
This phase down is expected to arrest the global average temperature rise up to 0.5o C by 2100. Read more about Kigali agreement.
19. What is Coral bleaching?
Exp.: Coral reefs are underwater ecosystems crucial for ecological balance. They are called the rainforests of the ocean. When corals face stress by changes in conditions such as temperature, light, or nutrients, they expel the symbiotic algae zooxanthellae living in their tissues, causing them to turn completely white. This phenomenon is called coral bleaching.
Read more about Corals.
20. Why Great Indian Bustards are going extinct?
Exp.: The Great Indian Bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps), is a bird native to the Indian subcontinent. Bustards are large terrestrial birds found in dry grasslands and steppe regions.
Also known as the Indian Bustard, it is among the heaviest flying birds in existence.
Why in news?
The bird is under constant threat due to collision/electrocution with power transmission lines, hunting (still prevalent in Pakistan), habitat loss and alteration as a result of widespread agricultural expansion, etc. It is declared Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. To read more about the conservation of Great Indian Bustards see the linked article.
21. What are the environmental concerns about the Major dams of India?
Exp.: Environmentalists in recent times have started criticizing the construction of big dams as they fear it causes huge stress on the environment. For this reason, a detailed study of all the major dams in India is required.
22. Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021.
Exp.: Environment Ministry notified the Plastic Waste Management Amendment Rules, 2021 on August 13, 2021.
These rules prohibit specific single-use plastic items with “low utility and high littering potential” by the year 2022.
Under this, the manufacture of a range of plastic products such as earbuds with plastic sticks, plastic sticks for balloons, candy sticks, plastic flags, ice-cream sticks, thermocol for decoration, cups plates, cups, glasses as well as cutlery like knives, spoons, forks, trays, straws, wrapping or packing films, invitation cards and cigarette packets as well as PVC banners of less than 100 microns will be banned.
23. Odisha’s Kendrapara District. In news.
Exp.: Recently Kendrapara district of Odisha was in the news as it has become the only district in India where all three species of crocodiles viz., salt-water, gharial and mugger are found.
24. Ladakh’s state animal and state bird declared.
Exp.: the Union Territory of Leh and Ladakh has adopted two endangered species, snow leopard and black-necked crane, as its State animal and State bird respectively on September 1, 2021.
The snow leopard is native to the mountain ranges in Central and South Asia. It has been listed as Vulnerable in the IUCN Red List as its global population is lesser than 10,000 mature individuals. Black-necked Crane is a medium-sized bird found in Asia.
See the complete list of India’s state animals.
25. Assam’s Kaziranga National Park in news for Satellite Phones.
Exp.: Assam’s Kaziranga National Park has become the first National Park of India to give Satellite Phones to its Forest Guards. According to the authorities, it will boost anti-poaching measures in the park specifically with respect to the single-horned rhinos.
See the full list of National Parks of India.
Motivation for UPSC Prelims 2023 – Revision Tips
- As the last moment tips, the aspirants should refer to their notes or only underlined synopsis of their books and avoid reading the whole book.
- Gather as much information as you can.
- Maintain good health and hygiene so that you can appear in the exam with your full potential.
- Try to refer to fewer sources for a particular topic instead of reading the same from multiple sources.
- Keep your mind calm and composed, with full focus on the exam. BYJU’S WISHES YOU GOOD LUCK!
Similar to environment questions, candidates can check expected questions from other subjects of IAS Prelims 2022:
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