Environment Questions & Answers for UPSC

“Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s needs, but not every man’s greeds,” – Mahatma Gandhiji. Environment has become one of the focal points in discussions and debate across the globe. The significance of ‘Environment’ as a UPSC topic is also relatively bigger as questions surrounding climate change, ecology, biodiversity are seeing an upward trend in the civil services exam question papers.

This segment covers all your queries w.r.t environment, ecology, biodiversity, climate change and more. Not only will you find answers to a wide range of questions; you would also be able to align your UPSC preparation with these questions.

Benefits of Environment Questions for IAS Exam

The IAS Exam aspirants can get the following benefits while going through the below-mentioned environment questions:

  • It fits all – Questions from a minor issue to an issue that has a global relevance are covered.
  • Doesn’t Discriminate – None of the doubts of the aspirants have been neglected. All doubts that are related to the UPSC examination or are related to the basic knowledge of environment have been answered by UPSC experts.
  • Helps in Prelims, Mains GS 3 and even essay papers – These answers would solve various doubts w.r.t environment-related topics. Hence, these will come handy in all stages of examination.
  • Apart from IAS Exam, these questions can be useful for other government exams as well.
The landforms of the tundra vegetation is composed of dwarf shrubs, sedges, grasses, mosses, and lichens. Scattered trees grow in some tundra...
Tundras are mostly found in countries and regions close to the polar regions. These regions/countries are: Alaska Canada Russia Greenland...
Radioactive pollution is the deposition of, or presence of radioactive substances on surfaces or within solids, liquids or gases that render a...
Alpine biomes are a type of biomes mountain regions worldwide, including the Andes, Alps, and Rocky Mountains. The alpine biome usually lies...
Eutrophication is a process in which an water body, partially or fully becomes enriched with minerals and nutrients over time Dead zones are...
An example of shifting cultivation is of land being farmed for 2-3 years before moving on to other areas. This allows the farmed area to recover....
Eutrophication is the process of accumulation of nutrients in lakes and other types of bodies of water.  The additional nutrients cause...
Shifting cultivation is an agricultural practice in which a piece of land is farmed on, only to be abandoned later after an initial use. Shifting...
Bioaccumulation happens in a single organism over the entire span of its life. It results in a higher concentration in older individuals....
The steps of shifting cultivation are as follows: Select a plot of land Slash or cut forests, bushes up to stump level Burn the first to clear...
Human bioaccumulation refers to the process of toxic chemical substances building up inside the human body.  This is caused by a chemical...
The purpose of wetland conservation is to preserve wetlands due to the valuable ecological services it provides. Wetlands cover at least 6% of...
Estuaries are a type of habitat where the sea meets large lakes. Estuaries represent the transition between freshwater and marine environments...
A typical estuary is a form of dynamic ecosystem that is connected to the open sea. Sea water enters an estuary through the rhythm of tides. The...
An estuary is an enclosed coastal body, partially enclosed and consisting of brackish water with one or more streams/rivers flowing into it. It...
Radioactive pollution is the increase of radiation levels beyond their natural capacity. This is mainly due to human activities. It is estimated...
Radioactive pollution is caused by the release of radioactive substances into the environment through human activities. Some of these activities...
An example of radioactive pollution can be the release of ionizing radiation into the environment as a result of human activity. Ionizing...
The five harmful effects of radiation are as follows: Skin burns Acute radiation sickness that will cause cancer and hairfall Temporary...
Radioactive pollution is the most harmful form of pollution as it damages environments for years to come. Coming in contact with a habitat's...