Day-513 | Daily MCQs | UPSC Prelims | ENVIRONMENT AND ECOLOGY

Answer: D
Explanation
● Green Ammonia gained attention as an environmentally friendly alternative to traditional ammonia production methods. Green Ammonia is produced using renewable energy sources, resulting in lower greenhouse gas emissions compared to traditional ammonia production methods.
● Traditional ammonia production primarily uses natural gas or coal as feedstocks, leading to significant CO2 emissions. Green Ammonia production relies on renewable energy sources, such as wind, solar, or hydroelectric power, reducing its environmental impact.
● Green Ammonia production involves the electrolysis of water to produce hydrogen, which is then combined with nitrogen to form ammonia. The process starts with the electrolysis of water, powered by renewable energy, to produce hydrogen gas. The hydrogen is then combined with nitrogen, typically sourced from the air, in a process called the Haber-Bosch process, to produce ammonia.
● Green Ammonia can be used as a carbon-free fuel source for various industries, including power generation and transportation. Ammonia can be used as a fuel because it releases energy when it reacts with oxygen. Green Ammonia can be used as a carbon-free fuel in power plants, fuel cells, and even internal combustion engines, making it an attractive option for decarbonizing various industries.
Thus, all the three statements given in the question are correct.

Answer: D
Explanation:
All of these are examples of Permaculture technique.
● Permaculture, a worldwide holistic agricultural and land management design approach that attempts to mimic patterns found in surrounding natural ecosystems to reduce waste, prevent pollution, maximize sustainability, protect wildlife, and improve the land’s resiliency and biodiversity.
● Herb spirals are an idea originally borrowed from permaculture. Their clever design takes advantage of vertical growing, gravity and the different growing requirements of different types of herbs. The result is an efficient and compact herb garden that makes the best use of water and sunlight.
● Hügelkultur (usually transliterated into English simply as “hugelkultur”) has been used for centuries in eastern Europe and Germany, often as part of a broader permaculture system. Hugelkultur is a centuries-old, traditional way of building a garden bed from rotten logs and plant debris. These mound shapes are created by marking out an area for a raised bed, clearing the land, and then heaping up woody material (that’s ideally already partially rotted) topped with compost and soil.
● A keyhole garden is considered a type of permaculture (permanent agriculture) because it’s sustainable and regenerative. When watered, the nutrients from the compost spread through the soil, fertilizing it without the need for added commercial fertilizers.
● The Mandala Garden designs are a popular permaculture approach. ‘Mandala’ in Sanskrit language means circle. Various art forms depicted in Buddhism and Hinduism emerge as Mandala or circular forms and patterns. A simple mandala garden design usually consists of paths running through the circle like spokes on a bicycle wheel. The wedge-shaped beds which get created between spoke paths then are used to grow aesthetic and aromatic plants or vegetable plants. Ideally, the plants in mandala gardens are small and easily accessible so that each plant can be easily maintained from the paths.
● Sheet mulching is a ‘no dig’ or ‘no till’ gardening approach. Rather than digging in organic matter, as in many traditional gardens, sheet mulching involves laying organic matter on the surface of the soil around your plants to compost in place. Sheet mulching is a way to protect the soil, and it is a healthy and fertile approach. This method of garden soil preparation is a way to work with nature in your garden rather than fighting it.

Answer: B
Explanation:
● Euryhaline organisms are organisms that are capable of tolerating a wide range of salinity levels in water. This allows them to inhabit environments with varying levels of salt concentration, such as estuaries, salt marshes, and tidal pools, as well as freshwater and marine ecosystems. Examples of euryhaline organisms include salmon, some species of sea turtles, eels, and some types of crustaceans like crabs and shrimp.
● These organisms have adapted various physiological and behavioral mechanisms to regulate their internal salt concentration in response to changes in the surrounding environment. The ability to tolerate a wide range of salinity levels allows euryhaline organisms to occupy a diverse range of aquatic habitats and enhances their chances of survival.

Answer: D
Explanation:
● A radula is a tongue-like structure with rows of tiny teeth that is found in many members of the phylum Mollusca, including snails, slugs, and squid. The radula is used for scraping and breaking down food.
● Cnidaria is a phylum of invertebrates that includes jellyfish and corals, and they do not have a radula.
● Echinodermata includes starfish and sea urchins and also does not have a radula. Platyhelminthes, or flatworms, may have feeding structures such as a pharynx or stylet, but not a radula.

Answer: C
Explanation:
● Ichthyosaurs were a group of marine reptiles that lived during the Mesozoic Era and are often compared to dolphins due to their streamlined bodies and similar swimming abilities. Despite being distantly related, ichthyosaurs and dolphins share many convergent adaptations for life in the water, including a similar body shape, flippers for swimming, and a streamlined skull.
● Sea turtles have evolved flippers for swimming, but they have a different body shape and skull structure than dolphins.
● Octopuses are not closely related to dolphins and do not have convergent adaptations for swimming.
● Hammerhead sharks have evolved a distinctive head shape, but this is not related to convergent evolution with dolphins.