Day-646 | Daily MCQs | UPSC Prelims | GEOGRAPHY

Answer: B
Explanation:
About Myristica swamps:
● These are freshwater swamps predominated by members of the Myristicaceae family.
● These forests are characterized by trees with large protruding roots jutting out of waterlogged soil which remains inundated throughout the year.
● They have evolved over millions of years and are made up of old-growth trees.
● Myristica swamps were described as a separate evergreen forest type by Krishnamurthy in 1960
● Geographical distribution: In India, these unique habitats occur in the Western Ghats, in Meghalaya of north-east India and a smaller distribution exists in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
● Climatic conditions: The formation of these swamps is dependent on abiotic conditions like the shape of the valley between the forested hills, the amount of rainfall a place receives (with an average of 3000 mm), and water availability throughout the year.
● Typically, Myristica swamps are seen next to rivers and help in retaining water and act as a sponge, ensuring perennial water availability.
● These swamps are home to many vertebrate and invertebrate faunal species. This is due to stable macro-ecological conditions like high humidity, moderate temperature, and macro-habitat availability.

Answer: A
Explanation: Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I
Boreal forests:
● Boreal forests or taiga is the term applied to the huge area of dense coniferous forests of North America, northern Europe and Asia occurring at high latitudes where the climate is characterized by very cold winters, usually about 40cm of rainfall and a short summer growing season.
● The dominant species are evergreens, such as pine, spruce, fir, whose water loss through transpiration is low in winter at the time when the soils may be permanently frozen.
● Unlike tropical forests which have a huge range of species, the boreal forest usually has rather few species of trees, shrubs and plants.
● In fact the undergrowth of boreal forests is almost non-existent. The species present are able to get their nutrient requirements from the very shallow layer of soil above the permafrost.
● The trees present have a notable climatic tolerance and survive on rather infertile soils.
Soil conditions:
● Most of the soils are strongly leached as a result of centuries of leaching and somewhat impoverished parent materials.
● The soils are generally strongly acidic and the main soil process under this dominantly leaching climate is ‘podzolisation’ leading to podsolic soils.
● The extreme climate coupled with the strong soil acidity means that relatively few organisms exist in the soil and the turnover of organic matter is slow.
● Therefore, low temperature and anaerobiosis (lack of oxygen) inhibit decomposition resulting in a buildup of organic matter, and soils become acidic in taiga climate.

Answer: B
Explanation:
● Darsal, Nona Bokra and Talmugur are the traditional salt-resistant varieties of rice crop.
● They are being promoted by the government and non-governmental organisations to support sustainable agriculture in the region of Sundarbans delta in West Bengal.

Answer: C
Explanation:
The northern portion of the country experiences a period of extreme heat and lowering air pressure during the summer.
In July, the ITCZ advances northward, assuming a position centered around 25°N as a result of the subcontinent heating up.
Some of the famous local storms that develop in India in the hot weather season are:
Pair 1 is matched correctly:
● Mango Showers: Towards the end of summer, there are pre-monsoon showers, a common phenomenon in Kerala and coastal areas of Karnataka.
● Locally, they are known as mango showers since they help in the early ripening of mangoes.
Pair 2 is matched incorrectly:
● Blossom Shower: With this shower, coffee flowers blossom in Kerala and nearby areas.
Pair 3 is matched correctly:
● Nor Westers: These are dreaded evening thunderstorms in Bengal and Assam.
● Their notorious nature can be understood from the local nomenclature of ‘Kalbaisakhi’, a calamity of the month of Baisakh.
● These showers are useful for tea, jute, and rice cultivation.
● In Assam, these storms are known as Bardoisila.
Pair 4 is matched correctly:
● Loo: Hot, dry, and oppressing winds blowing in the Northern plains from Punjab to Bihar, with higher intensity between Delhi and Patna.

Answer: B
Explanation:
Statement 1 is incorrect: Rare earth elements (REEs) are a group of seventeen chemically similar metallic elements on the periodic table. It comprises 15 lanthanides elements (lanthanum to lutetium), plus scandium and yttrium. REEs are classified as light RE elements (LREE) and heavy RE elements (HREE).
Statement 2 is correct: There is a dependence on countries such as China for heavy RE elements (HREEs). This is because China is one of the leading producers of REEs with an estimated 70% share of global production.