Environmental Science MCQs
In which year did the United Nations designate the International Year of Forests?
- A. 2010
- B. 2011
- C. 2012
- D. 2013
What term describes the practice of cutting down trees without planning?
- A. Afforestation
- B. Deforestation
- C. Both A and B
- D. None of the above
Which of the following factors contributes to soil erosion?
- A. Uncontrolled grazing
- B. Excessive cultivation
- C. Deforestation
- D. All of the above
Which Rachel Carson book led to the United States banning DDT?
- A. Silent Spring
- B. The Sea Around Us
- C. Sense of Wonder
- D. Limits to Growth
Energy in an ecosystem flows:
- A. Unidirectionally
- B. Bidirectionally
- C. Multidirectionally
- D. None of the above
An ecosystem is best defined as:
- A. The non-living part of a habitat
- B. A group of organisms
- C. Communities of organisms plus their physical environment
- D. The Earth's surface and atmosphere
Trophic levels consist of:
- A. Only plants
- B. Only animals
- C. Only carnivores
- D. Organisms linked in a food chain
The term for variety within and among species is:
- A. Biodiversity
- B. Deduction
- C. Reduction
- D. Informatics
An upright numbers pyramid does not occur in:
- A. Lakes
- B. Ponds
- C. Grasslands
- D. Forests
Energy generated by a hydroelectric power plant is classified as:
- A. Non-polluting and non-renewable
- B. Polluting and non-renewable
- C. Non-polluting and renewable
- D. Polluting and renewable
Which greenhouse gas has the highest heat-trapping ability?
- A. Butane (C4H10)
- B. Propane (C3H8)
- C. Ethane (C2H6)
- D. Methane (CH4)
How many Pakistani biosphere reserves are part of the UNESCO World Network?
- A. 5
- B. 6
- C. 7
- D. 8
In a biosphere reserve, the outermost zone is called the:
- A. Core area
- B. Buffer zone
- C. Transition area
- D. None of the above
Conserving species in their natural habitats is called:
- A. In situ conservation
- B. In vivo conservation
- C. Ex vivo conservation
- D. Ex situ conservation
Photochemical smog is mainly composed of:
- A. Sulphur dioxide
- B. Water vapor
- C. Oxides of nitrogen
- D. All of the above
Which ecological pyramid is always upright?
- A. Energy pyramid
- B. Biomass pyramid
- C. Numbers pyramid
- D. None of the above
A detritus food chain starts with:
- A. Grass
- B. Green plants
- C. Dead organic matter
- D. Phytoplankton
The harmful effects of acid rain are due to its ____ nature.
- A. Protective
- B. Withstanding
- C. Balancing
- D. Corrosive
Which term describes the variety of life in a given habitat?
- A. Species diversity
- B. Genetic diversity
- C. Ecosystem diversity
- D. Population diversity
Which type of species is listed in the Red Data Book?
- A. All plant species
- B. All animal species
- C. Threatened species
- D. Economically important species
Which ecosystem has the highest biodiversity?
- A. Taiga
- B. Mangrove forests
- C. Temperate woodlands
- D. Coral reefs
Pollutants that can be broken down naturally are called:
- A. Non-biodegradable pollutants
- B. Renewable pollutants
- C. Biodegradable pollutants
- D. None of the above
Which of these animals is native to Pakistan?
- A. Dolphin
- B. Eagle
- C. Markhor
- D. Snow leopard
The 1972 UN conference on 'The Human Environment' was held in:
- A. Paris
- B. Stockholm
- C. London
- D. New York
Which of these is not an inexhaustible energy source?
- A. Water
- B. Wind
- C. Solar
- D. Fossil fuels
The UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme is overseen by:
- A. UNICEF
- B. Greenpeace
- C. UNESCO
- D. Club of Rome
The Vienna Convention focuses primarily on:
- A. Ecosystem and greenhouse issues
- B. Global environmental protection
- C. Ozone layer preservation
- D. None of the above
The intermediate stage in ecological succession is called:
- A. Ecesis
- B. Climax
- C. Nudation
- D. Sere
Soil conservation involves:
- A. Aerating the soil
- B. Preventing soil loss
- C. Allowing soil erosion
- D. Turning infertile soil fertile
Cultivating rice paddies releases which gas into the atmosphere?
- A. Ethane
- B. Methane
- C. Propane
- D. Butane
Ecology is the study of:
- A. Living organisms
- B. Living and non-living components
- C. Interactions between living and non-living elements
- D. The environment
A population is:
- A. A group of individuals of the same species in an area
- B. A biome
- C. A community
- D. An ecosystem
The natural environment where an organism lives is called its:
- A. Niche
- B. Biome
- C. Habitat
- D. Habit
Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) indicates:
- A. Industrial pollution
- B. Air pollution
- C. The pollution potential of wastewater
- D. Oxygen needed by microbes to decompose waste
A species found exclusively in one region is called:
- A. Endemic species
- B. Ecosystem
- C. Exotic species
- D. None of the above
At the base of every ecological pyramid, you find:
- A. Producers
- B. Consumers
- C. Decomposers
- D. None of the above
Which is a non-renewable natural resource?
- A. Coal
- B. Forest
- C. Water
- D. Wildlife
The Chipko movement was launched to protect:
- A. Grasslands
- B. Soil
- C. Forests
- D. Deserts
Plants are collectively referred to as:
- A. Flora
- B. Fauna
- C. Flowers
- D. Botany
Biological hotspots are regions known for exceptionally high levels of what?
- A. Biodiversity
- B. Rarity
- C. Endemism
- D. Critically endangered species
The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act was enacted in:
- A. 1972
- B. 1974
- C. 1976
- D. 1978
Which gas is most important for maintaining Earth's temperature?
- A. Nitrogen
- B. Hydrogen
- C. Carbon dioxide
- D. Oxygen
What is the name for the final, stable community in ecological succession?
- A. Seral community
- B. Climax community
- C. Final community
- D. Ultimate community
Which of these is not an in situ conservation method?
- A. National parks
- B. Wildlife sanctuaries
- C. Biosphere reserves
- D. Zoos
Acid rain reacts with marble and limestone to form:
- A. Calcium carbonate
- B. Calcium sulfate
- C. Calcium hydroxide
- D. None of the above
Who provided a formal definition of 'ecology' in 1970?
- A. Eugene Odum
- B. Ernst Haeckel
- C. Paul R. Ehrlich
- D. H. Reiter
What serves as the main energy source for most ecosystems?
- A. ATP
- B. Sunlight
- C. DNA
- D. RNA
Conservation carried out outside natural habitats is called:
- A. In situ conservation
- B. Ex situ conservation
- C. In vivo conservation
- D. Ex vivo conservation
Alpha diversity measures:
- A. Species diversity
- B. Plant diversity
- C. Genetic diversity
- D. Community and ecosystem diversity
A population is defined as:
- A. Individuals of one species in an area
- B. Individuals in a family
- C. Communities in an ecosystem
- D. Species in a community
The final stable community in succession is called:
- A. Climax community
- B. Pioneer community
- C. Sere
- D. Carnivores
Who authored the book 'Hotspots Revisited'?
- A. Russell Mittermeier
- B. Cristina Mittermeier
- C. Norman Myers
- D. Olivier Langrand
Burning fossil fuels releases a large amount of which gas?
- A. Nitrogen
- B. Sulphur
- C. Carbon dioxide
- D. Oxygen
Which zone is not part of a biosphere reserve?
- A. Core area
- B. Command area
- C. Buffer zone
- D. Spherical zone
The early Earth's atmosphere is described as:
- A. Oxidizing
- B. Reducing
- C. Stable
- D. None of the above
What term refers to cutting down trees?
- A. Forestation
- B. Plantation
- C. Deforestation
- D. Biodiversity
Organisms that decompose dead material using enzymes are known as:
- A. Decomposers
- B. Producers
- C. Carnivores
- D. Omnivores
Which substances most deplete the atmospheric ozone layer?
- A. Chlorofluorocarbons
- B. Carbon monoxide
- C. Carbon dioxide
- D. Sulphur dioxide
Who first coined the term 'acid rain'?
- A. Ernest Flower
- B. Robert Angus Smith
- C. Christ Ralph
- D. Elmer Joseph Clark
Planting trees on barren land to create a forest is known as:
- A. Deforestation
- B. Afforestation
- C. Both A and B
- D. None of the above