UPSC Essentials | Daily subject-wise quiz : Environment and Geography MCQs on tiger, bomb cyclone, Kyoto Protocol and more (Week 143)

UPSC Essentials brings to you its initiative of subject-wise quizzes. These quizzes are designed to help you revise some of the most important topics from the static part of the syllabus. Attempt today’s subject quiz on Environment and Geography to check your progress.

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With reference to the Rheum nobile, consider the following statements: 1. It thrives at 4,000 to 4,800 metres.

2. It is referred to as “glasshouse plants.”

4. It is typically found along high-altitude trekking routes in Southern Ladakh.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

Relevance: This question links to high-altitude Himalayan plants, often asked in UPSC due to their climate adaptation and biodiversity significance. Such questions test knowledge of altitudinal distribution, ecological adaptations, and correct geographical mapping of species.

— High in the cold, windswept eastern Himalayas grows a plant so rare that it appears almost magical. Locals call it Sikkim Sundari, but scientists refer to it as Rheum nobile. This magnificent plant is one of Sikkim’s best-kept secrets, waiting as a peaceful reward for hikers who ascend to higher elevations.

— This plant, which thrives at elevations ranging from 4,000 to 4,800 meters, is part of a remarkable species known as “glasshouse plants.” Its long, translucent bracts function as natural greenhouses, trapping heat and shielding the delicate blooms inside from chilling winds and harsh UV rays. Against the austere Himalayan scenery, the plant appears almost incandescent, like a shimmering tower rising from the rock and snow. Hence, statements 1 and 2 are correct.

(Photo: Wikipedia)

— This plant is monocarpic, so it flowers just once in its life. For 7 to 30 years, it stays close to the ground as a small rosette of leaves, quietly saving energy in tough mountain conditions. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

— The Sikkim Sundari is both a privilege and a poignant reminder of the fragility of Himalayan ecosystems. It is typically found along high-altitude trekking routes in North Sikkim, particularly near alpine passes and glacial valleys. Because it grows in such extreme environments, sightings are rare and seasonal, making the experience even more special for nature lovers and photographers. Hence, statement 4 is not correct.

Therefore, option (c) is the correct answer.

With reference to the bomb cyclone, consider the following statements: 1. It forms due to the interaction between contrasting warm and cold air masses.

2. It is characterised by the rapid pressure drops in the low-pressure mass.

3. They primarily occur during fall and winter when frigid air from the Arctic can creep south and clash with warmer air masses.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Relevance: UPSC Prelims often tests understanding of atmospheric phenomena, pressure systems, and seasonal occurrence, especially current-affairs-linked geography topics.

— A powerful “bomb cyclone” barreled across the northern United States, triggering severe winter weather in the Midwest and the East Coast.

— Storms typically form when a mass of low-pressure air meets a high-pressure mass. The air flows from high pressure to low, creating winds. A bomb cyclone forms due to the interaction between contrasting warm and cold air masses. Hence, statement 1 is correct.

— What defines a bomb cyclone is how rapidly the pressure drops in the low-pressure mass, by at least 24 millibars in 24 hours. This quickly increases the pressure difference, or gradient, between the two air masses, therefore making the winds stronger. This process of rapid intensification has an even more ferocious-sounding name: bombogenesis. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— Bomb cyclones can happen in any season in the US. However, they primarily occur during fall and winter when frigid air from the Arctic can creep south and clash with warmer air masses. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

With reference to the tigers, consider the following statements: 1. Project Tiger was launched in 1973.

2. Since the launch of Project Tiger, Karnataka has witnessed the highest tiger deaths.

3. The death of tigers was zero from 2021 to 2024.

Relevance: Tiger conservation is a recurring UPSC theme linked to environment, biodiversity, and flagship government initiatives like Project Tiger. Such questions test awareness of official data, conservation trends, and ability to eliminate incorrect factual statements, a core Prelims skill.

— Another tiger death in Madhya Pradesh has brought the fatalities this year in the state to 55, the highest since Project Tiger was launched in 1973. Last year saw 46 tiger deaths, while the preceding three years recorded 45, 43 and 34 big cat casualties respectively. Hence, statement 1 is correct and statements 2 and 3 are not correct.

— Officials estimate that 11 of the 55 tiger deaths this year were due to unnatural causes. Of these, an estimated eight were killed by electrocution, largely from illegal traps laid by villagers to protect crops from wild animals.

— According to senior officials, increased territorial conflicts, age-related mortality and disease are expected outcomes in a landscape with higher tiger density.

With reference to the Kyoto Protocol, consider the following statements: 1. It entered into force in 1997.

2. The Kyoto Protocol is binding only to the developed countries.

3. The Kigali Agreement is the successor to the Kyoto Protocol.

Relevance: Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement are core topics under climate change, global environmental governance, and international treaties. Such questions test clarity on timelines, legal obligations, and evolution of climate regimes, frequently asked in UPSC Prelims.

— It had taken less than 10 years for efforts to begin to dismantle the 1997 Kyoto Protocol. The Paris Agreement, successor to the Kyoto Protocol, does not face any immediate threat of being dismantled, but its role as the global treaty to organise an effective response to climate change has come under scrutiny, as it completed 10 years in November. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

— The Kyoto Protocol was adopted on 11 December 1997. Owing to a complex ratification process, it entered into force on 16 February 2005. Currently, there are 192 Parties to the Kyoto Protocol. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

— The Kyoto Protocol operationalizes the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change by committing industrialized countries and economies in transition to limit and reduce greenhouse gases (GHG) emissions in accordance with agreed individual targets.

— The Kyoto Protocol is based on the principles and provisions of the Convention and follows its annex-based structure. It only binds developed countries, and places a heavier burden on them under the principle of “common but differentiated responsibility and respective capabilities”, because it recognizes that they are largely responsible for the current high levels of GHG emissions in the atmosphere. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

With reference to the stingless bees, consider the following statements: 1. They are found in tropical regions across the world.

2. Honey of stingless bees as a medicine to treat different types of illnesses.

3. The highest number of stingless bees in the world is found in the Western Ghats.

Relevance: Such questions test awareness of species distribution, ecological importance, and elimination of over-generalised claims, a key Prelims skill.

— Amazonian stingless bees have become the first insect in the world to be granted legal rights, after two municipalities — Satipo and Nauta — in Peru passed an ordinance earlier this month. The move is expected to help conserve stingless bees, which are the oldest bee species on the planet. In recent years, the insect has been facing threats from climate change, forest fires, and deforestation.

— Stingless bees, as their name suggests, are a class of bees which either do not have stingers or have stingers that cannot cause much pain. They are found in tropical regions across the world, and about half of the 500 known species live in the Amazon. In Peru alone, there are more than 170 species. While the Western Ghats have the largest diversity in India, the global highest diversity of stingless bees can be found in tropical locations like the Amazon basin. Hence, statement 1 is correct and statement 3 is not correct.

— These bees have been sustaining tropical forests around the world for about 80 million years, since the time of the dinosaurs, by being a valuable pollinator. In the Amazon, for instance, they have been pollinating more than 80% of the flora, including crops like cacao, coffee and avocados.

— Stingless bees are also an essential part of the culture of Indigenous Asháninka and Kukama-Kukamiria peoples. Honey of stingless bees as a medicine to treat different types of illnesses. Recent studies have revealed that their honey has anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and anti-viral properties. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

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