UPSC Essentials | Daily subject-wise quiz : Environment and Geography MCQs on white-bellied heron, Andes mountain range and more (Week 144)

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 white-bellied heron, consider the following statements: 1. It is listed as a schedule-II species under the Wildlife Protection Act.

2. The bird is ‘vulnerable’ as per the red list of the International Union on Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

3. In India, the white-bellied heron is only found in Arunachal Pradesh.

How many of the statements given above are correct?

Relevance: The white-bellied heron is one of the world’s rarest birds and frequently appears in questions. Its restricted distribution makes it important for India-specific biodiversity and conservation hotspot–based prelims questions.

— The white-bellied heron, a schedule-I (highest protection) species under the Wildlife Protection Act. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

— The bird is critically endangered, as per the red list of the International Union on Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The bird’s presence has been recorded both, upstream and downstream, of the Kalai-II project, as per independent researchers, and past records of the Arunachal Forest Department. Hence, statement 2 is not correct.

— In India, the species is currently confined to Arunachal Pradesh Their population is found in Lohit, Anjaw, and Changlang districts, including in Kamlang and Namdapha tiger reserves. Hence, statement 3 is correct.

— The IUCN Red list suggests there are less than 250 birds in the wild; experts speculate there might be only about 60 birds left in the wild, with 4-5 breeding pairs in Bhutan and fewer in eastern Arunachal Pradesh.

Therefore, option (a) is the correct answer.

Relevance: Mountain ranges like the Andes are frequently asked in map-based and physical geography questions, where UPSC tests clarity on countries traversed vs. neighbouring countries. Such questions assess understanding of South American physiography, continental margins, and tectonic features, which are recurring prelims themes.

— Venezuela used to be home to six glaciers, located at about 5,000 metres above sea level in the Andes mountains. By 2011, five of them had vanished. Scientists expected the Humboldt glacier to last another decade. But it melted at a faster rate than expected, and has shrunk to an area of less than 2 hectares, leading to its downgrade from a glacier to an ice field.

— Much like the Humboldt glacier, other glaciers across the world are shrinking and disappearing faster than researchers thought, with two-thirds of them projected to melt out of existence by 2100 at current climate change trends, according to a 2023 study.

— The Andes — a mountain range running through parts of Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela — has witnessed a temperature increase of a high rate of 0.10 degree Celsius in the past seven decades. That is one of the major reasons why Venezuela has lost all of its glaciers.

Relevance: These types of questions are important from a biodiversity and environment perspective, especially due to their endemic nature, a global biodiversity hotspot. It tests understanding of endemism, microhabitats (laterite soil, underground niches), and amphibian conservation, which are recurring themes in UPSC Prelims.

— Galaxy frogs (Melanobatrachus indicus) are one of the rarest and most dazzling amphibians in the world that live exclusively under rotten logs in Kerala’s Western Ghats. However, the elusive species is now disappearing.

— According to the study, a group of seven galaxy frogs vanished, all likely to be dead, after multiple photographers descended on their habitat, causing disturbances and behavioural changes that could have disrupted their feeding and breeding success.

(Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

— Although galaxy frogs were first discovered in 1878, not much is known about them since they are difficult to find. Measuring between 2 cm and 3.5 cm, these frogs do not produce sounds. Scientists believe they use their spots to communicate, making existing data about their population and breeding behaviour deficient.

— The frogs are listed as vulnerable to extinction by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

— Among major threats to these creatures are the conversion of forest areas to farm land, firewood collection and landslides. However, in recent years, photo tourism has emerged as a new danger to galaxy frogs, especially after they were designated as the flagship species of Kerala’s Mathikettan Shola National Park in 2021.

With reference to the International Solar Alliance, consider the following statements: 1. It was a “collaborative initiative between India and the US aimed at uniting efforts to combat climate change by implementing solar energy solutions.

2. The ISA was conceptualised on the sidelines of the COP21 in Paris in 2015.

3. The countries situated between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn are only eligible to join ISA.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

Relevance: The International Solar Alliance is a key global climate governance initiative led by India, making it highly relevant for questions on international organisations, climate change diplomacy, and renewable energy cooperation.

— Some of the most prominent organisations in the list are the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and the International Union for Conservation of Nature. Also on the list is the International Solar Alliance (ISA), which is headquartered in India.

— The ISA was predicated on the idea that the over 120 countries located in the tropics, between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn, could harness solar energy to meet their electricity needs. It was a “collaborative initiative between India and France aimed at uniting efforts to combat climate change by implementing solar energy solutions.” It is headquartered in Gurugram, Haryana. Hence, statement 1 is not correct.

— The ISA was conceptualised on the sidelines of the COP21 in Paris in 2015, when the landmark Paris Agreement was signed to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions and limit the rise in average global temperature. Hence, statement 2 is correct.

— Primarily, the ISA was envisaged as a facilitator in the adoption and growth of solar power. A 2020 amendment led to all UN member states becoming eligible to join the alliance. According to the official website, more than 100 countries are currently its signatories, with over 90 countries having ratified to become full members. Hence, statement 3 is not correct.

The Margan Top, Chuharnag, and Sinthan Top — popular high-altitude forest areas in the: Relevance: This question is relevant for UPSC Prelims map-based physical geography, as it tests awareness of important mountain passes/high-altitude forest regions.

— Trekking in Margan Top, Chuharnag, and Sinthan Top — popular high-altitude forest areas in the Pir Panjal mountains — has been prohibited for two months by the South Kashmir administration due to “public safety and security concerns”.

— The move comes days after the administration in North Kashmir imposed a similar ban on trekking in the Danwass forests of Tangmarg, near the Gulmarg tourist resort.

— While the orders state that trekking, camping and hiking is “likely to adversely affect public safety and security, sources said the prohibition was prompted by a major anti-militancy operation launched by the Army on both sides of the Pir Panjal mountains that connect the Kashmir Valley to Poonch and Rajouri on one side and Kishtwar and Doda on the other.

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