[Mission 2022] QUIZ – 2022: INSIGHTS STATIC QUIZ, 09 December 2021 – Environment – INSIGHTSIAS

Solution: d)

The wetlands, vital parts of the hydrological cycle, are highly productive ecosystems which support rich biodiversity and provide a wide range of ecosystem services such as water storage, water purification, flood mitigation, erosion control, aquifer recharge, microclimate regulation, aesthetic enhancement of landscapes while simultaneously supporting many significant recreational, social and cultural activities, being part of our rich cultural heritage;

Solution: b)

Pulicat lake is not designated as Ramsar wetland.

The 46 Ramsar sites in India include the Chilika Lake in Odisha, Harike Lake in Punjab, Loktak Lake in Manipur and Wular Lake in Jammu and Kashmir.

Solution: a)

Seaweeds contains all soil nutrients (0.3% N, 0.1% P, 1.0% K, plus a full range of trace elements) and amino acids. Its jelly like alginate content helps to bind soil crumbs together.

However, caution should be observed when collecting seaweed, particularly from areas that are liable to pollution, such as downriver (including estuaries) of industrial activities as seaweed is susceptible to contamination.

Solution: d)

Zooxanthellae is what gives colour to corals and provide them food.

• Bleaching, or the paling of coral colour occurs; when (i) the densities of zooxanthellae decline and (ii) the concentration of photosynthetic pigments within the zooxanthellae
• There are many causes of coral bleaching.
• Major Temperature changes, extreme low tides, tectonic uplift etc. can potentially induce bleaching.
• Moreover, Sedimentation, Fresh Water Dilution, inflow of Inorganic Nutrients (e.g. ammonia and nitrate) etc. too cause the same.

Solution: a)

Corals that inhabit the colder deep waters of continental shelves and offshore canyons, ranging from 50 to over 1000m depths lack zooxanthellae and may build reef-like structures or occur solitarily.

Cold-water corals are different from their warm-water counterparts because they do not contain symbiotic algae for photosynthesis and grow more slowly. Cold-water corals obtain all their energy from organic matter and zooplankton, which they catch from the currents drifting past.

Cold-water corals can be found over a wide range of latitudes, from tropical to Polar Regions, and from the shallow to the deep seas.