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Maharashtra HSC Env Ed & Water Security study materials
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Maharashtra HSC Env Ed & Water Security practice questions

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Question 1Environment: concepts, ecosystems, and biodiversity

In the standard classification of the components of an ecosystem, which pair correctly lists abiotic and biotic components respectively?

  1. Fungi and rainfall
  2. Soil bacteria and sunlight
  3. Temperature and humidity
  4. Sunlight and soil bacteria Correct answer.

Explanation

Abiotic components are the non-living physical and chemical factors of a habitat, such as sunlight, temperature, water, air and minerals. Biotic components are the living organisms, including bacteria, fungi, plants and animals, together with their interactions. Only one option pairs a non-living factor with a living one in the required order.

Question 2Environment: concepts, ecosystems, and biodiversity

A pond supports algae, water fleas, small fish and herons. In the food chain algae → water fleas → small fish → herons, what is the trophic level of the small fish?

  1. Primary producer
  2. Primary consumer
  3. Secondary consumer Correct answer.
  4. Tertiary consumer

Explanation

Producers occupy the first trophic level, herbivores that eat them are primary consumers, and organisms feeding on herbivores are secondary consumers. The small fish eat water fleas, which are themselves primary consumers, so the fish sit at the third trophic level as secondary consumers.

Question 3Environment: concepts, ecosystems, and biodiversity

Which term describes the variety of life at all levels, from genes within a species up to entire ecosystems?

  1. Biodiversity Correct answer.
  2. Carrying capacity
  3. Biogeochemical cycling
  4. Ecological succession

Explanation

Biodiversity refers to variation among living organisms at genetic, species and ecosystem levels. Carrying capacity, succession and nutrient cycling describe ecosystem processes rather than variety of life. This three-level definition is the one used in Indian environmental education.

Question 4Environment: concepts, ecosystems, and biodiversity

In the classification of natural resources, which option correctly separates renewable from non-renewable resources?

  1. Petroleum and coal are renewable; sunlight is non-renewable
  2. Solar energy and wind are non-renewable; coal is renewable
  3. Minerals and natural gas are renewable; soil is non-renewable
  4. Groundwater and forests are renewable; petroleum is non-renewable Correct answer.

Explanation

Renewable resources can be replenished by natural processes within a human lifetime, such as groundwater recharge, forest growth, sunlight and wind. Fossil fuels like petroleum and coal form over millions of years and are consumed far faster than they form, so they are non-renewable. Only one option respects this distinction.

Question 5Environment: concepts, ecosystems, and biodiversity

Which statement best explains why energy flow in an ecosystem is described as unidirectional?

  1. Energy moves from consumers back to producers through the food chain
  2. Energy is stored permanently in the bodies of top carnivores
  3. Energy passes from sun to producers to consumers and is lost as heat at each step Correct answer.
  4. Energy is recycled between producers and decomposers indefinitely

Explanation

Energy enters ecosystems as solar radiation captured by producers and is transferred along food chains, with a large fraction dissipated as heat during respiration at every level. Because heat cannot be re-captured by photosynthesis, the flow is one-way. Nutrients, by contrast, are recycled.

Question 6Environment: concepts, ecosystems, and biodiversity

The ten per cent law in ecology states that the energy transferred from one trophic level to the next is about

  1. One per cent of the energy at the lower level
  2. Ten per cent of the total solar energy reaching the earth
  3. Ninety per cent of the energy stored in producers
  4. Ten per cent of the energy available at the lower level Correct answer.

Explanation

Lindeman's ten per cent law describes ecological efficiency: roughly ten per cent of the energy at one trophic level is incorporated into biomass at the next, the rest being lost mainly as heat. This is why food chains rarely have more than four or five links.

Question 7Environment: concepts, ecosystems, and biodiversity

A student observes that a mangrove forest reduces the impact of storm waves on the coastline. Which category of ecosystem service does this represent?

  1. Cultural service
  2. Provisioning service
  3. Supporting service
  4. Regulating service Correct answer.

Explanation

Regulating services are benefits obtained from the control of natural processes, such as flood buffering, climate regulation, erosion control and water purification. Wave attenuation by mangroves is a regulating service. Provisioning services yield products, cultural services give recreation or spiritual value, and supporting services underpin other services such as nutrient cycling.

Question 8Environment: concepts, ecosystems, and biodiversity

Which sequence correctly represents the stages of primary succession on a bare rock surface?

  1. Lichens, mosses, herbs and shrubs, trees Correct answer.
  2. Shrubs, lichens, mosses, trees
  3. Mosses, trees, lichens, shrubs
  4. Trees, shrubs, mosses, lichens

Explanation

Primary succession begins on a surface without soil. Pioneer lichens weather rock and contribute organic matter, mosses follow, then herbs and shrubs, and finally trees develop into a climax community. Each stage modifies conditions so that the next can establish.

Question 9Environment: concepts, ecosystems, and biodiversity

In a pyramid of numbers, an oak tree supporting thousands of insects and a few birds appears as

  1. An inverted or spindle-shaped pyramid Correct answer.
  2. A perfectly rectangular pyramid
  3. A pyramid with no recognisable shape
  4. An upright pyramid with a broad base

Explanation

A pyramid of numbers counts individuals, not biomass or energy. A single large producer such as an oak supports very many herbivores, so the base is narrow and the pyramid appears inverted or spindle-shaped. Energy pyramids, by contrast, are always upright.

Question 10Environment: concepts, ecosystems, and biodiversity

Which of the following best defines an endemic species in the context of Indian biodiversity?

  1. A species that migrates seasonally between two continents
  2. A species that has become extinct in the wild but survives in captivity
  3. A species introduced from another country that has become widespread
  4. A species found naturally only in a restricted geographical area Correct answer.

Explanation

An endemic species is native to and restricted to a particular region and is found nowhere else naturally. Endemism is high in isolated habitats such as the Western Ghats and Andaman Islands. The other options describe introduced, migratory and extinct-in-the-wild species respectively.

Question 11Environment: concepts, ecosystems, and biodiversity

India is recognised as one of the world's megadiverse countries. Which criterion is used to identify a megadiverse country?

  1. It must harbour high species richness including many endemic species Correct answer.
  2. It must contain only tropical rainforest ecosystems
  3. It must have the largest total land area on its continent
  4. It must have the highest population density in its region

Explanation

Megadiverse countries are identified by exceptional biological richness, particularly high species diversity and a large number of endemic species, often combined with high levels of threat. Land area, population density and a single biome type are not the criteria. India qualifies through habitats such as the Western Ghats, Himalaya and Indo-Burma region.

Question 12Environment: concepts, ecosystems, and biodiversity

A region is identified as a biodiversity hotspot. Which combination of conditions must it satisfy?

  1. High plant endemism together with significant loss of original habitat Correct answer.
  2. Large land area together with low species richness
  3. High agricultural productivity together with low human population
  4. Presence of only migratory species together with heavy rainfall

Explanation

Biodiversity hotspots are defined by exceptional endemism, especially of vascular plants, combined with severe habitat loss, generally more than seventy per cent of original vegetation cleared. Both conditions must be met. The Western Ghats and Sri Lanka and the Himalaya are hotspots relevant to India.

Question 13Environment: concepts, ecosystems, and biodiversity

Which of the following is an in-situ method of biodiversity conservation?

  1. Conserving a species within a biosphere reserve Correct answer.
  2. Breeding endangered animals in a zoo
  3. Storing tissue cultures in a gene bank
  4. Maintaining seeds in a cryopreservation facility

Explanation

In-situ conservation protects organisms in their natural habitats, through protected areas such as national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and biosphere reserves. Ex-situ conservation, by contrast, removes organisms or their material to artificial settings such as zoos, seed banks and tissue culture facilities.

Question 14Environment: concepts, ecosystems, and biodiversity

The main purpose of designating a wildlife sanctuary under Indian law is to

  1. Prohibit all human entry and every form of resource use absolutely
  2. Protect, propagate and develop wildlife along with its habitat, with limited regulated human activity permitted Correct answer.
  3. Preserve a single species of plant to the exclusion of all others
  4. Allow unrestricted grazing, logging and hunting by local communities

Explanation

A wildlife sanctuary is an area where wildlife and its habitat are protected and may be developed, and certain regulated activities such as grazing or collection of forest produce can be permitted by the state. A national park is more strictly protected, with no grazing or private rights allowed.

Question 15Environment: concepts, ecosystems, and biodiversity

Which human activity is the leading cause of biodiversity loss worldwide?

  1. Occasional forest fires of natural origin
  2. Selective hunting of a single species
  3. Habitat destruction and fragmentation Correct answer.
  4. Introduction of a few ornamental plants

Explanation

Habitat loss and fragmentation, driven by land conversion for agriculture, urbanisation and infrastructure, is the single largest cause of biodiversity decline globally. Overexploitation, invasive species, pollution and climate change are additional drivers but rank below habitat loss in overall impact.

Question 16Environment: concepts, ecosystems, and biodiversity

An invasive alien species such as water hyacinth affects an aquatic ecosystem mainly by

  1. Forming dense mats that block light and deplete oxygen when decomposed Correct answer.
  2. Increasing dissolved oxygen through rapid photosynthesis
  3. Raising the water temperature permanently
  4. Removing nutrients from the water and preventing algal blooms

Explanation

Water hyacinth grows rapidly and forms thick floating mats that shade submerged plants and reduce oxygen exchange. When the plants die, bacterial decomposition consumes dissolved oxygen, harming fish and other aquatic life. It also interferes with navigation and irrigation.

Question 17Environment: concepts, ecosystems, and biodiversity

Which pair of organisms correctly illustrates a symbiotic relationship of mutualism?

  1. Tapeworm living in the intestine of a host
  2. A tick feeding on the blood of a mammal
  3. Lichen, formed by an alga and a fungus Correct answer.
  4. A barnacle attached to a whale's skin without affecting it

Explanation

Mutualism is a relationship in which both partners benefit. In a lichen, the alga photosynthesises and supplies carbohydrates while the fungus provides shelter, moisture and minerals, so both gain. Parasitism and commensalism describe the other options.

Question 18Environment: concepts, ecosystems, and biodiversity

In the nitrogen cycle, which group of microorganisms converts atmospheric nitrogen gas into ammonia?

  1. Denitrifying bacteria
  2. Decomposing fungi
  3. Nitrogen-fixing bacteria such as Rhizobium Correct answer.
  4. Nitrifying bacteria such as Nitrosomonas

Explanation

Nitrogen fixation is the reduction of atmospheric nitrogen to ammonia, carried out by free-living and symbiotic bacteria, notably Rhizobium in root nodules of legumes. Nitrifying bacteria then oxidise ammonia to nitrite and nitrate, while denitrifiers return nitrogen to the atmosphere.

Question 19Environment: concepts, ecosystems, and biodiversity

Eutrophication of a lake typically begins with which change?

  1. Excess nitrogen and phosphorus entering the water Correct answer.
  2. An increase in water transparency and light penetration
  3. A rise in dissolved oxygen throughout the lake
  4. A sudden decrease in nutrient input from surrounding farmland

Explanation

Eutrophication is triggered by nutrient enrichment, especially of nitrates and phosphates from fertiliser runoff and sewage. The nutrients fuel algal blooms, which later die and decompose, consuming oxygen and causing fish kills. Transparency falls rather than rises.

Question 20Environment: concepts, ecosystems, and biodiversity

Which of the following best describes biomagnification?

  1. The increase in concentration of a persistent pollutant along a food chain Correct answer.
  2. The breakdown of a pollutant by soil microorganisms
  3. The dilution of a pollutant as it passes from one trophic level to the next
  4. The removal of a pollutant from water by filtration

Explanation

Biomagnification is the progressive increase in concentration of non-biodegradable, fat-soluble substances such as certain pesticides and mercury as they move up successive trophic levels. Top predators therefore accumulate the highest concentrations.

Question 21Environment: concepts, ecosystems, and biodiversity

Which group of organisms occupies the decomposer role in an ecosystem and why is that role essential?

  1. Bacteria and fungi, because they break down dead organic matter and release nutrients for reuse Correct answer.
  2. Carnivores, because they control herbivore populations
  3. Herbivores, because they transfer energy to carnivores
  4. Green plants, because they convert solar energy into food

Explanation

Decomposers, chiefly bacteria and fungi, break down dead plants, animals and wastes into simpler inorganic substances. This releases nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorus back into the soil and water so producers can reuse them, completing nutrient cycles.

Question 22Environment: concepts, ecosystems, and biodiversity

The ecological pyramid that is always upright, regardless of the ecosystem, is the pyramid of

  1. Numbers
  2. Biomass
  3. Energy Correct answer.
  4. Age structure

Explanation

A pyramid of energy is always upright because energy is lost as heat at each transfer and cannot increase at higher levels. Pyramids of numbers and biomass can be inverted, for example where one large producer supports many consumers or where phytoplankton biomass is small but turns over rapidly.

Question 23Environment: concepts, ecosystems, and biodiversity

Two species of barnacle occupy different zones on a rocky shore, though both survive when grown alone across the whole shore. This pattern is best explained by

  1. Competitive exclusion through interspecific competition Correct answer.
  2. Random dispersal with no competitive effect
  3. Complete absence of any interaction between the species
  4. Obligate mutualism between the two species

Explanation

When two species compete for the same resource, the stronger competitor can exclude the other from part of the range, so each species occupies only the zone where it is competitively superior or free from competition. This is competitive exclusion leading to niche differentiation, the classic result observed in intertidal barnacle studies.

Question 24Environment: concepts, ecosystems, and biodiversity

In a habitat, two species of lizard share the same tree and appear to use the same food. Which observation would provide the strongest evidence that they are in fact partitioning a resource and avoiding competition?

  1. Both species breed in the same month on the same branch
  2. Both species are equally abundant on the same trunk at midday
  3. Both species are eaten by the same predator
  4. One species feeds on upper branches by day while the other feeds on lower branches at night Correct answer.

Explanation

Resource partitioning occurs when species that could compete instead divide a resource such as space, food or time. Differences in vertical position and activity period reduce overlap in resource use, allowing coexistence. The other observations indicate overlap or shared risk rather than partitioning.

Question 25Environment: concepts, ecosystems, and biodiversity

A forest patch is reduced to a small fragment surrounded by farmland. Which consequence is most consistent with the theory of island biogeography as applied to habitat fragments?

  1. Species richness declines because immigration falls and extinction rises Correct answer.
  2. Colonisation rates rise because the fragment is isolated
  3. Species richness increases because edge habitat is created
  4. Extinction rates fall because the fragment has fewer predators

Explanation

The theory of island biogeography predicts that smaller, more isolated patches hold fewer species because colonisation from surrounding habitat is reduced and extinction risk within a small population is high. Fragmentation therefore lowers richness and changes community composition over time.

Question 26Environment: concepts, ecosystems, and biodiversity

In an ecosystem, green plants, herbivores, carnivores and decomposers together form which structural component that ecologists use to describe the path of energy transfer?

  1. A biogeochemical reservoir of stored minerals
  2. A hydrological watershed boundary
  3. A genetic drift pattern within populations
  4. A trophic structure organised into feeding levels Correct answer.

Explanation

Ecologists describe ecosystems by their trophic structure, meaning the arrangement of organisms into feeding levels such as producers, primary consumers and decomposers. Energy moves from one level to the next along these feeding links, so the trophic structure is the standard way of representing energy transfer.

Question 27Environment: concepts, ecosystems, and biodiversity

A teacher asks students to classify the following as an abiotic component of a pond ecosystem: water temperature, dissolved oxygen, water lily, and phytoplankton. Which single factor is abiotic?

  1. Water lily
  2. Dissolved oxygen
  3. Phytoplankton
  4. Water temperature Correct answer.

Explanation

Abiotic components are the non-living physical and chemical conditions of a habitat, such as temperature, light, humidity and salinity. Water temperature is purely a physical condition, whereas water lily and phytoplankton are living organisms. Dissolved oxygen is a chemical factor, but the question asks for the physical condition among the choices, and temperature alone is unambiguously non-living and physical.

Question 28Environment: concepts, ecosystems, and biodiversity

A farmer notices that a pond near his field has turned green with a surface scum of algae after repeated fertiliser runoff. Which explanation best describes the ecological process involved?

  1. Runoff increases water salinity, which kills submerged plants first
  2. Algal growth removes nutrients from water and restores oxygen levels
  3. Excess nutrients trigger algal blooms, whose decay consumes oxygen and harms aquatic life Correct answer.
  4. Fertiliser salts directly poison fish before any algae appear

Explanation

Nutrient enrichment, chiefly of nitrogen and phosphorus, promotes rapid algal growth. When the algae die, decomposers consume oxygen while breaking them down, causing oxygen depletion that stresses fish and other aquatic organisms. This sequence is the core of eutrophication.

Question 29Environment: concepts, ecosystems, and biodiversity

A student compares a natural forest with a sugarcane field and notes that the forest supports many more species and more complex food webs. Which term best captures this difference?

  1. Ecological succession
  2. Species diversity Correct answer.
  3. Carrying capacity
  4. Habitat fragmentation

Explanation

Species diversity refers to the number and relative abundance of species in a community. A forest with many interdependent species therefore has higher species diversity than a monoculture field, even though both are ecosystems.

Question 30Environment: concepts, ecosystems, and biodiversity

Two islands of equal area lie at the same latitude, but one is close to a mainland and the other is remote. Applying the theory of island biogeography, which prediction about species richness is most defensible?

  1. Both islands should have equal richness because area and latitude are identical
  2. The remote island should have higher richness because it experiences less human disturbance
  3. The near island should have higher richness because immigration rates are higher Correct answer.
  4. The remote island should have higher richness because it accumulates endemics faster

Explanation

The theory of island biogeography holds that species richness depends on a balance between immigration and extinction. A near island receives more colonisers from the mainland, so its immigration rate is higher and, at equilibrium, it supports more species than a remote island of the same size.

Question 31Natural resources: land, forest, water, energy, and conservation

Which soil conservation measure involves ploughing along the contour of a slope rather than up and down it?

  1. Strip cropping
  2. Terrace farming
  3. Shelter belt planting
  4. Contour ploughing Correct answer.

Explanation

Contour ploughing follows the level lines of a slope so that each furrow traps rainwater and slows runoff, reducing sheet erosion. Terracing cuts stepped platforms, strip cropping alternates crop bands, and shelter belts are tree rows, so each is a different technique.

Question 32Natural resources: land, forest, water, energy, and conservation

In Maharashtra, which agency is chiefly responsible for declaring and managing protected forest areas under the Indian Forest Act and Wild Life (Protection) Act framework?

  1. Maharashtra Pollution Control Board
  2. Groundwater Surveys and Development Agency
  3. Maharashtra Energy Development Agency
  4. Maharashtra Forest Department Correct answer.

Explanation

The State Forest Department administers forests, wildlife sanctuaries and national parks, and processes declarations under forest and wildlife law. The pollution board regulates emissions and effluents, the groundwater agency drills and surveys wells, and MEDA promotes renewable energy.

Question 33Natural resources: land, forest, water, energy, and conservation

Which of these is a renewable source of energy that Maharashtra promotes through rooftop programmes in cities?

  1. Solar photovoltaic power Correct answer.
  2. Diesel generator sets
  3. Bituminous coal
  4. Liquefied petroleum gas

Explanation

Solar photovoltaic systems convert sunlight directly into electricity and are renewable, which is why rooftop solar is promoted in urban Maharashtra. LPG, coal and diesel are finite fossil fuels whose combustion also adds carbon dioxide.

Question 34Natural resources: land, forest, water, energy, and conservation

Rainwater harvesting mainly helps an urban household by doing which of the following?

  1. Recharging groundwater and reducing dependence on tanker supply Correct answer.
  2. Raising the peak demand on the municipal pipeline
  3. Increasing surface runoff into storm drains
  4. Increasing the salinity of local borewell water

Explanation

Collected roof rainwater is either stored or led into recharge pits, so it replenishes aquifers and cuts reliance on purchased tanker water. It reduces, rather than raises, runoff and pipeline demand, and it does not increase salinity.

Question 35Natural resources: land, forest, water, energy, and conservation

Which practice is a form of in-situ soil moisture conservation on farmland?

  1. Mulching the soil surface with crop residue Correct answer.
  2. Levelling the field with a bulldozer
  3. Deep ploughing to expose subsoil
  4. Burning the stubble after harvest

Explanation

Mulch covers the soil, cutting evaporation and protecting the surface from raindrop impact, so moisture is conserved where the crop grows. Stubble burning destroys organic matter, deep ploughing dries the profile, and bulldozer levelling is a land-shaping operation.

Question 36Natural resources: land, forest, water, energy, and conservation

The main purpose of a check dam built across a seasonal stream in a drought-prone taluka is to do what?

  1. Divert the entire stream into a canal
  2. Retard flow so water percolates and recharges the aquifer Correct answer.
  3. Generate hydroelectric power for the village
  4. Store water permanently for municipal drinking supply

Explanation

A check dam is a small barrier that slows the stream, spreading water over the bed so it seeps down and recharges groundwater. It is not a permanent storage reservoir, a power scheme, or a full diversion structure.

Question 37Natural resources: land, forest, water, energy, and conservation

Which of the following describes a community forest right recognised under the Forest Rights Act in Maharashtra?

  1. Rights to collect minor forest produce and manage community forest resources Correct answer.
  2. Exclusive ownership of all wildlife in a sanctuary
  3. Freehold sale of reserve forest land to private buyers
  4. Permission to clear protected forest for commercial farming

Explanation

The Act recognises individual and community forest rights, including collection of minor forest produce and community management of forest resources. It does not create freehold sale rights, allow clearing of protected forest, or grant ownership of wildlife.

Question 38Natural resources: land, forest, water, energy, and conservation

Which energy conservation measure gives the largest saving for the same lighting output in a home?

  1. Using higher-wattage incandescent bulbs
  2. Keeping incandescent bulbs switched on for longer
  3. Painting the lamp shade a darker colour
  4. Replacing incandescent bulbs with LED lamps Correct answer.

Explanation

LED lamps deliver the same illumination for a small fraction of the electricity used by incandescent bulbs, so the saving is large and immediate. Longer use, higher wattage, and darker shades all increase consumption or reduce useful light.

Question 39Natural resources: land, forest, water, energy, and conservation

A village on a steep slope in the Western Ghats loses topsoil every monsoon. Which combination best addresses the problem at source?

  1. Increasing cattle grazing and removing vegetation cover
  2. Contour bunding with vegetative barriers and reduced grazing on the slope Correct answer.
  3. Converting the slope to bare fallow during the monsoon
  4. Straightening the gully channels to speed up runoff

Explanation

Bunds along the contour slow runoff while grass and shrub barriers hold soil in place, and controlled grazing protects the cover. Removing vegetation, speeding runoff, or leaving the slope bare all accelerate erosion.

Question 40Natural resources: land, forest, water, energy, and conservation

Why is drip irrigation considered a water-saving method compared with flood irrigation?

  1. It relies on rainfall alone and needs no source
  2. It spreads a thick sheet of water over the whole field
  3. It increases the wetted surface area of the field
  4. It delivers water near the root zone so evaporation and deep percolation losses fall Correct answer.

Explanation

Drip lines release water slowly at the plant base, so less is lost to evaporation, runoff and drainage below the root zone. Flood irrigation wets the entire field, and drip systems still need a water source.

Question 41Natural resources: land, forest, water, energy, and conservation

A watershed development plan for a dry taluka must first establish which baseline before designing recharge structures?

  1. The retail price of fertiliser in the district
  2. Groundwater level trends and aquifer recharge potential of the area Correct answer.
  3. The number of tractors owned by farmers
  4. The literacy rate of the village

Explanation

Recharge structures only work if sited where the aquifer can accept and store water, so water-level trends and recharge potential are the essential baseline. Tractor counts, fertiliser prices and literacy do not determine where water will percolate.

Question 42Natural resources: land, forest, water, energy, and conservation

Which statement correctly distinguishes a national park from a wildlife sanctuary under Indian wildlife law?

  1. A national park usually has stricter protection and more restricted human activity than a sanctuary Correct answer.
  2. A sanctuary has no legal protection status
  3. A national park is managed by the pollution control board
  4. A sanctuary bans all human entry while a national park permits grazing

Explanation

Both are protected areas, but a national park generally carries tighter restrictions on grazing, forestry and human habitation. Sanctuaries may allow regulated activities, and both are legally protected and managed by the forest department.

Question 43Natural resources: land, forest, water, energy, and conservation

In a Maharashtra village, borewells have proliferated and the water table is falling. Which regulatory response is most consistent with groundwater management principles?

  1. Removing all well registration requirements
  2. Unlimited free borewell drilling for all applicants
  3. Mandatory recharge structures and regulated new borewell permissions in stressed areas Correct answer.
  4. Subsidising deeper pumps to chase the falling water table

Explanation

Where extraction outpaces recharge, the sound response couples recharge with control over new abstraction points. Unlimited drilling and deeper pumps worsen depletion, and removing registration destroys the data needed for management.

Question 44Natural resources: land, forest, water, energy, and conservation

Agroforestry is promoted on farmland mainly because it does which of the following?

  1. Replaces all food crops with timber monoculture
  2. Eliminates the need for any irrigation
  3. Guarantees a fixed price for the harvest
  4. Combines trees with crops to improve soil, moisture retention and farm income Correct answer.

Explanation

Agroforestry integrates trees with crops or livestock, and the trees improve organic matter, shade and moisture retention while adding products such as fruit or fuelwood. It does not replace food crops entirely, remove the need for irrigation, or fix market prices.

Question 45Natural resources: land, forest, water, energy, and conservation

Which of these is the most direct way for a municipal body to reduce the energy footprint of its water supply system?

  1. Cutting distribution losses and using gravity-fed or solar-pumped schemes Correct answer.
  2. Extending supply hours without repairing leaks
  3. Pumping water at higher pressure through leaking mains
  4. Adding more booster pumps at every junction

Explanation

Most energy in urban water supply goes into pumping, so reducing leakage and using gravity or solar pumping cuts consumption directly. Higher pressure, extra boosters and longer supply hours all increase energy use.

Question 46Natural resources: land, forest, water, energy, and conservation

A farmer wants to reduce soil salinity in an irrigated field. Which practice is appropriate?

  1. Flooding the field continuously without any drainage outlet
  2. Adding more saline irrigation water without leaching
  3. Applying controlled leaching with good drainage and using gypsum where sodic Correct answer.
  4. Leaving the field permanently unirrigated and compacted

Explanation

Salts accumulate when evaporation exceeds leaching, so controlled leaching with drainage removes them from the root zone, and gypsum helps reclaim sodic soils. Flooding without drainage, adding saline water, or compaction all worsen the condition.

Question 47Natural resources: land, forest, water, energy, and conservation

Which characteristic makes a forest patch more resilient to disturbance?

  1. A single fast-growing species planted over the whole area
  2. Frequent removal of undergrowth and leaf litter
  3. High species diversity and good connectivity with neighbouring patches Correct answer.
  4. Complete isolation from other forest patches

Explanation

Diverse, well-connected forests allow species to recolonise after disturbance and spread risk across many species. Monocultures, isolation and removal of litter and undergrowth all reduce resilience.

Question 48Natural resources: land, forest, water, energy, and conservation

A household replaces a 60 W incandescent bulb used 5 hours a day with a 9 W LED. What is the approximate daily energy saving?

  1. 0.51 kWh
  2. 1.02 kWh
  3. 0.255 kWh Correct answer.
  4. 0.045 kWh

Explanation

The power difference is 60 minus 9, which is 51 W, and over 5 hours that gives 255 Wh, or 0.255 kWh per day. Multiplying the difference by the hours is the correct method; the other values come from wrong arithmetic.

Question 49Natural resources: land, forest, water, energy, and conservation

Which of these best explains why shifting cultivation is discouraged in forested regions of Maharashtra?

  1. Repeated slash-and-burn shortens fallow cycles and degrades forest soil and cover Correct answer.
  2. It requires no land clearing at all
  3. It permanently increases forest biomass
  4. It raises groundwater recharge across the region

Explanation

Shortening fallow periods means the soil cannot recover, so nutrients are lost and forest cover is stripped repeatedly. The practice does not build biomass, needs clearing, and does not improve recharge.

Question 50Natural resources: land, forest, water, energy, and conservation

A coastal Konkan village faces saltwater intrusion into its wells. Which management response is most appropriate?

  1. Pumping harder to draw fresher water from deeper layers
  2. Building more wells close to the shoreline
  3. Regulating pumping to keep the freshwater lens above the saline interface Correct answer.
  4. Abandoning all recharge attempts near the coast

Explanation

Over-pumping lowers the freshwater head and lets seawater move inland, so limiting extraction keeps the lens above the interface. Pumping harder, clustering wells near the sea, and stopping recharge all worsen intrusion.