Question : Define ecosystem and describe briefly its various components. Also discuss how and to what extent the modern man has affected the various types of ecosystems.
(1993)
Answer : The relationship between biotic community (living) and abiotic environment (physical) or among the members of the biotic community themselves are known as ECOSYSTEM. The living community includes “autotrophs” (producer), “heterotrophs” (consumer) and “saprotrophs” (decomposer).
Abiotic components include all non-living materials in the surrounding environment like water, Carbon-dioxide, Oxygen, Phosphorus, etc. Biotic components include all of the living organisms and are mainly of two types : Autotrophic and Heterotrophic. Autotrophic components are also called producers or convertors ....
Question : Discuss the global ecological imbalance and their management?
(2006)
Answer : The global ecological imbalance has emerged as a major global concern for human survival. Modernization is steadily transforming the nature into products. The resource squeeze has led to an ever-intensification of ecological damage. Land, water and air are being polluted every time. Deforestation is proceeding at an alarming rate depleting the genetic store.
Mega technology has created problems of waste disposal and industrial revolution has now become a great hazard to the environment as well as ....
Question : Bring out the major problems of environmental pollution at global scale and suggest measures to check it.
(2005)
Answer : Environmental problems are not limited to local, regional and national level but there are several global environmental problems.
The scientific and technological revolution has given multiple facilities to mankind but at the same time it is responsible for depletion of resources, excessive use of fossil fuels, deforestation, desertification, loss of fertility of soil, changes in atmosphere conditions resulting into serious problems like green house effect, depletionof ozone layer, rise of world temperature etc.
All these and many ....
Question : How would the impact of global warming differ from one part of the earth to another? Give a reasoned account.
(2004)
Answer : The global warming means ‘progressive warming-up of earth’s surface due to the blanketing effect of man-made carbon dioxide and other gases. The mechannism by which such warming is effected is called Greenhouse Effect.
The main natural green house gase are water vapour, carbon dioxide (the main culprit), methane, nitrous oxide and ozone. These gases allow the short wave incoming solar radiation to come on the earth’s surface but they intercept the outgoing long wave terrestrial radiation ....
Question : Write an essay on ‘sustainable development’ from the perspective of geography.
(2002)
Answer : Sustainable development is the development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generation to meet their own needs. Thus, it is the development that lasts.
Man has continually and at an increasing rate been changing the forms and modes of his interaction with the environment. Natural processes and factors that depend on the structure and other characters of the earth and social processes have been closely interwoven. On the one ....
Question : Discuss the causes and consequences of environmental degradation and highlight the related conservation measures.
(2000)
Answer : Environment includes aboitic or physical (land, air & water) and biotic (plants and animals including humans) components of the life supporting layer. Environmental degradation refers to the deterioration in its physical components brought in by the biological processes, mainly by human activities to such an extent that it can not be set right by the self regulatory mechanism. In other words environmental degradation simply means overall Lowering of the environmental qualities because of adverse changes ....
Question : Discuss the relevance of watershed as an ecosystem for the purpose of sustainable Development.
(1999)
Answer : Conservation of land, water, flora and fauna is of paramount importance for the 'Sustainable Development' of a nation/region. To this end, watershed, a geographically definable area constitute a basic and vital ecosystem involving intricate interaction between and among its biotic (man, animal, vegetation) components and abiotic components (soil, water, etc.). It is in this respect lies the importance of watershed to be chosen as a Geo-hydrologic ecological unit to plan and execute the development strategy ....
