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UPSC CDS Physical Geography — practice questions

Explore 30 free Physical Geography questions in UPSC CDS Environment. Open each question or exercise to read its content, reference answers and available explanation.

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Physical Geography questions and exercises with answers

Showing questions 1–30 of 30.

A gardener notes temperature, rainfall, wind and soil in her plot. These are which components of the ecosystem?Read the answer and worked solution →A garden, a crop field and an aquarium are all examples of:Read the answer and worked solution →Green plants and certain bacteria that make food by photosynthesis are called:Read the answer and worked solution →Bacteria and fungi that break down dead remains into simple inorganic substances are:Read the answer and worked solution →Each step or level of a food chain is called a:Read the answer and worked solution →In a food chain, herbivores or primary consumers occupy which trophic level?Read the answer and worked solution →Large carnivores or tertiary consumers form which trophic level?Read the answer and worked solution →Green plants in a land ecosystem capture about what share of the sunlight falling on their leaves?Read the answer and worked solution →On average, what share of food eaten at one trophic level becomes available to the next?Read the answer and worked solution →Because so little energy passes on, food chains generally have how many steps?Read the answer and worked solution →A network of many interlinked food chains shown as branching lines is a:Read the answer and worked solution →Energy flow through the trophic levels of an ecosystem is:Read the answer and worked solution →Pesticide residues build up most in which organisms of a food chain?Read the answer and worked solution →Progressive accumulation of non-degradable chemicals at each trophic level is called:Read the answer and worked solution →Ozone is a molecule formed by how many atoms of oxygen?Read the answer and worked solution →Ozone high in the atmosphere shields the Earth from:Read the answer and worked solution →Atmospheric ozone began to drop sharply in which decade?Read the answer and worked solution →Which chemicals, used as refrigerants and in fire extinguishers, deplete the ozone layer?Read the answer and worked solution →In 1987, which UN body forged an agreement to freeze CFC production at 1986 levels?Read the answer and worked solution →Plastics are not broken down by bacteria because:Read the answer and worked solution →Substances broken down by biological processes are called:Read the answer and worked solution →Changes in which practice have made much of our household waste non-biodegradable?Read the answer and worked solution →Catch the biodegradable wasteRead the answer and worked solution →Pop the abiotic factorsRead the answer and worked solution →Run the trophic levelsRead the answer and worked solution →Slice the ecology wordsRead the answer and worked solution →Natural or human-madeRead the answer and worked solution →Sort the ecosystem rolesRead the answer and worked solution →Type the numberRead the answer and worked solution →Our environment bingoRead the answer and worked solution →

Worked practice questions

A gardener notes temperature, rainfall, wind and soil in her plot. These are which components of the ecosystem?

  1. Abiotic
  2. Biotic
  3. Trophic
  4. Organic
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Correct answer: A. Abiotic

1. Living organisms are biotic components. 2. Physical factors are abiotic components. 3. Both interact to maintain balance. _Source: syllabus Science, Chapter 15, Our Environment._

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A garden, a crop field and an aquarium are all examples of:

  1. Forest ecosystems
  2. Human-made ecosystems
  3. Natural ecosystems
  4. Aquatic ecosystems
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Correct answer: B. Human-made ecosystems

1. Forests, ponds and lakes are natural ecosystems. 2. Gardens and crop fields are human-made. 3. An aquarium is also artificial. _Source: syllabus Science, Chapter 15, Our Environment._

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Green plants and certain bacteria that make food by photosynthesis are called:

  1. Producers
  2. Consumers
  3. Parasites
  4. Herbivores
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Correct answer: A. Producers

1. They use sunlight and chlorophyll. 2. They are the producers. 3. All others depend on them. _Source: syllabus Science, Chapter 15, Our Environment._

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