Question 1. List four advantages of water stored in the ground. [Delhi]
Answer. Four advantages of storing water in the ground are:

1.  It does not evaporate.
2. It is relatively protected from contamination by human and animal wastes.
3. It does not provide breeding ground for mosquitoes.
4. It provides moisture for vegetation.

Question 2. “Burning fossil fuels is a cause of global warming.” Justify this statement. [Delhi]
Answer. Fossil fuels like coal and petroleum are formed from biomass. In addition to carbon, they contain hydrogen, nitrogen and sulphur. When fossil fuels are burnt, the products are carbon dioxide, water vapour, oxides of nitrogen and oxides of sulphur. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas. Increase in the percentage of carbon dioxide increases the temperature on earth which leads to global warming.

Question 3 List three problems which arise due to construction of big dams. Suggest a solution for these problems. [All India]
Answer. Three problems of construction of large dams are:

1. Displacement of large number of people.
2. Huge cost of construction and low benefit compared to cost.
   These problem can be sorted out by constructing smaller dams instead of a big dam.

Question 4. List the products of combustion of fossil fuels. What are their adverse effects on the environment? [All India]
Answer. When fossil fuels are burnt, carbon dioxide, water, oxides of nitrogen and oxides of sulphur are formed. If the combustion takes place in insufficient air, then carbon monoxide is formed instead of carbon dioxide. Of these products, the oxides of sulphur and nitrogen and carbon monoxide are poisonous gases and carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas.

Question 5. State the meaning of “sustainable management”. Reuse is better than recycling. How? [Foreign]
Answer. ‘Sustainable management’ is the management of resources in which development can be maintained for a long time without undue damage to the environment.
Recycling needs additional energy to make a usable item. Reuse does not require additional energy and hence, is better than recycle.

Question 6 Why are forests considered “biodiversity hot spots”? List two ways in which an individual can effectively contribute to the management of forests and wildlife. [Foreign; All India 2010]
Answer. Biodiversity is measured by the number of different life forms found in an area. In a forest, various species exist which include bacteria, fungi, ferns, plants, nematodes, insects, birds, reptiles and mammals. Forests are therefore considered as biodiversity hot spots.
An individual can contribute in the management of forests and wildlife by:

1. avoiding cutting down of forests and killing of wildlife.
2. educating people about the importance of forests and wildlife in our life.

Question 7. How did ‘Chipko Andolan’ ultimately benefit the local people? Describe briefly. [Foreign]
Answer. Chipko Movement:

• During 1970, in Reni village of Garhwal, a contractor was allowed to cut trees in a forest near the village.
• When the contractor’s workers went to the forest to cut trees, the women of the village hugged the tree trunks to prevent the workers from cutting trees.
• Chipko means ‘hug’ and the movement began with the villagers hugging trees. It is called the ‘Chipko Andolan’.

The movement benefited the local population as it conserved the forest products. It benefited the environment as it conserved the quality of soil and sources of water thereby, maintained balance in nature.

Question 8. Which of the two is a better option, (i) to collect rainwater in ponds or artificial lakes, or (ii) to let it recharge groundwater by water harvesting? List two advantages of the option to justify your answer. [Foreign]
Answer. To allow rainwater to recharge groundwater by water harvesting is the better option. Its advantages are:
(i) Groundwater does not evaporate.
(ii) Groundwater does not provide breeding ground for mosquitoes.

Question 9 What is a dam? Write two main advantages and two ill-effects of constructing a big dam. [Delhi(C)]
Answer. Dams are massive barriers built across rivers and streams to confine and utilise the flow of water for human purposes such as irrigation and generation of electricity.
Two main advantages of constructing a big dam are:

1. Generation of electricity.
2. Irrigation.

Two ill-effects of constructing a big dam are:

1. It displaces large number of people.
2. It causes deforestation and loss of biodiversity.

Question 10. What is meant by sustainable management? The environmentalists are insisting upon “sustainable natural resource management”. State its four advantages. [All India (C)]
Answer. Sustainable management is the management of natural resources which requires a long-term perspective so that they last for generations to come and are not to be exploited by the short-term gains.
Its four advantages are as follows:

1. Resources last for a longer duration.
2. It provides steady economic growth.
3. It helps in ecological conservation.
4. It reduces pollution.

Important Link

Quick Revision Notes : Sustainable Management of Natural Resources

NCERT Solution : Sustainable Management of Natural Resources

MCQs: Sustainable Management of Natural Resources

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