Issues on Environment, Biodiversity & Climate Change (Part-IV)

St 1 right. Spreading finely ground basalt rock on farmlands extensively: This is a form of enhanced weathering, which is a process that speeds up the natural weathering of rocks to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Basalt is a type of volcanic rock that is rich in minerals that react with carbon dioxide to form carbonate minerals. When these minerals are spread on farmlands, they react with the carbon dioxide in the air to form carbonates, which are then stored in the soil.

St 2 right. Increasing the alkalinity of oceans by adding lime: This is another form of enhanced weathering. Lime is a calcium-based mineral that reacts with carbon dioxide to form calcium carbonate. When lime is added to the oceans, it reacts with the carbon dioxide in the water to form calcium carbonate, which is then stored in the ocean floor.

St 3 right to do this is to pump the carbon dioxide into abandoned subterranean mines. The carbon dioxide then dissolves in the water in the mines to form carbonated waters.

All three of these activities are often considered and discussed for carbon capture and sequestration.

Biofilters play a crucial role in Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS). RAS are systems that reuse water by treating it to remove waste products. Biofilters are a type of filtration system that uses beneficial bacteria to break down and remove harmful waste products from the water.

Role of Biofilters in Recirculating Aquaculture System
• Biofilters provide waste treatment by removing excess fish feed.
• Biofilters in a Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS) help in waste treatment by removing uneaten fish feed and other organic matter from the water. The biofilter media provide a surface for beneficial bacteria to grow, which help in breaking down and removing these wastes. So, statement 1 is correct.
• One of the primary functions of biofilters in a RAS is to convert toxic ammonia (produced from fish waste) into less harmful nitrate. Beneficial bacteria in the biofilter media perform nitrification, a process where ammonia is first converted to nitrite and then further converted to nitrate. So, statement 2 is correct.
• Biofilters do not increase phosphorus as a nutrient for fish in the water.
• Their primary role is to remove wastes and convert ammonia to nitrate. Phosphorus levels in the water are managed through other means, such as fish feed formulation and water quality management. So, statement 3 is not correct.

As per Section 62 of Act Central Government may, by notification, declare any wild animal [specified in Schedule II] to be vermin for any area and for such period as may be specified for any period of time specified in the Notification. Thus, Statement 1 is correct.

Indian Flying Fox also called the Great Indian Fruit Bat, as it eats fruits, feeding on the juice. It helps in seed dispersion and pollination, making them an integral part of the ecosystem. Hence, statement 2 is incorrect.

Froghoppers, also known as the super family Cercopoidea, are a group of hemipteran insects in the suborder Auchenorrhyncha. Pond skaters are a family of insects within the order Hemiptera. Hence, Option (c) is the correct answer.

Chewing gum does contain plastic. The "gum base" listed in the ingredients is primarily composed of polyvinyl acetate, a non-biodegradable plastic that persists in the environment for a long time. Thus, chewing gum residue can be considered a harmful environmental pollutant. Thus, Statement II is correct.

Hence, Option (a) is the correct answer.

Unlike other big cats such as lions, tigers, leopards, and jaguars, cheetahs do not roar. Instead, they growl when threatened and typically chirp, purr, and meow. Statement 2 is correct.

Lions proclaim their territory by roaring and by scent marking. Leopards also proclaim their territory by roaring and by scent marking. Both sexes use urine to mark their territories, and often after urinating a male will then scrape the ground to transfer the scent of his urine onto his feet to be carried during territorial boundary patrols. Statement 3 is incorrect.

Thus, Option (a) is the correct answer.

Mutualism is a type of interaction which confers benefits on both the interacting species. The most spectacular and evolutionarily fascinating examples of mutualism are found in plant-animal relationships. Plants need the help of animals to pollinate their flowers and disperse their seeds.
Figs and wasps depend on each other to reproduce, and this is a fantastic example of co-evolution. In many species of fig trees, there is a tight one-to-one relationship with the pollinator species of wasp. It means that a given fig species can be pollinated only by its ‘partner’ wasp species and no other species. The female wasp uses the fruit not only as an oviposition (egg-laying) site but uses the developing seeds within the fruit for nourishing its larvae. The wasp pollinates the fig inflorescence while searching for suitable egg-laying sites. In return for the favour of pollination, the fig offers the wasp some of its developing seeds, as food for the developing wasp larvae.

Statement 2 is correct: Poisonous fish - puffer fish.

Statement 3 is correct: Poison dart frog uses its brightly coloured skin to warn predators that it is unfit to eat.

Hence, Option (c) is correct.