UPSC CSE Prelims
Biodiversity Conservation Previous Year Questions (PYQs)

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 4 — textile fibre

The Himalayan nettle (Girardinia diversifolia) is a wild plant native to the Himalayan region that produces some of the longest natural fibres in the plant world, extracted from its stem. These fibres are strong, durable, and biodegradable, making them an excellent sustainable alternative to synthetic textiles and even comparable to flax or hemp fibres. The plant has gained attention in recent years as a source of eco-friendly textile material for the fashion and fabric industry.

📝 Short Notes: Himalayan Nettle (Girardinia diversifolia)

• Habitat: Found in the Himalayan regions of India, Nepal, Bhutan, and parts of China at altitudes of 1200-3000 meters.
• Fibre Characteristics: Produces fibres up to 2.5 meters long, which are among the longest natural plant fibres; they are strong, glossy, and have good moisture absorption properties.
• Textile Applications: Used for making eco-friendly fabrics, ropes, and traditional garments; can be blended with other natural fibres like cotton or wool.
• Sustainability: Requires minimal water, no pesticides, and grows wild; harvesting is done manually without harming the plant's root system, allowing regrowth.
• Economic Potential: Provides livelihood opportunities for Himalayan communities; being promoted as a sustainable alternative to synthetic fibres and cotton.

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 1 — 1 only

The Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) was established under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act, 2016, to manage funds collected for compensatory afforestation activities. The Act mandates the creation of both National CAMPA and State CAMPAs to ensure proper administration and utilization of these funds at respective levels. However, the Act does not explicitly mandate people's participation in compensatory afforestation programmes.

✅ Statement 1 – Correct: The Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act, 2016, establishes CAMPA at both National and State levels. National CAMPA oversees fund management at the national level, while State CAMPAs manage funds within their respective jurisdictions for compensatory afforestation activities.

❌ Statement 2 – Incorrect: The Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act, 2016, does not contain any explicit provision mandating people's participation in compensatory afforestation programmes. The Act primarily focuses on fund management, utilization mechanisms, and institutional structures rather than public participation requirements.

📝 Short Notes: Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA)

• Legal Framework: Established under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act, 2016, to manage funds collected from forest land diverted for non-forest purposes.
• Two-Tier Structure: National CAMPA at the central level and State CAMPAs in each state/union territory for decentralized fund management.
• Fund Sources: Money collected from user agencies as Net Present Value (NPV) and compensatory afforestation charges when forest land is diverted.
• Fund Utilization: Used for compensatory afforestation, assisted natural regeneration, forest management, wildlife protection, and infrastructure development in forests.
• National CAMPA Composition: Chaired by the Union Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, with members from various ministries and experts.
• State CAMPA Composition: Chaired by the Chief Minister of the state, with state forest officials and other relevant stakeholders.
• Key Objective: Ensure transparent and efficient utilization of funds for ecological restoration and conservation of forest resources.

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 4 — Kuno Palpur Wildlife Sanctuary

The Ministry of Environment approved Kuno Palpur Wildlife Sanctuary (now Kuno National Park) in Madhya Pradesh as the second home for translocating Asiatic lions from Gir National Park in Gujarat. This translocation was proposed to create a second viable population of Asiatic lions to ensure their long-term survival and reduce the risk of extinction from disease outbreaks or natural disasters at a single location. However, the translocation has faced delays due to various administrative and conservation concerns.

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 2 — Maintenance of Tiger Reserves

M-STRIPES stands for Monitoring System for Tigers - Intensive Protection and Ecological Status. It is a software-based monitoring system launched by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) to strengthen tiger protection and enhance patrolling activities in tiger reserves across India. The system enables real-time monitoring of patrol efforts, wildlife sightings, and ecological parameters by forest guards and staff in tiger reserves.

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 3 — 2 and 3 only

❌ Statement 1 – Incorrect: TEEB was launched in 2007 by Germany and the European Commission following a proposal by the G8+5 Environment Ministers. The TEEB office is hosted by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) only, not by the IMF or the World Economic Forum.

✅ Statement 2 – Correct: TEEB is a global initiative that focuses on drawing attention to the economic benefits of biodiversity. It highlights the growing cost of biodiversity loss and ecosystem degradation by bringing together expertise from science, economics, and policy.

✅ Statement 3 – Correct: TEEB presents a tiered approach that helps decision-makers recognize, demonstrate, and capture the value of ecosystems and biodiversity. This approach facilitates the integration of ecosystem values into policy-making and economic accounting.

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 4 — Maharashtra

Maharashtra became the first state in India to declare a state butterfly in 2015. The state designated the Blue Mormon (Papilio polymnestor) as its official butterfly. The Blue Mormon is a large, striking butterfly with black velvet wings adorned with bright blue spots, found in the Western Ghats and other forested regions of the state. This declaration was part of Maharashtra's biodiversity conservation efforts to raise awareness about native species.

Detailed Explanation:

Answer: Option 4 — 1, 2 and 3

The UN-REDD+ (Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation) Programme creates financial incentives for developing countries to reduce forest-based emissions while promoting sustainable forest management. All three statements are correct:

✅ Statement 1 – Correct: REDD+ protects biodiversity by preventing deforestation and forest degradation, thereby conserving the diverse species of flora and fauna that depend on forest ecosystems.

✅ Statement 2 – Correct: The programme enhances resilience of forest ecosystems by promoting sustainable forest management practices that help forests better withstand climate change impacts, natural disturbances, and environmental stresses.

✅ Statement 3 – Correct: REDD+ contributes to poverty reduction by providing financial incentives and alternative livelihood opportunities to forest-dependent communities, encouraging them to participate in sustainable forest conservation rather than exploitative practices.

Detailed Explanation:

Living Root Bridges are found in Meghalaya, created by the Khasi and Jaintia tribes who train the aerial roots of Ficus elastica (Indian rubber tree) to form bridges across streams.

These bridges grow stronger over time, taking 10-15 years to become fully functional, and are found mainly in the Cherrapunji and Mawsynram regions of Meghalaya.

Detailed Explanation:

The Gond and Korku tribes of Madhya Pradesh (particularly Betul and Harda districts) celebrate the Hari Jiroti festival during the monsoon season.

This month-long ecological campaign involves planting saplings of fruit-bearing trees, reflecting traditional practices of biodiversity conservation and sustainable resource management by these indigenous communities.

Detailed Explanation:

Contour bunding is a soil and water conservation technique used on sloping lands (typically 2-10% gradient) where earthen embankments are constructed along contour lines to reduce water runoff velocity and prevent soil erosion.

It is primarily employed in rainfed agricultural areas on gentle to moderate slopes, not in desert margins (where wind breaks are used), flat plains (where leveling/drainage is needed), or scrublands (where weed control is unrelated to contour structures).

Detailed Explanation:

Nostoc is a nitrogen-fixing cyanobacterium (blue-green algae) used as a biofertilizer due to its ability to fix atmospheric nitrogen and enrich soil.

Agaricus is a mushroom (fungus) used for food, not as a biofertilizer.

Spirogyra is a green alga (filamentous) used for research and education, not as a biofertilizer.

Detailed Explanation:

✅ Statement 1 – Correct: Sea buckthorn is a soil-binding plant with extensive root systems that effectively control soil erosion and prevent desertification, particularly in fragile Himalayan ecosystems.

❌ Statement 2 – Incorrect: Sea buckthorn is not a source of biodiesel; it is cultivated for its berries, leaves, and medicinal/nutritional products, not biofuel production.

✅ Statement 3 – Correct: The plant has high nutritional value with berries rich in vitamins C, E, carotenoids, and omega fatty acids, and thrives in cold, high-altitude regions like Ladakh and Spiti (-40°C to +40°C tolerance).

❌ Statement 4 – Incorrect: Sea buckthorn is a shrub, not a timber tree; its commercial value lies in fruits, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, not timber.

Detailed Explanation:

Diclofenac, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) used by cattle owners to treat livestock, caused the catastrophic decline of vulture populations in India.

Vultures feeding on carcasses of diclofenac-treated cattle suffered acute kidney failure, leading to a 99% population crash of three species (White-rumped, Indian, and Slender-billed vultures) between the 1990s and early 2000s. India banned veterinary diclofenac in 2006.