Environmental Studies · Geography

Deforestation and Land Degradation

2,619 Questions

Deforestation and land degradation address the environmental impacts of human activities on natural ecosystems. Key areas include soil erosion, forest fires, and the consequences of overgrazing. These subjects frequently appear in the geography and environmental science sections of competitive exams.

Causes of deforestationForest fires consequencesSoil erosion factorsDesertification impactsAgroforestry benefitsReforestation advantages

Deforestation and Land Degradation Questions

Multiple choice

Direction: Read the following passage/information and answer the question that follows.

Water resource management has linkages with the management of other resources as well. The large scale deforestation taking place in our mountains has serious implications for water supply in the mountains as well as the plains.

Which of the following statements, if true, would substantiate the above belief?

  1. There is a large and growing demand for wood and wood products which would lead to further deforestation.

  2. The glaciers in the mountains often carry off with them entire trees.

  3. The scale at which deforestation is taking place indicates that in a few years, the forest zones will be depleted severely.

  4. The maintenance of forests implies that topsoil is not eroded and moisture is retained, thus, ensuring the life of streams.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Only (4) implies that forest management and water-resource management are linked. Hence (2) is the answer.

Multiple choice

In India, the problem of soil erosion is associated with

  1. excessive rainfall
  2. deforestation
  3. excessive cultivation
  4. overgrazing Which of the given factors are responsible?

  1. 1 and 2 are correct

  2. 1, 2 and 3 are correct

  3. 2, 3 and 4 are correct

  4. 2 and 4 are correct
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Soil erosion in India is caused by multiple human activities and natural factors. Deforestation (2) removes vegetation that holds soil, while overgrazing (4) destroys protective grass cover and compacts soil. Excessive rainfall (1) can accelerate erosion, and excessive cultivation (3) depletes soil structure. The combination of factors 2 and 4 represents major anthropogenic causes.

Multiple choice

Which of the following statements is wrong?

  1. Soil structure, slope, water velocity and forest covers affect the soil erosion.

  2. Fertility remains the same even after soil erosion.

  3. Soil erosion has bad impact on agriculture.

  4. Afforestation and terraced field can check the soil erosion.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

This question asks for the WRONG statement. Option B is wrong because soil erosion significantly reduces fertility by washing away nutrient-rich topsoil. The other statements are correct: soil erosion does depend on structure, slope, and vegetation (A), it harms agriculture (C), and can be controlled through afforestation and terracing (D).

Multiple choice

Which of the following does not cause soil erosion?

  1. Deforestation

  2. Overgrazing

  3. Floods

  4. Composting
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Composting is a soil conservation practice that builds soil structure and fertility. It does NOT cause erosion - it actually helps prevent erosion by improving soil structure. Deforestation, overgrazing, and floods all accelerate soil erosion by removing protective vegetation or mechanically removing soil.

Multiple choice

Which of the following does not prevent soil erosion?

  1. Afforestation

  2. Terrace farming

  3. Excessive use of fertilisers

  4. Construction of embankments
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Soil erosion prevention includes practices like afforestation (planting trees), terrace farming (reducing water runoff speed), and building embankments (barriers). Excessive fertilizer use does NOT prevent erosion - it can harm soil structure and increase runoff by reducing soil stability. In fact, overuse of chemical fertilizers degrades soil health and can make erosion worse.

Multiple choice

The loss of trees will

  1. increase the amount of carbon dioxide

  2. decrease the amount of carbon dioxide

  3. increase the amount of oxygen

  4. increase the amount of hydrogen
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

The amount of carbon dioxide and other harmful gases will increase due to the loss of trees

Multiple choice

What is deforestation?

  1. Cutting of trees

  2. Extinction of forest animals

  3. Destruction of forests due to fire

  4. Shedding of leaves from the trees
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

Deforestation means the cutting down and removal of all or most of the trees in a forested area.

Multiple choice

Which of the following consequences is not associated with the building of large dams?

  1. It displaces tribals and peasants.

  2. It contributes to deforestation.

  3. It contributes to loss of biodiversity.

  4. It contributes to depletion of the ozone layer.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Options (1), (2) and (3) are the consequences of building large dams. Building of dams does not have any effect on depletion of the ozone layer (ozone layer protects the Earth from harmful UV radiations of the Sun). Ozone layer gets depleted due to the use of chlorofluorocarbons. 

Multiple choice

What is environmental degradation?

  1. It is the process of cutting large trees for fuel, wood and most importantly paper products.

  2. It is the process which strongly affects land by reducing its effective functioning & productive capability.

  3. Effect due to some undesirable changes in the physical, chemical & biological characteristics of soil.

  4. It is the process of deterioration of the environment due to depletion of the natural resources like air, water & soil.

  5. It is the destruction of a population at a given region.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

Environmental degradation is the process of deterioration of the  environment due to depletion of natural resources like air, water & soil. It leads to the destruction of the entire ecosystem & diminution of wildlife.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is/are believed to be the causes for the collapse of the Indus Valley Civilization?

  1. Immigration
  2. Deforestation
  3. Climate change
  4. Decline in trade

  1. Only 4

  2. Only 1, 2 and 4

  3. 1, 2, 3 and 4

  4. Only 1 and 4
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Around 1800 BCE, signs of a gradual decline began to emerge, and by around 1700 BCE, most of the cities were abandoned. In 1953, Sir Mortimer Wheeler proposed that the decline of the Indus Civilization was caused by the invasion of Aryans. Today, many scholars believe that the collapse of the Indus Civilization was caused by drought and a decline in trade with Egypt and Mesopotamia. It has also been suggested that immigration by new peoples, deforestation, floods, or changes in the course of the river may have contributed to the collapse of the IVC. A possible natural reason for the IVC's decline would have been connected with climate change that is also signalled for the neighbouring areas of the Middle East. A tectonic event may have diverted the system's sources toward the Ganges Plain, though there is complete uncertainty about the date of this event, as most settlements inside Ghaggar-Hakra river beds have not yet been dated. The actual reason for decline might be any combination of these factors.

Multiple choice

Which of the following is true?

  1. Cutting down of trees prevents soil erosion.

  2. Strong winds and heavy rain keep the soil in its place.

  3. Ploughing on hill slope makes the soil strong.

  4. Sub soil is more fertile than top soil.

  5. Overgrazing by animals causes soil erosion.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
E Correct answer
Explanation

Yes, overgrazing by animals causes soil erosion. So this is the correct statement.

Multiple choice

Which of the following cannot be a harmful effect of soil erosion?

  1. Fertility of top soil decreases.

  2. Land slowly turns barren.

  3. Soil losses its moisture, minerals and nutrients.

  4. Crop yielding capacity of the soil deteriorates.

  5. Soil erosion does not changes the shape and size of the land.
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
E Correct answer
Explanation

No, erosion can change the shape and size of the land, it can destroy land surface, leading to landslides. So this a wrong statement.