Environmental Studies · Geography

Natural Vegetation and Habitats

1,633 Questions

Study the characteristics of various biomes, including tropical rainforests, savannas, and thorn forests. Questions address ecological concepts like stratification, climate factors, and regional vegetation types such as littoral forests. This topic is commonly asked in geography and environmental science papers.

Forest biomes and typesSavanna and grassland habitatsTropical rainforest characteristicsEcological stratificationThreats to natural habitats

Natural Vegetation and Habitats Questions

Multiple choice

Arrange these in the order of maximum area to minimum area in India.

Consider the following forests:

1. Tropical Rain Forests

2. Tropical Dry Deciduous Forests

3. Tropical Semi Evergreen Forests

4. Tropical Wet Evergreen Forests

  1. 1, 2, 3, 4

  2. 2, 1, 3, 4

  3. 1, 2, 4, 3

  4. 2, 1, 4, 3

  5. 3, 4, 2, 1
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation
  1. Tropical Rain Forests - 37%
    1. Tropical Dry Deciduous Forests - 28.6%
    2. Tropical Wet Evergreen Forests - 8.0%
    3. Tropical Semi Evergreen Forests - 4.1%
Multiple choice

A habitat characterized by hot and dry places is called ________.

  1. arboreal

  2. terrestrial

  3. aquatic

  4. xeric

  5. none of these
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

A habitat characterized by hot and dry places is called xeric. Xeric shrub lands receive an annual average rainfall of ten inches or less, and have an arid or hyper arid climate, characterized by a strong moisture deficit, where annual potential loss of moisture from evapotranspiration well exceed the moisture received as rainfall.

Multiple choice

To qualify as a biodiversity hotspot on the hotspot-map, a region must meet two strict criteria:

  1. It must contain at least 0.5% or 1500 species of vascular plants as endemics.
  2. It has to have lost at least 70% of its primary vegetation.

Which of these statements is/are not true?

  1. Only 1

  2. Only 2

  3. Both 1 and 2

  4. Neither 1 nor 2

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

A biodiversity hotspot is a bio-geographic region with a significant reservoir of biodiversity that is under threat from humans. The concept of biodiversity hotspots was originated by Norman Myers in two articles in “The Environmentalist”. To qualify as a biodiversity hotspot on Myers 2000 edition of the hotspot-map, a region must meet two strict criteria: it must contain at least 0.5% or 1,500 species of vascular plants as endemics, and it has to have lost at least 70% of its primary vegetation.(Hence, both statements 1 and 2 are correct.)

Multiple choice

Which of the following statements is/are not correct?

  1. Sundarbans are the second largest single block of tidal halophytic mangrove forests in the world.
  2. Mangrove forests have a great variety of trees.

  1. Only 1

  2. Only 2

  3. Both 1 and 2

  4. Neither 1 nor 2
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
C Correct answer
Explanation

Statement 1 is wrong. Sundarbans are the largest single block of tidal halophytic (not damaged by salinity) mangrove forests in the world. Statement 2 is wrong. Mangrove forests do not have variety of plants as they feature only a small number of tree species because they have a thick canopy, and undergrowth is mostly seedlings of the mangrove trees, like in Sundarbans, it is the sundari tree. Hence, both the statements are wrong and therefore, option (3) is correct.

Multiple choice

In India, tropical evergreen and semi-evergreen forests are found in/on

  1. Western slopes of Western Ghats and Eastern slopes of Eastern Ghats
  2. Andaman and Nicobar Group of Islands
  3. Hills of northeastern region

  1. 1 and 2

  2. 2 and 3

  3. 1 and 3

  4. 1, 2 and 3
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
B Correct answer
Explanation

These forests are found in the Western slope of the Western Ghats (and not the Eastern slopes of the Eastern Ghats. Hence, statement 1 is incorrect), hills of the northeastern region and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. (Hence, statements 2 and 3 are correct).

Multiple choice

Arrange the forest-types from foothill to top in Himalayan ranges:

  1. Wet temperate type
  2. Deciduous forests
  3. Pine forests
  4. Alpine forests

  1. 4 - 2 - 1 - 3

  2. 4 - 3 - 1 - 2

  3. 3 - 4 - 1 - 2

  4. 2 - 1 - 3 - 4
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

The Himalayan ranges show a succession of vegetation from the tropical to the tundra, which change in with the altitude.

Deciduous forests are found in the foothills of the Himalayas.

It is succeeded by the wet temperate type of forests between an altitude of 1,000 - 2,000 m.
Between 1,500 - 1,750 m, pine forests are also well-developed in this zone, with Chir Pine as a very useful commercial tree. Deodar, a highly valued endemic species grows mainly in the western part of the Himalayan range.
In the higher reaches there is a transition to Alpine forests and pastures. Silver firs, junipers, pines, birch and rhododendrons, etc. occur between 3,000 - 4,000 m.
At higher altitudes, mosses and lichens form part of the tundra vegetation.
Hence the correct sequence from foothills to the top is 2-1-3-4 in the given question.

Multiple choice

Which of the following areas have tropical evergreen forests?

a. Andaman and Nicobar Islands b. Western slopes of Western Ghats c. Eastern slopes of Western Ghats d. Foothills of Himalayas

  1. a and b

  2. b and c

  3. c and d

  4. a and d

  5. b and d
Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
A Correct answer
Explanation

This is the correct answer. Tropical evergreen forests are found in areas of heavy rainfall with a short dry period. These forests are found in areas that are warm and wet. Andaman and Nicobar Islands and western slopes of Western Ghats are the areas in which such forests are found.