Natural Resources

1. Select the incorrect statement regarding the 6. Read the given paragraph.
rainfall with low ph. Soil X has very poor water holding capacity, soil
(a) It affects aquatic life and corrodes metal, stone, Vis well drained and contains one part clay and
etc. two parts each of sand and silt. Soil Z has
(b) It is caused by reaction of sulphur and nitrogen excellent water holding capacity but is poorly
oxides with moisture in air. aerated.
(c) It is the consequence of increased use of non- Select the correct statement regarding soils X, Y
conventional sources of energy. and Z.
(d) It affects plants also. (a) Soil X is commonly found in those regions
where xerophytes are abundant.
2. The phenomenon of increase in concentration of (b) Soil Z is best suited for growth of plants like
non-biodegradable organic compounds with each Casuarina, Eucalyptus and watermelon.
trophic level in a food chain is called (c) Soil Y is best suited for making pots.
(a) Biological evolution (d) All of these
(b) Bioenlargement
(c) Biological fixation 7. Which of the following activities will not lead to
(d) Biomagnification. both air and water pollution?
(a) Burning of fossil fuels
3. Which of the following is not an effect of (b) Use of CFCs
deforestation? (c) Use of pesticides in crop fields
(a) Biodiversity loss (b) Global warming (d) Setting up of a chemical factory near water
(c) Soil erosion (d) None of these body

4. Some water falling on ground, forms an extremely 8. Read the given statements and select the correct
thin, tightly held film around the soil particles option.
called _____ while some water moves down upto Statement 1: Extensive use of fossil fuels
the water table and is called _____. possess dual problem, it increases air pollution
Select the option that correctly fills the blanks in and depletes fuel resources.
the above statement. Statement 2: Fossil fuels release oxides of
(a) Gravitational water, capillary water nitrogen and sulphur on burning, which
(b) Hygroscopic water, surface runoff consequently cause acid rain and smog.
(c) Hygroscopic water, gravitational water
(d) Capillary water, surface runoff (a) Both statements 1 and 2 are true and
statement 2 is the correct explanation of statement
5. Select the option that correctly identifies X and Y 1.
in the given flow chart. (b) Both statements 1 and 2 are true but statement
2 is not the correct explanation of statement 1.
(c) Statement 1 is true and statement 2 is false.
(d) Both statements 1 and 2 are false.

9. The given graph shows the amount of pollutants

in four rivers P, Q, R and S. The river that can
continue to support the most number of aquatic
X Y plants and animals is _____.
(a) Ecological BHC
(b) Biological Fertiliser
(c) Biological Heat
(d) Ecological Bacteria

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 (E) Vegetable peel (v) Physical water
pollutant

(a) (A)-(iv), (B)-(iii), (C)-(i), (D)-(ii), (E)-(v)

(b) (A)-(iv), (B)-(v), (C)-(i), (D)-(ii), (E)-(iii)
(c) (A)-(i), (B)-(ii), (C)-(iii), (D)-(iv), (E)-(v)
(d) (A)-(i), (B)-(ii), (C)-(iii), (D)-(v), (E)-(iv)

(a) P (b) Q 13. Soil is a complex mixture. The given figure shows
(c) R (d) S the percentage by volume of different soil
components as P, 0, R and S. What will you place
10. The given figure represents the oxygen cycle at S?
which maintains the level of oxygen in the
atmosphere. Which of the following processes will
you place at X and Y in the figure?

(a) Air (b) Water

(c) Organic matter (d) Either air or water

14. Which of the following statements is incorrect

regarding nitrogen fixation?
(a) Nitrosomonas converts ammonia into nitrites.
(b) Nitrobacter converts nitrites into nitrates.
X Y
(c) Both (a) and (b) can be called nitrification.
(a) Combustion Respiration
(d) Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter are usually
(b) Respiration Transpiration
photoautotrophs.
(c) Photosynthesis Evaporation
(d) Photosynthesis Respiration
15. Organisms like lichens are very sensitive to the
levels of
11. Eutrophication is the process in which dissolved
(a) Carbon dioxide (b) Sulphur dioxide
oxygen in water is reduced due to excessive
(c) Carbon monoxide (d) Methane.
growth of algae. This is the result of
(a) Change in temperature of water
(b) Extra loading of nutrients in water body Achievers Section (HOTS)
(c) Stratification of aquatic habitat
(d) Bioaccumulation in algae. 16. The given figure shows a river and the types of
land use on the sides of the river. The water
12. Match column I with column II and select the quality of the river was studied by measuring the
correct option from the given codes. amounts of dissolved oxygen and ammonia in the
Column I Column II water collected at sites X, Y and Z. The results are
(A) Particulate matter (i) Chemical water given below:
pollutant Site Dissolved oxygen Ammonia
(B) Heat (ii) Non-degradable (cm3 /litre) (ppm)
soil pollutant X 8.9 0.02
(C) Detergent (iii) Degradable Y 0.3 0.62
(D) Plastic (iv) Air pollutant Z 1.6 5.30

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 (a) X-Denitrification, Y-Ammonification, Z -
Nitrogen fixation
(b) X - Nitrate, Y - Denitrification, Z -
Ammonification
(c) X - Nitrate, Y - Nitrogen fixation, Z -
Ammonification
(d) X-Nitrification, Y-Ammonification, Z -
Which of the following is correct regarding this? Denitrification
(a) Site X has the highest content of dissolved
oxygen because of eutrophication. 19. R is an organic compound containing only
(b) Site Z has the highest concentration of carbon, chlorine and fluorine. It has been widely
ammonia because of leaching of fertilisers from used as refrigerant, propellent and solvent.
the nearby crop fields. Montreal protocol phased out manufacture of
(c) Organisms such as algae and weeds will thrive such compounds because, R contributes to S in
at site Y, while very few fishes are found at site Y. the atmosphere.
(d) Both (b) and (c). Which of the following would not be a
consequence of S?
17. The given graph shows changes in concentration (a) Increased incidences of severe sunburns
of two substances X and Y in a river polluted by (b) Increased incidences of cataracts
sewage. Which of the following options most (c) Increased incidences of premature skin ageing
appropriately identifies X and Y? (d) Increased incidences of diabetes

20. The following table shows mercury concentration

in various organisms living in the same terrestrial
habitat.
Organism Mercury concentration
(parts per trillion)
P 3,000
Q 6,90,000
(a) X-Carbon dioxide, Y-Nitrogen compounds R 8,900
S 2,800,000
(b) X-Nitrogen compounds; V-Carbon dioxide
T 16,000
(c) X-Nitrogen compounds; Y-Oxygen
(d) X-Oxygen; Y-Nitrogen compounds
Now, select the correct food chain interlinking
these organisms that will exist in the ecosystem
18. The given cycle represents circulation of nitrogen
in the environment. Identify X, Y and Z in the (a) T  Q  P  R  S
cycle and select the correct option. (b) P  Q  R  S  T
(c) P  R  T  Q  S
(d) T  R  S  P  Q

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 Answer key
1. C 2. D 3. D 4. C 5. C

6. A 7. B 8. B 9. A 10. D

11. B 12. B 13. D 14. D 15. B

16. D 17. D 18. B 19. D 20. C

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 HINTS & EXPLANATIONS and sewage water. Nutrients stimulate excessive
algal growth called algal bloom. Submerged
1. (c) : Rain with low pH is called acid rain. Acid rain plants die due to shading and result in increased
is caused when sulphuric acid and nitric acid are organic loading. Subsequently the algae also die
formed in atmosphere by reaction of oxides of and aerobic decomposers become active. They
nitrogen and sulphur with moisture present in air. rapidly consume the dissolved oxygen of water
These oxides are released into atmospheric air by and as a result all the aquatic life in water body
combustion of fossil fuels, i.e., conventional dies.
sources of energy.
12. (b) Not Available
2. (d) : Some non-biodegradable organic
compounds like DDT, etc., enter the food chain 13. (d) : P/S -Air or water
when an organism eats food contaminated by Q - Organic matter
them. Their concentration goes on increasing R - Mineral matter
from one trophic level to the next as they are not
metabolised within the body of the consumer and 14. (d) : Nitrosomonas and Nitrobacter are nitrogen-
get stored in the fat tissues. It is called bio fixing bacteria, commonly found in roots of
magnification. legumes.

3. (d) : Deforestation is the cutting of trees and 15. (b) : Lichens are sensitive to sulphur dioxide
clearing of forests on a large scale. It has many because their efficient absorption system results in
effects on environment including global warming, rapid accumulation of sulphur when exposed to
soil erosion and biodiversity loss. high sulphur dioxide pollution. Since
industrialisation, many lichens have become
4. (c) Not Available extinct.

5. (c) Not Available 16. (d) Not Available

6. (a) : Here X is sandy soil, Y is loamy soil and Z is 17. (d) : Presence of nitrates (Y) in polluted water at
clayey soil. Sandy soil is commonly found in a point where sewage is added, provides a lot of
desert regions which receive very little rainfall and nutrients to the algae present in the river. As a
xerophytic plants are of common occurrence. result, excessive growth of algae occurs which is
Plants like Casuarina, Eucalyptus and called algal bloom. When this algae die, the
watermelon grow well in sandy soil. Clayey soil is aerobic decomposers start decomposing it,
best suited for pottery. consuming rapidly the dissolved oxygen (X) of the
water. But as the distance of stream from the point
7. (b) Not Available where sewage was added, increases, the
concentration of nitrates in the water starts
8. (b) Not Available decreasing and concentration of dissolved oxygen
starts increasing.
9. (a) : Since river 'P' has minimum amount of
pollutants, it will support the most number of 18. (b) Not Available
aquatic plants and animals.
19. (d) : 'R' is chlorofluorocarbon (CFC). CFCs reach
10. (d) : During photosynthesis (X), CO2 and water the stratosphere and release active chlorines
which react with ozone layer. This results in
is used by plants to form food along with release
thinning of ozone layer over a restricted area.
of oxygen. This oxygen and food (organic
Such an area is called ozone hole (S). This causes
molecules) is required for respiration (Y).
more UV radiations to pass through ozone hole
which then strike the Earth. UV radiations cause
11. (b) : Eutrophication is nutrient enrichment of
various harmful effects such as increased
water bodies by fertiliser-rich runoff from fields

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 incidences of sunburns, cataracts and premature
skin ageing.

20. (c) : Mercury is a non-biodegradable substance

that gets biomagnified with each trophic level
along a food chain. The first trophic level has the
lowest concentration of the substance (here, P
with 3000 parts per trillion concentration) and the
highest trophic level has the maximum
concentration (here S, with 2,80,000 parts per
trillion concentration). Hence, as per the
information generated in the table, the correct
food chain in this terrestrial ecosystem will be
P  R  T  Q  S.