UGC NTA NET/JRF Exam, Environmental Sciences, September-2024

ISO 14030 deals with green finance, notably "Green Bonds" (II). ISO 14040 pertains to "Life Cycle Assessment" (I), outlining the principles and framework for LCA. ISO 14050 is the environmental management vocabulary (IV), providing standardized terms and definitions.

ISO 14090 covers climate change adaptation - "Principles, requirements and guidelines" (III). Linking each standard to its definition gives the sequence (a)→(II), (b) → (1), (c)→ (IV), (d) → (III).

МаcArthur and Wilson's island biogeography model describes how the number of species on an isolated island represents a dynamic equilibrium between two opposing processes: (c) immigration (or colonization) of new species from a mainland source and (d) extinction (or local disappearance) of existing species on the island.

Although island size and distance from mainland do affect these rates (larger islands generally support higher immigration and lower extinction), the specific balance in the model is between species immigration and extinction rates.

МаcArthur and Wilson's island biogeography model describes how the number of species on an isolated island represents a dynamic equilibrium between two opposing processes: (c) immigration (or colonization) of new species from a mainland source and (d) extinction (or local disappearance) of existing species on the island.

Although island size and distance from mainland do affect these rates (larger islands generally support higher immigration and lower extinction), the specific balance in the model is between species immigration and extinction rates.

In scenario A, the two gharial populations breed independently (no gene flow). If the Chambal population goes extinct, its unique alleles and genetic variation are lost entirely.

In scenario B, where adults migrate and interbreed annually, some genes from the Chambal population would already have been transferred to the Ganga population.

Therefore, the loss of the Chambal group in scenario A leads to a greater overall reduction in genetic diversity because there was no prior mixing of genetic material between the two rivers.

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is associated with two major protocols:

(a) The Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety (focusing on the safe handling of living modified organisms).

(c) The Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit Sharing (governing the use of genetic resources and the fair sharing of benefits).

The Kigali Amendment is related to the Montreal Protocol on ozone-depleting substances. The Rotterdam Convention addresses international trade in hazardous chemicals, and UN-REDD is a collaborative program on Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation.

Exfoliation (also called "sheeting") occurs when rocks, especially large igneous bodies such as granite, experience a reduction in confining pressure near the Earth's surface.

This reduction causes concentric slabs or shells of rock to spall off parallel to the outer surface, producing rounded rock forms.

Frost wedging and disintegration are different mechanical weathering processes, while leaching generally refers to the chemical removal of soluble components.

(a) Gas hydrates are often associated with Cenozoic (III) sediments in modern ocean basins or permafrost regions.

(b) Major coal deposits formed during the Carboniferous and Permian (Paleozoic) (I), as in the Gondwana coal.

(c) Petroleum deposits developed extensively through Mesozoic (IV) strata (e.g., many prolific oilbearing formations worldwide date from the Jurassic and Cretaceous).

(d) Uranium ores commonly occur in Precambrian (II) shields, such as the Canadian Shield or the Singhbhum craton in India.

A t-test is a parametric test (so statement (a) calling it non-parametric is false). It is commonly used to:
(b) Check if a sample mean differs significantly from a known or hypothesized population mean.
(c) Evaluate the significance of a correlation coefficient (using the t-statistic derived from the sample correlation).

(e) Test the significance of an observed regression coefficient.

Covariation significance is more typically associated with ANOVA or more specialized tests, not a basic t-test alone.

The formation of a petroleum deposit follows a logical sequence:

(b) Generation: Kerogen in source rock matures into hydrocarbons under heat/ pressure. (d) Primary migration: These newly formed hydrocarbons move out of the source rock pores.
(e) Secondary migration: Hydrocarbons travel through permeable carrier beds (or faults, fractures) toward a trap.
(a) Accumulation: Oil/gas pools in a structural or stratigraphic trap.
(c) Seepage: If the trap is breached or not sealed, hydrocarbons may escape to the surface as seeps or vent into overlying strata.

In the "daily truck routing" method of municipal solid waste collection, a dedicated route is assigned each day. While it has advantages like route consistency and the possibility to incentivize quick completion, a common drawback is the variability in waste volume each day.

This may lead to inefficiencies such as under-utilized or overloaded trucks, difficulty in predicting time needed, and irregular labour or fuel usage.

Other listed points (incentives to finish early, adjusting route size, residents knowing pickup times) are typically regarded as benefits rather than disadvantages.