Biogeography MCQ Quiz - Objective Question with Answer for Biogeography - Download Free PDF

The correct answer is Bhangar.

Key Points

• Bhangar is the older alluvium found in the Northern Plains of India.
• It is characterized by its slightly elevated terraces compared to the newer alluvium, known as Khadar.
• The soil in the Bhangar region is generally less fertile due to the presence of lime nodules, locally called kankar.
• This region is usually found farther away from river courses and is more stable as compared to the younger Khadar regions.
• Bhangar plays a crucial role in agriculture but often requires more effort to improve soil fertility compared to Khadar.

Additional Information

• Khadar: The newer alluvium deposited by rivers during floods, forming fertile plains ideal for agriculture.
• Bhabar: A narrow belt of coarse gravel and pebbles situated at the foothills of the Himalayas, where rivers disappear due to high porosity.
• Terai: A marshy region located south of the Bhabar belt, where rivers re-emerge, supporting dense vegetation and rich biodiversity.
• Alluvium: Sediments deposited by rivers, categorized into older (Bhangar) and newer (Khadar) based on their time of deposition and fertility.
• The Northern Plains of India are formed by the deposition of sediments brought by the Ganga, Brahmaputra, and Indus river systems.

The correct answer is Black Soil.

Key Points

• Black soil, also known as Regur soil, has the highest water-retaining capacity due to its high clay content.
• It is predominantly found in the Deccan Plateau regions of India, including Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu.
• The soil is rich in nutrients like calcium carbonate, magnesium, potash, and lime, which further enhance its ability to retain moisture.
• Black soil is highly suitable for cultivating crops like cotton, sugarcane, wheat, and pulses due to its moisture-retaining ability.
• Its unique property of forming deep cracks during dry seasons helps in air circulation and improves soil fertility.

Additional Information

• Water-retaining capacity:
  • This refers to the ability of soil to hold water and make it available for plant growth.
  • Clayey soils, like black soil, have a higher water-retaining capacity compared to sandy soils.
• Red Soil:
  • Found in areas with high iron oxide content, giving it a reddish appearance.
  • It has low water-retaining capacity and is less fertile compared to black soil.
• Alluvial Soil:
  • Highly fertile and found in river basins, but its water-retaining capacity is moderate.
  • Suitable for crops like rice, wheat, and sugarcane.
• Desert Soil:
  • Found in arid regions like Rajasthan and Gujarat.
  • It is sandy, has very low water-retaining capacity, and requires irrigation for cultivation.
• Clay content importance:
  • Clay particles are small and have a high surface area, allowing them to retain moisture effectively.
  • Soils with higher clay content are generally better at holding water and nutrients.

The correct answer is Tropical Deciduous forest.

Key Points

• India has the following types of vegetation:
  • Tropical Evergreen Forest
  • Tropical Deciduous Forest
  • Tropical Thorn Forest
  • Montane Forest
  • Mangrove Forest
• Tropical Deciduous forest is the most widespread forest in India.
• They are also called monsoon forests and spread over regions having 200cm and 70 cm of rainfall.
• Trees of this forest shed their leaves for about six to eight weeks in dry season.
• Teak is the most dominant species of this forest.
• Bamboo, sal, sheesham, sandalwood, khair, kusum, arjun and mulberry are other important species.

 Thus, we can say that the Tropical Deciduous forest is the most widespread forest in India.

The correct answer is Subtropical evergreen.

Key Points

• The vegetation of Mount Abu consists of many plants that are similar to the subtropical region of the Himalayas.
• Around Mount Abu, they are well represented between 700 to 800 m altitudes.
• The other vegetation of Mount Abu supports dry deciduous, semi-deciduous and evergreen species, which changes with the increase in altitude.

Additional Information

• Tropical thorn forests are found in arid and semi-arid regions of western Rajasthan, namely Jodhpur, Pali, Jalore, Barmer, Nagaur, Churu, Bikaner etc.
• Tropical Dry Deciduous (Dhol) Forests are mostly found in the northern and eastern slopes of Aravalli ranges, mostly in Alwar, Bharatpur and Dholpur districts, which are covered with this type of forests.

The correct answer is Phosphorous Cycle.

Key Points

• Phosphorus plays a central role in aquatic ecosystems and water quality.
• Unlike carbon and nitrogen, which come primarily from the atmosphere, phosphorus occurs in large amounts as a mineral in phosphate rocks and enters the cycle from erosion and mining activities.
• This is the nutrient considered to be the main cause of excessive growth of rooted and free-floating microscopic plants (phytoplankton) in lakes (leads to eutrophication).
• The main storage for phosphorus is in the earth’s crust and on land, phosphorus is usually found in the form of phosphates. 
• By the process of weathering and erosion, phosphates enter rivers, streams, and finally oceans.
• In the ocean, phosphorus accumulates on continental shelves in the form of insoluble deposits.

Image of Phosphorous Cycle

The correct answer is Argentina.

Key Points

• Pampas grasslands are situated in Argentina.
• Found mostly in the interior of the continent.
• Temperature varies greatly in winter and summer.
• Rainfall can vary from 25-75cm
• It doesn't have much diversity in vegetation or animals.
• Mostly, horses are found here.

Additional Information

• Temperate grasslands around the world-
  • Pustaz - Hungary 
  • Prairies - North America 
  • Pampas - Argentina and Uruguay 
  • Veld - South Africa
  • Downs - Australia
  • Canterbury -  New Zealand
  • Steppe - Russia

It is found in a temperate region is NOT correct.

• Tundra type of vegetation is NOT found in the temperate region.

Important Points:

Tundra is a major type of treeless vegetation found in cold regions.

• The growth of natural vegetation is very limited in the Tundra region.
• Tundra type of vegetation is mostly seen in the north of the Arctic Circle or above the timberline on high mountains.
• Moss and lichens and very small shrubs are found here.
• It grows during the very short summer.
• The animals in this region have thick fur and thick skin to protect themselves from the cold climatic conditions.
• Animals found in the Tundra region are Seal, walruses, musk-oxen, Arctic owl, Polar bear, and snow.

The correct answer is Iron Oxide.

Key Points

• Laterite is a Latin word that means "Later".
• Francis Hamilton (a Scottish Physician) first described and named a laterite formation in Southern India in 1807.
• Laterite is both soil and a rock type and rich in Iron & Aluminium.
• Nearly all laterites are of rusty-red coloration, because of high iron oxide content.
• They evolve by intense and sustained weathering of the underlying parent rock.
• Laterite soils have a high content of clay, which ensures that they have a greater ability to exchange cations and retain water than sandy soils, and can thus be used as a hard material like a brick.
• It is formed in hot & wet tropical areas & majorly found between the Tropics of Cancer and Capricorn.
• Angkor wat in Cambodia is an example for use of laterite soil as a construction material. 

Example of construction with Laterite in Angkor, Cambodia

The correct answer is Asia.

Key Points

• The Gobi desert is a large desert located in the Asian continent.
• The Gobi desert stretches across the majority of portions of both Mongolia and China.
• The Gobi desert is a cold desert.
• It is the fifth-largest desert in the world.
• The complete area of the Gobi desert is 500,000 square miles.

Important Points

• Important deserts located in Asia are:
  • Thar Desert.
  • Taklamakan Desert.
  • The Cholistan Desert.
  • Kyzylkum Desert.
  • Karakum Desert.

Additional Information

• Important deserts located in Europe are:
  • Tabernas Desert.
  • Deliblato Sande.
  • Oltenian Sahara Desert.
  • Accona Desert.
• Important deserts located in North America are:
  • Chihuahuan Desert.
  • Mojave Desert.
  • Sonoran Desert.
  • Great Basin Desert.
• Important deserts located in Africa are:
  • Sahara Desert,
  • Namib Desert.
  • Kalahari Desert

The correct answer is Wheat.

• Black soil retains moisture and is rich in clay content, making it highly suitable for cotton and sugarcane cultivation.
• Wheat requires well-drained loamy or alluvial soil, which provides better aeration and drainage, making black soil less suitable.
• Groundnut can grow in black soil, but it thrives best in well-drained sandy loam or sandy clay loam with moderate organic matter.
• Cotton is the most suitable crop for black soil, which is why it is also called "Regur soil" or "Black cotton soil".

Additional Information 

• Black soil is known as Tropical Chernozems and Regur Soil.
• Major crops grown on black soils include Groundnut, jawar, linseed, Virginia tobacco, cotton, and sugarcane.

The correct answer is Glacial action.

Key Points:

• A Moraine is a material that is left behind by moving glaciers and this material is usually soil and rock.
• Glacier transport all sorts of dirt and boulder that build up to form a moraine.

The correct answer is Sheet erosion.

Key Points

• Sheet erosion is the LEAST visible form of land erosion.
• Sheet erosion is the process of uniform removal of soil in thin layers by the forces of raindrops on land.
• It is caused by the force of rainfall.
• It takes place in levelled lands and plowed fields after a heavy shower and the soil, removal is not easily noticeable, but it is harmful since it removes the finer and more fertile topsoil.

Additional Information

• Rill and gully erosion:
  • In rill erosion, finger-like rills appear on the cultivated land after it has undergone sheet erosion.
  • These rills are usually smoothened out every year while forming.
  • Each year the rills slowly increase in number and become wider and deeper.
  • Gully erosion is the removal of soil along drainage lines by surface water runoff.
  • When rills increase in size, they become gullies.
  • Once started, gullies will continue to move by headward erosion or by slumping of the side walls.
  • Gullies formed over a large area give rise to badland topography (Chambal Ravines).
  • When a gully bed is eroded further due to headward erosion, the bed gradually deepens and flattens out, and a ravine is formed.
  • The depth of a ravine may extend to 30 meters.
• Landslides
  • Landslides and slope instability cause problems in many parts of the world.
  • A landslide is primarily a combination of several geological processes that include physical factors like earth movements like extensive slope failure, rocks falling, and debris flow.
  • These ground movements may take place in a coastal, offshore, or far onshore environment.
  • Gravity, in addition to other factors that affect ground stability, is the main force that causes landslides.
  • Normally, the ground characteristics develop particular sub-surface soil conditions that cause slope failure.
  • However, the real landslide needs a trigger before it can be initiated. It is normally feasible to recognize the main landslide origin and the landslide triggers.

The correct answer is hydrogen.

Key Points

• The acidic nature of the soil is shown by the high concentration of hydrogen.

• Soil pH shows the potentiality of H+ ions.
• It determines the acidic or alkaline reaction of the soil.
• More hydrogen ion (H+) concentration shows the acidic nature of the soil.
• The concentration of more hydroxyl (OH-) ions represents its alkaline nature.
• Maximum nutrients are available to crops when the pH ranges from 6.5 to 7.

Additional Information

• Soil is a mixture of microorganisms, organic matter, and minerals.
• Each layer differs in feel (texture), colour, depth, and chemical composition.
• These layers are referred to as horizons.
• The uppermost layer of soil is generally dark in colour as it is rich in humus and minerals.
• The mixture of rock particles and humus is called the soil.

The correct answer is option 4 i.e. Black.

Key Points

The correct answer is Tundra Forest.

Key Points

• Mosses and lichens are most commonly found in the Tundra Forest.
• Key reasons include:
  • Cold Climate: The tundra is characterized by very cold temperatures.
    • Mosses and lichens can survive these extreme conditions as they are adapted to cold climates.
  • Short Growing Season: The growing season in the tundra is very short, but mosses and lichens can grow and reproduce quickly during this period.
  • Low-Nutrient Soil: The tundra has low-nutrient soil, which is suitable for mosses and lichens, as they can grow on poor substrates.
  • Limited Competition: In the harsh conditions of the tundra, there are fewer competing species, which allows mosses and lichens to thrive.
  • Tolerance to Drought and Frost: Mosses and lichens have a high tolerance to drought and frost, which makes them suitable for the tundra environment.

Additional Information

Here's a table with a bit of information about the other types of forests: