Environment & Ecology MCQs - 2026-08-29

While all listed species are important and endangered, the Asiatic Lion (Panthera leo persica) is found only in India (Gir Forest) and is considered critically endangered, making it a high priority for focused monitoring. The Bengal Tiger and Snow Leopard also have dedicated monitoring programs, but the Asiatic Lion's unique and restricted range makes it particularly vulnerable.

The primary objective of a monitoring program for endangered species is conservation, not commercial exploitation. Identifying new species for commercial exploitation would contradict the goals of protecting endangered populations.

The Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, is a nodal institution for wildlife research and conservation in India and is primarily responsible for implementing such nationwide monitoring programs for endangered species.

The National Mission for a Green India (GIM) is one of the eight missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC). It aims to improve forest and tree cover, enhance ecosystem services, and increase carbon sinks, which are crucial for biodiversity conservation.

Target 3 of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework aims to 'Ensure that all areas are under effective planning or management for biodiversity conservation and sustainable use, so that degradation of natural habitats is halted and reduced, and that ecosystems are restored, with at least 30 per cent of land and sea areas conserved by 2030.'

The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is the international treaty that aims to conserve biological diversity, use its components sustainably, and share the benefits arising from the utilization of genetic resources equitably. India is a party to this convention.