Question 2
Environmental impacts of floods versus droughts; provisioning versus cultural ecosystem services
10 marks
- Time to write
- About 20 minutes
Question
Question 2 · 10 marksDifferentiate between the followings (any two). 5×2=10
- The Environmental Impacts of Floods and Droughts
- The Provisioning and Cultural Ecosystem Services
- Hazardous Waste and E-waste
Reworded from the university paper; the task is the same. The original paper belongs to the University of Delhi. See DU's question bank.
Before you write
Read off the question and its marks
Read from the question
- any twoAnswer any 2 of the 3, 5 marks each. Only 2 are marked: a third earns nothing.
- Differentiate betweenSet the differences out in a table, basis by basis, not as two separate essays.
What the paper leaves open
The paper prints "Differentiate between the followings (any two)"; kept as printed and read as "any two of the following".
Write it in this order
The parts stand alone: start with the one you are surest of.
- Read; underline the asks; jot your points 1 min
- 1 (a) Floods versus droughts: environmental impacts 5 marks 9 min
- 2 (b) Provisioning versus cultural ecosystem services 5 marks 9 min
- Check: every ask answered, key terms underlined 1 min
Easy marks
- Choose the ones you know best: each carries the same marks.
Short on time? A few lines on every part beat a full answer to one: each part is capped at its own marks.
Try it first. About 20 minutes for 10 marks. Write it out, then open the solution.
Solution
Hover or tap a marked figure, like 72,000, to see how it is made and where else it appears.
The question asks for any two of the three pairs. Pairs (a) and (b) are answered.
(a) Environmental impacts of floods and droughts
| Basis | Floods | Droughts |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Rivers overflow their banks and water covers land that is normally dry | A long shortage of water because the rains fail |
| Main causes | Heavy rain, made worse by deforested catchments and the loss of flood-plain wetlands that once stored surplus water | Failure of one or more monsoons, made worse by deforestation, which lets rain run off instead of recharging the ground; afforestation and soil and water management soften it |
| Soil | Fertile topsoil is washed away and carried to the sea; silt is dumped elsewhere | Dry, cracked soil loses cover and blows away; repeated drought pushes land towards desertification |
| Water | Rivers change their course and water gets contaminated with sewage and debris | The water table drops and wells, ponds and streams dry up |
| Vegetation and wildlife | Crops, plants and animals are drowned; habitats are scoured | Vegetation dries out; wildlife and livestock lose food and water |
| People | Loss of life, homes and crops in the plains; water-borne diseases | Food shortages and malnutrition, especially among children |
| Speed | Sudden, lasting days or weeks | Slow, building up over months or years |
| Indian example | Floods of the Brahmaputra in Assam | Recurring drought in Marathwada and Bundelkhand |
(b) Provisioning and cultural ecosystem services
Ecosystem services are the products of ecosystem processes that benefit people; the DU syllabus lists provisioning and cultural services among four kinds.
| Basis | Provisioning services | Cultural services |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Material goods people take directly from ecosystems | Non-material benefits people draw from ecosystems |
| Examples | Fruit, fodder, firewood, timber, fish and medicinal plants | Ecotourism, bird-watching and scientific research; beauty, recreation and religious meaning |
| How they are used | Consumed by the collector, or sold in the market | Experienced, not consumed: the same forest can be enjoyed again and again |
| Measuring value | Easy to price in money terms | Hard to price; partly shown by tourism income and by people's attachment to the place, including the value of nature simply existing |
| Effect of overuse | Overharvesting exhausts the resource | Crowding and degradation spoil the experience |
| Indian example | Bamboo from the North-East; fish from the Chilika lagoon | Tiger safaris in Ranthambore; the sacred groves of Meghalaya |
Where the 10 marks sit
| # | Component | Marks |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | (a) Floods versus droughts: environmental impacts | 5 |
| 2 | (b) Provisioning versus cultural ecosystem services | 5 |
| Total | 10 |
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