ICSE 2019 Environmental Science Question Paper Solved for Class 10

Solving ICSE Class 10 Environmental Science Previous Year Question Papers ICSE Class 10 Environmental Science Question Paper 2019 is the best way to boost your preparation for the board exams.

ICSE Class 10 Environmental Science Question Paper 2019 Solved

Maximum Marks: 80
Time allowed: Two Hours

General Instructions:

Answer to this Paper must be written on the paper provided separately.
You will not be allowed to write during the first 15 minutes.
This time is to be spent in reading the question paper. The time given at the head
of this paper is the time allowed for writing the answers.
Attempt all questions from Section A and any four questions from Section B.
The intended marks for questions or parts of questions are given in brackets [ ]

Section – A (40 Marks)
Attempt all questions from this Section.

Question 1.
(a) What are secondary cities ? (2)
Answer:
Secondary City : Many cities typically develop at the intersections of major highways and in other important areas near cities. Such cities often feature amenities that serve large sub-urban populations. Such cities are called secondary cities.

(b) Define zoning. State one benefit of zoning. (2)
Answer:
The process of partitioning a city, town, or borough into zones reserved for different purposes (such as residence or business) is known as Zoning.

Zoning keeps buildings from being built too close to each other.
Zoning provides systematic lot arrangement.
Zoning protects recreational areas and allows for more open spaces in the neighbourhood.
Zoning protects residential properties from commercial development.

(c) What are tree crops ? (2)
Answer:
These are groves or orchards of trees that are grown for either an economic or environmental benefit. The most common tree crops produce fruit or nuts; however, tree crops’can also be grown for timber production.

(d) Give two disadvantages of mixed cropping. (2)
Answer:
Disadvantages of Mixed Cropping :

Seeds of two crops are mixed before sowing and there is no definite pattern for sowing the seeds.
Products of different crops are harvested, threshing, and consumed in mixed form.

(e) State two advantages of using public transport system. (2)
Answer:
Two advantages of using public transport system :

It helps in conserving fuel.
It also helps in reducing the air pollution.

Questions 2.
(a) What are genetically modified organisms? (2)
Answer:
The organisms produced by altering genetic make up through DNA recombinant technology or through genetic engineering are called as Genetically Modified Organisms or GMOs.

(b) List any two strategies for promoting women-centered development. (2)
Answer:

Skill development programmes should be arrange for uneducated women.
Many educational and employment programmes should be arranged.

Increases soil fertility: Prolonged planting of the same crop type leads to depletion of specific nutrients in the soil.
Increases crop yield : Crop rotation increases the harvest obtained from a single seasonal harvest.
Increase in soil nutrients : As earlier stated, crop rotation allows the land to regenerate.
Reduces soil erosion : Soil erosion is the carrying away of the most important top soil layer by wind .

(d) Define nuclear energy. State any one use of nuclear energy. (2)
Answer:
Nuclear energy is the energy released during nuclear fission or fusion, especially when used to generate electricity.

Uses of Nuclear Energy:

Nuclear Transport – There are a number of transport modes like Ships.
Medical Applications – Nuclear Energy finds wide applications in Medical Science.

(e) What is meant by the term ‘global food security? (2)
Answer:
Global food security is when all people at all times have access to sufficient, safe, nutritious food to maintain a healthy and active life. Its aim is to end hunger in the world.

Question 3.
(a) State two features of a National Park. (2)
Answer:
Following are the features of National Park :
1. National park is an area set aside by a national government for the preservation of the natural environment. It is made to protect the animals that live inside them which is officially recognised, maintained and monitored by a nation’s government.

2. Activities like cultivation, forestry, hunting, etc. are strictly prohibited in national parks.

(b) Give two examples of non-biodegradable materials. (2)
Answer:
Two examples of non-biodegradable materials are: Metals, Plastics, Synthetic Rubber etc.

(c) Define international trade. (2)
Answer:
International trade is the exchange of capital, goods, and services across international borders or territories because there is a need of goods or services.

(d) Mention two benefits of recycling paper. (2)
Answer:
Benefits of recycling paper are:

reduces environmental hazards like global warming and pollution.
reduces deforestation.

(e) Why was the Montreal Protocol designed ? (2)
Answer:
The Montreal Protocol is an international treaty designed to protect the ozone layer by phasing out the production of numerous substances that are responsible for ozone depletion. It was agreed on 16th September 1987, and entered into force on 1st January 1989.

Question 4.
(a) Explain the concept of alternate technology. Give a suitable example. (2)
Answer:
Alternative technology is a term used to refer to technologies that are more environment friendly than the functionally equivalent technologies dominant in current practice. For example, the use of wind turbines to produce electricity.

(b) Define the term composting. (2)
Answer:
Composting is an aerobic method (meaning that it requires the presence of air) of decomposing organic solid wastes. It can therefore be used to recycle organic material. The process involves decomposition of organic material into a humus-like material, known as compost, which is a good fertilizer for plants. Composting requires the following three components: human management, aerobic conditions, and development of internal biological heat.

(c) Name any two fuels that can reduce air pollution due to domestic cooking. (2)
Answer:
Two fuels that can reduce the air pollution due to domestic cooking are Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG) and electricity since they do not cause pollution. Solar cookers can also be used.

(d) Education in necessary for controlling overpopulation.
Justify this statement with two reasons. (2)
Answer:
The education is the only effective key that can help to control the expanded population. A complete awareness revolution can aware the people against the population. Because a strict government rule can be dangerous for some people. It also keeps a negative impact internationally.

The decision to limit family largely depends on a couple’s cultural background and education.
Through education people should be made aware as to how they themselves and whole human race will be affected with such an enormous growing population.

(e) Give two advantages of using CNG as a fuel. (2)
Answer:

It is easy to transport and is economical
It is less polluting.

Section – B (40 Marks)
Attempt any four questions from this Section.

Question 5.
(a) List any five measures for reducing air pollution from vehicles. (5)
Answer:
Measures to control air pollution from vehicles:
1. Use of alternative sources of energy like electricity, solar, LPG etc. should be used as fuels to run the vehicles. These sources of energy are less polluting.

2. Strict actions have to be taken to control the rate of traffic growth. Public awareness and participation in traffic management is a must. Every citizen is equally responsible and accountable for traffic management along with the government.

3. Catalytic converters: It is an exhaust emission control device that converts toxic gases and pollutants in exhaust gas from an internal combustion engine to less toxic pollutants by catalysing a redox reaction. Installation of catalytic converters can reduce the release of pollutants into the air.

4. Using public transports or car-pooling whenever possible can considerably help in reducing pollution. Engines of vehicles can be switched off when we are waiting at the traffic signal. Vehicles should be properly maintained Since ill maintained vehicles emit lots of pollutants.

5. Four stroke engines: Four stroke engines facilitate complete combustion of fuel, hence less pollutants are generated.

(b) What is solid waste ? List four suitable options to produce less solid waste in our surroundings. (5)
Answer:
A solid waste is any material that is discarded by human being. It is generated through different means like residential, industrial or commercial activities.
It may not be possible to eliminate waste disposal, but we can make a significant contribution to cut waste generation down to help preserve our environment. Waste management involves putting into action the 3r’s waste management actions.

1. Reduce: The first R in the 3r’s of waste management stands for Reduce. It means taking measures that help cut down wastes. If we decline to buy items that we don’t need or purchase multi-purpose items, then we can help reduce the waste products that go into the trash bin. The primary step towards lowering wastage is doing a thorough examination of what one needs and its purpose. Some of the practical actions that can be done to reduce wastes at home and in the workplace include:

Printing papers on both sides to reduce paper wastage.
Using electronic mail to reach out to people instead of sending paper mails.
Using cloth napkins instead of kitchen towels or paper napkins.

2. Reuse : The second R in the 3r’s of waste management is Reuse. It means putting an item into use again or for another purpose. It is when we can use an object again or differently compared to what it is intended to do. It also means passing on things to others instead of throwing them away.
Some practical actions of reusing include:

Using old tins and pots to store items in the kitchen or store loose items together such as computer wires.
Using cloth sacks instead of plastic bags.
Using re-usable lunch bags in place of disposable ones.
Writing on paper can be done on both sides.

3. Recycling: The third r in the waste hierarchy stands for Recycle. To recycle means to change or transform waste and non-useable items into raw materials that can be used to create new objects. There is a need for recycling stations to help with the process of recycling. Recycling reduces the use of energy and consumption of raw materials. It also reduces air and water pollution. Usage of recyclable materials can help conserve the environment and make it green again.

Question 6.
(a) Discuss the ecological reasons for conserving biodiversity. (5)
Answer:
Reasons for Conserving biodiversity:

Biodiversity is essential for the smooth functioning of cycles of ecosystems.
Wide number of variety of trees maintains the air, water and soil quality.
Biodiversity is essential for proper propagation of food chains and food webs.
The forests produce more than 20 per cent of total Oxygen produced in the Earth through the process of photosynthesis.

(b) List any three advantages and two disadvantages of using solar energy. (5)
Answer:
Advantages :
1. The first and foremost advantage of solar energy is that, beyond panel production, it does not emit any green house gases.

2. Another advantage of using solar energy is that beyond initial installation and maintenance, solar energy is free. Solar doesn’t require expensive and ongoing raw materials like oil or coal, and requires significantly lower operational labor than conventional power production.

3. Solar energy offers decentralization in most (sunny) locations, meaning self-reliant societies.

Disadvantages of Solar Energy

The biggest disadvantage of solar energy is that it’s not constant. To produce solar electricity there must be sunlight. So energy must be stored or sourced elsewhere at night.
A very common criticism is that solar energy production is relatively inefficient.
Solar electricity storage technology has not reached its potential yet.

Question 7.
(a) Explain any three suitable measures to regulate the activities of multinational companies which pollute the environment. (5)
Answer:

Use of eco-friendly and renewable source of energy like wind energy, solar energy, etc. should be encouraged and care must be taken that factories or industries are not built and run near the residential areas.
The raw materials should be eco-friendly, non-polluting or less polluting materials.
Industries must have waste management plants to deal with their wastes produced.

(b) What is Integrated Pest Management ? List any four aims of IPM. (5)
Answer:
Integrated pest management (IPM), also known as integrated pest control (IPC) is a broad-based approach that integrates practices for economic control of pests.

The objectives of IPM are:
IPM aims to suppress pest populations below the economic injury level (EIL). IPM emphasizes the growth of a healthy crop with the least possible disruption to agro-ecosystems and encourages natural pest control mechanisms. IPM allows for safer pest control IPM control methods include

Cultural methods: they change the conditions to make them less favourable for pests, such as adjusting planting location or timing or crop rotation and cultivation techniques which expose pests to predation or destroy their food, shelter and breeding habitats

Physical methods: they prevent pests from entering the area using methods such as barriers and traps, or physically remove them.

Question 8.
(a) What is sustainable development ? Discuss any three strategies by which developing countries can achieve sustainable growth. (5)
Answer:
Sustainable development is defined as an approach to developing or growing by using resources in a way that allows for them to renew or continue to exist for others. Using recycled materials or renewable resources when building is an example of sustainable development.

Strategies:
1. Non-governmental organizations have many programs, functions and roles which assist community to become empowered, and eventually attain sustainable development. these are engaged in multi-dimensional efforts that have been acknowledged globally in a number of development sectors, i.e. education, health, environment etc. NGOs, through capacity building, develop community capacities i.e. ability, skill and knowledge of mobilizing resources, planning and solving problems to gain the mastery over their lives.

2. Opting for alternative technology is a good step towards building a sustainable society. Renewable energy sources, such as wind turbines, solar panels, or bio-gas created from sewage can be used instead of fossil fuels. This step reduces pollution as well conserves natural resources. Replacing better technologies and practices with the current ones is essential to ensure sustainable development.

3. Sustainable architecture encompasses all phases of building including the planning, building, and restructuring.

(b) Write any five effects of climate change on the global environment. (5)
Answer:
Climate change destabilises the Earth’s temperature equilibrium and has far-reaching effects on human beings and the environment. During the course of global warming, the energy balance and thus the temperature of the earth change, due to the increased concentration of greenhouse gases, which has a significant impact on humans and the environment.
The direct consequences of man-made climate change include:

rising maximum temperatures
rising minimum temperatures
rising sea levels
higher ocean temperatures
an increase in heavy precipitation (heavy rain and hail)
shrinking glaciers
thawing permafrost

The indirect consequences of climate change, which directly affect us humans and our environment, include:

an increase in hunger and water crises, especially in developing countries
health risks through rising air temperatures and heatwaves
economic implications of dealing with secondary damage related to climate change
increasing spread of pests and pathogens
loss of biodiversity due to limited adaptability afid adaptability speed of flora and fauna
ocean acidification due to increased HCO₃ concentrations in the water as a consequence of increased CO₂ concentrations
the need for adaptation in all areas (e.g. agriculture, forestry, energy, infrastructure, tourism, etc.)

Question 9.
(a) Community participation plays an important role in conserving our environment. Justify this statement with suitable reasons. (5)
Answer:
The general public is involved in environmental law and decision making through a number of different ways. There can be direct participation in the form of local consultations on individual planning or pollution control applications, or through seeking judicial review remedies. Environmental issues are best handled with the participation of all concerned citizens, at the relevant level. In Community forestry, the local community plays a significant role in forest management and land use decision-making by themselves in the facilitating support of government as well as change agents. It involves the participation and collaboration of various participants including community, government and non¬government organisations (NGOs). These innovative methods of forestry have lot of benefits. Involvement of local people makes such programmes successful.

Community participation calls for the local community to actively plan, implement and manage the local environmental programme. It recognizes the role of the government and the community in managing the environment and assigns the responsibility to both. The community voluntarily helps with resource, knowledge and skill. In order to enhance the level of participation of the community, there has to be several measures that need to be taken up. These include providing locals with informational access for empowering them to make informed and rationale decisions. The government also needs to device an effective mechanism for the process interaction between policy makers and local communities for it only when both the government and the people come together then can only our dream for a sustainable healthy environment along with a good development rate will rather most definitely truly come true then.

(b) Give any five reasons as to why organic fertilizers are preferred over chemical fertilizers. (5)
Answer:
Organic fertilizers are carbon-based compounds that increase the productivity and growth quality of plants. They have various benefits over chemical fertilizers, which include the following:

1. Non-toxic Food : Use of these organic fertilizers ensures that the food items produced are free of harmful chemicals. As a result, the end consumers who eat these organic products are less prone to diseases such as cancer, strokes, and skin disorders, as compared to those who consume food items produced using chemical fertilizers.

2. On-Farm Production : The majority of organic fertilizers can be prepared locally or on the farm itself. Hence, the cost of these fertilizers is much lower than the cost of chemical fertilizers.

3. Low Capital Investment: In addition to the on-farm production possibilities of organic fertilizers, organic fertilizers help in maintaining the soil structure and increasing its nutrient-holding capacity. Therefore, a farmer who has practiced organic farming for many years will require far less fertilizer, because his soil is already rich in essential nutrients.

4. Fertile Soil : Organic fertilizers ensure that the farms remain fertile for hundreds of years. Land located at the site of ancient civilizations, such as India and China, are still fertile, even though agriculture has been practiced there for thousands of years. Fertility is maintained because organic fertilizers were always used in the past. However, with the increased use of chemical fertilizers today, the land is rapidly becoming infertile, forcing many farmers to further increase their use of chemical fertilizers or even leave the farming industry entirely.

Question 10.
(a) Suggest five measure to help increase development in villages and thus reduce rural migration to cities. (5)
Answer:
Following are the measures that can be taken to increase the development in villages and to prevent migration to cities are:

In our country, every village must be provided with basic requirements like clean drinking water, irrigation facilities for crops, uninterrupted power supply, modem communication network.
Quality educational institutes should come up in village areas.
Multispeciality hospitals with qualified medical professionals should come up in villages, so that, there is no need for villagers to visit or relocate to cities for treatment. Clinics, dispensaries and hospitals in rural areas are not well equipped to treat all types of diseases.
Good public transport facilities should be provided Rural areas.
Employment opportunities should be provided to reduce the youth migration.

(b) What is overgrazing ? State any four ill effects of overgrazing in forests. (5)
Answer:
Overgrazing means the excessive grazing by animals which causes damage to grassland. It can be caused by either livestock in poorly managed agricultural applications, game reserves, or nature reserves. It can also be caused by immobile, travel restricted populations of native or non-native wild animals. Cows are the main things that causes overgrazing and “overgrazing”.

The consequences of forest overgrazing are as follows:
1. Soil erosion: The first and the most troublesome effect of overgrazing is soil erosion. If an area is allowed to be overgrazed, the vegetation is repeatedly being trampled and the native plants will be unable to grow and start dying.

2. Land degradation: It is a process that happens when no protective measures to address soil erosion are taken. The top layer of soil contains the highest amount of nutrients and when this layer and the nutrients are removed, it is very difficult to recover the soil quality.

3. Loss of valuable species: Overgrazing also affects how native species are distributed in the environment and how they are able to regenerate. For example, after a pasture is overgrazed, the root system of native plants is damaged which makes regrowth difficult and slow.