Environment & Ecology
UPSC Environment and Ecology notes — ecosystems, biodiversity, protected areas, climate change, pollution, environmental law and conventions, for Prelims and GS Paper III.
Environment has become one of the largest Prelims blocks in recent years, and it anchors several GS Paper III topics. Questions mix ecology concepts with species, protected areas, conventions and institutions in the news.
What UPSC asks
- Prelims: ecological concepts, species and their habitats, protected areas, conventions and protocols, and environmental institutions and laws.
- Mains GS III: conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment, and climate change policy.
How to use these notes
Learn concepts first (food webs, succession, biogeochemical cycles), then the institutions and conventions, then keep a running list of species and protected areas from the news.
Ecology and Ecosystems
Ecology and ecosystems for UPSC: ecosystem structure, productivity, food chains, ecological pyramids, …
Biodiversity and Conservation
Biodiversity for UPSC: levels and patterns, megadiversity and hotspots, IUCN Red List categories, threats, …
Protected Areas and Wildlife
Protected areas and wildlife law for UPSC: national parks, sanctuaries, conservation and community reserves, …
Climate Change
Climate change for UPSC: greenhouse effect and gases, IPCC findings, the UNFCCC, Kyoto Protocol and Paris …
Environmental Pollution
Environmental pollution for UPSC: air, water, soil, noise and plastic pollution — pollutants, standards, AQI, …
Environmental Laws and Institutions
India's environmental law for UPSC: constitutional provisions, the Water, Air, Forest and Environment …
International Environmental Conventions
International environmental conventions for UPSC: year, place and subject of Ramsar, CITES, CMS, Montreal, …
Environmental Impact Assessment
Environmental impact assessment for UPSC: the EIA Notification 2006, project categories, screening to …