Q1.
Passage: Social forestry involves planting trees on community lands, farm boundaries, and degraded areas to meet local needs for fuel, fodder, timber, and environmental protection. It encourages participation of villagers, especially women and youth, in tree‑raising and protection activities.
Question: What is the primary purpose of social forestry as described in the passage?
(a) To increase government revenue from timber sales
(b) To provide local communities with forest products and improve the environment
(c) To replace all agricultural land with forests
(d) To restrict community access to forest resources
Answer: (b)
Explanation: The passage states that social forestry meets local needs for fuel, fodder, timber and also aims at environmental protection, indicating its dual purpose of supplying forest products and improving the environment.
Q2.
Passage: In many Indian villages, social forestry programmes have led to the revival of traditional water‑harvesting structures because tree roots help retain soil moisture and reduce runoff.
Question: According to the passage, how do trees contribute to water‑harvesting revival?
(a) By increasing evaporation from the soil surface
(b) By preventing soil erosion and enhancing moisture retention
(c) By blocking rainwater from reaching the ground (d) By absorbing all groundwater and making it unavailable
Answer: (b)
Explanation: The passage links tree roots to retaining soil moisture and reducing runoff, which helps traditional water‑harvesting structures function better.
Q3.
Passage: A successful social forestry project requires clear land‑use agreements, timely supply of saplings, and continuous monitoring by local committees. Lack of any of these elements often leads to project failure.
Question: Which factor is NOT mentioned as essential for a successful social forestry project?
(a) Clear land‑use agreements
(b) Timely supply of saplings
(c) Continuous monitoring by local committees
(d) Import of exotic tree species
Answer: (d)
Explanation: The passage lists land‑use agreements, sapling supply, and monitoring as essential; import of exotic species is not mentioned.
Q4.
Passage: Women’s participation in social forestry has been shown to improve nursery management and increase the survival rate of planted saplings, as they often possess detailed knowledge of local plant species.
Question: What advantage does women’s involvement bring to social forestry, according to the passage? (a) They reduce the cost of saplings (b) They improve nursery management and sapling survival
(c) They prevent men from participating
(d) They focus only on timber production
Answer: (b)
Explanation: The passage directly states that women’s participation improves nursery management and increases sapling survival rates.
Q5.
Passage: Social forestry not only provides economic benefits but also helps in carbon sequestration, thereby contributing to climate change mitigation.
Question: Which of the following is a climate‑related benefit of social forestry mentioned in the passage?
(a) Increased use of fossil fuels
(b) Higher emissions of methane
(c) Carbon sequestration
(d) Reduction of rainfall
Answer: (c)
Explanation: The passage explicitly says social forestry helps in carbon sequestration, which mitigates climate change.
Q6.
Passage: Monitoring involves periodic measurement of tree height, diameter, and survival percentage. Data collected are used to assess growth trends and decide on further silvicultural interventions.
Question: What is the main purpose of monitoring in social forestry as per the passage?
(a) To punish villagers who damage trees
(b) To assess growth trends and guide further interventions
(c) To increase the number of saplings planted each year
(d) To replace traditional forestry with modern logging
Answer: (b)
Explanation: The passage states that collected data are used to assess growth trends and decide on silvicultural interventions.
Q7. Passage: In arid regions, drought‑resistant species such as Prosopis juliflora and Acacia nilotica are preferred for social forestry because they require minimal water and can survive harsh conditions.
Question: Why are Prosopis juliflora and Acacia nilotica chosen for arid‑region social forestry?
(a) They grow very fast and produce high‑value timber
(b) They require minimal water and tolerate harsh conditions
(c) They attract wildlife that harms crops
(d) They need frequent irrigation and fertile soil Answer: (b)
Explanation: The passage explicitly mentions minimal water requirement and ability to survive harsh conditions as reasons for their preference.
Q8.
Passage: Community participation is strengthened when beneficiaries receive a share of the usufruct rights, such as the right to collect fallen branches for fuel or to graze livestock under the trees. Question: According to the passage, what encourages community participation in social forestry?
(a) Granting exclusive ownership of the land to the government
(b) Providing usufruct rights like fuel collection and grazing
(c) Banning all human activity near the planted area
(d) Offering cash payments only to external contractors Answer: (b)
Explanation: The passage says that sharing usufruct rights (e.g., fuel, grazing) strengthens community participation.
Q9.
Passage: A major challenge in social forestry is the encroachment of agricultural expansion onto planted areas, which reduces the effective area under tree cover.
Question: What challenge does the passage identify for social forestry?
(a) Excessive rainfall causing waterlogging
(b) Agricultural encroachment reducing tree‑covered area
(c) Over‑population of wildlife damaging saplings
(d) Lack of interest from urban populations
Answer: (b)
Explanation: The passage states that agricultural expansion onto planted areas is a major challenge, reducing effective tree cover.
Q10.
Passage: Training programmes for social forestry workers include modules on nursery techniques, pest identification, and basic accounting for maintaining nursery records.
Question: Which of the following is NOT listed as a module in the training programme?
(a) Nursery techniques (b) Pest identification
(c) Basic accounting for nursery records
(d) Advanced genetic engineering of trees
Answer: (d)
Explanation: The passage lists nursery techniques, pest identification, and basic accounting; advanced genetic engineering is not mentioned.
Q11.
Passage: The success of social forestry is often measured by the increase in green cover, improvement in soil fertility, and the enhancement of rural livelihoods through sale of non‑timber forest products.
Question: Which indicator of success is NOT mentioned in the passage?
(a) Increase in green cover
(b) Improvement in soil fertility
(c) Enhancement of rural livelihoods via NTFP sales
(d) Reduction in urban air pollution
Answer: (d)
Explanation: The passage mentions green cover, soil fertility, and livelihood enhancement; urban air pollution reduction is not cited.
Q12.
Passage: In many states, social forestry schemes are implemented through Joint Forest Management (JFM) committees, where forest department officials and village representatives share responsibilities for planning, execution, and benefit sharing.
Question: What is the key feature of Joint Forest Management as described in the passage?
(a) Forest department works alone without village input
(b) Village representatives and forest officials share planning, execution, and benefits
(c) Only private companies are allowed to manage forests
(d) JFM committees are responsible for harvesting timber only
Answer: (b)
Explanation: The passage explicitly states that JFM committees involve shared responsibilities between forest officials and village representatives.
Q13.
Passage: Seedlings raised in polybags have a higher survival rate than those sown directly in the field because they experience less transplant shock and receive better care during the nursery phase.
Question: Why do polybag‑raised seedlings have higher survival rates, according to the passage?
(a) They are genetically modified to resist disease
(b) They suffer less transplant shock and receive better nursery care
(c) They are planted only in fertile soil
(d) They are exempt from watering requirements
Answer: (b)
Explanation: The passage attributes higher survival to reduced transplant shock and better nursery care.
Q14.
Passage: Social forestry contributes to biodiversity conservation by creating habitats for birds, insects, and small mammals, especially when native species are planted.
Question: According to the passage, what condition enhances biodiversity conservation in social forestry?
(a) Planting only fast‑growing exotic species
(b) Planting native species
(c) Using chemical fertilizers exclusively
(d) Limiting the area to less than one hectare
Answer: (b)
Explanation: The passage states that biodiversity benefits are greater when native species are planted.
Q15.
Passage: A common misconception is that social forestry replaces natural forests; in reality, it supplements them by increasing tree cover outside protected forest areas.
Question: What does the passage clarify about the relationship between social forestry and natural forests?
(a) Social forestry completely replaces natural forests
(b) Social forestry supplements natural forests by adding tree cover outside protected areas
(c) Social forestry is only allowed inside national parks
(d) Social forestry has no impact on natural forests
Answer: (b)
Explanation: The passage explicitly says social forestry supplements natural forests by increasing tree cover outside protected areas.
Q16.
Passage: Effective communication tools such as posters, folk songs, and street plays are used to raise awareness about the benefits of social forestry among rural communities.
Question: Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a communication tool in the passage?
(a) Posters
(b) Folk songs
(c) Street plays
(d) Television advertisements
Answer: (d)
Explanation: The passage lists posters, folk songs, and street plays; television advertisements are not referenced.
Q17.
Passage: The survival percentage of planted saplings is calculated by dividing the number of living saplings after one year by the total number planted, then multiplying by 100.
Question: If 800 saplings were planted and 640 survived after one year, what is the survival percentage?
(a) 60% (b) 64%
(c) 80%
(d) 85%
Answer: (c)
Explanation: Survival % = (640/800) × 100 = 80%.
Q18.
Passage: Incentives such as subsidies on fencing material and free saplings encourage farmers to allocate marginal lands for social forestry, thereby reducing pressure on prime agricultural land.
Question: How do incentives help in social forestry according to the passage?
(a) By increasing the cost of farming
(b) By encouraging use of marginal lands, reducing pressure on prime agricultural land
(c) By banning all agricultural activities
(d) By requiring farmers to purchase saplings at market price
Answer: (b) Explanation: The passage states that subsidies and free saplings motivate farmers to use marginal lands, lessening pressure on prime farmland.
Q19.
Passage: A well‑maintained nursery ensures that saplings are free from diseases, have proper root development, and are hardened to withstand field conditions before outplanting.
Question: Which benefit of a well‑maintained nursery is NOT mentioned in the passage?
(a) Disease‑free saplings
(b) Proper root development
(c) Hardening to withstand field conditions
(d) Genetic modification for faster growth
Answer: (d)
Explanation: The passage mentions disease‑free status, root development, and hardening; genetic modification is not cited.
Q20. Passage: Social forestry projects often include a component of agroforestry, where trees are grown alongside crops to provide shade, improve soil nitrogen, and diversify farm income.
Question: According to the passage, what is NOT an advantage of integrating trees with crops in agroforestry?
(a) Providing shade to crops
(b) Improving soil nitrogen
(c) Diversifying farm income
(d) Increasing the need for chemical pesticides
Answer: (d)
Explanation: The passage lists shade, nitrogen improvement, and income diversification; increasing pesticide need is not mentioned as an advantage.
Q21. Passage: Community forest rights under the Forest Rights Act, 2006, allow villages to manage and benefit from forest resources, which complements social forestry initiatives by giving locals legal authority over nearby forest areas.
Question: How does the Forest Rights Act, 2006 relate to social forestry as per the passage?
(a) It prohibits any community involvement in forestry
(b) It provides legal authority to villages, complementing social forestry
(c) It transfers all forest lands to private companies (d) It eliminates the need for social forestry altogether
Answer: (b)
Explanation: The passage states that the Act gives villages management and benefit rights, which complements social forestry.
Q22.
Passage: Regular pruning of trees in social forestry plots helps maintain a desirable shape, reduces the risk of branch breakage during storms, and promotes better light penetration to the understory.
Question: Which of the following is NOT a reason for pruning mentioned in the passage?
(a) Maintaining tree shape
(b) Reducing storm‑related branch breakage
(c) Promoting light penetration to understory
(d) Increasing the rate of photosynthesis in leaves only
Answer: (d)
Explanation: The passage cites shape maintenance, storm safety, and light penetration; it does not mention increasing photosynthesis rate in leaves alone.
Q23.
Passage: Funds for social forestry are sourced from government schemes, international donors, and sometimes from community contributions such as labour or locally collected seeds.
Question: Which source of funding is NOT listed in the passage?
(a) Government schemes
(b) International donors
(c) Community contributions (labour, seeds)
(d) Private corporate loans with interest
Answer: (d)
Explanation: The passage mentions government schemes, international donors, and community contributions; private corporate loans are not referenced.
Q24.
Passage: The concept of “social forestry worker” encompasses individuals who raise nurseries, plant saplings, conduct maintenance activities, and educate villagers about tree care.
Question: According to the passage, which activity is NOT included in the role of a social forestry worker?
(a) Raising nurseries
(b) Planting saplings
(c) Conducting maintenance activities
(d) Designing urban skyscrapers
Answer: (d)
Explanation: The passage lists nursery raising, planting, maintenance, and education; designing skyscrapers is unrelated.
Q25.
Passage: Evaluating the impact of social forestry after five years typically involves measuring changes in biomass, soil organic carbon, and household income from forest‑based products.
Question: Which of the following is NOT an impact indicator mentioned in the passage? (a) Change in biomass
(b) Soil organic carbon level
(c) Household income from forest‑based products
(d) Number of television sets owned by households
Answer: (d)
Explanation: The passage cites biomass, soil carbon, and household income as impact indicators; television ownership is not mentioned.
