UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

The ecological footprint aggregates how much biologically productive area is needed to provide the resources a population consumes and to assimilate its wastes, especially CO₂. It is usually expressed in global hectares and compared with available biocapacity. When the footprint exceeds biocapacity, it indicates ecological overshoot. Thus, the concept focuses on human demand for nature’s services translated into area terms.

Option A:
Option A is incorrect since a country’s physical area does not by itself show how intensively resources are used or how much is imported from elsewhere.

Option B:
Option B is correct because it explicitly links consumption and waste to the amount of productive land and water needed, which is the core idea behind the footprint indicator.

Option C:
Option C is incorrect because total population size does not automatically indicate environmental pressure; lifestyles and technologies matter.

Option D:
Option D is incorrect since species richness describes biodiversity, not human demand on ecosystems.