Kerala PSC Range Forest Officer – Forest and Wildlife – (Botany) Previous Question Paper – 039/2025

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1. Incompatibility is a natural barrier in the fusion of gametes. Justify this statement.
2. Describe the monosporic embryo sac development with examples.
3. Explain extra stelar secondary growth in plants.
4. Comment on various types of secretory structures seen in plants.
5. Describe the post fertilizational changes seen in Polysiphonia.
6. Puccinia is called polymorphic and heteracious fungi? Discuss.
7. Write short notes on various types of genetic recombinations seen in bacteria. (38)

8. Explain plant disease cycle with its major events. (6)

9. Write down the General characteristic features of Marchantia. (5)

10. Draw a neatly labelled diagram of the T.S. of Selaginella stem. (5)

11. Briefly explain the internal structure of Pinus needle. (5)

12. What is Petrifaction? How is it formed? (5)

13. (a) Explain the symbols present in a floral formula.
(b) Write down the floral formula of Solanaceae. (5)

14. Briefly mention about the morphological characters of Rutaceae. (5)

15. Briefly explain about the dyes obtained from the leaves. (5)

16. What is the scientific name of ‘Ragi’? Write down its economic importance. (5)

17. What are the Levels of Biodiversity? (5)

18. Draw a labelled diagram of Carbon Cycle. (5)

19. What are the major pollutants for air pollution and write down its impacts. (6)

20. Analyse how the Emerson enhancement effect led to the discovery of two distinct photosystems in the light reaction of photosynthesis. (5)

21. Critically assess how fluctuations in sodium levels influence plant physiology, emphasizing the contrasting impacts of sodium deficiency and toxicity on cellular homeostasis and growth. (5)

22. Fatty acid oxidation disorders can severely affect energy metabolism in plants. Analyse the steps of β -oxidation in peroxisomes and justify why it is crucial for seed germination. (5)

23. Enzyme classification is universally based on the type of reaction catalysed rather than the specific substrate involved. Critically analyse the rationale behind this principle and explain its biochemical significance. (5)

24. A cell exhibits uncontrolled division and fails to enter the Go phase. Based on the regulation of cell cycle stages and checkpoints, identify the phase most likely deregulated and analyse how this disruption contributes to tumour development. (6)

25. Discuss how nucleosome-mediated chromatin organisation regulates gene expression and explain its dynamic reorganisation during mitosis and meiosis. (6)

26. RNA interference (RNAi) is a vital tool in modern gene regulation. Describe the mechanism of RNAi, its role in gene silencing in eukaryotic cells and its potential therapeutic applications. (6)

27. Z-DNA is a non-canonical DNA structure that forms transiently under specific physiological conditions. Analyse the molecular and regulatory roles that justify its evolutionary conservation despite its instability. (6)

28. Highlight the advantages of Agrobacterium mediated gene transfer. (5)

29. Discuss the molecular techniques to assess somaclonal variants at the DNA level. (5)

30. What are cybrids? List out the various methods to produce cybrids. (5)

31. Explain the technique of RT-PCR. (5)

32. Expand these abbreviations
(1) IRRI (2) ICRISAT (3) IIHR (4) IPGRI (5) CPCRI. (5)

33. Classify the different styles of Bonsai. (5)

34. Define synthetic variety. Describe the methods of production of synthetic variety. Briefly discuss the merits of synthetic variety. (6)

35. Compare and contrast natural and artificial regeneration in forestry. Discuss the advantages and challenges associated with each method in the context of sustainable forest management. (5)

36. Explain the concept of Joint Forest Management (JFM) in India. Analyze its role in forest conservation and discuss the challenges in its implementation. (5)

37. Discuss the principles of sustained yield in forest management. What are its limitations, and how can modern silvicultural practices address these challenges. (5)

38. Evaluate the importance of Non-Timber Forest Products (NTFPs) in rural livelihoods and forest conservation. How can sustainable harvesting of NTFPs contribute to biodiversity conservation and economic development? (5)