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Biodiversity and Conservation

44 NEET-UG practice questions on Biodiversity and Conservation, part of Botany. The first 25 are below; the first 5 with answers and explanations (tap Show answer after you have chosen), the rest in Learn with a free account.

  1. Question 1 · Medium

    Arrange these places in decreasing order of the number of bird species. A. New York B. Colombia C. Greenland D. India

    1. AB, D, C, A
    2. BD, B, A, C
    3. CB, D, A, C
    4. DB, A, D, C
    Show answer

    Answer: C · B, D, A, C

    Colombia has nearly 1400 bird species, India more than 1200, New York 105 and Greenland 56. Diversity falls as one moves from the equator to the poles.

    • A: New York exceeds Greenland, which lies further north.
    • B: Colombia, near the equator, exceeds India.
    • D: India is far richer than New York.

    Remember this

    Latitudinal gradient: species diversity decreases from the equator towards the poles.

  2. Question 2 · Easy

    Which region is NOT a biodiversity hotspot?

    1. AHimalaya
    2. BWestern Ghats-Sri Lanka
    3. CIndo-Burma
    4. DThar Desert
    Show answer

    Answer: D · Thar Desert

    India's very rich regions are covered by three of the world's 34 hotspots: Western Ghats-Sri Lanka, Indo-Burma and Himalaya.

    • A: The Himalaya is a hotspot.
    • B: Western Ghats-Sri Lanka is a hotspot.
    • C: Indo-Burma is a hotspot.

    Remember this

    Three of the 34 world hotspots cover India: Western Ghats-Sri Lanka, Indo-Burma, Himalaya.

  3. Question 3 · Easy

    The Khasi and Jaintia Hills, known for their sacred groves, lie in which state?

    1. AMadhya Pradesh
    2. BRajasthan
    3. CMeghalaya
    4. DKarnataka
    Show answer

    Answer: C · Meghalaya

    Sacred groves occur in the Khasi and Jaintia Hills of Meghalaya. Others occur in the Aravalli Hills of Rajasthan, the Western Ghats of Karnataka and Maharashtra, and the Sarguja, Chanda and Bastar areas of Madhya Pradesh.

    • A: Madhya Pradesh's groves are in Sarguja, Chanda and Bastar.
    • B: Rajasthan's groves are in the Aravalli Hills.
    • D: Karnataka's groves are in the Western Ghats.

    Remember this

    Sacred groves: Khasi and Jaintia Hills in Meghalaya, Aravalli in Rajasthan, Western Ghats, and Sarguja, Chanda and Bastar.

  4. Question 4 · Easy

    Which of these is an ex situ method of conservation?

    1. ANational park
    2. BBiosphere reserve
    3. CSacred grove
    4. DCryopreservation of gametes
    Show answer

    Answer: D · Cryopreservation of gametes

    Ex situ conservation protects organisms outside their natural habitat, as in cryopreservation, seed banks, zoological parks and botanical gardens.

    • A: A national park protects species in their own habitat.
    • B: A biosphere reserve is in situ.
    • C: A sacred grove is a protected natural habitat.

    Remember this

    In situ means within the habitat; ex situ means outside it, including zoos, botanical gardens and seed banks.

  5. Question 5 · Medium

    Given below are two statements: Statement I: The Western Ghats have a greater amphibian species diversity than the Eastern Ghats. Statement II: India has about 2.4 per cent of the world's land area and about 8.1 per cent of its species diversity. Choose the correct answer.

    1. AStatement I is incorrect but Statement II is correct
    2. BBoth Statement I and Statement II are incorrect
    3. CBoth Statement I and Statement II are correct
    4. DStatement I is correct but Statement II is incorrect
    Show answer

    Answer: C · Both Statement I and Statement II are correct

    Both are stated by NCERT. Species diversity is not uniform even within India, and India is one of the 12 mega diversity countries of the world.

    • A: The Western Ghats comparison is correct.
    • B: Both statements are correct.
    • D: India's land and species shares are as stated.

    Remember this

    India is mega-diverse: 2.4% of land, 8.1% of global species diversity.

  6. Question 6 · Medium

    What does the rivet popper hypothesis of Paul Ehrlich teach about species loss?

    1. AEcosystems fail only after every species is lost
    2. BLosing key species that drive major ecosystem functions is more dangerous than losing others
    3. CRivets of the seats stand for the key species of an ecosystem
    4. DLosing any species has exactly the same effect on an ecosystem

    Answer and explanation in LearnFree account

  7. Question 7 · Hard

    Species-area plots are made on log scales. Plot P covers small regions within a country and plot Q covers entire continents. How do they compare?

    1. AP is steeper, with Z of about 0.6 to 1.2, against 0.1 to 0.2 for Q
    2. BBoth have the same Z of about 0.6 to 1.2 at all scales
    3. CBoth have the same Z of about 0.1 to 0.2 at all scales
    4. DQ is steeper, with Z of about 0.6 to 1.2, against 0.1 to 0.2 for P

    Answer and explanation in LearnFree account

  8. Question 8 · Medium

    Assertion A: Biodiversity hotspots have very high levels of species richness and endemism. Reason R: The Himalaya is one of the hotspots that cover India's very rich regions. Choose the correct answer.

    1. ABoth A and R are correct and R is the correct explanation of A
    2. BA is not correct but R is correct
    3. CBoth A and R are correct but R is not the correct explanation of A
    4. DA is correct but R is not correct

    Answer and explanation in LearnFree account

  9. Question 9 · Hard

    Which of these statements about conservation are correct? A. A botanical garden is an in situ method of conservation. B. Strict protection of hotspots could reduce ongoing mass extinctions by almost 30 per cent. C. Sacred groves are an ex situ method of conservation. D. Seed banks store seeds of commercially important plants for long periods.

    1. AA, B and D only
    2. BB and D only
    3. CA and C only
    4. DB, C and D only

    Answer and explanation in LearnFree account

  10. Question 10 · Medium

    Match List-I with List-II. List-I (case) A. Steller's sea cow and passenger pigeon B. Nile perch in Lake Victoria C. Amazon forest cleared for soya beans D. A plant and its sole pollinator lost together List-II (cause) I. Habitat loss II. Co-extinction III. Over-exploitation IV. Alien species invasion

    1. AA-I, B-IV, C-III, D-II
    2. BA-III, B-IV, C-I, D-II
    3. CA-IV, B-III, C-I, D-II
    4. DA-III, B-IV, C-II, D-I

    Answer and explanation in LearnFree account

  11. Question 11 · Easy

    Who popularised the term 'biodiversity'?

    1. APaul Ehrlich
    2. BDavid Tilman
    3. CAlexander von Humboldt
    4. DEdward Wilson

    Answer and explanation in LearnFree account

  12. Question 12 · Medium

    Species richness is plotted against area on logarithmic scales for both axes. What shape does the relationship take?

    1. AA J-shaped curve
    2. BA bell-shaped curve
    3. CA rectangular hyperbola
    4. DA straight line

    Answer and explanation in LearnFree account

  13. Question 13 · Hard

    Which of these statements about biodiversity loss are correct? A. Tropical rain forests once covered 14 per cent of the earth's land and now cover no more than 6 per cent. B. Parts of the Amazon forest are cleared to grow soya beans or to make grasslands for cattle. C. Dodo, quagga and thylacine are among recent extinctions. D. Current extinction rates are about 100 to 1000 times those of pre-human times.

    1. AB and C only
    2. BA and D only
    3. CA, B, C and D
    4. DA, B and D only

    Answer and explanation in LearnFree account

  14. Question 14 · Medium

    In David Tilman's long-term outdoor plots, what was seen in plots with more species?

    1. AMore year-to-year variation in total biomass
    2. BLess year-to-year variation in total biomass
    3. CLower productivity in every year
    4. DNo change in biomass at all from year to year

    Answer and explanation in LearnFree account

  15. Question 15 · Medium

    Match List-I with List-II. List-I (protected unit) A. Biosphere reserves in India B. National parks in India C. Wildlife sanctuaries in India D. Biodiversity hotspots in the world List-II (number given by NCERT) I. 448 II. 34 III. 14 IV. 90

    1. AA-III, B-IV, C-I, D-II
    2. BA-III, B-I, C-IV, D-II
    3. CA-IV, B-III, C-I, D-II
    4. DA-II, B-IV, C-I, D-III

    Answer and explanation in LearnFree account

  16. Question 16 · Hard

    For a group of species, the regression coefficient Z of the species-area relation is 0.2. If the area surveyed is increased 32-fold, by what factor does species richness increase? Use S = CAᶻ.

    1. A32
    2. B2
    3. C6.4
    4. D160

    Answer and explanation in LearnFree account

  17. Question 17 · Medium

    Which of these explanations for the greater biodiversity of the tropics are correct? A. Tropical latitudes have remained relatively undisturbed for millions of years, giving long evolutionary time. B. Tropical environments are less seasonal and more predictable, which promotes niche specialisation. C. More solar energy is available in the tropics, contributing to higher productivity. D. Temperate regions escaped glaciation and so had more time for species diversification. Choose the correct answer.

    1. AB, C and D only
    2. BA, B, C and D
    3. CA and C only
    4. DA, B and C only

    Answer and explanation in LearnFree account

  18. Question 18 · Medium

    Steller's sea cow and the passenger pigeon became extinct in the last 500 years. To what is their extinction attributed?

    1. AOver-exploitation by humans
    2. BHabitat fragmentation by roads
    3. CCo-extinction with a host species
    4. DAlien species invasions

    Answer and explanation in LearnFree account

  19. Question 19 · Medium

    Given below are two statements: Statement I: The Amazon forest is estimated to produce roughly 20 per cent of the total oxygen in the earth's atmosphere through photosynthesis. Statement II: Biodiversity hotspots together cover about 20 per cent of the earth's land area. Choose the correct answer.

    1. AStatement I is correct but Statement II is incorrect
    2. BStatement I is incorrect but Statement II is correct
    3. CBoth Statement I and Statement II are incorrect
    4. DBoth Statement I and Statement II are correct

    Answer and explanation in LearnFree account

  20. Question 20 · Easy

    Which cause is the most important in driving plants and animals to extinction?

    1. ACo-extinctions
    2. BAlien species invasions
    3. COver-exploitation
    4. DHabitat loss and fragmentation

    Answer and explanation in LearnFree account

  21. Question 21 · Medium

    When a host fish species becomes extinct, the parasites unique to it disappear too. What is this kind of loss called?

    1. AAlien species invasion
    2. BOver-exploitation
    3. CCo-extinction
    4. DHabitat fragmentation

    Answer and explanation in LearnFree account

  23. Question 23 · Hard

    Which of the statements below about biodiversity hotspots are correct? A. Hotspots are chosen for very high species richness and a high degree of endemism. B. All the hotspots together cover less than 2 per cent of the Earth's land area. C. Strict protection of the hotspots could reduce the ongoing mass extinctions by about 50 per cent. D. The Western Ghats and Sri Lanka, Indo-Burma and Himalaya are the three hotspots covering India's richest biodiversity regions.

    1. AA and D only
    2. BA, B and D only
    3. CA, B, C and D
    4. DB, C and D only

    Answer and explanation in LearnFree account

  24. Question 24 · Medium

    Ecologists offer several hypotheses for why the tropics hold more species than temperate regions. Which of these is one of them?

    1. ATropical environments are highly seasonal, which favours niche specialisation
    2. BTropical regions receive less solar energy, so fewer species dominate
    3. CTropical latitudes have stayed relatively undisturbed for millions of years, giving more time for species diversification
    4. DTropical regions underwent frequent glaciations that repeatedly created new habitats

    Answer and explanation in LearnFree account

  25. Question 25 · Medium

    Given below are two statements: Statement I: Robert May's estimate places the global species diversity at about 7 million. Statement II: India has more than 50,000 genetically different strains of rice and about 1,000 varieties of mango. Choose the correct answer.

    1. ABoth Statement I and Statement II are correct
    2. BStatement I is incorrect but Statement II is correct
    3. CBoth Statement I and Statement II are incorrect
    4. DStatement I is correct but Statement II is incorrect

    Answer and explanation in LearnFree account

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