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2. Number of wildlife sanctuaries in India are ......... .
3. The bird “Dodo” became extinct because of......... .
4. First Earth summit was held at.........and aimed at.........
A.
Gir forests are home for tiger.B.
Indian Cheetah is an endangered species.C.
National animal of India is tiger.D.
Man and Biosphere Programme was started by the UNESCO in 1986.E.
In India, the wild ass (Asinus hemionus) is found in Rann of Kutch.Sponsor Area
(ii) Species diversity.
(iii) Community and ecosystem diversity.
(ii) Himalayas .
The two important measures of species diversity are :
(i) Species richness. It refers to the number of species per unit area.
(ii) Species evenness. It refers to the relative abundance with which each species is represented in an area.
Describe species area relationship.
Species-Area relationship
Alexander Von Humboldt observed that within a region, species richness increased with increased explored area, but only upto a limit. If a graph is plotted between species richness and area then we get a rectangular hyperbola.
On a log scale, the relationship becomes linear (straight line) and is described by the equation.
log S = log C + Z log A, where,
S = Species Richness Z = Slope of the line (regression coefficient)
A = area and C = y-intercept
The value of Z ranges between 0.1 and 0.2 irrespective of the taxonomic group for a small area. But, if a larger area is taken into account then the slope is steeper and the value of Z ranges between 0.6 and 1.2.
Species area relationship
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1. Production of oxygen.
2. Pollination of flowers, without which fruits/seeds are not produced.
3. Aesthetic pleasure of walking through wods, watching flowers in full bloom etc..
2. More than 25% of drugs are derived from plants. About 25,000 species of plants are used by native people as traditional medicines.
3. With increasing resources put into ‘bioprospecting’Nations with high biodiversity can highly benefit from it .
While the ex situ (off site) conservation strategies include botanical gardens, zoos meant for conservation of gene, pollen, seed, seeding and DNA banks. In this type of conservation threatened animals and plants are taken out from their natural habitat and placed in special setting where they can be protected and given special care.
Example. Introduction of Nile Perch into lake victoria (East Africa) caused the extinction of the endemic, ecologically unique species of cichlid fish.
1. Biodiversity provides plant pollinators, predators, decomposers and contributed to soil fertility.
2. It helps in the purification of air and water, management of flood, drought and other environmental disasters.
3. Ecosystems with more diversity can withstand the environmental challenges better because genetically diverse species present in the ecosystem will have different tolerance ranges for a given environmental stress, hence they cannot be easily eliminated by any single stress at a time. However, if the ecosystem contains only few species, it will become a fragile or unstable ecosystem.
4. The species with high genetic diversity and the ecosystems with high biodiversity have greater capacity for adaptation against environmental perturbations.
1. India contains 10 biogeographic regions which include the Himalayan, Trans-Himalayan, the Indian desert, the Semi-arid zone, the Western-Ghats, the Dec can Peninsula, the Gangetic Plain, North-East India and the Islands and Coasts which possess different biodiversity levels.
2. India is one of the world’s 12 leading biodiversity centres of the origin of cultivated plants.
3. Though India has only 2.4% of the land area of the world, it has 8.1% of the global species biodiversity.
4. There are about 45000 species of plants and 90,000-1,00,000 species of animals; many more species are yet to be discovered and named.
5. India probably has more than 1,00,000 species of plants and 3,00,000 species of animals to be discovered and described.
6. India has 5 natural world heritage sites,14 biosphere reserves, 90 national parks and 448 wildlife sanctuaries and 2 hot spots.
7. About 33 per cent of the country’s recorded flora are endemic to India and concentrated in the North-East, Western-Ghats, North-West Himalayas and Andaman and Nicobar islands.
How do ecologists estimate the total number of species present in the world?
Depict with the help of simple sketches the representation of global biodiversity of major taxa of plants, invertebrates and vertebrates.
Representation of global biodiversity of major taxa of plants, invertebrates and vertebrates
1. Habitat loss- The destruction of habitat due to natural calamity or human activity may lead to extinction of many species and loss of biodiversity.
2. Disturbance and pollution. Large number of organisms are killed due to natural disturbances such as fire, tree fall, defoliation by insects. Human activities also lead to loss of biodiversity.
3. Introduction of exotic species. Introduction of new species into an area cause disturbances which may lead to disappearance of native species.
4. Co-extinction is when extinction of one species leads to the extinction of some other mutually dependent species.
1. In situ conservation is the on site conservation where the species of plants or animals are protected in their natural habitat. It is carried out through Biosphere reserves, National parks and wild sanctuaries and other protected areas like hotspots and sacred groves.
2. Ex situ conservation is the off site conservation in which the biodiversity or species of plants or animals are kept in some protected area other than their natural habitat. For example - Botanical Gardens and Zoological Parks have large collection of plant and animal species.
(а) IUCN Red List
(b) Protected areas.
IUCN has recognized eight red list categories of species. They are :
(i) Extinct (ii) Extinct in wild (iii) Critically endangered (iv) Endangered (v) Vulnerable (vi) Lower risk (vii) Data deficient and (viii) Not evaluated.
The 2000 red list contains assessment of more than 18,000 species, 11,000 of which are threatened.
(b) Protected areas. These areas are areas of land or sea that are dedicated to the protection and maintenance of biological diversity. They include National Parks, Sanctuaries and Biosphere reserve. India has 14 biosphere reserves, 90 national parks and 448 wildlife sanctuaries
Using a chart show the in situ and ex situ approaches of conserving biodiversity in India.
(i) Hot spots of biodiversity
(ii) Ex situ conservation
The criteria for determining hot spots are 1. Number of endemic species.
2. Degree of threat which is measured in terms of habitat loss.
There are 25 hot spots in the world out of which two are in India. They are Western Ghats and Eastern Himalayas.
(ii) Ex situ conservation. It means maintenance ans protection of biodiversity at an off site location. It is the process of protecting an endangered species of plant or animal outside its natural habitat either in gardens by farmers, botanical garden or storing seeds, genes, pollen, tissue culture etc.
Give three hypotheses for explaining why tropics show greatest levels of species richness.
1. Tropical latitudes have remained undisturbed for millions of years and thus, had a long evolutionary time for species diversification.
2. Tropical environments are constant, predictable and less seasonal, thus promote niche specialisation and leads to greater species diversity.
3. There is more solar energy available in the tropics, which leads to more productivity and hence species diversity.
1. Tropical latitudes have remained undisturbed for millions of years thus had a long evolutionary time for species diversification.
2. Tropical environment are less seasonal, relatively more constant and predictable which promotes niche specialisation and lead to greater species diversity.
The species diversity of plants (22 per cent) is much less than that of animals (72 per cent). What could be the explanations to how animals achieved greater diversification?
Species diversity decreases from equator towards poles. The tropics (between 23.5 N to 23.5°S) harbour more species than temperate and polar regions. For example, Columbia situated near equator, has about 1400 species of birds, while New York (41°N) has 105 species, Greenland (70N) has about 56 species and India (in the equator region) has 1200 species. The Amazonian rain forest in South America has the greatest biodiversity on earth; it harbours about 40000 species of plants, 1,25,000 species of insects, 3000 of fishes, 427 of amphibians, 378 of reptiles, 1300 of birds and 427 of mammals.
Bioprospecting is exploring molecular, genetic and species-level diversity for products of economic importance.
1. Fragmentation creates barriers that limit the potential of species to disperse and colonise new areas.
2. Species get divided into smaller populations and are unable to sustain.
3. Migratory birds lose their seasonal habitats.
4. It makes the species more vulnerable to predators as well as to wind and fire.
The slope of regression (Z) is very important for determining species-area relationship. The smaller areas tend to have the similar value of Z that is in the range of 0.1 to 0.2 regardless of the taxonomic group or the region. But, if a larger area is taken into account then the slope of regression is found to be steeper and has the value in the range of 0.6 to 1.2. Thus we can determine from the slope of regression if the area taken into account is large or small.
(i) Habitat loss and fragmentation:Loss of habitats due to natural calamities or human activities lead to loss of species diversity.
(ii) Over-exploitation: Due to over-hunting and over-exploitation of various plants and animals by humans, many species have become endangered or extinct .
(iii) Alien species Invasions: Accidental or intentional introduction of non-native species into a habitat lead to the declination or extinction of indigenous species.
(iv) Co−extinction: In a native habitat, one species is connected to the other in an intricate network, thus the extinction of one species causes the extinction of other species.
Communities with more species diversity tend to be more stable than those with less species diversity. The high biodiversity makes the ecosystem more stable in productivity and more resistant towards disturbances such as alien species invasions and floods. Species richness and diversityis also essential for ecosystem's health as well as survival of human race on the earth.
Examples of sacred groves are Khasi and Jaintia hills in Meghalaya, Aravali hills in Rajasthan, Western Ghat regions of Karnataka, Maharashtra and Sargiya, Chanda and Bastar areas of M.P. In Sikkim, Khecheopalri lake is declared sacred lake by people, thus protecting the aquatic flora and fauna.
Role in conservation. Many rare, threatened and endemic species of plants and animals have been protected in sacred groves . Such areas have been found to be most undisturbed and are species rich.
1. As source of food and improved varieties.
2. As source of drugs and medicines.
3. Aesthetic and cultural benefits.
4. It provides services like purification of air, protection from floods and prevention of soil erosion.
(i) developing awareness about the importance of threatened biodiversity ;
(ii) identification and documentation of endangered species ;
(iii) providing a global index of the decline of biodiversity ;
(iv) defining conservation priorities at the local level and guiding conservation action.
1. Conservation. To ensure the conservation of landscapes, ecosystems, species and genetic resources. It also encourages traditional resource use.
2. Development. To promote economic development which is culturally, socially and ecologically sustainable.
3. Scientific research, monitoring and education which aims at providing support for research, monitoring, education and information exchange related to local, national and global issues of conservation and development.
Many plant and animal species are on the verge of their extinction because of loss of forest land by indiscriminate use by the humans. As a biology student what method would you suggest along with its advantages that can protect such threatened species from getting extinct?
As a biology student, I would suggest the following methods to protect the threatened species from becoming extinct:
i. Ex situ conservation - The threatened species of plants and animals are taken out of their habitats and are kept in special settings such as zoological parks, botanical gardens and wildlife parks. This protects the organism, help maintain their number and prevent them from becoming extinct.
ii. Using the method like cryopreservation of the gametes of endangered species and their fertilization by the method of in-vitro fertilization. The use of tissue culture for propagation of the organism and the use of seed banks in case of plants. These methods allow us to preserve the genes of the endangered species and can be used to increase the number of endangered species by keeping the gamete or seeds viable and fertile for a longer period of time and using it when required.
iii We can lower the rate of deforestation avoiding indiscriminate use of forests and thus save the habitat of the species and protect them from extinction.
Name the type of biodiversity represented by the following:
(a) 50,000 different strains of rice in India.
(b) Estuaries and alpine meadows in India.
The type of diversity represented by the following is:
(a) 50,000 different strains of rice in India represent genetic diversity
(b) Estuaries and alpine meadows in India represent ecological diversityExplain why very small animals are rarely found in polar region.
Small animals tend to lose more heat when it is cold outside as they have large surface area with respect to volume. They have to expend much energy to generate heat through metabolism and it would be difficult for them to survive. Thus they are rarely found in polar region.
Cryopreservation is used in storing the gametes of endangered species that can be fertilized in-vitro followed by propagation through tissue culture methods. Similarly, seeds can be preserved in seed banks for long periods using cryopreservation techniques.
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Nile perch introduced into Lake Victoria in east Africa led eventually to the extinction of an ecologically unique assemblage of more than 200 species of cichlid fish in the lake is an example where a deliberate attempt by humans led to the extinction of a particular species.
(a) What is El Nino effect? Explain how it accounts for biodiversity loss.
(b) Explain any three measures that you as an individual would take, to reduce environmental pollution.
(a) An El Nino event is a temporary change in the temperature, surface air pressure and currents of the Pacific Ocean in the region surrounding the equator. It affects both the ocean and atmosphere and can have major effects on the world's climate. El Nino causes global warming and the melting of polar ice cap. This leads to the submerging of coastal regions and loss of species endemic to that area. As El Nino also affects the ocean currents and causes sudden cooling or warming of the oceans, it leads to the death of marine life such as coral reefs and fishes as well. The depletion of coral reefs, in turn affects the life of other marine organisms that depend on the coral reefs for food and shelter.
(b) The measures that we as an individual can take in order to reduce environmental pollution can be
(i) Dumping of organic waste in places far from residential areas.
(ii) Using car pool so as to reduce pollution and fuel consumption.
(iii) Turning off air conditioners when not in use.
(iv) Planting more and more trees and reducing the deforestation.
State Gause's Competitive Exclusion Principle.
Gause's Competitive Exclusion Principle states that two closely related species competing for the same resources cannot co-exist indefinitely and the competitively inferior one will be eliminated eventually. This may be true if resources are limiting, but not otherwise.
Why are sacred groves highly protected ?
The sacred groves are highly protected because they have religious and cultural values. They also have a large number of rare and threatened plant species.
Mention the kind of biodiversity of more than a thousand varieties of mangoes in India represent. How is it possible?
Genetic diversity is represented by a large variety of mangoes in India. Genetic diversity is seen due to the difference in the soil of different areas, different agricultural practices and use of different horticulture techniques like grafting and breeding in different areas.
(a) Why should we conserve biodiversity? How can we do it?
(b) Explain the importance of biodiversity hot-spots and sacred groves.
(a) Biodiversity conservation is necessary because of the following reasons:
i. Many commercially important products such as food, fibre and wood and countless industrial products are obtained from nature.
ii. Certain activities cannot be accomplished without the help of nature such as production of oxygen and pollination.
iii. Intangible benefits such as aesthetic pleasure are derived from nature.
iv. It is our duty to conserving the species we share our planet with and pass the biodiversity in a good condition to our future generations.
Biodiversity can be conserved by the following means:
In situ conservation - The organisms are conserved in their natural habitat. Certin areas are protected and prserved. In order to conserve biodiversity, some of the world’s biodiversity hotspots (with high degree of biodiversity and endemism) have been identified and are being protected. In India, biosphere reserves, wildlife sanctuaries and national parks are built for this purpose.
Ex-situ conservation - The threatened species of plants and animals are taken out of their habitats and are kept in special settings such as zoological gardens and wildlife parks.
Cryopreservation - Nowadays,the gametes of endangered parks, botanical species can be kept viable by preserving them at very low temperature with the help of liquid nitrogen.
(b) The hotspots are regions with high level of species richness and a high degree of endemism. Though these areas cover less than 2 percent of the earth's land are, the number of species they collectively harbour is extremely high ans trict protection of these hotpsots could reduce the mass extinction by almost 30 %. Thus, these areas are considered very important.
The sacred groves are the areas that are protected due to some religious or culttural beliefs. These are important as these are the last reges for a large number of rare and threatened plants.
The curve represents Species-Area relationships.
Curve “a” is represented by the equation S = CAz
Where,
S= Species richness
Az= Area Z = slope of the line (regression coefficient)
C = Y-intercept
Characteristic feature-
1. Within a region richness of species increases with exploration of new areas but only upto a limit.
2. Straight line represent in the graph represent logarithmic value of species richness.
Differentiate between in-situ and ex-situ approaches of conservation / of biodiversity.
| In-situ conservation | Ex-situ conservation |
| In this type the conservation is done in the natural environment itself. | In this type the organism are conserved in man-made set-up outside their natural habitat. |
| Natural park, Sanctuaries | Zoos and botanical gardens |
The cell division involved in gamete formation is not of the same type in different organisms. Justify.
Cell division results in the formation of gamete, heterogametic species produce male and female Gametes. In plant, monera, fungi, algae and bryophytes gametes are haploid in plants body but it may arise either as haploid or diploid. Haploid gametes are produced by mitotic division.
While organism such as pteridophytes, gymnosperms, angiosperms and animals including human beings, the parental body is diploid, they undergo reduction division, to produce haploid gametes.
In situ conservation can help endangered / threatened species. Justify the statement.
In situ conservation involves the protection of species in their natural habitats. It helps in the conservation of
threatened/endangered species via following means :
(i) Biodiversity hotspots are regions with high levels of species richness and high degree of endemism (i.e. species confined to that region are not found anywhere else). Hotspots cover less than 2% of the earth’s land area.
(a) The total number of biodiversity hotspots in the world are 34.
(b) These hotspots are regions of accelerated habitat loss.
(c) Three hotspots which cover India’s biodiversity regions are Western Ghats and Sri Lanka, Indo-Burma and Himalaya.
(d) These hotspots can reduce the ongoing mass extinctions by almost 30%.
(ii) Protected areas are ecologically unique and biodiversity rich regions. These are legally protected as biosphere reserves, national parks and sanctuaries.
(a) India has 14 biosphere reserves, 90 national parks and 448 wildlife sanctuaries.
(b) The first national park set up in India was Jim Corbett National Park.
(iii) Sacred groves are forest areas set aside, all the trees and wildlife within it are venerated and given total protection. These are religious and cultural places, which are protected. Some of the sacred groves in India are: Western Ghat regions of Karnataka and Maharashtra.
Khasi and Jaintia Hills in Meghalaya. Aravalli Hills of Rajasthan. Sarguja, Chanda and Bastar areas of Madhya Pradesh.
What is genetic conservation?
Monadelphous Stamens are those which:
united into more than two bundles
united into two bundles
united into one bundle
remain free
C.
united into one bundle
Determination of skin colour is an example of:
Co-dominance
polygenic inheritance
incomplete dominance
pleiotropy
B.
polygenic inheritance
Haemophilia is a
Y linked disorder
Autosomal sex disorder
X linked disorder
Deficiency Disorder
C.
X linked disorder
What is biodiversity? Mention the implications of the loss of biodiversity.
“India has greater ecosystem diversity than Norway.” Do you agree with the statement? Give reasons in support of your answer.
Yes. India has greater ecosystem diver system diversity than Norway having deserts, rainforests, mangroves, coral reefs, wetlands, estuaries, and alpine meadows.
Write the difference between genetic biodiversity and species biodiversity that exists at all the levels of biological organisation.
| Genetic diversity | Specific diversity |
| Genetic diversity is the total number of genetic characteristics in the genetic makeup of a species. | It is the ratio of one species population over the total number of organisms across all species in the given biome. ‘Zero’ would be infinite diversity, and ‘one’ represents only one species present. |
| A single species might show high diversity at the genetic level (E.g. Man: Chinese, Indian American, African etc.) India has more than 50,000 genetically different strains of rice and 1,000 varieties of mango. | Species diversity is a measure of the diversity within an ecological community that incorporates both species richness (the number of species in a community) and the evenness of species. |
| Genetic diversity allows species to adapt to changing environments. This diversity aims to ensure that some species survive drastic changes and thus carry on desirable genes. |
For example, the Western Ghats have a greater amphibian species diversity than the Eastern Ghats. There are more than 2,00,000 species in India of which several are confined to India (endemic). |
Which one of the following is a characteristic feature of cropland ecosystem?
Least genetic diversity
The absence of weeds
Ecological succession
The absence of soil orgnaisms
A.
Least genetic diversity
The cropland ecosystem has the same type of crops and has the least diversity.
Which is the National Aquatic Animal of India?
River dolphin
Blue whale
Sea-horse
Gangetic shark
A.
River dolphin
Gangetic dolphin is the National Aquatic Animal of India.
Which of the following is the most important cause of animals and plants being driven to extinction?
Alien species invasion
Habitat loss and fragmentation
Co-extinctions
Over-exploitation
B.
Habitat loss and fragmentation
Habitat loss and fragmentation leads to the loss of biodiversity and may lead to the extinction of species.
Which one of the following is not used for ex-situ plant conservation?
Field genebanks
Seed banks
Shifting cultivation
Botanical gardens
C.
Shifting cultivation
Shifting cultivation results into deforestation. Botanical gardens have a collection of living plants for reference. Seed banks store seeds as a source for planting in case, seed reserves elsewhere are destroyed. Field genebanks are a type of biorepository, which preserve genetic material.
Which of the following represent a maximum number of species among global biodiversity?
Algae
Lichens
Fungi
Mosses and ferns
C.
Fungi
The following figure shows global biodiversity of fungi, mosses, ferns, algae, lichens and angiosperms.
The species confined lo a particular Region and not found elsewhere is termed as
Keystone
Alien
Endemic
Rare
C.
Endemic
The species confined to a particular region and not found elsewhere is termed as endemic.
Their conservation requires peculiar specific efforts due to their unavailability in other parts of world.
An example of ex-situ conservation is
National Park
Seed bank
wildlife Sanctuary
Sacred Grove
B.
Seed bank
Ex -situ or off-site conservation is the process of protecting endangered species fo plants and animals outside their natural habitat. This involves the conservation of genetic resources as well as species, Its example included seed banks, filed microbial culture collection, etc.
A location with luxuriant growth of lichens on the trees indicates that the
trees are very healthy
trees are heavily infested
the location is highly polluted
location is not polluted
D.
location is not polluted
The situation suggests that the site is no polluted as lichens are the bioindicators for air pollution. These are the living organisms that respond in an especially clear way to a change in the environment. Te lichens are useful indicators of especially SO2 pollution because they derive their water and essential nutrients mainly from the atmosphere rather than from the soil.
Match the following and select the correct option.
|
Column I
|
Column II |
||
|
a |
Earthworm |
1. |
Pioneer species |
|
b. |
Succession |
2. |
Detritivore |
|
c. |
Ecosystem service |
3. |
Natality |
|
d. |
Population growth |
4. |
Pollination |
|
A |
B |
C |
D |
|
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
|
A |
B |
C |
D |
|
4 |
1 |
3 | 2 |
|
A |
B |
C |
D |
|
3 |
2 | 4 | 1 |
|
A |
B |
C |
D |
|
2 |
1 | 4 | 3 |
D.
|
A |
B |
C |
D |
|
2 |
1 | 4 | 3 |
The species that invade a base are in succession is called pioneer species.
Ecosystem services are the products of ecosystem process e.g., biodiversity maintenance, crop pollination growth or birth rate in population ecology
A species facing extremely high risk of extinction in the immediate future is called
Vulnerable
endemic
critically endangered
extinct
C.
critically endangered
The extremely highest risk category assigned by the IUCN Red List for wild species is critically endangered species. These are those species that are facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild. There are currently 2129 animals and 1821 plants which have been recorded in this category.
Which one of the following areas in India, is a hot spot of biodiversity?
Eastern Ghats
Gangetic plain
Sunderbans
Western Ghats
D.
Western Ghats
Hot spots are areas that are extremely rich in species diversity, have high endemism and are under constant threat. In India, two hot spots are found extending into neighbouring countries. The Western Ghats/Sri Lanka and the Indo-Burman region (covering the Eastern Himalayas also known as cradle of speciation).
Just as a person moving from Delhi to Shimla to escape the heat for the duration of hot summer, thousand of migratory birds from Siberia and other extremely cold Northern regions move to
Western Ghat
Meghalaya
Corbett National Park
Keoladeo National park
D.
Keoladeo National park
Every year in the season of winter the famous Indian National Park, Keoladeo National Park situated in attach page Bharatpur, Rajasthan, host thousand of migratory birds coming from Siberia (Atlantic Ocean) central America and other extremely cold Northern region.
October to February is the best time to observe these migratory birds. Most of them stay till march including the Siberian crane.
Sacred groves are specially useful in
Generating environmental awareness
Preventing soil erosion
Year-round flow of water in rivers
Conserving rare and threatened species
D.
Conserving rare and threatened species
Biodiversity is being threatened by reduction in space, smaller and fragmented habitat, over exploitation by human, cliamtic change, etc. Sacred grooves are especially useful in conserving rare and threatened species.
Select the correct statements about biodiversity
The desert areas of Rajasthan and Gujarat have a very high level of desert animal species as well as numerous rare animals
Large scale planting of Bt cotton has no adverse effect on biodiversity
Western Ghats have a very high degree of species richness and endemism
Conservation of biodiversity is just a fad pursued by the developed countries
C.
Western Ghats have a very high degree of species richness and endemism
Western ghat occur along the Western Coast of Indian in Maharashtra, Karanataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. There is high degree of endemism as well as richness of species of flowering plants, amphibians reptiles, some mammals and butterflies.
Bt cotton is insect resistant and thus disturbed the food chain.
In which of the following both pairs have correct combination
In situ conservation/National park
Ex situ conservation/Botanical garden
In situ conservation/Cryopreservation
Ex situ conservation/Wildlife Sanctuary
In situ conservation/Seed Bank
Ex situ conservation/National Park
In situ conservation/Tissue culture
Ex situ conservation/Sacred groves
A.
In situ conservation/National park
Ex situ conservation/Botanical garden
Correct combination is
In situ conservation - National park
Ex situ conservation - Botanical garden
The process of protecting an endangered plants and animals species into its natural habitat is known as in situ conservation. It involves the creation of protected areas such as national parks, nature parks, biosphere reserves, wetlands protection zones, SPZ(Special Protection Zones) SCZ(Special Conservation Zones) etc.
Ex situ conservation is the technique of conservation of all levels of biological diversity outside their natural habitat through different techniques like zoo, captive breeding aquarium, botanical garden and gene bank.
Cryopreservation of gametes of threatened species in viable and fertile condition can be referred to as
In situ conservation of biodiversity
advanced exsitu conservation of biodiversity
in situ conservation by sacred groves
in situ cryo-conservation of biodiversity
B.
advanced exsitu conservation of biodiversity
Preservation at 
in liquid nitrogen is an advanced method for ex situ conservation of gametes, tissue culture, embryos, etc, for indefinite periods. To prevent extinction of threatened species, cryopreservation is done.
In situ conservation occurs at ecosystem level of threatened or endangered species.
Which one of the following have the highest number of species in nature?
Insects
Birds
Angiosperms
Fungi
A.
Insects
More than 70 per cent of all the species recorded are animals. Among animals, insects are the most species rich taxonomic group, making more than 70 percent of the total. It means out of every 10 animals on this planet, 7 are insects.
Large woody vines are more epithelial cells in humans are known to occur in
mangroves
tropical rainforests
alpine forests
temperate forests
D.
temperate forests
Temperate forests are forests in the temperate climatic zone.
Which one of the following shows maximum genetic diversity in India?
Rice
Maize
Mango
Groundnut
A.
Rice
There are an estimated 2,00,000 varieties of rice in India alone. the diversity of rice in India is one of the richest in the world. Basmati rice has 27 documented varieties grown in India.
A collection of plants and seeds having diverse alleles of all the genes of a crop is called
germplasm
gene library
genome
herbarium
A.
germplasm
A germplasm is a collection of genetic resources for organisms. For plants, the germplasm may be stored as a seed collection.It includes diverse alleles of all the genes of an organism.
Which one of the following pairs is wrongly matched while the remaining three are correct?
Penicillium - Conidia
Water hyacinth - Runner
Bryophyllum - Leat buds
Agave - Bulbils
B.
Water hyacinth - Runner
Water hyacinth and water lettuce are offset in which lateral branch is with short internodes and each node bears a rosette of leaves and tuff of roots.
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Biodiversity of a geographical region represents
endangered species found in the region
the diversity in the organism living in the region
genetic diversity present in the dominant species of the region
species endemic to the region
B.
the diversity in the organism living in the region
Biodiversity is the term popularised by the sociobiologist Edward Wilson to describe the combined diversity at all the levels of biological organisation. The most important of the are genetic diversity, species diversity and ecological diversity.
Which one of the following is an example of ex- situ conservation?
Wildlife sanctuary
Seed bank
Sacred groves
National Park
B.
Seed bank
Ex situ is the conservation of living resources through their maintenance within the natural ecosystem, in which, they occur. In situ conservation includes a comprehensive system of protected areas such as the national park sanctuaries, natural reserves, biosphere reserves and several others.
Which one of the following is one of the cahracteristics of a biological community?
Stratification
Natality
Mortality
Sex- ratio
A.
Stratification
Stratification is the characteristic of the biological community. Stratification is the vertical layering or the phenomenon of having more than one stratum including formed by different plants/ organisms in the same place. A forest may have 5-7 state including large or canopy trees, medium trees, short trees, shrubs, herbs, ground flora etc. Stratification is useful as it can accommodate a large number of organisms of different types and more efficient use of resources. The animals that occupy such similar strata or ecological niches although geographically separated are called ecological equivalents
Tiger is not a resident, in which one of the following national park?
Ranthambhor
Sunderbans
Gir
Jim corbett
C.
Gir
Gir national park Sunderbans and Jim Corbett National park (Uttarakhand) are tiger reserves.
Which of the following plant species would you select for the production of bioethanol?
Brassica
Zea mays
Pongamia
Jatropha
B.
Zea mays
Biodiesel oil as well as bioethanol fuel, are two new and clean fuels for environmental protection, have already been approved as substitutes for fuel or fuel additive. some common bottlenecks for the production of biodiesel crops have been found. However, developing bioethanol crops in Taiwan has many benefits. Four promising alcohol crops are sweet potato maize Zea mays) sugarcane and sweet sorghum.
Which one of the following has maximum genetic diversity in india?
Teak
Mango
Wheat
Tea
B.
Mango
In India, mango has the maximum genetic diversity.
Which one of the following is not observed in biodiversity hot spots?
Endemism
Accelerated species loss
Lesser interspecific competition
species richness
C.
Lesser interspecific competition
Hot spots are areas that are extremely rich in species diversity, have high endemism and are under constant threat. The key criteria for determining a hot spot are a number of endemic species, and degree of threat, which is measured in terms of habitat globally with an approximate area of 1.4%. Among the 25 hot spots, 2 are found in India, ie, Western Ghat and Eastern Himalayas. These areas are particularly rich in floral wealth and endemism not only in flowering plants but also in reptiles, amphibians, swallow-tailed butterflies and some mammals.
Consider the following four statement (A-D) about certain desert animals such as kangaroo rat
A) they have a dark colour and high rate of reproduction and excrete solid urine.
B) they do not drink water, breathe at a slow rate of conserve water and have their body covered with thick hairs.
C) they feed on dry seeds and do not require drinking water.
D) they excrete very concentrated urine and do not use water to regulate body temperature.
Which two of above statement for such animals are true?
C and D
B and C
C and A
A and B
A.
C and D
Kangaroo rat is a desert rodent. Its body is covered by hairs. Its urine is more than 20 times concentrated as its plasma. This concentrated waste enables it to live in a dry or desert environment where little water is available for him to drink. Most of its water is metabolically produced from the oxidation of carbohydrates, fats and proteins in the seeds that it eats. The animals remain in a cool burrow during day time and the respiratory moisture condensed in nasal passages.
Identify the odd combination of the habitat and the particular animal concerned
Dachigam National park - Snow Leopard.
Sunderbans - Bengal Tiger
Periyar - Elephant
Rann of kutch - wild Ass
A.
Dachigam National park - Snow Leopard.
Dachigam National Park is situated near Dal Lake in Jammu & Kashmir. It is known for conservation of the most endangered Hangul or Kashmir stag in paramount.
Which one of the following ecosystem types has the highest annual net primary productivity?
Tropical rain forest
Tropical deciduous forest
Temperate evergreen forest
Temperate deciduous forest
A.
Tropical rain forest
Productivity of tropical rainforest is highest. The tropical rain forest covering 300,000 km2 area. They contain more than 50% of total flora and fauna of the world.
One of endangered species of Indian medicinal plants is that of
Podophyllum
Ocimum
Garlic
Nepenthes
A.
Podophyllum
Podophyllum is an Indian endangered flora. Its dried roots and rhizomes are used in chronic constipation & fumorous growth.
Crop plants grown in monoculture are
low in yield
free from intraspecific competition
characterised by poor root system
highly prone to pests
D.
highly prone to pests
Monoculture involves the exclusive cultivation of a single crop over wide areas. It is an efficient way to use certain kinds of soils but the crop plants grown in monoculture are highly prone to pests and thus, it carries the risk of an entire crop being destroyed with the appearance of a single pest species or disease.
Which one of the following is not included under in situ conservation?
Sanctuary
Botanical garden
Bisophere reserve
National park
B.
Botanical garden
Botanical gardens (i.e., institutions that maintain living plant collections representing a large number of speices, genera and families) are the means of ex situ conservation (i.e., conservation outside the habitats).
Insitu conservation involves the conservation of genetic resources through their maintenance within natural or even human-made ecosystems in which they occur. It includes National parks, Sanctuaries, Biosphere reserves, Natural Reserves, Natural Monuments, Cultural Landscapes etc.
Which one of the following is the correctly matched pair of an endangered animal and a National Park?
Lion — Corbett National Park
Rhinoceros — Kaziranga National Park
Wild ass — Dudhwa National Park
Great Indian bustard —Keoladeo National Park
B.
Rhinoceros — Kaziranga National Park
Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicorns) is an endangered animal and conserved in Kaziranga National Park.
Which one of the following is not a living fossil?
King crab
Sphenodon
Archaeopteryx
Peripatus
C.
Archaeopteryx
Archaeopteryx lithographica is not a living fossil. It is a fossil bird that lived in Jurassic period about 180 million years ago. Its fossil displays the characters of both reptiles (e.g., Long tail, bones not pneumatic, jaws with teeth, fingers terminating into claw, presence of weak sternum, free caudal vertebra etc) and birds beak, fore limbs modified into wings, intimate fusion of skull bones etc.) King krab, Sphenodon and Peripatus are the living fossils.
Which of the following pairs of an animal and a plant represents endangered organisms in India?
Bentinckia nicobarica and red panda
Tamarind and rhesus monkey
Banyan and black buck
A.
Bentinckia nicobarica and red panda
Endangered species is a plant or animal species defined by IUCN as being in immediate danger of extinction because its members have reached a critical level or its habitals have been drastically reduced.
A plant, Bentinckia condapanna/nicobarica (member of family Arecaceae) and the animal, Red panda, both are declared as endangered in India.
Tamarind, Banyan etc are not endangered in India.
Which of the following is considered a hot-spot of biodiversity in India?
Western ghats
Indo-Gangetic plain
Eastern ghats
Aravalli hills
A.
Western ghats
Hot spots are the areas with high density of diversity or megadiversity which are also the most threatened once. Today, the number of hot spots identified by ecologists are 25 of which two hotspots are present in India i.e., Western Ghats occur along the western coast of India for a distance of about 1600 km in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala extending over to Srilanka.
Eastern Himalayas hot spot extends from Bhutan to Myanamar covering most of north-east.
In India, Indo-gamatic plain, Eastern ghats and Aravali hills are mainly not considered a hot spot of biodiversity.
Which one of the following is related to Ex-situ conservation of threatened animals and plants?
Wildlife Safari parks
Biodiversity hot spots
Amazon rainforest
Himalayan region
A.
Wildlife Safari parks
D.
Himalayan region
All of the following are included in ‘ex-situ conservation’ except
Wildlife safari parks
Sacred groves
Seed banks
Botanical gardens
B.
Sacred groves
In-situ conservation is the on-site conservation or the conservation of genetic resources in natural populations of plant or animal species. Example, Sacred Groves.
The taxonomic key is one of the taxonomic tools in the identification and classification of plants and animals. It is used in the preparation of
Monographs
Flora
Both (a) and (b)
None of these
B.
Flora
Taxonomic keys are tools that help in the identification of organisms based on the description of specific characters.
For example, flora ( A resource providing information on the taxonomy, nomenclature and descriptive data of newly discovered plants.)
Monographs (A comprehensive treatment of a taxon).
Select the incorrect statement.
Stellar’s sea cow and passenger pigeon got extinct due to over exploitation by men
The mitotic convention on biological diversity was held in 1992
Species diversity increase as we move away from the equator towards the poles
Lantana and Eichhomia are invasive weed species in India
C.
Species diversity increase as we move away from the equator towards the poles
Species diversity on earth is not uniformly distributed but shows interesting patterns. It is generally highest in the tropics and decreases towards the poles.
Core zone, buffer zone and manipulation zone. are found in
National park
Sanctuary
Tiger reserve
Biosphere reserve
C.
Tiger reserve
Biosphere reserves are a special category of protected areas of land and/ or coastal environments wherein people are an integral component of the ecosystem. It represents a specified area zoned for a particular activity and consists of core one with limited human activities and manipulation zone with several manipulating human activities.
Largest tiger population is found in
Sunderban national park
Corbett national park
Ranthambhore national park
Kanha national park
A.
Sunderban national park
Newly formed Biosphere Reserve of India (2013) is
Pachmarhi
Himalaya
Cold desert
Panna
D.
Panna
Panna Biosphere Reserve is situated in Chhattarpur Districts of Madhya Pradesh in India.
Intermediate community between pioneer and climax communities is called
Seral community
Biotic community
Temporary community
Ecosphere
A.
Seral community
The first biotic community which develops in a bare area is called the pioneer community. The climax community is the stable, self-perpetuating and final biotic community that develops at the end of biotic succession. The various biotic communities that develop during biotic succession are termed as seral or transitional communities.
Animals undergoes inactive stage during winter, is known as
aestivation
hibernation
adaptation
acclimatization
B.
hibernation
Hibernation is the inactive stage during winter or the dormancy during winter. It is known as winter sleep.
Aestivation is the dormancy during summer or dry weather. Also, it is the arrangement of parts in flower bud.
Adaptation is the sum total of environmental condition achieved by the organisms in a habitat.
Acclimatization is gradual physiological adaptation in response to environmental changes.
Decomposers are
autotrophs
autoheterotrophs
organotrophs
heterotrophs
C.
organotrophs
Decomposers are organotrophs, ie, they feed on dead bodies of organisms and organic wates of living organism.
Producers are photosynthetic or autotrophic plants which are able to synthesize organic food from inorganic raw materials with the help of solar radiations.
Heterotrophs are also known as organotrophs.
What is the main cause for the extinction of some species in tropical forest?
Deforestation
Afforestation
Pollution
Soil erosion
A.
Deforestation
Deforestation is the depletion of forest resources. Its main cause is the explosion of human and livestock populationwith the increased demand of the basic needs.
The major cause of deforestation is the loss of wildlife, rare speies of flora and fauna.
Afforestation or reforestation is the only way to conserve our natural resources and the rare species of flora and fauna.
Biological concept of species is mainly based on
reproductive isolation
morphological features only
methods of reproduction only
morphology and methods of reproduction
A.
reproductive isolation
Species can be defined as a group of closely related organisms which are capable of inbreeding to produce fertile offsprings. Thus, its biological concept is based on reproductive isolation which preserves the integrity of the species by checking hybridization.
Species can be identified on the basis of
interbreed
species diversity
reproductive isolation
None of the above
C.
reproductive isolation
The prevention of inbreeding between the populations of two different species is known as reproductive isolation. It leads to the origin of new species.
According to IUCN red list what is the status of red Panda (Athurus fulgens)?
Vulnerable species
Critically endangered species
Extinct species
Endangered species
D.
Endangered species
Approxiamately 300 species and sub- species of mammals are considered as endangered by the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources). Red Panda is one of the endangered species as it is on the verge of extinction in coming future.
Animals have the innate ability to escape from predation. Examples for the same are given below. Select the incorrect example
enlargement of body size by swallowing air in puffer fish
melanism in moths
poison fangs in snakes
colour change in chameleon
C.
poison fangs in snakes
Animals resist predation by cryptic colouration, deceptive marking, behavioural defenses and the possession of mechanical or chemical defenses.
Example : 1. Enlargement of body size by swallowing air in puffer fish.
2. Melanism in moths.
3. Colour change in chameleon.
The plant that is characteristics component of mangrove vegetation
Rhizophora mangel
Ficus religiosa
Mangifera indica
Prosopis specigera
A.
Rhizophora mangel
Rhizophora mangel is the component of mangrove vegetation and grows in marshes or nitrogen and air deficient soil. These plants possess vivipary and pneumatophores or respiratory roots
Biodiversity act of India was passed by the Parliament in the year
1996
1992
2002
2000
C.
2002
According to the US office of technology assessment (1987) 'biological diversity is the variety among living organisms and the ecological complexes in which they occur'. Biodiversity act of India was passed by the Parliament in the year of 2002.
The species, which is going to become extinct due to lack of proper care would be called
rare
endangered
vulnerable
extinct
B.
endangered
Taxa whose numbers have been reduced to a critical level or whose habitats have been so drastically reduced that they are deemed to be in immediate danger of extinction are called endangered animals, for e.g. Lion tailed macaque, Crocodile, Musk deer, Rhino, etc.
One of the following statements is incorrect with reference to biodiversity. Identify it.
The areas with very few plant and animal species (low species richness) with no threatened species are called biodiversity hotspots.
Biodiversity increases from higher altitudes to lower altitudes
Biodiversity decreases from the equator to polar regions
Depletion in genetic diversity of crop plants is mainly due to the introduction of better varieties with high yield, disease resistance, etc.
A.
The areas with very few plant and animal species (low species richness) with no threatened species are called biodiversity hotspots.
Biodiversity hotspots are areas of high endemism and high level of species richness. They are determined mainly by three factors:
(i) Number ofspecies/species diversity
(ii) Degree of endemism
(iii) Degree of threat
One out of the following is not responsible for biodiversity loss
Alien species invasion
Co-extinction
Ex-situ conservation
Deforestation
C.
Ex-situ conservation
Ex-situ conservation is not responsible for biodiversity loss, rather it is a method of conservation of biodiversity. It conserves selected rare plants/animals in places outside their natural homes. Alien species invasion, co-extinction and deforestation result in extinction of many species and loss of biodiversity.
The total number of biodiversity hotspots in the world are
72
34
52
24
B.
34
Biodiversity hotspots are the areas of high endemism and high levels of species richness. Initially 25 biodiversity hotspots were identified, but subsequently nine more have been added to list bringing the total number of biodiversity hotspots in the world to 34.
Which of the following statements is not true
The biodiversity decreases with increasing latitude.
The biodiversity decreases with increasing altitude.
The fishes show greatest biodiversity among vertebrates.
The biodiversity of bryophytes is greater than that of angiosperms
D.
The biodiversity of bryophytes is greater than that of angiosperms
The biodiversity of bryophytes is less than that of angiosperms. Bryophytes are plants that can live in soil but are dependent on water for sexual reproduction.
Angiosperms are much advanced plant species which consist of male sex organ (stamen) and female sex organ (pistil) borne in a flower.
Which of the following options consist of nonessential amino acids only
Valine, leucine, glycine, alanine
Glycine, serine, proline, glutamic acid
Proline, aspartic acid, glutamic acid, methionine
Cysteine, tyrosine, alanine, isoleucine
B.
Glycine, serine, proline, glutamic acid
There are 11 nonessential amino acids: arginine, glutamine, tyrosine, cysteine, glycine, proline, serine, ornithine, alanine, asparagine, and aspartate. Out of which 8 are Conditional ammino acid(arginine, glutamine, tyrosine, cysteine, glycine, proline, serine, ornithine) and there are 9 essential amino acids: histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine.
Photochemical smog formed in congested metropolitan cities mainly consists of
ozone, peroxyacyl nitrate and NOx
smoke, peroxyacyl nitrate and SO2
hydrocarbons, SO2 and CO2
hydrocarbons, ozone and SO2
A.
ozone, peroxyacyl nitrate and NOx
Photochemical smog is a grey or yellowish brown opaque smog having oxidizing environment but little smokes. It is formed at high temperature over cities and towns due to still air, emission of NO2 oxides and hydrocarbons from automobile exhausts. Nitrogen dioxide splits into nitric oxide and nascent oxygen. Nascent oxygen combines with molecular oxygen to form ozone. Ozone reacts with hydrocarbons to form aldehydes and ketones. Nitrogen oxides, oxygen and ketones combine to form peroxy-acyl-nitrates (PAN).
Beta diversity is diversity
in a community
between communities
in a mountain gradient
on a plain
B.
between communities
Community and ecosystem diversity is of three types , and . -diversity (between community diversity) is a biodiversity which appears in a range of communities due to replacement of species with the change in community habitat due to presence of different microhabitats, niches and difference in environmental conditions.
Which one of the following pairs of geographical areas show maximum biodiversity in our country?
Sunderbans and Rann of Kutch
Eastern Ghats and West Bengal
Eastern Himalaya and Western Ghats
Kerala and Punjab
C.
Eastern Himalaya and Western Ghats
Biodiversity is the variety of plant and animal life in the world or in a particular habitat. In India, eastern Himalayas and Western Ghats are the geographical areas in India which show the maximum diversity.
One of the ex situ conservation methods for endangered species is
wildlife sanctuaries
biosphere reserves
cryopreservation
national parks
C.
cryopreservation
Ex situ conservation is the preservation of components of biological diversity outside their natural habitats. For example, by protecting them in Zoos, Aquaria, Botanical gardens and gene banks. Also gametes of threatened species can be preserved in viable and fertile condition for long periods using Cryopreservation technique; eggs can be fertilised in vitro and plants can be propogated using tissue culture methods. Cryoprservation is a process of storing the living cells and tissues at very low temperatures.
Keystone species deserve protection because these
are capable of surviving in harsh environmental conditions
indicate presence of certain minerals in the soil
have become rare clue to overexploitation
play an important role in supporting other species.
D.
play an important role in supporting other species.
Keystone species is a species which has significant and disproportionately large influence on the community removal or decrease in number of keystone species causes disruption in structure and function of community.
For example in intertidal regions star fish feeds on mussels. Removal of star fish leads to dominance of mussels that excludes algae and browsing species. In tropical rain forests fig functions as keystone species as they provide fruit to a number of animals during the period of food scarcity.
Biosphere reserves differ from National Parks and Wildlife sanctuaries because in the former
human beings are not allowed to enter
people are an integral part of the system
plants are paid greater attention than the animals
living organisms are brought from all over the world and preserved for posterity.
B.
people are an integral part of the system
Biosphere reserves, National Park and wild life sanctuaries are all protected areas but differ from each other in some ways. National parks are reserved for betterment of wild life. Cultivation, grazing forestry and habitat manipulations are not allowed. Sanctuaries are tracts of land with or with out lake where wild life can take refuge without being hunted. Harvesting of timber. collection of forest products, tilling ofland, private ownership of land etc., are allowed. Biosphere reserves are multipurpose protected area which are meant for preserving genetic diversity in representative ecosystems of various national biomass and unique biological communities by protecting wild life, traditional life style of tribals and domesticated plant/animal genetic resources. Each biosphere reserve has 3 zones -
(i) core or natural zone- where no human activity is allowed,
(ii) Buffer zone - limited human activity is allowed like education and research
(iii) Transition zone- is the outer most zone where an active cooperation is present between reserve management and local people for activities like agriculture, tourism and forestry.
The Great Barrier Reef along the east coast of Australia can be categorised as
population
community
ecosystem
biome.
C.
ecosystem
The Great Barrier Reef can be seen from outer space and is the world’s biggest single structure made by living organisms. The Great Barrier Reef is one of the richest and most complex natural systems in the world. The Reef's diverse range of habitats all connect and support each other, which means they are all vital to the life of the Great Barrier Reef.
Which one of the following is a pair of endangered species
Garden lizard and Mexican poppy
Rhesus monkey and Sal tree
Indian peacock and carrot grass
Hornbill and Indian aconite
D.
Hornbill and Indian aconite
An endangered species is a species which has been categorized as very likely to become extinct. Endangered (EN), as categorized by the IUCN Red list , is the second most severe conservation status for wild populations in the IUCN's schema after Critically Endangered (CR).
Assertion: Red algae contribute in producing coral reefs.
Reason: Some red algae secrete and deposit calcium carbonate over their walls.
If both Assertion and Reason are true and Reason is the correct explanation of Assertion
If both Assertion and Reason are true but Reason is not the correct explanation of Assertion
If Assertion is true but Reason is false
If both Assertion and Reason are false.
A.
If both Assertion and Reason are true and Reason is the correct explanation of Assertion
In some species of red algae called coralline algae. the cell walls become hardened with calcium carbonate. These algae hence important for the formation of coral reefs.
Coral reefs are formed through the accumulation of calcareous exoskeletons of coral animals, calcareous red algae and molluses. They form the foundation of reefs by secreting a calcium carbonate skeleton that provides protection for the coral polyps. Calcium carbonate is secreted continuously by the coral colony.
Which animal has gone extinct in recent times in India
Acinonyx jubatus
Antilope cervicapra
Rhinocerus unicornis
Panthera leo
A.
Acinonyx jubatus
Acinonyx jubatus, commonly called cheetah, has gone extinct in recent times in India due to the rapid destruction of its habitat, high rate of mortality of the cubs and killing by hunters. Complete failure of its breeding in captivity is another factor for its extinction.
What is true about cleavage in the fertilized egg in humans
It is meroblastic
It starts while the egg is in fallopian tube
It is identical to normal mitosis
It starts when the egg reaches in uterus
B.
It starts while the egg is in fallopian tube
The development of multi-cellular organisms begins from a single-celled zygote, which undergoes rapid cell division to form the blastula. The rapid, multiple rounds of cell division are termed cleavage. After thecleavage has produced over 100 cells, the embryo is called a blastula. The fertilized egg in humans starts in the fallopian tube (oviduct) during the conduction of zygote towards uterus
Assertion : Tropical rain forests are disappearing fastly from developing countries such as India.
Reason : No value is attached to these forests because these are poor in biodiversity.
If both Assertion and Reason are true and the reason is the correct explanation of the assertion
If both Assertion and Reason are true but the reason is not the correct explanation of the assertion
If Assertion is true statement but Reason is false
If both Assertion and Reason are false statements
C.
If Assertion is true statement but Reason is false
Tropical rain are disappearing fast from developing countries such as India. Forest lands are converting into agricultural and industrial lands to fulfil the requirements of increasing population. Therefore, Humans are the main cause of rainforest destruction. Tropical rain forests are rich in biodiversity.
Kaziranga wild life sanctuary is famous for
tiger
musk deer
elephant
rhino
D.
rhino
Rhinoceros (rhino) are protected in Kaziranga sanctuary at Sibsagar, Jorhat in Assam which was started in 1987.
The famous 'Chipko Movement' was started by
Bahuguna
Rajeev Gandhi
Indira Gandhi
Salim Ali
A.
Bahuguna
Sunderlal Bahuguna (born 9 January 1927) is a noted Garhwali environmentalist and Chipko movement leader. The idea of Chipko movement was of his wife and the action was taken by him. For years he has been fighting for the preservation of forests in the Himalayas, first as a member of the Chipko movement in the 1970s, and later spearheaded the Anti-Tehri Dam movement starting 1980s, to early 2004.
India became a party to 'Convention on biglogical diversity' in the year
1994
1993
1992
1988
A.
1994
Earth summit at Rio de Janeiro (1992) Brazil, promoted convention on Biological Diversity. India became a party to this convention on Biological Diversity in May; 1994.
The term 'alpha diversity' refers to
genetic diversity
community and ecosystem diversity
species diversity
diversity among the plants
B.
community and ecosystem diversity
Alpha diversity (-diversity) is the biodiversity within a particular area, community or ecosystem and is usually expressed as the species richness of the area. This can be measured by counting the number of taxa (distinct group of organisms) within the ecosystem (eg, families, genera, species).
The intensity levels of whispering noise is
10-15 dB
20-40 dB
45-50 dB
50-55 dB
A.
10-15 dB
Our standard conversation has an intensity of around 50 dB, whereas around 15 dB is the sound level of a whisper, 75 dB is the noise level in the city.
The wild-life protection act was introduced in
1972
1981
1986
1991
A.
1972
The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 is an Act of the Parliament of India enacted for protection of plants and animal species.
Which of the following species is restricted to a specific area?
Sibling species
Allopatric species
Sympatric species
Endemic species
D.
Endemic species
Endemic species is restricted to a specific area. Sibling species are· species which do not interbreed but are otherwise difficult to separate on the basis of morphological characters alone.
Sympatric species are having overlapping are of geographical distribution.
Which one of the following is an exotic carp species?
Barbus stigma
Cyprinus carpio
Labeo bata
Cirrhinus mrigala
B.
Cyprinus carpio
The species which are imported in India from other countries are called exotic species. Common carp (Cyprinus carpia) is imported from China.
Which one of the following is not included under in situ conservation?
National park
Wild life sanctuary
Zoological garden
Biosphere reserve
C.
Zoological garden
In situ conservation is the conservation of living resources through their maintenance within the natural ecosystems, in which they occur. It includes a comprehensive system of protected areas such as national parks, wildlife sancturies, natural and biosphere reserves etc.
Zoological and Botanical gardens, aquaria, culture collections, seed banks etc., ar established for ex situ conservation.
Which one of the following is not used for ex situ plant conservation?
Field gene banks
Seed banks
Shifting cultivation
Botanical gardens
C.
Shifting cultivation
Shifting cultivation results into deforestation. Botanical gardens have collection of living plants for reference. Seed banks store seeds as a source for planting in case seed reserves elsewhere are destroyed. Field gene banks are a type of biorepository, which preserve genetic material.
Which of the following represent maximum number of species among global biodiversity?
Algae
Lichens
Fungi
Mosses and ferns
C.
Fungi
The following figure shows global biodiversity of fungi, mosses, ferns, algae, lichens and angiosperms.
Match the name of the animal (Column I) with one characteristics (Column II) and the phylum/class (Column III) to which it belongs
| Column I | Column II | Column III |
| Petromyzon | Ectoparasite | Cyclostomata |
| Ichthyophis | Terrestrial | Reptilia |
| Limulus | Body covered by chitinous exoskeleton | Pisces |
| Adamsia | Radially symmetrical | Porifera |
A.
| Column I | Column II | Column III |
| Petromyzon | Ectoparasite | Cyclostomata |
Petromyzon or lamprey is an ectoparasite on fishes, which belongs to Cyclostomata. lchthyophis is a limbless amphibian. Limulus or king crab is a living fossil, which belongs to Arthropoda. Admasia having polyp body form is a coelenterate.
The concept of hot- spot was first introduced by
Mayer
Simpson
Myers
David
C.
Myers
A biodiversity hotspot is a biogeographic region that is both a significant reservoir of biodiversity and is threatened with destruction. It specifically refers to 25 biologically rich areas around the world that have lost at least 70 percent of their original habitat. The concept of hot-spot was first introduced by Norman Myers in 1989, India has two biodiversity hotspots Eastern Ghats and Western Himalayas.
The objective of 'Ramsar Convention' was
forest conservation
wildlife conservation
wetland conservation
biodiversity conservation
C.
wetland conservation
Ramsar convention is an intergovernmental treaty whose objective is the conservation and sustainable utilisation of wetlands. This convention was named after the city of Ramsar in Iran and the convention was signed in 1971 and was effective from 25 december, 1975. The Ramsar list of wetlands of internation importance new includes over 2,000 sites known as Ramsar sites.
What is the full form of MAB?
Man and biosphere
Man and biosphere reserve
Man and biosphere reserve programme
Man and biosphere programme
D.
Man and biosphere programme
Man and biosphere programme (MAB) is an intergovernmental scientific programme that aims to establish a scientific basis for the improvement ofrelationships between people and their environment. This programme was launched in 1971 by UNESCO.
The 'Red Data Book' records
species diversity of wetlands
list of water pollutants
list of threatened species
rate of population decline
C.
list of threatened species
The IUCN 'Red Data Book' is the world's most comprehensive invention of the global conservation status of biological species. It records the list of threatened species.
Beta () diversity refers to diversity
within a community
between communities
between two eco zones
within a population
B.
between communities
Beta diversity refers to the rate of replacement of species along a gradient of habitats or communities, i.e. between community diversity.
Alpha diversity refers to the diversity of organisms sharing the same community habitat, i.e. within community diversity. Gamma diversity refers to the diversity of the habitats over the totalm landscape or geographical area.
Which one of the followings is an in situ method of biodiversity conservation?
National park
Botanical garden
Zoological garden
Scientific laboratory
A.
National park
When we conserve and protect the whole ecosystem, its biodiversity at all levels is protected. This approach is called in situ conservation. It includes hotspots, biosphere reserves, national parks, sanctuaries, sacred groves, etc. However, when threatened animals and plants are taken out from their natural habitat and placed in special setting, where they can be protected and given special care, this approach is called ex situ (off site) conservation. It includes zoological parks, botanical gardens and wildlife safari parks, etc.
An area is declared as 'Hot Spot' when
it has 1500 or more endemic species and 75% of its original habitat is lost
it has 1500 or more vertebrate species and 75% of its original habitat is lost
it has more than 2000 species of plants
most of the species inhabiting the area is facing the risk of extinction
A.
it has 1500 or more endemic species and 75% of its original habitat is lost
Biodiversity hots spots are areas rich in endemic plants and contains a high diversity of species. They have more than 1500 species ( > 0. 5% of total world's population) of vascular plants as endemics, nearing 60% of world's plant, bird, animals, reptiles and amphibian species that are under tremendous threat having west more than 70% of their primary habitat.
Match the following columns and choose the correct option from the codes given below.
| Column I (Terminology related to corals) | Column II (Explanation) |
| A. Corallite | 1. Main constitutent of coral reef |
| B. Corallium | 2. Central irregular skeleton mass of ridge |
| C. Hexacoralliaons | 3. Skeleton of mass solitary coral |
| D. Columella | 4. Skeleton of colonical coral |
A - 1; B - 3; C - 2; D - 4
A - 2; B - 1; C - 4; D - 3
A - 3; B - 4; C - 1; D - 2
A - 4; B - 2; C - 3; D - 1
C.
A - 3; B - 4; C - 1; D - 2
| Column I | Column II |
| A. Corallite | 3. Skeleton of mass solitary coral |
| B. Corallium | 4. Skeleton of colonical coral |
| C. Hexacoralliaons | 1. Main constitutent of coral reef |
| D. Columella | 2. Central irregular skeleton mass of ridge |
Man And Biosphere programme (MAB) was launched by UNESCO in 1971. Which of the following is not an objective of this programme?
To provide opportunities for education and training
To promote international cooperation
To provide long term in situ conservation of genetic diversity
To provide protection to wild animals fauna
D.
To provide protection to wild animals fauna
Man and Biosphere Programme is an Intergovernmental Scientific Programme that aims to establish a scientific basis for the improvement of relationships between people and their environment.
The objectives of MAB programme are to:
(i) Conserve representative sample of ecosystems.
(ii) Provide long-term in situ conservation of genetic diversity.
(iii) Provide oppourtunities for education and training.
(iv) Provide appropriate sustainable managments of the living resources.
(v) Promote international cooperation.
Santuaries provide protection to wild animal fauna. But, they do not come under MAB programme.
If the decomposers become extinct, the most severally affected would be
biomagnification
damage to nitrogen fixation
non-cycling of minerals
carnivores will be starved
C.
non-cycling of minerals
Decomposers are heterotrophic organisms, mostly bacteria and fungi, which live on dead organic matter or detritus. They release different enzymes from their bodies into the dead and decaying plant and animal remains, lead to the release of simple inorganic substances thus, play an important role in the cycling of minerals.
Wildlife is destroyed most when
there is lack of proper care
mass scale hunting for foreign trade
its natural habitat is destroyed
natural calamity
C.
its natural habitat is destroyed
The natural habitat may be destroyed by men for his settlements, grazing grounds, industries etc. As a consequence of this, the wildlife is destroyed most.
Interacting populations are
symbiotic
mutualistic
parasitic
coevolved
D.
coevolved
Interacting populations are coevolved, i.e. the evolution in one species/ population in response to other species of the same community is called coevolution.
Symbiosis is a type of close and long term biological interaction between two different biological organisms.
A mutualistic relationship is when two organisms of different species work together, each benefiting from the relationship.
A parasitic relationship is one in which one organism the parasite, lives off on other organism, the host , and harms it and cause death.
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