BIODIVERSITY & CONSERVATION Term given by –W.G Rosen, Popularized by Edward Wilson 1 st earth summit-1992, Rio-de-Jenario, Brazil 2 nd earth summit-2002, Johannesburg, S.Africa World Biodiversity Day- 22 nd May World Biodiversity Year- 2010 Some terms- Species- Individuals able to inter-breed ad produce fertile offspring. Traits- Any kind of morphological, anatomical, physiological and biochemical character in different individuals of a species. Strain/Variety/Breed- The group of individuals of a species having similar kinds of traits. Genome- Sum total of all the alleles, genes, chromosome present in a haploid cell or a gamete or doated by one parent Human Genome (n) =23 Germ Plasm- Sum total of all the alleles/genes/chromosome present in diploid cell/somatic diploid cell of an organism or a variety or a crop. Human Germplasm (2n) = 46 Its collection as seeds or a plant or tissue or somatic cell is known as germ plasm collection. Gene pool- Sum total of alleles/genes/ and chromosomes present in total population of a species. TYPES OF BIODIVERSITY 1. Genetic diversity 2. Species diversity 3. Community/Ecosystem diversity Genetic Diversity The diversity of alleles/genes and chromosomes within the gene pool of population of a species. Genetic diversity is the basis of creation of variety/strain/breed in nature and in breeding programs. More the genetic diversity, more the traits and more the adaptation in individual of species. Gene Erosion- Loss of gene pool due to death of individuals of a species. In India, highest genetic diversity in rice- naturally occurring 50, 000 strains or variety. o Wheat-25, 000 strains
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BIODIVERSITY & CONSERVATION Term given by –W.G Rosen, Popularized by Edward Wilson
1st earth summit-1992, Rio-de-Jenario, Brazil
2nd earth summit-2002, Johannesburg, S.Africa
World Biodiversity Day- 22nd May
World Biodiversity Year- 2010
Some terms-
Species- Individuals able to inter-breed ad produce fertile offspring.
Traits- Any kind of morphological, anatomical, physiological and biochemical character
in different individuals of a species.
Strain/Variety/Breed- The group of individuals of a species having similar kinds of traits.
Genome- Sum total of all the alleles, genes, chromosome present in a haploid cell or a
gamete or doated by one parent
Human Genome (n) =23
Germ Plasm- Sum total of all the alleles/genes/chromosome present in diploid
cell/somatic diploid cell of an organism or a variety or a crop.
Human Germplasm (2n) = 46
Its collection as seeds or a plant or tissue or somatic cell is known as germ plasm collection.
Gene pool- Sum total of alleles/genes/ and chromosomes present in total population of
a species.
TYPES OF BIODIVERSITY 1. Genetic diversity
2. Species diversity
3. Community/Ecosystem diversity
Genetic Diversity
The diversity of alleles/genes and chromosomes within the gene pool of population of a
species.
Genetic diversity is the basis of creation of variety/strain/breed in nature and in
breeding programs.
More the genetic diversity, more the traits and more the adaptation in individual of
species.
Gene Erosion- Loss of gene pool due to death of individuals of a species.
In India, highest genetic diversity in rice- naturally occurring 50, 000 strains or variety.
o Wheat-25, 000 strains
o Mango- 1100-1200 strains
At Himalayas many strain of plants, Rauwolfia vomitoria are found which have different
concentration of drug-Reserpine.
Species Diversity-Variety of species & degree of evenness/equitability
The Western ghats have a greater amphibian species diversity than Eastern ghats
Community/Ecosystem Diversity (α, β, γ)
At the ecosystem level, India, for instance, with its deserts, rain forests, mangroves,
coral reefs, wetlands, estuaries, and alpine meadows has a greater ecosystem diversity
than a Scandinavian country like Norway.
Alpha (α) Diversity- species diversity within a community
Beta (β) Diversity- species diversity between two communities
Gama (γ) Diversity- species diversity over the landscape
MAGNITUDE OF BIODIVERSITY- Across the globe- According to IUCN 2004- 1.5 million species.
1.5 Million Species
Animal species-70%
Insect sp.-70%Plant species-22%
Fungi>Angiosperm>Algae>Moss>Fern>Lichens
According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources
(IUCN) (2004), the total number of plant and animal species described so far is slightly
more than 1.5 million, but we have no clear idea of how many species are yet to be
discovered and described.
Estimates vary widely and many of them are only educated guesses.
For many taxonomic groups, species inventories are more complete in temperate than
in tropical countries.
Considering that an overwhelmingly large proportion of the species waiting to be
discovered are in the tropics, biologists make a statistical comparison of the temperate-
tropical species richness of an exhaustively studied group of insects and extrapolate this
ratio to other groups of animals and plants to come up with a gross estimate of the total
number of species on earth.
Some extreme estimates range from 20 to 50 million, but a more conservative and
scientifically sound estimate made by Robert May places the global species diversity at
about 7 million
Across India
India shares only 2.4% world land area.
India’s share in global Biodiversity -8.1%species so India included in 12 Mega
biodiversity countries of world.
India has 10 biogeographical regions, largest is Deccan peninsula -42% land area.
But highest Biodiversity at - North East Himalaya
Western-Ghat- Sri Lanka
Indo-Burma- These are three biodiversity hotspots in
India.
In India, plant species- 45, 000 and animal species- 90, 000
In India, high degree of endemism
Endemic Plant Species-33%
Endemic Amphibian Species-60%
Endemic Fish Species- 53%
Endemic Reptile Species-36%
Endemic Mammal Species-10%
How many living species are actually there waiting to be discovered and named? If we
accept May’s global estimates, only 22 per cent of the total species have been recorded
so far.
Applying this proportion to India’s diversity figures, we estimate that there are probably
more than 1,00,000 plant species and more than 3,00,000 animal species yet to be
discovered and described.
Would we ever be able to complete the inventory of the biological wealth of our
country? Consider the immense trained manpower (taxonomists) and the time required
to complete the job.
The situation appears more hopeless when we realise that a large fraction of these
species faces the threat of becoming extinct even before we discover them.
Nature’s biological library is burning even before we catalogued the titles of all the
books stocked there
Biodiversity Hotspot- Concept by Norman Myers Criteria- High biodiversity
High degree of Endemism - In world 34 in less than 2% area
High degree of threat - In India- 3
Gradient of Biodiversity-
Latitudinal gradients : The diversity of plants and animals is not uniform throughout the
world but shows a rather uneven distribution.
For many group of animals or plants, there are interesting patterns in diversity, the most
well- known being the latitudinal gradient in diversity.
In general, species diversity decreases as we move away from the equator towards the
poles.
With very few exceptions, tropics (latitudinal range of 23.5° N to 23.5° S) harbour more
species than temperate or polar areas.
o Columbia situated near equator-1400 Bird species
o India 23°N-1200 Bird species
o New York 41°N-105 Bird species
o Green Land 71°N -56 Bird species
A forest in a tropical region like Ecuador, has up to 10 times as many species of vascular
plants as a forest of equal area in a temperate region like the Midwest of the USA.
Highest Biodiversity- Tropical Rainforest/Amazon Forest (Lungs of Earth=20% global
O2 production)- South America
o Plant species- 45,000
o Invertebrate species- 1,25,000
o Fish species- 3000
o Bird species- 1300
o Amphibian species- 427
o Mammal species- 427
o Reptile species- 378
Q. Why trophic have higher biodiversity than temperate areas?
Ans. Undisturbed habitats since million of years. Less seasonal variations or stable
environmental condition, provides time foe species niche specification. High availability of solar
radiation.
Species- Area Relationship- by Alexander Von Humbolt During his pioneering and extensive explorations in the wilderness of South American
jungles, the great German naturalist and geographer Alexander von Humboldt observed
that within a region species richness increased with increasing explored area, but only
up to a limit. In fact, the relation between species richness and area for a wide variety of
taxa (angiosperm plants, birds, bats, freshwater fishes) turns out to be a rectangular
hyperbola
A- Area
S- Species richness
Z- Slope in line
C- Y- intercept
Value of ‘z’= slope of line
If value of ‘z’ high, slope/steeper Ness- high per unit area species diversity high
If value of ‘z’ low slope/steeper Ness- low, per unit area species diversity low
o Generally- ‘z’ = 0.1-0.2
o For large area ‘z’ = 0.6-1.2
o For Frugivore bird species
Over the continents ‘z’= 1.15
The importance of Species Diversity to the Ecosystem Does the number of species in a community really matter to the functioning of the
ecosystem? This is a question for which ecologists have not been able to give a
definitive answer.
For many decades, ecologists believed that communities with more species, generally,
tend to be more stable than those with less species. What exactly is stability for a
biological community?
A stable community should not show too much variation in productivity from year to
year; it must be either resistant or resilient to occasional disturbances (natural or
man-made), and it must also be resistant to invasions by alien species.
S=CAz
Log S = log C + Z
logA
We don’t know how these attributes are linked to species richness in a community, but
David Tilman’s long-term ecosystem experiments using outdoor plots provide some
tentative answers.
Tilman found that plots with more species showed less year-to-year variation in total
biomass. He also showed that in his experiments, increased diversity contributed to
higher productivity.
Although, we may not understand completely how species richness contributes to the
well-being of an ecosystem, we know enough to realise that rich biodiversity is not only
essential for ecosystem health but imperative for the very survival of the human race on
this planet.
At a time when we are losing species at an alarming pace, one might ask–
Does it really matter to us if a few species become extinct?
Would Western Ghats ecosystems be less functional if one of its tree frog species is lost
forever?
How is our quality of life affected if, say, instead of 20,000 we have only 15,000 species
of ants on earth?
There are no direct answers to such näive questions but we can develop a proper
perspective through an analogy (the ‘rivet popper hypothesis’) used by Stanford
ecologist Paul Ehrlich. In an airplane (ecosystem) all parts are joined together using
thousands of rivets (species). If every passenger travelling in it starts popping a rivet to
take home (causing a species to become extinct), it may not affect flight safety (proper
functioning of the ecosystem) initially, but as more and more rivets are removed, the
plane becomes dangerously weak over a period of time. Furthermore, which rivet is
removed may also be critical. Loss of rivets on the wings (key species that drive major
ecosystem functions) is obviously a more serious threat to flight safety than loss of a
few rivets on the seats or windows inside the plane.
Why Should We Conserve Biodiversity? There are many reasons, some obvious and others not so obvious, but all equally
important. They can be grouped into three categories: narrowly utilitarian, broadly
utilitarian, and ethical.
Utilities of Biodiversity
Narrow utilities
Food
Fodder
Fuel
Fiber
Fertilizer
Wood/Timber
Rubber
Drugs- More than 25 per cent of the drugs currently sold in the market
worldwide are derived from plants and 25,000 species of plants contribute
to the traditional medicines used by native peoples around the world.
Nobody knows how many more medicinally useful plants there are in
tropical rain forests waiting to be explored.
With increasing resources put into ‘bioprospecting’ (exploring molecular,
genetic and species-level diversity for products of economic importance),
nations endowed with rich biodiversity can expect to reap enormous
benefits.
Breeding programme
Broad utilities/Ecosystem services-
Global O2 production
Habitat for wildlife
Climate regulation
Soil formation and conservation
Water purification and conservation
Energy flow and nutrient cycling
Natural biological control
o Robert Constanza and his colleagues gives price tag for ecosystem services
o Annual cost of all services is- 34 trillion US $/yr (world GNP- 18 trillion US $/yr)
Cost of various ecosystem services
o Soil formation and conservation -50%of Annual cost
o Habitat for wildlife- 6% of annual cost
o Climate Regulation- 6% of annual cost
o Nutrient cycling and Recreation- Less than 10% of annual cost
Cultural and Aesthetic
The ethical argument for conserving biodiversity relates to what we owe to millions of
plant, animal and microbe species with whom we share this planet.
Philosophically or spiritually, we need to realise that every species has an intrinsic value,
even if it may not be of current or any economic value to us.
We have a moral duty to care for their well-being and pass on our biological legacy in
good order to future generations
Threats on Biodiversity- Types of species Extinction- According to IUCN
Natural/Background Extinction
Mass Extinction
Anthropogenic Extinction- Man made
This is 6th Mass Extinction
100-1000 times faster than earlier 5 mass extinction
Susceptibility of Extinction-According to IUCN
o Large body size- Ex- whale, Rhino
o Feeding on high trophic levels- Ex- Tiger, Eagle
o Low biotic potential
o Narrow range of distribution
Species Extinction-
o According to IUCN -2004
o In last 500 years, 784 species Extinct (including 338 vertebrates, 359 invertebrates
and 87 plants)
o In last 20 years, 27 species are extinct and about 15,500 species are facing the
threat of extinction.
Amphibians- 32%
Gymnosperms species-31%
Mammal species-23%
Bird species- 12%
Some extinct species-
o Dodo- Mauritius
o Quagga- Africa
o Thylacine- Australia
o Steller’s Sea cow- Russia
o Passenger Pigeon- North America
o Tiger varieties (Bali, Javan, Caspian)- Indian sub-continent
Effects of loss of species diversity on community
(a) decline in plant production,
(b) lowered resistance to environmental perturbations such as drought and
(c) increased variability in certain ecosystem processes such as plant
productivity, water use, and pest and disease cycles.
(D) (c) – (i) Red data book, (ii) MAB; (d) – (i) Gamma, (ii) beta
19. The narrowly utilitarian arguments for conserving the biodiversity include which of the following from the given list ?
(i) Industrial products like dyes, lubricants.
(ii) Ecosystem services like photosynthesis
(iii) Pollinators layer of bees birds and bats.
(iv) Firewood, fibre and construction material.
(v) The aesthetic pleasure of walking through thick grass
(vi) Products of medicinal importance.
(vii) Watching spring flowers in full bloom.
(viii) Our moral duty to care for the well-being of each species.
(A) (i), (ii), (v) and (vii) (B) (ii), (iii), (v) and (vii)
(C) (i), (iv) and (vi) (D) (iii), (v), (vii) and (viii)
20. Which of the following is incorrectly matched ?
(A) alpha diversity – number of species in a given habitat.
(B) genetic diversity – variation of genes within species
(C) beta-diversity of habitat in the whole region
(D) species diversity – product species richness & evenness
21. Given below are pie diagrams A, B and C related to proportionate number of species of major taxa of invertebrates, vertebrates and plants respectively. Critically study and fill in the blanks I, II, III, and IV
(A) I – Mollusca, II – Amphibians, III – Fungi, IV – Angiosperms
(B) I – Mollusca, II – Amphibians, III – Angiosperms, IV – fungi
(C) I – Hexapods, II – Amphibians, III – Fungi, IV – Angiosperms
(D) I – Turtles, II – Amphibians, III – Fungi, IV – Angiosperms
22. Which of the following countries has the highest biodiversity?
(A) Brazil (B) South Africa (C) Russia (D) India
23.
Which of the following boxes show maximum, greater and minimum diversity.
(A) A – Minimum diversity, B – Greater diversity, C – Maximum diversity
(B) A – Maximum diversity, B – Greater diversity, C – Minimum diversity
(C) A – Maximum diversity, B – Maximum diversity, C – Greater diversity
(D) A – Minimum diversity, B – Maximum diversity, C – Greater diversity
24. An endemic species is
(A) one found in many different geographic areas.
(B) one found naturally in just one geographic area.
(C) one found only on islands.
(D) one that has been introduced to a new geographic area.
25. A keystone species is one that
(A) has a higher likelihood of extinction than a non keystone species.
(B) exerts a strong influence on an ecosystem.
(C) causes other species to become extinct.
(D) has a weak influence on an ecosystem.
26. When the last member of a particular species dies, the species is said to be _________.
(A) Biodiversity tends to increase as you get closer to the equator
(B) Tropical regions of Earth contain very few of the world’s land species.
(C) Coral reefs tend to be less biologically diverse than temperate deciduous forests.
(D) Cold climates have greater amounts of biodiversity than warm climates.
28. The concept of Hot-Spot was first introduced by
(A) Mayer (B) Simpson (C) Myers (D) David
29. Biodiversity loss occurs due to –
A. Habitat loss and fragmentation B. Co-extinction
C. over-exploitation D. Alien species invasion.
(A) A, B (B) A, B, C (C) B, C, D (D) A, B, C, D
30. The characters of a stable community –
A. It shall not show too many variations in year to-year productivity.
B. It must be either resistance or resilient to seasonal disturbance.
C. It must be resistant to invasion by alien species.
D. None
(A) A, B (B) A, B, C (C) B, C (D) D
31. The impacts of loss of biodiversity include –
A. Decrease in plant production.
B. Lowered resistance to environmental perturbation
C. Increased variability in ecosystem processes like water use, pest / disease cycle, plants productivity.
D. All
32. Which of the following statements describe natural extinction?
A. Extinctions by human activities.
B. Slow replacement of existing species
C. Also known as background extinction
D. A small population is most likely to be extinct.
(A) A, B (B) A, B, C (C) B, C, D (D) A, B, C, D
33. The reasons behind conserving biodiversity can be group into categories which include –
A. Narrowly utilitarian B. Broadly utilitarian
C. Ethical utilitarian D. No utilitarian
(A) A, B (B) A, B, C (C) B, C (D) D
34. In situ conservation strategies include –
A. Biosphere reserve B. National park
C. Wildlife sanctuaries D. sacred forests / lakes
(A) A, B (B) A, B, C (C) B, C, D (D) A, B, C, D
35. Ex situ strategies include –
A. Botanical garden B. Zoos
C. Seed / Pollen banks D. Gene bank and tissue culture
(A) A, B (B) A, B, C (C) B, C, D (D) A, B, C, D
36. A. More than 70 percent of all the species recorded are animals.
B. Out of every 10 animals on this planet, 7 are insects.
C. The number of fungi species in the world is more than the combined total of the species of fishes, amphibians, reptiles and mammals.
D. Number of fishes is very less than that of mammals.
(A) All correct (B) All incorrect
(C) A, B and C are correct (D) Only D is correct
37. According to the concept of species area relations –
(A) The number of species in an area increases with the size of the area
(B) Larger species require larger habitat areas than do smaller species.
(C) Most species within any given area are endemic.
(D) The larger the area, the greater area are endemic.
38. Which is / are correct about Amazon rain forest?
A. It is called Lungs of the planet.
B. It is being cut and cleared for cultivating soya beans or for conversion to grasslands for raising beef cattle.
C. The largely tropical rain forest in South America has highest biodiversity on earth
D. It harbours probably million of species.
(A) A, B (B) A, B, C (C) B, C, D (D) A, B, C, D
39. Select the correct statement(s).
A. India has more than 50,000 genetically different strains of rice
B. India has 1000 varieties of mango
C. The genetic variation in Rauwolfia vomitoria can be in terms of conc and potency of reserpine.
D. The tropical rain forest initially covered 14% of the land surface of earth, but now they cover only 6% of the land area.
(A) A, B (B) A, B, C (C) B, C, D (D) A, B, C, D
40. An exotic species that is introduced to a new area, spreads rapidly and eliminates native species is called –
(A) An immigrant species (B) An invasive species
(C) Destructive species (D) None
41. The exotic species, introduced in India are –
(A) Lantana
(B) Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia)
(C) Parthenium
(D) All
42. Which of the following fishes is exotic species introduced in India for aquaculture –
(A) Dog fish
(B) Shark
(C) Catfish (Clarias)
(D) Labeo
43. Exploring molecular, genetic and species-level diversity for products of economic importance like medicines is called –
(A) Bioremediation
(B) Bioprospecting
(C) Bioprocessing
(D) Ecosystem services.
44. Modern Ex situ conservation includes –
(A) cryopreservation techniques
(B) in vitro fertilisation
(C) plants can be propagated using tissue culture methods
(D) All
45. Ex situ conservation is used for the conservation of –
(A) All plants
(B) All animals
(C) threatened animals and plants
(D) None
46. Which of the following is an example of alien species invading a new ecosystem resulting in biodiversity losses?
(A) Introduction of Nile perch into Lake Victoria in east Africa.
(B) Introduction of water hyacinth into India.
(C) Introduction of African catfish into Indian rivers.
(D) All of the above.
47. Column I Column II
I. Dodo (A) Rauwolfia
II. Reserpine (B) Mauritius
III. Botanical gardens (C) Khasi and Jaintia hills.
IV. Sacred forests (D) Ex-situ conservation
(A) I – B, II – A, III – D, IV - C (B) I – D, II – A, III – B, IV - C
(C) I – A, II – C, III – B, IV – D (D) I – B, II – A, III – C, IV – D
48. Column I Column II
I. Nile Perch in Lake Victoria (A) Obvious reasons for biodiversity
conservation
II. Narrowly utilitarian (B) Habitat destruction
III. Main cause for biodiversity (C) High endemism
loss
IV. Hot spots (D) Alien species
(A) I – B, II – A, III – D, IV - C (B) I – D, II – A, III – B, IV - C
(C) I – A, II – C, III – B, IV – D (D) I – B, II – A, III – C, IV - D
49. Column I Column II
I. Term biodiversity (A) Edward Wilson
II. In situ conservation (B) Co-extinction
III. Plant pollination (C) On-site conservation
IV. Ex-situ conservation (D) Offsite conservation
(A) I – B, II – A, III – D, IV - C (B) I – D, II – A, III – B, IV - C
(C) I – A, II – C, III – B, IV – D (D) I – B, II – A, III – C, IV - D
50. Column I Column II
I. Western Ghats (A) Sacred lake
II. White tiger reserve (B) Reewa[M.P.]
III. Khecheopalri Lake of Sikkim (C) Hot spot
IV. Rhinoceros (D) Kaziranga
(A) I – B, II – A, III – D, IV - C (B) I – D, II – A, III – B, IV - C
(C) I – A, II – C, III – B, IV – D (D) I – C, II – B, III – A, IV - D
51. Column I Column II
I. Silent valley (A) Kaziranga
II. Rhinoceros (B) Bandipur
III. Tiger project in Karnataka (C) In situ conservation
IV. National Park (D) Tropical evergreen forest
(A) I – B, II – A, III – D, IV - C (B) I – D, II – A, III – B, IV - C
(C) I – A, II – C, III – B, IV – D (D) I – B, II – A, III – C, IV - D
52. Major causes of human-induced extinctions of species include all of the following, except
(A) Climate modification. (B) Overexploitation.
(C) Habitat destruction. (D) Captive propagation
53. Which of the following is not currently a major cause of species extinctions?
(A) Habitat destruction
(B) Alien species invesion
(C) Overexploitation
(D) Introduction of predators
54. A species that is found only in a particular region is said to be
(A) an indicator species for that region.
(B) a restricted species.
(C) a vulnerable species.
(D) endemic to that region.
55. Which one of the following is false about Habitat loss and fragmentation?
(A) This is the most important cause driving animals and plants to extinction
(B) The most dramatic examples of habitat loss come from temperate rain forests
(C) Amazonian forests once covering more than 14% of the earths
(D) The Amazon rain forest harbouring probably millions of species is being cut and cleared for cultivating soya beans or for conversion to grassland for raising beef cattle
56. Global species diversity and land area covered by India with respect to world is –
57. The cause / causes for species richness of tropics is / are
(A) Tropics had more evolutionary time
(B) They receive more solar energy, hence more productivity
(C) Less seasonal variation
(D) All
58. Anthropogenic extinction is called
(A) Fifth mass extinction (B) Fourth mass extinction
(C) Sixth mass extinction (D) Seventh mass extinction
59. Introduction of alien species into new area possess a thread to extinction of indigenous species due to
(A) Their high nutrient requirement
(B) Their symbiotic relationship
(C) Absence of its natural predator
(D) More intraspecific competition
60. Arrange the following places in increasing order of biodiversities of species of birds and select the right option
(A) Colombia New York Greenland India
(B) Greenland New York India Colombia
(C) New York India Colombia Greenland
(D) India Colombia Greenland New York
61. The great German naturalist and geographer Alexander von Humboldt observed that within a region species richness increased with increasing explored area, but only up to a limit. In fact, relation between species richness & area for a wide variety of taxa (angiosperm plants, birds, bats,
freshwater fishes). Now find out correct equations shown in the graph.
(A) I - S = CAZ; II - Log S = log C + Z log A
(B) I – log S = log C + Z log A; II - S – CAZ
(C) I - S – CAZ + log C; II - Log S = log C + Z logA
(D) I - S – CAZ + log A; II - Log C + Z log A
62. Select a correct match
(A) Snow leopard ––– Kanha National Park
(B) Tiger ––– Khangchenzonga National Park
(C) Lion ––– Gir National Park, Gujrat
(D) Rhinoceros ––– Simplipal Santuary
63. Which of the following is false ?
(A) Species diversity –– The Western Ghat have lesser amphibian species diversity than the Eastern Ghats
(B) Ecological diversity –– At the ecosystem level, India, for instance, with its deserts, rain forests, Mangrooves, Coral reef
(C) It has taken millions of years of evolution, to accumulate this rich diversity in nature
(D) Biodiversity and its conservation are now vital environmental issues of international concern as more and more people around the world begin to realize the critical importance of diversity.
64. In the formula logs = Log C + Z log A, Ecologist have discovered that the value of z lies in the range of
(A) 0.1 to 0.5 (B) 0.5 to 1
(C) 0.1 to 0.2 (D) 1 to 5
65. Which of the following does not belong to The Evil Quatet
(A) Habitat loss and fragmentation
(B) Over exploitation
(C) Natural calamities
(D) Alien species invasions
66. How much times have forests been lost in the tropics compared to the temperate region
(A) 50 times (B) 40 times
(C) 30 times (D) 25 times
67. The region of Biosphere Reserve which is legally protected and where no human activity is allowed is known as :
(A) Buffer zone (B) Transition zone
(C) Restoration zone (D) Core zone
68. All of the following are included in ‘ ex-situ conservation’ except
(A) Botanical gardens (B) Sacred groves
(C) Wildlife safari parks (D) Seed banks
69. The table below gives the populations (in thousands) of ten species (A-J) in four areas consisting of the number of habitats given within brackets against each. Study the table and answer the questions which follow –
Which area shows maximum species diversity ?
(A) s (B) p
(C) q (D) r
70. Which hypothesis suggests ecosystems are like Aeroplan wings where flight (ecosystem
functioning) may or may not be compromised depending upon which species are lost –
71. Which one of the following have the highest number of species in nature ?
(A) Angiosperms (B) Fungi (C) Insects (D) Birds
72. Which one of the following shows maximum genetic diversity in India ?
(A) Mango (B) Groundnut (C) Rice (D) Maize
73. Sacred groves are specially useful in :
(A) generating environmental awareness
(B) preventing soil erosion
(C) year – round flow of water in rivers
(D) conserving rare and threatened species
74. Which one of the following areas in India, is a hotspot of biodiversity
(A) Eastern Ghats (B) Gangetic Plain
(C) Sunderbans (D) Western Ghats
75. The highest number of species in the world is represented by
(A) Fungi (B) Mosses
(C) Algae (D) Lichens
76. Which one of the following is not used for ex situ plant conservation?
(A) Seed banks (B) Shifting cultivation
(C) Botanical Gardens (D) Field gene banks
77. An example of ex situ conservation is :-
(A) National Park (B) Seed Bank
(C) Wildlife Sanctuary (D) Sacred Grove
78. A species facing extremely high risk of extinction in the immediate future is called :-
(A) Vulnerable (B) Endemic
(C) Critically Endangered (D) Extinct
79. Alexander Von Humbolt described for the first time :
(A) Laws of liming factor
(B) Species area relationships
(C) Population Growth equation
(D) Ecological Biodiversity
80. Given below is the representation of the extent of global diversity of invertebrates. What groups the four portions ( A- D) represent respectively :-
Option :
A B C D
(A) Insects Crustanceans Other animal groups Molluscs
(B) Crustaceans Insects Molluscs Other animal group
(C) Molluscs Other animal groups
Crustaceans Insects
(D) Insects Molluscs Crustaceans Other animal groups
81. Read the statements regarding a stable community and choose the correct option.
(i) Must be resistant to occasional disturbances.
(ii) Should show much variation in productivity from year to year
(iii) Must be resistant to invasions by alien species.
(A) (i) and (ii) are correct
(B) (i), (ii) and (iii) are correct
(C) (i) only is correct
(D) (i) and (iii) are correct
82. Find the wrongly matched pair.
(A) Endemism – Species confined to a region and not found anywhere else
(B) Hotspots – Western ghats
(C) Sacred groves – Jaintia hills of Rajasthan
(D) ex situ conservation – Zoological park
83. Find the wrongly matched pair.
(A) Lungs of the planet – Amazon rainforest.
(B) Endemism – Species confined to one region and also found in other regions.
(C) Hotspots – Regions with species richness.
(D) Alien species – Clarias gariepinus
84. Cryopreservation of gametes of threatened species in viable and fertile condition can be referred to as
(A) In situ conservation by sacred groves
(B) In situ cryo-conservation of biodiversity
(C) In situ conservation of biodiversity
(D) Advanced ex situ conservation of biodiversity
85. In which of the following both pairs have correct combination?
(A) In situ conservation : Seed Bank; Ex situ conservation : National Park
(B) In situ conservation : Tissue culture; Ex situ conservation : Sacred groves
(C) In situ conservation : National Park; Ex situ conservation : Botanical Garden
(D) In situ conservation : Cryopreservation; Ex situ conservation : Wildlife Sanctuary
86. Oran is a
(A) Sacred grove (B) Sacred landscape
(C) Sacred animal (D) Endangered animal
87. Which one of the following is not a major characteristic feature of biodiversity hot spots ?
(A) Large numbers of species
(B) Abundance of endemic species
(C) Large number of exotic species
(D) Destruction of habitat
88. What is common to the following plants ?
Nepenthes, Psilotum, Rouwolfia and Aconitum
(A) All are ornamental plants
(B) All are phylogenic link species
(C) All are prone to over exploitation
(D) All are exclusively present in the Eastern Himalayas
89. Amongst the animal groups given below, which one has the highest percentage of endangered species ?
(A) Insects (B) Mammals
(C) Amphibians (D) Reptiles
90. During the analysing the surface area relationship among very large area like entire continents, the slope of the line is found much steeper and the Z values ranges
(A) 0.1 to 0.2 (B) 1.15 to 3
(C) 0 (D) 0.6 to 1.2
91. Most of the species that are yet undiscovered are probably
(A) Mammals and reptiles (B) Birds and fish
(C) Fungi (D) Invertebrates.
92. Which of the following is the most important cause of animals and plants being driven to extinction?
(A) Over – exploitation (B) Alien species invasion
(C) Habitat loss and fragmentation (D) Co-extinctions
93. Which one of the following is related to Ex-situ conservation of threatened animals and plants?
(A) Biodiversity (B) Amazon rainforest
(C) Himalayan region (D) Wildlife safari parks
94. The greatest biodiversity on Earth is found in
(A) Tropical Amazonian rain forest in South Africa
(B) Temperate Amazonian rain forest in North America
(C) Tropical Amazonian rain forest in South America
(D) Temperate Amazonian rain forest in South America
95. Match the columns I and II , and choose the correct combination from the options given.
Column I Column II
Locality Number of bird species
1. India A. 56
2. Amazon rain forest B. 105
3. Greenland C. 1200
4. Colombia D. 1300
5. New York E. 1400
(A) D – 1, C – 2, A – 3, E – 4, B – 5
(B) C – 1, E – 2, D – 3, B – 4, A – 5
(C) E – 1, D – 2, C – 3, A – 4, B – 5
(D) C – 1, D – 2, A – 3, E – 4, B – 5
96. Speciation is generally a function of
(A) Area (B) Time
(C) Volume (D) Both (a) and (c)
97. Which one of the following is not a method is situ conservation of biodiversity ?
(A) Biosphere Reserve (B) Wildlife Sanctuary
(C) Botanical Garden (D) Sacred Grove
1. C 2. D 3. A 4. A 5. A 6. D
7. B 8. C 9. B 10. D 11. C 12. A
13. A 14. B 15. D 16. D 17. D 18. A
19. C 20. C 21. A 22. A 23. A 24. B
25. B 26. D 27. A 28. C 29. D 30. B
31. D 32. C 33. B 34. D 35. D 36. C
37. A 38. D 39. D 40. D 41. D 42. C
43. B 44. D 45. C 46. D 47. A 48. B
49. C 50. D 51. B 52. D 53. D 54. D
55. B 56. C 57. D 58. C 59. C 60. B
61. A 62. B 63. A 64. C 65. C 66. B
67. D 68. B 69. A 70. A 71. C 72. C
73. D 74. D 75. A 76. B 77. B 78. C
79. B 80. D 81. D 82. C 83. B 84. D
85. C 86. A 87. C 88. C 89. C 90. D
91. D 92. C 93. D 94. C 95. D 96. B
97. C
PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS
AIPMT-2006
1. Which of the following pairs of an animal and a plant represents endangered organisms
in India ?
(A) Cinchona and Leopard
(B) Banyan and Black buck
(C) Bentinckia nicobarica and Red Panda
(D) Tamarind and Rhesus monkey
2. Which one of the following is not included under in-situ conservation ?
(A) Biosphere reserve
(B) National park
(C) Sanctuary
(D) Botanical garden
3. Which one of the following is the correctly matched pair of an endangered animal and a
National Park?
(A) Wild ass — Dudhwa National Park
(B) Great Indian Busturd — Keoladeo National Park Bustard
(C) Lion — Corbett National Park
(D) Rhinoceros — Kaziranga National Park
4. Which of the following is considered a hot-spot of biodiversity in India ?
(A) Eastern Ghats (B) Aravalli Hills
(C) Western Ghats (D) Indo-Gangetic Plain
AIIMS-2006
5. In India, we find mangoes with different flavours, colours, fibre content, sugar and even
shelf–life. The large variation is on account of –
(A) Species diversity (B) Induced mutations
(C) Genetic diversity (D) Hybridization
AIPMT-2007
6. Identify the odd combination of the habitat and the particular animal concerned :
(A) Rann of Kutch – Wild Ass (B) Dachigam National – Snow Leopard Park