NEET Biology Biodiversity and Conservation MCQs Set 08

Answer: (d) A – Amazon, B –20

Explanation:
1. The Amazon rain forest is estimated to produce about 20 percent of the oxygen in Earth's atmosphere.

Teacher's Note:
1. It is called the lungs of the planet.
2. Its area is shrinking from deforestation.

Answer: (c) 34

Explanation:
1. Ecologists have identified 34 biodiversity hot spots in the world.

Teacher's Note:
1. Hot spots have high endemism, many threatened species and high habitat loss.
2. Three of them cover India: Western Ghats and Sri Lanka, Indo-Burma, Himalaya.

Answer: (a) 30%

Explanation:
1. Strict protection of the hot spots could reduce the ongoing mass extinctions by about 30 percent.

Teacher's Note:
1. Hot spots cover less than 2 percent of the Earth's land area.
2. They are a priority for conservation.

Answer: (b) Seed bank

Explanation:
1. Biosphere reserves, national parks and sanctuaries protect whole ecosystems in their natural habitat (in situ).
2. A seed bank is an off-site (ex situ) method.

Teacher's Note:
1. In situ means in the natural habitat.
2. Ex situ means outside the natural habitat.

Answer: (c) Cryopreservation

Explanation:
1. Gametes of threatened species can be stored for long periods in liquid nitrogen at -196 degrees C by cryopreservation.

Teacher's Note:
1. Seeds can be preserved in seed banks.
2. This is an ex situ method.

Answer: (c) 190

Explanation:
1. At the World Summit on Sustainable Development (Johannesburg, 2002), 190 countries pledged to significantly reduce the rate of biodiversity loss by 2010.

Teacher's Note:
1. The summit was held in South Africa.
2. It is a part of global conservation efforts.

Answer: (a) Aravalli hills – Gujarat

Explanation:
1. The Aravalli hills are in Rajasthan, not Gujarat, so (a) is the incorrect match.
2. Khasi and Jaintia hills are in Meghalaya.

Teacher's Note:
1. Sacred groves exist in Meghalaya (Khasi and Jaintia).
2. Western Ghats lie in Karnataka and Maharashtra among others.

Answer: (d) Higher diversity increases uniformity

Explanation:
1. Genetic diversity helps a population adapt, is the basis of speciation and ecotype formation.
2. Higher diversity means more variation, not more uniformity.

Teacher's Note:
1. Uniformity means lack of variation.
2. Genetic diversity gives a species a chance to survive change.

Answer: (c) Gamma diversity

Explanation:
1. Alpha diversity is within a community (local), beta diversity is between communities, and gamma diversity is the diversity of a whole region.

Teacher's Note:
1. Alpha = local, beta = between habitats, gamma = regional.
2. These terms were given by Whittaker.

Answer: (d) Greater environmental variations

Explanation:
1. The tropics are less seasonal, with a constant and predictable environment.
2. So greater environmental variation is not a reason for high tropical diversity.

Teacher's Note:
1. Reasons for tropical richness: long evolutionary time, stable climate and more solar energy.
2. More energy means more productivity.

Answer: (a) A stable community should show much variation in productivity from year to year

Explanation:
1. A stable community does not show much variation in productivity from year to year, so the statement 'should show much variation' is wrong.

Teacher's Note:
1. It is resistant to occasional disturbance.
2. It is also resilient.

Answer: (b) Poles to equator

Explanation:
1. Species diversity decreases from the equator to the poles, so it increases from the poles towards the equator.

Teacher's Note:
1. The latitudinal gradient is the most known pattern.
2. Diversity also decreases with increasing altitude.

Answer: (d) All of these

Explanation:
1. Threats to biodiversity include habitat loss, over-exploitation, and intensive agriculture.

Teacher's Note:
1. Habitat loss is the chief cause.
2. The four causes are called the Evil Quartet.

Answer: (c) Critically endangered

Explanation:
1. A taxon facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the immediate future is categorised as critically endangered by the IUCN.

Teacher's Note:
1. Next are endangered and vulnerable.
2. The Red List has several categories.

Answer: (a) In-situ conservation

Explanation:
1. Protected areas such as national parks, sanctuaries and biosphere reserves conserve species in their natural habitats, which is in situ conservation.

Teacher's Note:
1. Zoos and botanical gardens are ex situ.
2. In situ conserves the habitat too.

Answer: (d) Sacred grooves

Explanation:
1. Botanical gardens, safari parks and zoos are ex situ.
2. Sacred groves protect forest patches in place, so they are in situ.

Teacher's Note:
1. Sacred groves are protected by communities for religious reasons.
2. They are found in Meghalaya and Rajasthan.

Answer: (d) Grazing is allowed

Explanation:
1. National parks do not allow grazing, cultivation or harvest of forest products.
2. So 'grazing is allowed' is the odd statement.

Teacher's Note:
1. Sanctuaries may allow limited activities.
2. National parks protect both flora and fauna.

Answer: (c) a(iv), b(i), c(ii), d(iii)

Explanation:
1. Artemisia annua gives the antimalarial drug artemisinin, Lawsonia inermis is henna, Vinca rosea gives anticancer drugs and Acacia catechu gives kattha.

Teacher's Note:
1. Vinca rosea (periwinkle) gives vincristine and vinblastine.
2. Many drugs come from plants.

Answer: (b) Flood

Explanation:
1. The five F's of the Chipko movement are fibre, food, fodder, fertiliser and fuel.
2. Flood is not among them.

Teacher's Note:
1. Chipko was a movement to save trees in Uttarakhand.
2. Villagers hugged the trees.

Answer: (b) Sacred groves

Explanation:
1. Wildlife safari parks, seed banks and botanical gardens are ex situ methods.
2. Sacred groves protect forests in their own habitat, so they are in situ.

Teacher's Note:
1. Ex situ: zoos, botanical gardens, gene banks.
2. In situ: parks, sanctuaries, biosphere reserves, sacred groves.