NEET Biology Biodiversity and Conservation MCQs Set 11

Answer: (c) play an important role in supporting other species

Explanation:
1. A keystone species affects the survival of many other species in its community.
2. Its loss can cause the collapse of other species, so it deserves protection.

Teacher's Note:
1. Keystone species hold the community together.
2. Removing one can have a large effect on the whole ecosystem.

Answer: (a) 33% for plains and 67% for hills

Explanation:
1. The National Forest Policy of 1988 recommends 33% forest cover in the plains.
2. For the hills it recommends 67%.

Teacher's Note:
1. Remember the pair 33 and 67.
2. The two figures add up to 100.

Answer: (c) Joint Forest Management

Explanation:
1. Joint Forest Management (JFM) involves local communities in protecting and managing forests.
2. In return the communities get benefits such as forest products.

Teacher's Note:
1. JFM was introduced in 1980s.
2. Jhum is shifting cultivation, which damages forests.

Answer: (c) Rice

Explanation:
1. India has more than 50,000 genetically different strains of rice.
2. This is the highest genetic diversity among the given crops.

Teacher's Note:
1. India also has about 1000 varieties of mango.
2. Rice has by far the larger number of strains.

Answer: (d) conserving rare and threatened species

Explanation:
1. Sacred groves are protected by local people on religious grounds.
2. Many rare and threatened plants survive in them, so they help conserve such species.

Teacher's Note:
1. Sacred groves are found in Meghalaya, Karnataka and Maharashtra.
2. They are an example of in situ conservation.

Answer: (c) the diversity in germplasm will affect crop breeding

Explanation:
1. Forests hold a large reservoir of genetic diversity (germplasm) of wild relatives of crops.
2. Losing it affects future crop breeding, which is a long term effect.

Teacher's Note:
1. Genetic resources are lost for ever when species go extinct.
2. Breeders depend on them for new varieties.

Answer: (b) Shifting cultivation

Explanation:
1. Seed banks and botanical gardens conserve plants outside their natural habitat, so they are ex situ methods.
2. Shifting cultivation is a farming practice that destroys forests, so it is not a conservation method.

Teacher's Note:
1. Ex situ means off site.
2. Zoos, botanical gardens, seed banks and cryopreservation are ex situ methods.

Answer: (c) Thylacine

Explanation:
1. The thylacine (Tasmanian wolf) was found in Australia and became extinct.
2. The dodo was from Mauritius, the quagga from Africa and Steller's sea cow from Russia.

Teacher's Note:
1. Learn the examples of extinct animals with their regions.
2. Dodo - Mauritius, Quagga - Africa, Thylacine - Australia, Steller's sea cow - Russia.

Answer: (b) 20%

Explanation:
1. The Amazon rain forest is called the lungs of the planet.
2. It is said to account for about 20% of the oxygen in the earth's atmosphere.

Teacher's Note:
1. The Amazon forest has the greatest biodiversity on earth.
2. It covers about 6.5 million square kilometres.

Answer: (b) 14, 90, 448

Explanation:
1. The textbook gives 14 biosphere reserves, 90 national parks and 448 wildlife sanctuaries.
2. Only option (b) matches this order.

Teacher's Note:
1. The numbers keep changing as new areas are notified.
2. Questions follow the textbook figures.

Answer: (b) 7 million

Explanation:
1. Robert May estimated the global species diversity at about 7 million.
2. About 1.5 million species have actually been described so far.

Teacher's Note:
1. Described species are about 1.5 million and estimated species are about 7 million.
2. Do not confuse the two.

Answer: (d) A - molluscs, B - crustaceans

Explanation:
1. Insects form about 70% of the invertebrates, so they are the large white sector and cannot be A or B.
2. Molluscs (about 12%) are more than crustaceans (about 9%), so the larger small sector A is molluscs and B is crustaceans.

Teacher's Note:
1. Insects are the most species rich group of animals.
2. Among invertebrates the order is insects, molluscs, crustaceans.

Answer: (c) microbial species

Explanation:
1. Microbes are tiny, and many cannot be cultured in the laboratory.
2. So conventional taxonomy fails and molecular methods are needed.

Teacher's Note:
1. Microbial diversity is mostly unexplored.
2. Molecular tools help to identify unculturable microbes.

Answer: (b) 2 : 1

Explanation:
1. India has about 45,000 plant species and about twice as many animal species.
2. So the ratio of animals to plants is about 2 : 1.

Teacher's Note:
1. In the world, animals form about 70% of all species.
2. Plants form a much smaller share.

Answer: (b) economic benefits

Explanation:
1. Bio-prospecting searches nature for useful genes, molecules and species.
2. Its goal is economic benefit, for example new drugs and crop traits.

Teacher's Note:
1. Bio-piracy means taking such resources without permission.
2. Bio-prospecting should be done with fair sharing of benefits.

Answer: (a) 33%

Explanation:
1. The policy recommends 33% forest cover for the plains.
2. The figure of 67% is for the hills.

Teacher's Note:
1. The actual forest cover of India is less than the target.
2. The target is the figure the policy recommends.

Answer: (b) seed bank

Explanation:
1. Protecting the whole ecosystem is in situ conservation, which uses biosphere reserves, national parks and sanctuaries.
2. A seed bank stores seeds outside the natural habitat, so it is ex situ conservation.

Teacher's Note:
1. In situ means on site.
2. Ex situ methods conserve species outside their natural homes.

Answer: (c) cryopreservation

Explanation:
1. Cryopreservation stores gametes at very low temperature (-196 degree C) in liquid nitrogen.
2. They remain viable and fertile for a long time and can be used for in vitro fertilisation.

Teacher's Note:
1. Cryopreservation is an ex situ method.
2. It is also used for seeds, tissues and embryos.