Ans: B

Exp:

According to IUCN (2004), the total number of plant and animal species described so far is slightly more than 1.5 million. Estimates vary widely and many of them are only educated guesses.

Statement 1 is incorrect: More than 70 per cent of all the species recorded are animals, while plants (including algae, fungi, bryophytes, gymnosperms, and angiosperms) comprise no more than 22 percent of the total.

Statement 2 is correct: Among animals, insects are the most species-rich taxonomic group, making up more than 70 per cent of the total. That means, out of every 10 animals on this planet, 7 are insects.The number of fungi species in the world is more than the combined total of the species of fishes, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals.

Statement 3 is incorrect: Although India has only 2.4 per cent of the world‘s land area, its share of the global species diversity is an impressive 8.1 per cent. That is what makes our country one of the 12 mega-diversity countries of the world. Nearly 45,000 species of plants and twice as many of animals have been recorded from India.

Ans: B

Exp:

Statement 1 is incorrect: Biodiversity hotspots are not limited to any geographical zone they are found all over the world in different zones like temperate, tropical etc. For example, the Mediterranean Basin, California Floristic Province in the United States, and the Cape Floristic Region in South Africa are all examples of biodiversity hotspots in non-tropical regions.

Statement 2 is correct: Biodiversity Hotspots are areas that have extremely rich and diverse flora and fauna and are under threat of getting endangered. Officially, four out of the 36 Biodiversity Hotspots in the world are present in India: the Himalayas, the Western Ghats, the Indo-Burma region and the Sundaland.

Ans: C

Exp:

Biosphere Reserve (BR) is an international designation by UNESCO for representative parts of natural and cultural landscapes extending over a large area of terrestrial or coastal/ marine ecosystems or a combination thereof. BRs are designated to deal with one of the most important questions of reconciling the conservation of biodiversity, the quest for economic and social development and the maintenance of associated cultural values. BRs are thus special environments for both people and nature and are living examples of how human beings and nature can co-exist while respecting each other’s needs.

There are 18 Biosphere Reserves in the Country.

They are given in North to South direction as

1) Cold Desert, Himachal Pradesh

2) Nanda Devi, Uttrakhand

3) Khangchendzonga, Sikkim

4) Dehang-Debang, Arunachal Pradesh

5) Manas, Assam

6) Dibru-Saikhowa, Assam

7) Nokrek, Meghalaya

8) Panna, Madhya Pradesh

9) Pachmarhi, Madhya Pradesh

10) Achanakmar-Amarkantak, Madhya Pradesh-Chattisgarh

11) Kachchh, Gujarat

12) Similipal, Odisha

13) Sundarban, West Bengal

14) Seshachalam, Andhra Pradesh

15) Agasthyamala, Karnataka-Tamil Nadu-Kerala

16) Nilgiri, Tamil Nadu-Kerala

17) Gulf of Mannar, Tamil Nadu

18) Great Nicobar, Andaman & Nicobar Island

Ans: A

Exp:

Species richness is the number of different species represented in an ecological community, landscape or region. As per ecologists, it measures at three scales Alpha, Beta and Gamma diversity.

Pair 1 is incorrectly matched: Alpha diversity refers to species richness within a specific, localized habitat or ecosystem. It quantifies the number of species present in a single area or community. For example, the number of different bird species in a particular forest.

Pair 2 is incorrectly matched: Beta diversity is the comparison of diversity between ecosystems, calculated as the change in the amount of species between the ecosystems.

Pair 3 is correctly matched:  Gamma diversity is the overall species richness or biodiversity at the regional or landscape level. It considers the total number of species in a larger geographical area, which could include multiple ecosystems, habitats, or communities. 

Ans: B

Exp:

Statement 1 is correct : Invasive alien species are exotic or non-native species that threaten local biodiversity, including animals and plants. They have been introduced to a new environment and, once established, can spread rapidly and cause harm to native ecosystems, species, and biodiversity. These invasive species often outcompete native species for resources such as food, habitat, and space, leading to declines in native populations.

Statement 2 is correct : As per the National Biodiversity Authority, some invasive species of India are,

• • Alternanthera paronychioides

• Lantana camara 

• Prosopis juliflora 
• Calotropis/ Madar
• Water Hyacinth etc.

Statement 3 is incorrect : The Global Invasive Species Database (GISD) is managed by the Invasive Species Specialist Group (ISSG) of the IUCN Species Survival Commission. It was developed between 1998 and 2000 as part of the global initiative on invasive species led by the erstwhile Global Invasive Species Programme (GISP).