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Q1. While going to Nainital during summer vacations, Amitabh saw a board indicating the direction to Jim Corbett National Park. He asked his uncle, who happened to be a forest officer, about national parks. He explained that national parks are maintained by government solely for the welfare of entire wild life in it. Read the above passage and answer the following questions: (a) How is wild life maintained in a national park? (b) Name two other national parks. (c) What value is displayed by Amitabh’s uncle?

Solution

(a) In a national park, some land is allowed for wildlife conservations and habitat manipulation is not permitted in this zone. Cultivation and grazing is also not allowed. (b) Two national parks are Bandipur National Park and Hazaribagh National park. (c) Amitabh’s uncle had a sound knowledge of wildlife conservation that he provided to his nephew, which is important for our life.

Q2. What is the function of National Bureau of Plant Animal and Fish Genetic Resources? 

Solution

The main function of National Bureau of Plant Animal and Fish Genetic Resources is to collect and conserve the germplasm of plants and animals in seed gene banks and field gene banks.

Q3. Hazaribagh National Park is located in

• 1) Punjab
• 2) Uttar Pradesh
• 3) Kerala
• 4) Bihar

Solution

Hazaribagh National Park is located in Bihar.

Q4. Amongst the animal groups given below, which one has the highest percentage of endangered species?

• 1) Mammals
• 2) Amphibians
• 3) Insect
• 4) Reptiles

Solution

From the known vertebrate species, 53 percent fresh water fishes, 60 percent amphibians, 36 percent reptiles and 10 percent mammals are endangered species.

Q5. Total number of identified biodiversity hot spots in the world is :

• 1) 34
• 2) 25
• 3) 24
• 4) 40

Solution

Till date, there are 34 terrestrial hot spots that have been identified in the world covering an area less than 2 percent of land surface with about 20 percent of human habitation.

Q6. Which of the following has the least number of species?

• 1) Fungi
• 2) Insects
• 3) Mammals
• 4) Higher plants

Solution

From the given list of groups of organisms, mammals have the lowest number of species with about 4,650 species, while insects have the largest number of species, followed by higher plants and fungi.

Q7. Write a note on biodiversity conservation. 

Solution

The scientific management and preservation of flora and fauna in its natural form is called biodiversity conservation. There are two types of conservation strategies: in situ conservation, which is the protection of species in their natural habitat (national parks), and ex situ conservation, which is the protection of species in an artificially created habitat (botanical garden).

Q8. Explain the efforts for the conservation of biodiversity at international level.

Solution

(i) The Earth Summit was held at Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) in which representatives of more than 170 countries were present. The summit promoted Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). India became a member of this convention in May 1994. The important objectives were- (a) Finding and supporting various methods to conserve biological diversity. (b) Use of biodiversity only up to sustainable limit. (c) The benefits derived from use of genetic resources should be fairly and equitably shared. (ii) A second World Summit on biological diversity was held in 2002 in Johannesburg in which 190 countries pledged to reduce the current rate of biodiversity loss at global, regional and local levels by 2010. (iii) Indian government passed the Biodiversity Bill in December 2003 to protect India’s biodiversity. (iv) Government of India has also established a Biodiversity Board at Chennai to ensure proper utilization of biodiversity. (v) Organizations like World Wildlife Fund (WWW) and World Conservation Union (WCU) provide financial assistance for conservation programmes.

Q9. Gir National Park is known for

• 1) Crocodiles
• 2) Lions
• 3) Leopards
• 4) Elephants

Solution

Gir National Park is well known for its lions.

Q10. Name the Indian hotspots that extend into other countries.

Solution

The hotspots of India that extend into other countries are Western Ghats- Sri Lanka and Indo-Burma-Himalayas.

Q11. A plant drug used for the treatment of blood pressure and schizophrenia is

• 1) Reserpine
• 2) Taxol
• 3) Vincristine
• 4) Morphine

Solution

Reserpine is obtained from the plant Rauvolfia serpentine. It is used in the treatment of blood pressure and schizophrenia.

Q12. The scientific name for the Great Indian Bustard is

• 1) Ardeotis nigriceps
• 2) Grus leucogeranus
• 3) Falco peregrinus
• 4) Buceros bicornis

Solution

  Common name Scientific name Large Falcon Falco peregrinus Great Indian Bustard Ardeotis nigriceps Great Indian Hornbill Buceros bicornis Siberian White Crane Grus leucogeranus  

Q13. Habitat loss and fragmentation over exploitation, alien species invasions and co-extinction are causes for

• 1) Pollution
• 2) Population explosion
• 3) Migration
• 4) Biodiversity loss

Solution

Habitat loss, fragmentation, over-exploitation, alien species invasions are the major factors that contributes to extinction of species. The extinction of species leads to loss in biodiversity.

Q14. The species becomes extinct most easily by:

• 1) Sliding of hills
• 2) Heavy rains
• 3) Deforestation
• 4) Urbanization

Solution

Extinction of species is caused due to destruction of habitats that result from deforestation. Deforestation reduces the area of free movement thereby leading to decrease in reproductive capacity.

Q15. What does the term genetic diversity refer to? What is the significance of large genetic diversity in a population? 

Solution

Genetic diversity is the measure of variety in genetic information contained in the organisms. The significance of large genetic diversity in a population are- (a) Larger genetic diversity provides adaptability at the time of environmental changes and helps the species in surviving. (b) Larger genetic diversity is also useful in the evolution of species.

Q16. Red data Book deals with:

• 1) Plants that are extinct
• 2) Plants showing photoperiodism
• 3) Animals on verge of extinction
• 4) Endemic plant

Solution

Red Data Book is maintained by World Conservation Union which maintains a list of species that are at the risk of extinction.

Q17. The Himalayan Musk Deer Project was started at

• 1) Kedarnath
• 2) Shikari Devi Sanctuary
• 3) Dachigam Sanctuary
• 4) Corbett National Park

Solution

The Himalayan Musk Deer Project was started at Kedarnath, Uttar Pradesh.

Q18. List of endangered species was released by:

• 1) WCC
• 2) IUCN
• 3) BBC
• 4) UN

Solution

The lists of endangered species are made in a Red Data Book that is maintained and released by International Union of Conservation Union.

Q19. The active chemical drug reserpine is obtained from

• 1) Atropa
• 2) Datura
• 3) Rauvolfia
• 4) Papaver

Solution

Rauvolfia serpentina contains a compound called reserpine, which is used to treat high blood pressure and mental disorders.

Q20. Why are (i) alien species invasion and (ii) loss of habitat and fragmentation considered to be the major cause of loss of biodiversity? Explain with the help of one example each.

Solution

(i) The alien species became invasive and caused extinction or decline of indigenous species. For example, the Nile perch introduced into Lake Victoria in East Africa led to the extinction of more than 200 species of cichlid fish in the lake. (ii) Loss of habitat and fragmentation drive animals and plants to extinction. For example, as the Amazon forest is cut and cleared for cultivating soya beans or for conversion of grasslands for raising beef cattle by which many species are affected.

Q21. Which of the following plants does not belong to the genus Solanum?

• 1) Tomato
• 2) Brinjal
• 3) Spinach
• 4) Potato

Solution

Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) belongs to the genus Spinacia, while tomato (Solanum lycopersicum), potato (Solanum tuberosum) and brinjal (Solanum melongena) belong to the genus Solanum.

Q22. Write the major causes of biodiversity losses.

Solution

The major causes of biodiversity losses are- (a) Habitat loss and fragmentation (b) Over-exploitation (c) Alien species invasions (d) Co-extinctions

Q23. Define biodiversity. Write three forms of biodiversity.

Solution

Biodiversity is the vast array of species of living organisms occurring on the earth and the ecological complexes. Three forms of biodiversity are alpha diversity, beta diversity and gamma diversity.

Q24. Manas Wildlife Sanctuary is located in

• 1) Rajasthan
• 2) West Bengal
• 3) Assam
• 4) Uttaranchal

Solution

Manas Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Assam.

Q25. In cryopreservation, which of the following chemicals is used to freeze materials to be preserved?

• 1) Sodium
• 2) Nitrogen
• 3) Water
• 4) Carbon dioxide

Solution

In cryopreservation, liquid nitrogen at −196°C is used to freeze materials to be preserved.

Q26. Which one is hotspot of bio-diversity?

• 1) Indogangetic
• 2) Western Ghats
• 3) Eastern Ghats
• 4) Aravalli Hills

Solution

In India, there are three hot spots- Indo Burma, Himalayas and Western Ghats. Western Ghats is spread over 1600 km that contains tropical evergreen rainforests. It has a wide range of endemic species as well as richness of richness of species of flowering plants, amphibians, reptiles.

Q27. Red data books are produced by:

• 1) None of these
• 2) WWF
• 3) IBWL
• 4) IUCN

Solution

Red Data Book is maintained by International Union of Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). Now it is called World Conservation Union which maintains a list of species that are at the risk of extinction.

Q28. A taxon which is facing an extremely high risk of extinct in the wild in immediate future is known as

• 1) Critically endangered
• 2) Exotic
• 3) Rare
• 4) Vulnerable

Solution

The species facing an extremely high risk of extinct in the wild in immediate future is known as critically endangered species.

Q29. Which of the following is not a cause for loss of biodiversity?

• 1) Over- exploitation of natural resources.
• 2) Destruction of habitat
• 3) Keeping animals in zoological parks
• 4) Invasion by alien species

Solution

Loss of biodiversity is caused due to destruction of species habitat, introduction of alien species and over-exploitation of natural resources. The zoological parks are a boon to biodiversity as it is very safe and secure for the exotic species. There is no loss of biodiversity.

Q30. Sacred grooves are specially useful in

• 1) Year- round flow of water in rivers
• 2) Generating environmental awareness
• 3) Conserving rare and threatened species
• 4) Preventing soil erosion

Solution

Sacred grooves are the forest trees that are worshipped by the native tribal of the forest which are maintained by the state government or central government. The reason for the protection and conservation of sacred grooves is that the grooves are rich in endemic species, which are very rare and face the risk of extinction if encroached.

Q31. India has how many national parks?

• 1) 120
• 2) 46
• 3) 54
• 4) 89

Solution

India has 89 national parks, 500 wildlife sanctuaries, 14 biosphere reserves, 6 wetlands and 5 world heritage sites.

Q32. Why is genetic variation important in the plant Rauwolfia vomitoria?

Solution

Genetic variation affects the production of the drug reserpine in the medicinal plant Rauwolfia.

Q33. The species of animals protected in Kaziranga sanctuary is

• 1) Panthera leo
• 2) Macaca mullata
• 3) Rhinocersos unicornis
• 4) Panthera tigris

Solution

Due to heavy poaching and hunting of Indian rhinoceros in Kaziranga National Park, it caused threat to its population. So Rhinocersos unicornis is protected with the help of WWF and Assam Government.

Q34. Kanha National Park is located in …………….. and is famous for …………………….

• 1) Madhya Pradesh, tiger
• 2) Assam, elephant
• 3) Odisha, tiger
• 4) Madhya Pradesh, elephant

Solution

Kanha National Park is located in Madhya Pradesh, which is famous for the dominance of male tigers. Other than tigers, it is also famous for panther, spotted dear, nilgai etc.

Q35. Give three hypotheses for explaining why tropics show great levels of species richness. 

Solution

The three hypotheses for explaining why tropics show great levels of species richness are- (a) Speciation is a function of time and tropical latitudes have remained undisturbed for millions of years, thus had a long evolutionary time for species diversification. (b) Tropical environments are less seasonal, relatively more constant and predictable. Such environments promote niche specialization and lead to greater species diversity. (c) There is more solar energy present in the tropics which leads to higher productivity and in turn greater diversity.

Q36. Alpha diversity in a community refers to

• 1) Diversity of all the different communities in the given region
• 2) Diversity of organisms
• 3) Diversity between communities
• 4) None of the above

Solution

In a community, alpha diversity is the diversity observed between organisms, i.e. the number of species found in the community. The diversity observed between communities is termed beta diversity and the diversity of habitats in the entire region is known as gamma diversity.

Q37. India has more than 50,000 strains of rice. Mention the level of biodiversity it represents.

Solution

50,000 strains of rice represent species biodiversity because the strains represent variety of species and their relative abundance. 

Q38. Which animals is the symbol of the World Wildlife Fund?

• 1) White bear
• 2) Horn bill
• 3) Tiger
• 4) Red Panda

Solution

Red Panda is the symbol of World Wildlife Fund. Red Panda is selected due to its extinction being caused by human interference. WWF creates community awareness for the Red Panda by acting with yak herders to reduce human impact on panda.

Q39. What is the ecological importance of biodiversity?

Solution

The ecological importance of biodiversity are- (a)Biodiversity is required for maintaining and sustainable use of goods and services from ecosystem. (b) Various insects help in pollination. (c) Various micro-organisms help in the decomposition of organic matter thereby increasing the soil fertility. (d) Various drugs and medicines are extracted from plants.

Q40. What are seed banks?

Solution

The collections of seeds of many different genetic strains of commercially important plants that are kept viable for longer periods in place are called seed banks.

Q41. What is the difference between endemic and exotic species? 

Solution

Endemic species are restricted to a particular geographical region whereas exotic species are introduced into new areas from their native geographical region.

Q42. MAB stands for :

• 1) Mammals and Biosphere
• 2) Mammals and biology programme
• 3) Man and Biology programme
• 4) Man and Biosphere programme

Solution

MAB stands for Man and Biosphere programme, which is an international biological programme of UNESCO, started in 1971 but was introduced in India in 1986. MAB focused on human environment, biodiversity conservation strategies.

Q43. The National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources is located at

• 1) New Delhi
• 2) Tamil Nadu
• 3) Haryana
• 4) Mumbai

Solution

The National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources which works for the conservation of plant and animal resources in India is located at Haryana.

Q44. Biodiversity must be conserved as it plays an important role in many ecosystem services that nature provides. Explain any two services of the ecosystem.

Solution

The two services of the ecosystem are- (a) Forest ecosystem purifies air, mitigate droughts and floods. (b) The cycling nutrients generate fertile soil and maintain biodiversity.

Q45. Alien species are a threat to native species. Justify taking examples of an animal and a plant alien species.

Solution

The species that have been introduced from another geographic region to an area outside its natural range are called alien species or exotic species. For example (i) Parthenium, Lantana and Eicchornia are the alien species of plants that have invaded the native species of India and caused environmental damage. (ii) Introduction of African catfish Clarias gariepinus for aquaculture purpose is posing threat to many indigenous catfish. (iii) Nile perch introduced into lake Victoria in East Africa led to the extinction of cichlid fish.

Q46. Explain giving one example, how co-extinction is one of the causes of loss of biodiversity. List the three other causes also. 

Solution

When a species becomes extinct, the plant and animal species associated with it in an obligatory may also become extinct. This is called co-extinction. For example, when a host fish species becomes extinct, its unique assemblage of parasites also becomes extinct. Three other causes are- (a) Habitat loss and fragmentation (b) Over-exploitation (c) Alien species invasion

Q47. (i) What is biodiversity? Why is it a matter of concern now? (ii) Satish heard about red data book in a TV programme on conservation of natural resources. He wanted to know in detail about this book so he discussed it with biology teacher who explained to him about this. Read the above passage and answer the following questions: (a) What is Red Data Book? (b) What is the utility of this document? (c) Who publishes this book?

Solution

(i) Biodiversity is the occurrence of different types of genes, gene pools, species, habitats and ecosystems in a particular space and various parts of earth. It is a matter of concern because species are continuously lost, limiting the diversity and this will affect our survival and well-being on earth due to the changes in environment. (ii) (a) Red Data Book is a document in which the lists of species are published whose continued existence is threatened.  (b) The basic utility is to create awareness about the importance of threatened biodiversity and to identify the endangered species. (c) International Union of Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) publishes the Red Data Book. Now IUCN is called World Conservation Union.

Q48. What do you mean by conservation of biodiversity? What are its objectives?

Solution

Conservation may be defined as a technique of deriving maximum advantages from the biosphere without degrading its conservation. The three main objectives are- (a) To maintain essential ecological processes and life supporting systems like air, water and soil. (b) To preserve the diversity of species and the range of genetic material of world’s organisms. (c) To ensure a continuous use of species and ecosystem this will support the rural communities and urban industries.

Q49. What is cryopreservation? Write the importance of cryopreservation in conservation of biodiversity.

Solution

Cryopreservation is a technique of preserving sperms, eggs, animal cells, tissues and embryos at very low temperature of around -196 degree centigrade in liquid nitrogen. By cryopreservation, the reproductive parts of rare species can be preserved.

Q50. How do religious beliefs help in the conservation of biodiversity? 

Solution

There are sacred grooves that are worshipped and are maintained by state or central government. These plants are considered sacred for the religious ceremonies. The tribal people have built temples. For example, in Kumaon area, temples are generally surrounded by Deodar forests and are protected by the people of that area. A number of water bodies are also held sacred, for example, Pushkar Lake in Rajasthan. Their aquatic flora and fauna are protected from exploitation.

Q51. What are endangered species? How many animals and plants are endangered in India?

Solution

A species is endangered when its populations have decreased or habitats have been reduced to the levels that pose immediate danger of extinction. They are not likely to survive if the factors threatening their extinction continue. 54 animals and 113 plants are endangered in India.  

Q52. A particular species of wild cat is endangered. In order to save them from extinction, which is a desirable approach in situ or ex situ? Justify your answer. 

Solution

Ex situ is a desirable approach to protect the wild cat. The organism is protected outside their natural habitat where special care is taken to protect them. By using cryopreservation techniques, gametes of threatened species can be preserved under very low temperature.