BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION
Q1. Read the following and answer questions given below:
Ex-Situ Conservation: In this approach, threatened animals and plants are taken out from their natural habitat and placed in
special setting where they can be protected and given special care. Zoological parks, botanical gardens and wildlife safari parks
serve this purpose. There are many animals that have become extinct in the wild but continue to be maintained in zoological
parks. In recent years ex situ conservation has advanced beyond keeping threatened species in enclosures. Now gametes of
threatened species can be preserved in viable and fertile condition for long periods using cryopreservation techniques, eggs can
be fertilised in vitro, and plants can be propagated using tissue culture methods. Seeds of different genetic strains of
commercially important plants can be kept for long periods in seed banks. Biodiversity knows no political boundaries and its
conservation is therefore a collective responsibility of all nations. The historic Convention on Biological Diversity (‘The Earth
Summit’) held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, called upon all nations to take appropriate measures for conservation of biodiversity
and sustainable utilisation of its benefits. In a follow-up, the World Summit on Sustainable Development held in 2002 in
Johannesburg, South Africa, 190 countries pledged their commitment to achieve by 2010, a significant reduction in the current
rate of biodiversity loss at global, regional and local levels.
(i) What was the outcome of the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro?
(ii) For endangered species, Ex-situ conservation is a method that is?
(iii) Which one of the following is related to ex-situ conservation of threatened animals and plants?
(iv) World summit on sustainable development of 2002 was held in
Q2. How is biodiversity at all levels generally conserved ?
Q3. What kind of threat to biodiversity may lead to its loss
Q4. “Stability of a community depends on its species richness.” Write how did David Tilman show this experimentally
Q5. (a) State how ex-situ conservation helps in protecting biodiversity. Name four types of ex-situ methods.
(b) Explain the importance of sacred groves
Q6. Many plant and animal species are on the verge of their extinction because of loss of forest land by indiscriminate use by
the humans.
(a) Why there is a need to conserve biodiversity?
(b) Mention a method that you would suggest to protect such threatened species from getting extinct.
(c) Alien species are highly invasive and are a threat to indigenous species. Substantiate this statement with any two examples.
Q7. Which of the following is not an example of in situ conservation? (a) Biosphere reserves (b) National parks (c) Wildlife
sanctuaries (d) Zoological parks
Q8. Assertion : Offsite collections can be used to restock depleted populations, reintroduce species in the wild and restore
degraded habitats. Reason : In situ conservation refers to the conservation of endangered species in their natural habitats.
Q9. Assertion : Biodiversity hotspots are the regions which possess low levels of species richness, high degree of endemism and
no loss to habitats. Reason : Total number of biodiversity hotspots in the world is 34 with three of these hotspots found in India.
Q10. Name and describe any three causes of biodiversity losses.
Q11. The most important human activity, leading to the extinction of wildlife, is (a) pollution of air and water (b) hunting for
valuable wildlife products (c) introduction of alien species (d) alteration and destruction of the natural habitats
Q12. The sacred groves of Aravalli Hills and Ooty botanical garden both aim at biodiversity conservation. How do they differ in
their approaches? Explain
Q13. Which one of these is not included in the biodiversity hotspots of India? (a) Western Ghats (b) Himalayas (c) Indo-Burma
(d) North Indian Plains
Q14. Observe the global proportionate number of vertebrate diversity in the figure given below and answer the questions.
(a) Name the group that has : (i) the highest representation. (ii) the lowest representation.
(b) Mention the percentage of vertebrates that are (i) Oviparous (ii) Avians
Q15. Assertion : If the species-area relationships are analysed among very large areas like the entire continents, the value of Z
i.e., slope of line lies in the range of D.1 to 0.2. Reason : The value of Z for frugivorous birds and mammals in the tropical forests
is found to be 1.15.
Q16. There are many animals that have become extinct in the wild but continue to be maintained in Zoological parks. (a) What
type of biodiversity conservation is observed in this case? (b) Explain any other two ways which help in this type of conservation
Q17. Assertion : Many endemic species are seen to flourish in sacred forests. Reason : Sacred forests are undisturbed forest
patches and biodiversity rich areas.
Q18. The Species area graph show species-area relationship. Write the equation of the curve ‘a’ and explain and draw it.
Q19. How does over-exploitation of beneficial species affect biodiversity? Explain with the help of one example.
Q20. Which of the following is an example of ex situ conservation? (a) Sacred Groves (b) National Park (c) Biosphere Reserve (d)
Seed Bank
Q21. (a) There was loss of biodiversity in an ecosystem due to a new construction project in that area. What would be its impact
on the ecosystem? State any three. (b) List any three major causes of loss of biodiversity
Q22. What are the two types of desirable approaches to conserve biodiversity? Explain with examples bringing out the
difference between the two types
Q23. Give points in Ramsar sites
Q24. Which will have greater biodiversity: Columbia , Greenland or new York and why?
Q25. Define genetic, species and ecological diversity with 2 e.g
Q26. Why does Africa has greater diversity? Give 4 reasons
Q27. Explain the rivet pooper hypothesis
Q28. How does value of z vary in different conditions. What does it signify
Q29. What is evil quartret. Explain giving examples
