BIODIVERSITY & CONSERVATION

BIODIVERSITY & CONSERVATION Term given by –W.G Rosen, Popularized by Edward Wilson

1st earth summit-1992, Rio-de-Jenario, Brazil

2nd earth summit-2002, Johannesburg, S.Africa

World Biodiversity Day- 22nd May

World Biodiversity Year- 2010

Some terms-

Species- Individuals able to inter-breed ad produce fertile offspring.

Traits- Any kind of morphological, anatomical, physiological and biochemical character

in different individuals of a species.

Strain/Variety/Breed- The group of individuals of a species having similar kinds of traits.

Genome- Sum total of all the alleles, genes, chromosome present in a haploid cell or a

gamete or doated by one parent

Human Genome (n) =23

Germ Plasm- Sum total of all the alleles/genes/chromosome present in diploid

cell/somatic diploid cell of an organism or a variety or a crop.

Human Germplasm (2n) = 46

Its collection as seeds or a plant or tissue or somatic cell is known as germ plasm collection.

Gene pool- Sum total of alleles/genes/ and chromosomes present in total population of

a species.

TYPES OF BIODIVERSITY 1. Genetic diversity

2. Species diversity

3. Community/Ecosystem diversity

Genetic Diversity

The diversity of alleles/genes and chromosomes within the gene pool of population of a

species.

Genetic diversity is the basis of creation of variety/strain/breed in nature and in

breeding programs.

More the genetic diversity, more the traits and more the adaptation in individual of

species.

Gene Erosion- Loss of gene pool due to death of individuals of a species.

In India, highest genetic diversity in rice- naturally occurring 50, 000 strains or variety.

o Wheat-25, 000 strains

o Mango- 1100-1200 strains

At Himalayas many strain of plants, Rauwolfia vomitoria are found which have different

concentration of drug-Reserpine.

Species Diversity-Variety of species & degree of evenness/equitability

The Western ghats have a greater amphibian species diversity than Eastern ghats

Community/Ecosystem Diversity (α, β, γ)

At the ecosystem level, India, for instance, with its deserts, rain forests, mangroves,

coral reefs, wetlands, estuaries, and alpine meadows has a greater ecosystem diversity

than a Scandinavian country like Norway.

Alpha (α) Diversity- species diversity within a community

Beta (β) Diversity- species diversity between two communities

Gama (γ) Diversity- species diversity over the landscape

MAGNITUDE OF BIODIVERSITY- Across the globe- According to IUCN 2004- 1.5 million species.

1.5 Million Species

Animal species-70%

Insect sp.-70%Plant species-22%

Fungi>Angiosperm>Algae>Moss>Fern>Lichens

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources

(IUCN) (2004), the total number of plant and animal species described so far is slightly

more than 1.5 million, but we have no clear idea of how many species are yet to be

discovered and described.

Estimates vary widely and many of them are only educated guesses.

For many taxonomic groups, species inventories are more complete in temperate than

in tropical countries.

Considering that an overwhelmingly large proportion of the species waiting to be

discovered are in the tropics, biologists make a statistical comparison of the temperate-

tropical species richness of an exhaustively studied group of insects and extrapolate this

ratio to other groups of animals and plants to come up with a gross estimate of the total

number of species on earth.

Some extreme estimates range from 20 to 50 million, but a more conservative and

scientifically sound estimate made by Robert May places the global species diversity at

about 7 million

Across India

India shares only 2.4% world land area.

India’s share in global Biodiversity -8.1%species so India included in 12 Mega

biodiversity countries of world.

India has 10 biogeographical regions, largest is Deccan peninsula -42% land area.

But highest Biodiversity at - North East Himalaya

Western-Ghat- Sri Lanka

Indo-Burma- These are three biodiversity hotspots in

India.

In India, plant species- 45, 000 and animal species- 90, 000

In India, high degree of endemism

Endemic Plant Species-33%

Endemic Amphibian Species-60%

Endemic Fish Species- 53%

Endemic Reptile Species-36%

Endemic Mammal Species-10%

How many living species are actually there waiting to be discovered and named? If we

accept May’s global estimates, only 22 per cent of the total species have been recorded

so far.

Applying this proportion to India’s diversity figures, we estimate that there are probably

more than 1,00,000 plant species and more than 3,00,000 animal species yet to be

discovered and described.

Would we ever be able to complete the inventory of the biological wealth of our

country? Consider the immense trained manpower (taxonomists) and the time required

to complete the job.

The situation appears more hopeless when we realise that a large fraction of these

species faces the threat of becoming extinct even before we discover them.

Nature’s biological library is burning even before we catalogued the titles of all the

books stocked there

Biodiversity Hotspot- Concept by Norman Myers Criteria- High biodiversity

High degree of Endemism - In world 34 in less than 2% area

High degree of threat - In India- 3

Gradient of Biodiversity-

Latitudinal gradients : The diversity of plants and animals is not uniform throughout the

world but shows a rather uneven distribution.

For many group of animals or plants, there are interesting patterns in diversity, the most

well- known being the latitudinal gradient in diversity.

In general, species diversity decreases as we move away from the equator towards the

poles.

With very few exceptions, tropics (latitudinal range of 23.5° N to 23.5° S) harbour more

species than temperate or polar areas.

o Columbia situated near equator-1400 Bird species

o India 23°N-1200 Bird species

o New York 41°N-105 Bird species

o Green Land 71°N -56 Bird species

A forest in a tropical region like Ecuador, has up to 10 times as many species of vascular

plants as a forest of equal area in a temperate region like the Midwest of the USA.

Highest Biodiversity- Tropical Rainforest/Amazon Forest (Lungs of Earth=20% global

O2 production)- South America

o Plant species- 45,000

o Invertebrate species- 1,25,000

o Fish species- 3000

o Bird species- 1300

o Amphibian species- 427

o Mammal species- 427

o Reptile species- 378

Q. Why trophic have higher biodiversity than temperate areas?

Ans. Undisturbed habitats since million of years. Less seasonal variations or stable

environmental condition, provides time foe species niche specification. High availability of solar

radiation.

Species- Area Relationship- by Alexander Von Humbolt During his pioneering and extensive explorations in the wilderness of South American

jungles, the great German naturalist and geographer Alexander von Humboldt observed

that within a region species richness increased with increasing explored area, but only

up to a limit. In fact, the relation between species richness and area for a wide variety of

taxa (angiosperm plants, birds, bats, freshwater fishes) turns out to be a rectangular

hyperbola

A- Area

S- Species richness

Z- Slope in line

C- Y- intercept

Value of ‘z’= slope of line

If value of ‘z’ high, slope/steeper Ness- high per unit area species diversity high

If value of ‘z’ low slope/steeper Ness- low, per unit area species diversity low

o Generally- ‘z’ = 0.1-0.2

o For large area ‘z’ = 0.6-1.2

o For Frugivore bird species

Over the continents ‘z’= 1.15

The importance of Species Diversity to the Ecosystem Does the number of species in a community really matter to the functioning of the

ecosystem? This is a question for which ecologists have not been able to give a

definitive answer.

For many decades, ecologists believed that communities with more species, generally,

tend to be more stable than those with less species. What exactly is stability for a

biological community?

A stable community should not show too much variation in productivity from year to

year; it must be either resistant or resilient to occasional disturbances (natural or

man-made), and it must also be resistant to invasions by alien species.

S=CAz

Log S = log C + Z

logA

We don’t know how these attributes are linked to species richness in a community, but

David Tilman’s long-term ecosystem experiments using outdoor plots provide some

tentative answers.

Tilman found that plots with more species showed less year-to-year variation in total

biomass. He also showed that in his experiments, increased diversity contributed to

higher productivity.

Although, we may not understand completely how species richness contributes to the

well-being of an ecosystem, we know enough to realise that rich biodiversity is not only

essential for ecosystem health but imperative for the very survival of the human race on

this planet.

At a time when we are losing species at an alarming pace, one might ask–

Does it really matter to us if a few species become extinct?

Would Western Ghats ecosystems be less functional if one of its tree frog species is lost

forever?

How is our quality of life affected if, say, instead of 20,000 we have only 15,000 species

of ants on earth?

There are no direct answers to such näive questions but we can develop a proper

perspective through an analogy (the ‘rivet popper hypothesis’) used by Stanford

ecologist Paul Ehrlich. In an airplane (ecosystem) all parts are joined together using

thousands of rivets (species). If every passenger travelling in it starts popping a rivet to

take home (causing a species to become extinct), it may not affect flight safety (proper

functioning of the ecosystem) initially, but as more and more rivets are removed, the

plane becomes dangerously weak over a period of time. Furthermore, which rivet is

removed may also be critical. Loss of rivets on the wings (key species that drive major

ecosystem functions) is obviously a more serious threat to flight safety than loss of a

few rivets on the seats or windows inside the plane.

Why Should We Conserve Biodiversity? There are many reasons, some obvious and others not so obvious, but all equally

important. They can be grouped into three categories: narrowly utilitarian, broadly

utilitarian, and ethical.

Utilities of Biodiversity

Narrow utilities

Food

Fodder

Fuel

Fiber

Fertilizer

Wood/Timber

Rubber

Drugs- More than 25 per cent of the drugs currently sold in the market

worldwide are derived from plants and 25,000 species of plants contribute

to the traditional medicines used by native peoples around the world.

Nobody knows how many more medicinally useful plants there are in

tropical rain forests waiting to be explored.

With increasing resources put into ‘bioprospecting’ (exploring molecular,

genetic and species-level diversity for products of economic importance),

nations endowed with rich biodiversity can expect to reap enormous

benefits.

Breeding programme

Broad utilities/Ecosystem services-

Global O2 production

Habitat for wildlife

Climate regulation

Soil formation and conservation

Water purification and conservation

Energy flow and nutrient cycling

Natural biological control

o Robert Constanza and his colleagues gives price tag for ecosystem services

o Annual cost of all services is- 34 trillion US $/yr (world GNP- 18 trillion US $/yr)

Cost of various ecosystem services

o Soil formation and conservation -50%of Annual cost

o Habitat for wildlife- 6% of annual cost

o Climate Regulation- 6% of annual cost

o Nutrient cycling and Recreation- Less than 10% of annual cost

Cultural and Aesthetic

The ethical argument for conserving biodiversity relates to what we owe to millions of

plant, animal and microbe species with whom we share this planet.

Philosophically or spiritually, we need to realise that every species has an intrinsic value,

even if it may not be of current or any economic value to us.

We have a moral duty to care for their well-being and pass on our biological legacy in

good order to future generations

Threats on Biodiversity- Types of species Extinction- According to IUCN

Natural/Background Extinction

Mass Extinction

Anthropogenic Extinction- Man made

This is 6th Mass Extinction

100-1000 times faster than earlier 5 mass extinction

Susceptibility of Extinction-According to IUCN

o Large body size- Ex- whale, Rhino

o Feeding on high trophic levels- Ex- Tiger, Eagle

o Low biotic potential

o Narrow range of distribution

Species Extinction-

o According to IUCN -2004

o In last 500 years, 784 species Extinct (including 338 vertebrates, 359 invertebrates

and 87 plants)

o In last 20 years, 27 species are extinct and about 15,500 species are facing the

threat of extinction.

Amphibians- 32%

Gymnosperms species-31%

Mammal species-23%

Bird species- 12%

Some extinct species-

o Dodo- Mauritius

o Quagga- Africa

o Thylacine- Australia

o Steller’s Sea cow- Russia

o Passenger Pigeon- North America

o Tiger varieties (Bali, Javan, Caspian)- Indian sub-continent

Effects of loss of species diversity on community

(a) decline in plant production,

(b) lowered resistance to environmental perturbations such as drought and

(c) increased variability in certain ecosystem processes such as plant

productivity, water use, and pest and disease cycles.

Dodo Quagga Thylacine

Stiller’s sea cow Bali, Javan, Caspian Tiger Passenger’s pigeon

Cause of Species Extinction- According to IUCN- Evil Quartet

o Habitat loss and fragmentation-

This is the most important cause driving animals and plants to extinction

EX- Tropical rain forest was on 14% land area of world, now restricted to

only 6% land area. The Amazon rain forest (it is so huge that it is called the

‘lungs of the planet’) harbouring probably millions of species is being cut

and cleared for cultivating soya beans or for conversion to grasslands for

raising beef cattle.

Besides total loss, the degradation of many habitats by pollution also

threatens the survival of many species.

When large habitats are broken up into small fragments due to various

human activities, mammals and birds requiring large territories and certain

animals with migratory habits are badly affected, leading to population

declines.

o Over Exploitation

Humans have always depended on nature for food and shelter, but when

‘need’ turns to ‘greed’, it leads to over -exploitation of natural resources

Ex- Passenger pigeon, Steller’s sea cow, Tiger varieties

Presently many marine fish populations around the world are over

harvested, endangering the continued existence of some commercially

important species.

o Alien species Invasion-

When alien species are introduced unintentionally or deliberately for

whatever purpose, some of them turn invasive, and cause decline or

extinction of indigenous species.

Ex- At East Africa, in Victoria Lake. Introduction of Nile perch, leads to

extinction of 200 species of native Cichild fishes.

In Indian rivers, introduction of African Cat fish Clarias gariepinus, leads to

threat of extinction of native Indian Cat fishes

Parthenium [Carrot grass], Lantana, Eichhornia (Terror of Bengal), Prosopis

julifora are other alien species in India.

o Co-Extinction

When a species becomes extinct, the plant and animal species associated

with it in an obligatory way also become extinct.

When a host fish species becomes extinct, its unique assemblage of

parasites also meets the same fate.

Another example is the case of a coevolved plant-pollinator mutualism

where extinction of one invariably leads to the extinction of the other.

Parthenium Lantana Prosopis Julifora

African Cat fish Nile perch Elephant Panther

Great Indian Bustard Vulture Hangul Deer

Biodiversity Conservation

In situ conservation–

Faced with the conflict between development and conservation, many nations find it

unrealistic and economically not feasible to conserve all their biological wealth.

Invariably, the number of species waiting to be saved from extinction far exceeds the

conservation resources available.

On a global basis, this problem has been addressed by eminent conservationists.

They identified for maximum protection certain ‘biodiversity hotspots’ regions with

very high levels of species richness and high degree of endemism (that is, species

confined to that region and not found anywhere else).

Initially 25 biodiversity hotspots were identified but subsequently nine more have

been added to the list, bringing the total number of biodiversity hotspots in the world

to 34.

These hotspots are also regions of accelerated habitat loss. Three of these hotspots –

Western Ghats and Sri Lanka, Indo-Burma and Himalaya – cover our country’s

exceptionally high biodiversity regions.

Biodiversity Conservation

In situ/On site

- National parks

-Wildlife Sanctutaries

- Biosphere Reserve

- Biodiversity Hotspots

- Sacred forest/Grooves/Lakes

Ex Situ/ Off site

- Home/Gaoden

- Sacred plants

- Botanical garden

- Zoological garden

- Safari parks-Cryptopreservation

- Arborata- Tissue culture

- Field Banks

- Seed banks

- Gene banks

Although all the biodiversity hotspots put together cover less than 2 per cent of the

earth’s land area, the number of species they collectively harbour is extremely high and

strict protection of these hotspots could reduce the ongoing mass extinctions by almost

30 per cent.

In India, ecologically unique and biodiversity-rich regions are legally protected as

biosphere reserves, national parks and sanctuaries.

India now has 14 (now 18) biosphere reserves, 90 (now 104) national parks and 448

(now 566) wildlife sanctuaries.

India has also a history of religious and cultural traditions that emphasised protection of

nature.

In many cultures, tracts of forest were set aside, and all the trees and wildlife within

were venerated and given total protection. Such sacred groves are found in Khasi and

Jaintia Hills in Meghalaya, Aravalli Hills of Rajasthan, Western Ghat regions of

Karnataka and Maharashtra and the Sarguja, Chanda and Bastar areas of Madhya

Pradesh. In Meghalaya, the sacred groves are the last refuges for a large number of rare

and threatened plants.

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.

Some important National Parks of India-

Critically Endangered- A taxon is critically endangered when it is facing an extremely high risk

of extinction in wild- in immediate future

Endangered- A taxon is endangered when facing an extremely high risk of extinction in wild in

near future

Vulnerable- A taxon is vulnerable when it is facing an extremely high risk of extinction in wild

in medium term future

Threatened= E + V + R

Rare- A taxon is considered as rare localized in very narrow or restricted geographical region

with very small population size.

CHECK YOUR CONCEPT

1. What is Biodiversity referred to as?

(A) species in a region

(B) genes & species in a region

(C) Genetic, species & ecological diversity in a region

(D) Genes and species in an ecosystem

2. Threats to biodiversity comes from –

(A) Habitat loss (B) Over exploitation

(C) Intensive agriculture (D) All

3. The diversity of organism sharing the same habitat or community is termed as ……..

(A) Alpha (B) Beta (C) Gamma (D) Delta

4. Which one of the following are two hot spots of biodiversity in India?

(A) Western ghats & North eastern Himalayas

(B) Deccan and Western Ghats

(C) Himalayan and Deccan Plateau

(D) Western Ghats and Gangetic Plains

5. What is the affect of species diversity, as one moves from high to low altitudes.

(A) Increases

(B) Decreases

(C) First increases then decreases

(D) First decreases then increases

6. Which of the following is not an example of in-situ conservation?

(A) Biosphere Reserves (B) National Parks

(C) Wildlife Sanctuaries (D) Zoos and botanical gardens

7. In which part of biosphere reserves human settlement is permissible?

(A) Buffer Zone (B) Transition Zone

(C) Core Zone (D) Settlement not allowed

8. As estimated by Robert May, what is the total number of species present on earth ?

(A) 3 million (B) 5 million (C) 7 million (D) 9 million

9. Species diversity ______. as we move away from the equator towards the poles.

(A) Increases

(B) Decreases

(C) First increases then decreases

(D) First decreases then increases

10. When was biodiversity Act of India passed by Parliament?

(A) 1992 (B) 1996 (C) 2000 (D) 2002

11. What are the total number of hot spots present in the world?

(A) 25 (B) 29 (C) 34 (D) 39

12. Which of the following phyla has largest number of species?

(A) Arthropoda (B) Echinodermata

(C) Cephalochordate (D) Annelida

13. What is the approximate percentage of the earth covered by terrestrial hot spots?

(A) 1.5 % (less than 2%) (B) 2.5% (C) 3.5% (D) 4.5%

14. In which year Convention on Biodiversity came into force?

(A) 1992 (B) 1993 (C) 1994 (D) 1995

15. Which is not an objective of Convention on Biodiversity?

(A) Conservation of Biodiversity

(B) Sustainable use of Biodiversity

(C) Fair and equitable sharing of profits arising out of genetic resources

(D) Selective hunting of dangerous and threatening species

16. Sacred groves in India are found in -

(A) Jaintia hills of Karnataka

(B) Western Ghat regions of Tamil Nadu.

(C) Aravalli hills of Meghalaya

(D) Bastar areas of Chattisgarh.

17. The term “The Evil Quartet” is related with

(A) four major causes of forest loss

(B) four major causes of population explosion

(C) four major causes of air pollution

(D) four major causes of biodiversity losses.

18. Given below are four statement (A-D) each with one or two blanks. Select the option which correctly fills up the blanks in two statements.

(a) The number of species per unit area is called (i) and number of

individuals of different species represent (ii) .

(b) Sumderlal Bahuguna started the (i) which resisted deforestation.

(c) (i) contains a record of animals and plants which are known to be in

danger and it is maintained by (ii) .

(d) (i) diversity is a species diversity in a given community and

(ii) diversity is present in ranges of communities over a total

geographical area.

(A) (d) – (i) Alpha, (ii) gamma; (a) – (i) species richness, (ii) species evenness

(B) (a) – (i) species evenness, (ii) species richness; (B) – (i) Chipko movement

(C) (b) – (i) chipko movement; (c) - (i) Herbarium, (ii) UNDP.

(D) (c) – (i) Red data book, (ii) MAB; (d) – (i) Gamma, (ii) beta

19. The narrowly utilitarian arguments for conserving the biodiversity include which of the following from the given list ?

(i) Industrial products like dyes, lubricants.

(ii) Ecosystem services like photosynthesis

(iii) Pollinators layer of bees birds and bats.

(iv) Firewood, fibre and construction material.

(v) The aesthetic pleasure of walking through thick grass

(vi) Products of medicinal importance.

(vii) Watching spring flowers in full bloom.

(viii) Our moral duty to care for the well-being of each species.

(A) (i), (ii), (v) and (vii) (B) (ii), (iii), (v) and (vii)

(C) (i), (iv) and (vi) (D) (iii), (v), (vii) and (viii)

20. Which of the following is incorrectly matched ?

(A) alpha diversity – number of species in a given habitat.

(B) genetic diversity – variation of genes within species

(C) beta-diversity of habitat in the whole region

(D) species diversity – product species richness & evenness

21. Given below are pie diagrams A, B and C related to proportionate number of species of major taxa of invertebrates, vertebrates and plants respectively. Critically study and fill in the blanks I, II, III, and IV

(A) I – Mollusca, II – Amphibians, III – Fungi, IV – Angiosperms

(B) I – Mollusca, II – Amphibians, III – Angiosperms, IV – fungi

(C) I – Hexapods, II – Amphibians, III – Fungi, IV – Angiosperms

(D) I – Turtles, II – Amphibians, III – Fungi, IV – Angiosperms

22. Which of the following countries has the highest biodiversity?

(A) Brazil (B) South Africa (C) Russia (D) India

23.

Which of the following boxes show maximum, greater and minimum diversity.

(A) A – Minimum diversity, B – Greater diversity, C – Maximum diversity

(B) A – Maximum diversity, B – Greater diversity, C – Minimum diversity

(C) A – Maximum diversity, B – Maximum diversity, C – Greater diversity

(D) A – Minimum diversity, B – Maximum diversity, C – Greater diversity

24. An endemic species is

(A) one found in many different geographic areas.

(B) one found naturally in just one geographic area.

(C) one found only on islands.

(D) one that has been introduced to a new geographic area.

25. A keystone species is one that

(A) has a higher likelihood of extinction than a non keystone species.

(B) exerts a strong influence on an ecosystem.

(C) causes other species to become extinct.

(D) has a weak influence on an ecosystem.

26. When the last member of a particular species dies, the species is said to be _________.

(A) isolated (B) endangered (C) diversified (D) extinct

27. Which of these statements is true?

(A) Biodiversity tends to increase as you get closer to the equator

(B) Tropical regions of Earth contain very few of the world’s land species.

(C) Coral reefs tend to be less biologically diverse than temperate deciduous forests.

(D) Cold climates have greater amounts of biodiversity than warm climates.

28. The concept of Hot-Spot was first introduced by

(A) Mayer (B) Simpson (C) Myers (D) David

29. Biodiversity loss occurs due to –

A. Habitat loss and fragmentation B. Co-extinction

C. over-exploitation D. Alien species invasion.

(A) A, B (B) A, B, C (C) B, C, D (D) A, B, C, D

30. The characters of a stable community –

A. It shall not show too many variations in year to-year productivity.

B. It must be either resistance or resilient to seasonal disturbance.

C. It must be resistant to invasion by alien species.

D. None

(A) A, B (B) A, B, C (C) B, C (D) D

31. The impacts of loss of biodiversity include –

A. Decrease in plant production.

B. Lowered resistance to environmental perturbation

C. Increased variability in ecosystem processes like water use, pest / disease cycle, plants productivity.

D. All

32. Which of the following statements describe natural extinction?

A. Extinctions by human activities.

B. Slow replacement of existing species

C. Also known as background extinction

D. A small population is most likely to be extinct.


33. The reasons behind conserving biodiversity can be group into categories which include –

A. Narrowly utilitarian B. Broadly utilitarian

C. Ethical utilitarian D. No utilitarian

(A) A, B (B) A, B, C (C) B, C (D) D

34. In situ conservation strategies include –

A. Biosphere reserve B. National park

C. Wildlife sanctuaries D. sacred forests / lakes


35. Ex situ strategies include –

A. Botanical garden B. Zoos

C. Seed / Pollen banks D. Gene bank and tissue culture


36. A. More than 70 percent of all the species recorded are animals.

B. Out of every 10 animals on this planet, 7 are insects.

C. The number of fungi species in the world is more than the combined total of the species of fishes, amphibians, reptiles and mammals.

D. Number of fishes is very less than that of mammals.

(A) All correct (B) All incorrect

(C) A, B and C are correct (D) Only D is correct

37. According to the concept of species area relations –

(A) The number of species in an area increases with the size of the area

(B) Larger species require larger habitat areas than do smaller species.

(C) Most species within any given area are endemic.

(D) The larger the area, the greater area are endemic.

38. Which is / are correct about Amazon rain forest?

A. It is called Lungs of the planet.

B. It is being cut and cleared for cultivating soya beans or for conversion to grasslands for raising beef cattle.

C. The largely tropical rain forest in South America has highest biodiversity on earth

D. It harbours probably million of species.


39. Select the correct statement(s).

A. India has more than 50,000 genetically different strains of rice

B. India has 1000 varieties of mango

C. The genetic variation in Rauwolfia vomitoria can be in terms of conc and potency of reserpine.

D. The tropical rain forest initially covered 14% of the land surface of earth, but now they cover only 6% of the land area.


40. An exotic species that is introduced to a new area, spreads rapidly and eliminates native species is called –

(A) An immigrant species (B) An invasive species

(C) Destructive species (D) None

41. The exotic species, introduced in India are –

(A) Lantana

(B) Water Hyacinth (Eichhornia)

(C) Parthenium

(D) All

42. Which of the following fishes is exotic species introduced in India for aquaculture –

(A) Dog fish

(B) Shark

(C) Catfish (Clarias)

(D) Labeo

43. Exploring molecular, genetic and species-level diversity for products of economic importance like medicines is called –

(A) Bioremediation

(B) Bioprospecting

(C) Bioprocessing

(D) Ecosystem services.

44. Modern Ex situ conservation includes –

(A) cryopreservation techniques

(B) in vitro fertilisation

(C) plants can be propagated using tissue culture methods

(D) All

45. Ex situ conservation is used for the conservation of –

(A) All plants

(B) All animals

(C) threatened animals and plants

(D) None

46. Which of the following is an example of alien species invading a new ecosystem resulting in biodiversity losses?

(A) Introduction of Nile perch into Lake Victoria in east Africa.

(B) Introduction of water hyacinth into India.

(C) Introduction of African catfish into Indian rivers.

(D) All of the above.

47. Column I Column II

I. Dodo (A) Rauwolfia

II. Reserpine (B) Mauritius

III. Botanical gardens (C) Khasi and Jaintia hills.

IV. Sacred forests (D) Ex-situ conservation

(A) I – B, II – A, III – D, IV - C (B) I – D, II – A, III – B, IV - C

(C) I – A, II – C, III – B, IV – D (D) I – B, II – A, III – C, IV – D


I. Nile Perch in Lake Victoria (A) Obvious reasons for biodiversity

conservation

II. Narrowly utilitarian (B) Habitat destruction

III. Main cause for biodiversity (C) High endemism

loss

IV. Hot spots (D) Alien species


(C) I – A, II – C, III – B, IV – D (D) I – B, II – A, III – C, IV - D


I. Term biodiversity (A) Edward Wilson

II. In situ conservation (B) Co-extinction

III. Plant pollination (C) On-site conservation

IV. Ex-situ conservation (D) Offsite conservation




I. Western Ghats (A) Sacred lake

II. White tiger reserve (B) Reewa[M.P.]

III. Khecheopalri Lake of Sikkim (C) Hot spot

IV. Rhinoceros (D) Kaziranga


(C) I – A, II – C, III – B, IV – D (D) I – C, II – B, III – A, IV - D


I. Silent valley (A) Kaziranga

II. Rhinoceros (B) Bandipur

III. Tiger project in Karnataka (C) In situ conservation

IV. National Park (D) Tropical evergreen forest



52. Major causes of human-induced extinctions of species include all of the following, except

(A) Climate modification. (B) Overexploitation.

(C) Habitat destruction. (D) Captive propagation

53. Which of the following is not currently a major cause of species extinctions?

(A) Habitat destruction

(B) Alien species invesion

(C) Overexploitation

(D) Introduction of predators

54. A species that is found only in a particular region is said to be

(A) an indicator species for that region.

(B) a restricted species.

(C) a vulnerable species.

(D) endemic to that region.

55. Which one of the following is false about Habitat loss and fragmentation?

(A) This is the most important cause driving animals and plants to extinction

(B) The most dramatic examples of habitat loss come from temperate rain forests

(C) Amazonian forests once covering more than 14% of the earths

(D) The Amazon rain forest harbouring probably millions of species is being cut and cleared for cultivating soya beans or for conversion to grassland for raising beef cattle

56. Global species diversity and land area covered by India with respect to world is –

(A) 12%, 7% (B) 2.4%, 9% (C) 8.1%, 2.4% (D) 4%, 3%

57. The cause / causes for species richness of tropics is / are

(A) Tropics had more evolutionary time

(B) They receive more solar energy, hence more productivity

(C) Less seasonal variation

(D) All

58. Anthropogenic extinction is called

(A) Fifth mass extinction (B) Fourth mass extinction

(C) Sixth mass extinction (D) Seventh mass extinction

59. Introduction of alien species into new area possess a thread to extinction of indigenous species due to

(A) Their high nutrient requirement

(B) Their symbiotic relationship

(C) Absence of its natural predator

(D) More intraspecific competition

60. Arrange the following places in increasing order of biodiversities of species of birds and select the right option

(A) Colombia New York Greenland India

(B) Greenland New York India Colombia

(C) New York India Colombia Greenland

(D) India Colombia Greenland New York

61. The great German naturalist and geographer Alexander von Humboldt observed that within a region species richness increased with increasing explored area, but only up to a limit. In fact, relation between species richness & area for a wide variety of taxa (angiosperm plants, birds, bats,

freshwater fishes). Now find out correct equations shown in the graph.

(A) I - S = CAZ; II - Log S = log C + Z log A

(B) I – log S = log C + Z log A; II - S – CAZ

(C) I - S – CAZ + log C; II - Log S = log C + Z logA

(D) I - S – CAZ + log A; II - Log C + Z log A

62. Select a correct match

(A) Snow leopard ––– Kanha National Park

(B) Tiger ––– Khangchenzonga National Park

(C) Lion ––– Gir National Park, Gujrat

(D) Rhinoceros ––– Simplipal Santuary

63. Which of the following is false ?

(A) Species diversity –– The Western Ghat have lesser amphibian species diversity than the Eastern Ghats

(B) Ecological diversity –– At the ecosystem level, India, for instance, with its deserts, rain forests, Mangrooves, Coral reef

(C) It has taken millions of years of evolution, to accumulate this rich diversity in nature

(D) Biodiversity and its conservation are now vital environmental issues of international concern as more and more people around the world begin to realize the critical importance of diversity.

64. In the formula logs = Log C + Z log A, Ecologist have discovered that the value of z lies in the range of

(A) 0.1 to 0.5 (B) 0.5 to 1

(C) 0.1 to 0.2 (D) 1 to 5

65. Which of the following does not belong to The Evil Quatet

(A) Habitat loss and fragmentation

(B) Over exploitation

(C) Natural calamities

(D) Alien species invasions

66. How much times have forests been lost in the tropics compared to the temperate region

(A) 50 times (B) 40 times

(C) 30 times (D) 25 times

67. The region of Biosphere Reserve which is legally protected and where no human activity is allowed is known as :

(A) Buffer zone (B) Transition zone

(C) Restoration zone (D) Core zone

68. All of the following are included in ‘ ex-situ conservation’ except

(A) Botanical gardens (B) Sacred groves

(C) Wildlife safari parks (D) Seed banks

69. The table below gives the populations (in thousands) of ten species (A-J) in four areas consisting of the number of habitats given within brackets against each. Study the table and answer the questions which follow –

Which area shows maximum species diversity ?

(A) s (B) p

(C) q (D) r

70. Which hypothesis suggests ecosystems are like Aeroplan wings where flight (ecosystem

functioning) may or may not be compromised depending upon which species are lost –

(A) rivet popper hypothesis (B) Gause principle

(C) Gause – Exclusion hypothesis (D) Oudum’s hypothesis

71. Which one of the following have the highest number of species in nature ?

(A) Angiosperms (B) Fungi (C) Insects (D) Birds

72. Which one of the following shows maximum genetic diversity in India ?

(A) Mango (B) Groundnut (C) Rice (D) Maize

73. Sacred groves are specially useful in :

(A) generating environmental awareness

(B) preventing soil erosion

(C) year – round flow of water in rivers

(D) conserving rare and threatened species

74. Which one of the following areas in India, is a hotspot of biodiversity

(A) Eastern Ghats (B) Gangetic Plain

(C) Sunderbans (D) Western Ghats

75. The highest number of species in the world is represented by

(A) Fungi (B) Mosses

(C) Algae (D) Lichens

76. Which one of the following is not used for ex situ plant conservation?

(A) Seed banks (B) Shifting cultivation

(C) Botanical Gardens (D) Field gene banks

77. An example of ex situ conservation is :-

(A) National Park (B) Seed Bank

(C) Wildlife Sanctuary (D) Sacred Grove

78. A species facing extremely high risk of extinction in the immediate future is called :-

(A) Vulnerable (B) Endemic

(C) Critically Endangered (D) Extinct

79. Alexander Von Humbolt described for the first time :

(A) Laws of liming factor

(B) Species area relationships

(C) Population Growth equation

(D) Ecological Biodiversity

80. Given below is the representation of the extent of global diversity of invertebrates. What groups the four portions ( A- D) represent respectively :-

Option :

A B C D

(A) Insects Crustanceans Other animal groups Molluscs

(B) Crustaceans Insects Molluscs Other animal group

(C) Molluscs Other animal groups

Crustaceans Insects

(D) Insects Molluscs Crustaceans Other animal groups

81. Read the statements regarding a stable community and choose the correct option.

(i) Must be resistant to occasional disturbances.

(ii) Should show much variation in productivity from year to year

(iii) Must be resistant to invasions by alien species.

(A) (i) and (ii) are correct

(B) (i), (ii) and (iii) are correct

(C) (i) only is correct

(D) (i) and (iii) are correct

82. Find the wrongly matched pair.

(A) Endemism – Species confined to a region and not found anywhere else

(B) Hotspots – Western ghats

(C) Sacred groves – Jaintia hills of Rajasthan

(D) ex situ conservation – Zoological park

83. Find the wrongly matched pair.

(A) Lungs of the planet – Amazon rainforest.

(B) Endemism – Species confined to one region and also found in other regions.

(C) Hotspots – Regions with species richness.

(D) Alien species – Clarias gariepinus

84. Cryopreservation of gametes of threatened species in viable and fertile condition can be referred to as

(A) In situ conservation by sacred groves

(B) In situ cryo-conservation of biodiversity

(C) In situ conservation of biodiversity

(D) Advanced ex situ conservation of biodiversity

85. In which of the following both pairs have correct combination?

(A) In situ conservation : Seed Bank; Ex situ conservation : National Park

(B) In situ conservation : Tissue culture; Ex situ conservation : Sacred groves

(C) In situ conservation : National Park; Ex situ conservation : Botanical Garden

(D) In situ conservation : Cryopreservation; Ex situ conservation : Wildlife Sanctuary

86. Oran is a

(A) Sacred grove (B) Sacred landscape

(C) Sacred animal (D) Endangered animal

87. Which one of the following is not a major characteristic feature of biodiversity hot spots ?

(A) Large numbers of species

(B) Abundance of endemic species

(C) Large number of exotic species

(D) Destruction of habitat

88. What is common to the following plants ?

Nepenthes, Psilotum, Rouwolfia and Aconitum

(A) All are ornamental plants

(B) All are phylogenic link species

(C) All are prone to over exploitation

(D) All are exclusively present in the Eastern Himalayas

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

(A) Insects (B) Mammals

(C) Amphibians (D) Reptiles

90. During the analysing the surface area relationship among very large area like entire continents, the slope of the line is found much steeper and the Z values ranges

(A) 0.1 to 0.2 (B) 1.15 to 3

(C) 0 (D) 0.6 to 1.2

91. Most of the species that are yet undiscovered are probably

(A) Mammals and reptiles (B) Birds and fish

(C) Fungi (D) Invertebrates.

92. Which of the following is the most important cause of animals and plants being driven to extinction?

(A) Over – exploitation (B) Alien species invasion

(C) Habitat loss and fragmentation (D) Co-extinctions

93. Which one of the following is related to Ex-situ conservation of threatened animals and plants?

(A) Biodiversity (B) Amazon rainforest

(C) Himalayan region (D) Wildlife safari parks

94. The greatest biodiversity on Earth is found in

(A) Tropical Amazonian rain forest in South Africa

(B) Temperate Amazonian rain forest in North America

(C) Tropical Amazonian rain forest in South America

(D) Temperate Amazonian rain forest in South America

95. Match the columns I and II , and choose the correct combination from the options given.

Column I Column II

Locality Number of bird species

1. India A. 56

2. Amazon rain forest B. 105

3. Greenland C. 1200

4. Colombia D. 1300

5. New York E. 1400

(A) D – 1, C – 2, A – 3, E – 4, B – 5

(B) C – 1, E – 2, D – 3, B – 4, A – 5

(C) E – 1, D – 2, C – 3, A – 4, B – 5

(D) C – 1, D – 2, A – 3, E – 4, B – 5

96. Speciation is generally a function of

(A) Area (B) Time

(C) Volume (D) Both (a) and (c)

97. Which one of the following is not a method is situ conservation of biodiversity ?

(A) Biosphere Reserve (B) Wildlife Sanctuary

(C) Botanical Garden (D) Sacred Grove

1. C 2. D 3. A 4. A 5. A 6. D

7. B 8. C 9. B 10. D 11. C 12. A

13. A 14. B 15. D 16. D 17. D 18. A

19. C 20. C 21. A 22. A 23. A 24. B

25. B 26. D 27. A 28. C 29. D 30. B

31. D 32. C 33. B 34. D 35. D 36. C

37. A 38. D 39. D 40. D 41. D 42. C

43. B 44. D 45. C 46. D 47. A 48. B

49. C 50. D 51. B 52. D 53. D 54. D

55. B 56. C 57. D 58. C 59. C 60. B

61. A 62. B 63. A 64. C 65. C 66. B

67. D 68. B 69. A 70. A 71. C 72. C

73. D 74. D 75. A 76. B 77. B 78. C

79. B 80. D 81. D 82. C 83. B 84. D

85. C 86. A 87. C 88. C 89. C 90. D

91. D 92. C 93. D 94. C 95. D 96. B

97. C

PREVIOUS YEAR QUESTIONS

AIPMT-2006

1. Which of the following pairs of an animal and a plant represents endangered organisms

in India ?

(A) Cinchona and Leopard

(B) Banyan and Black buck

(C) Bentinckia nicobarica and Red Panda

(D) Tamarind and Rhesus monkey

2. Which one of the following is not included under in-situ conservation ?

(A) Biosphere reserve

(B) National park

(C) Sanctuary

(D) Botanical garden

3. Which one of the following is the correctly matched pair of an endangered animal and a

National Park?

(A) Wild ass — Dudhwa National Park

(B) Great Indian Busturd — Keoladeo National Park Bustard

(C) Lion — Corbett National Park

(D) Rhinoceros — Kaziranga National Park

4. Which of the following is considered a hot-spot of biodiversity in India ?

(A) Eastern Ghats (B) Aravalli Hills

(C) Western Ghats (D) Indo-Gangetic Plain

AIIMS-2006

5. In India, we find mangoes with different flavours, colours, fibre content, sugar and even

shelf–life. The large variation is on account of –

(A) Species diversity (B) Induced mutations

(C) Genetic diversity (D) Hybridization

AIPMT-2007

6. Identify the odd combination of the habitat and the particular animal concerned :

(A) Rann of Kutch – Wild Ass (B) Dachigam National – Snow Leopard Park

(C) Sunderbans – Bengal Tiger (D) Periyar – Elephant

7. Which one of the following pairs of organisms are exotic species introduced in India ?

(A) Nile perch, Ficus religiosa (B) Ficus religiosa, Lantana camara

(C) Lantana camara, Water hyacinth (D) Water hyacinth, Prosopis cineraria

AIPMT-2008

8. Which one of the following is not observed in biodiversity hotspots ?

(A) Lesser inter–specific competition (B) Species richness

(C) Endemism (D) Accelerated species loss

9. The table below gives the populations (in thousands) of ten species (A –J) in four areas

(a–d) consisting of the number of habitats given within brackets against each. Study the

table and answer the question which follows :-

Which area out of a to d shows maximum species diversity ?

(A) d (B) a (C) b (C) c

AIPMT-2009

10. Tiger is not a resident in which one of the following national park ?

(A) Jim Corbett (B) Ranthambhor (C) Sunderbans (D) Gir

AIPMT-2010

11. Which one of the following is an example of ex-situ conservation ?

(A) National park (B) Wildlife sanctuary

(C) Seed bank (D) Sacred groves

AIPMT-2011

12. Which one of the following have the highest number of species in nature ?

(A) Fungi (B) Insects (C) Birds (D) Angiosperms

13. Which one of the following shows maximum genetic diversity in India ?

(A) Groundnut (B) Rice (C) Maize (D) Mango

14. Biodiversity of a geographical region represents :

(A) Species endemic to the region

(B) Endangered species found in the region

(C) The diversity in the organisms living in the region.

(D) Genetic diversity present in the dominant species of the region

AIIMS-2011

15. Which of the following is best method of germplasm conservation ?

(A) Herbarium (B) Botanical gardens

(C) Seed bank (D) Zoological park

AIPMT-2012

16. Which one of the following areas in India, is a hot spot of biodiversity ?

(A) Sunderbans (B) Western Ghats

(C) Eastern Ghats (D) Gangetic plain

17. The highest number of species in the world is represented by :-

(A) Algae (B) Lichens (C) Fungi (D) Mosses

18. Select the correct statement about biodiversity :-

(A) Western Ghats have a very high degree of species richness and endemism.

(B) Conservation of biodiversity is just a fad pursued by the developed countries

(C) The desert areas of Rajasthan and Gujarat have a very high level of desert animal

species as well as numerous rare animals

(D) Large scale planting of Bt cotton has no adverse effect on biodiversity

19. Sacred groves are specially useful in :-

(A) year round flow of water in rivers

(B) conserving rare and threatened species

(C) generating environmental awareness

(D) preventing soil erosion

AIIMS-2012

20. Which of the following has the highest genetic diversity in India ?

(A) Rice (B) Mango (C) Wheat (D) Maize

21. Kashmiri stag is also known as :-

(A) Hangul (B) Nilgai (C) Sambhar (D) Chital

NEET-2013

22. Which of the following represents maximum number of species among global

biodiversity?

(A) Mosses and Ferns (B) Algae (C) Lichens (D) Fungi

23. Which one of the following is not used for ex situ plant conservation?

(A) Botanical Gardens (B) Field gene banks

(C) Seed banks (D) Shifting cultivation

AIIMS-2013

24. Which of the following is not an exotic invading species?

(A) Lantana (B) Parthenium (C) Eichhornia (D) Nelumbo (Lotus)*

25. India is the one of the 12 mega diversity countries of the world. It shares what

percentage of global species diversity ?

(A) 2.4% (B) 8.1% (C) 10% (D) 5%

AIPMT-2014

26. An example of ex situ conservation is :-

(A) National Park (B) Seed Bank

(C) Wildlife Sanctuary (D) Sacred Grove

27. A species facing extremely high risk of extinction in the immediate future is called :-

(A) Vulnerable (B) Endemic

(C) Critically Endangered (D) Extinct

28. The organization which publishes the Red List of species is :-

(A) ICFRE (B) IUCN (C) UNEP (D) WWF

29. Given below is the representation of the extent of global diversity of invertebrates.

What groups the four portions (A-D) represent respectively :-

A.

B.

C.

D.

AIIMS-2014

30. Which of the following is true?

(A) High altitude have higher biodiversity than low altitude

(B) Low altitude have higher biodiversity than high altitude

(C) Amphibians have high biodiversity among vertebrates

(D) Bryophytes have higher biodiversity than angiosperms

31. Which of the following is true:-

(A) 32% of amphibians species face threat of extinction

(B) Lichens have higher biodiversity than algae & fungi together

(C) Ganga basin have higher biodiversity than Amazon rain forest

(D) A stable community should show huge variation in productivity from year to year

32. Cryopreservation of gametes of threatened species in viable and fertile condition can be

referred to as:-

(A) Advanced ex-situ conservation of biodiversity

(B) In situ conservation by sacred groves

(C) In situ cryo-conservation of biodiversity

(D) In situ conservation of biodiversity

33. In which of the following both pairs have correct combination:-

(A) In situ conservation : Cryopreservation Ex situ conservation : Wildlife Sanctuary

(B) In situ conservation : Seed Bank Ex situ conservation : National Park

(C) In situ conservation : Tissue culture Ex situ conservation : Sacred groves

(D) In situ conservation : National Park Ex situ conservation : Botanical Garden

AIPMT-2015

34. The species confined to a particular region and not found elsewhere is termed as :

(A) Rare (B) Keystone (C) Alien (D) Endemic

AIIMS-2015

35. Which of the following is not concerned with loss of biodiversity?

(A) Alien species invasion (B) Habitat loss and fragmentation

(C) De forestation (D) Ex-situ conservation

NEET-2016

36. Which is the National Aquatic Animal of India ?

(A) Gangetic shark (B) River dolphin

(C) Blue whale (D) Sea-horse

37. Which of the following is the most important cause of animals and plants being driven to

extinction?

(A) Over - exploitation (B) Alien species invasion

(C) Habitat loss and fragmentation (D) Co-extinctions

38. Which of the following is a characteristic feature of cropland ecosystem?

(A) Absence of soil organisms (B) Least genetic diversity

(C) Absence of weeds (D) Ecological succession

39. How many hot spots of biodiversity in the world have been identified till date by

Norman Myers ?

(A) 34 (B) 43 (C) 17 (D) 25

40. Red list contains data or information on :

(A) Threatened species

(B) Marine vertebrates only

(C) All economically important plants

(D) Plants whose products are in international trade

41. Which of the following National Parks is home to the famous musk deer or hangul?

(A) Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary, Arunachal Pradesh

(B) Dachigam National Park, Jammu & Kashmir

(C) Keibul Lamjao National Park, Manipur

(D) Bandhavgarh National Park, Madhya Pradesh

AIIMS-2016

42. Ecologist evaluate the species diversity on the basis of which parameter?

(A) Species richness and evenness

(B) Only species richness

(C) Only evenness

(D) Distribution and adaptability

43. Which is an ex-situ conservation ?

(A) Seed bank (B) National park

(C) Biosphere reserve (D) Sanctuary

NEET-2017

44. Which one of the following is related to Ex-situ conservation of threatened animals and

plants ?

(A) Biodiversity hot spots

(B) Amazon rainforest

(C) Himalayan region

(D) Wildlife safari parks

45. Alexander Von Humbolt described for the first time:

(A) Laws of limiting factor

(B) Species area relationships

(C) Population Growth equation

(D) Ecological Biodiversity

46. The region of Biosphere Reserve which is legally protected and where no human activity

is allowed is known as:

(A) Buffer zone (B) Transition zone

(C) Restoration zone (D) Core zone

47. Which scientist proposed 'Rivet popper hypothesis' related to biodiversity and

Ecosystems ?

(A) Alexander von Humboldt (B) Paul Ehrlich

(C) David Tilman (D) Tansley

NEET-2018

48. All of the following are included in 'Ex-situ conservation' except

(A) Wildlife safari parks (B) Sacred groves

(C) Botanical gardens (D) Seed banks

AIIMS-2018

49. Which one of the following is known as 'Lungs of planet Earth’ ?

(A) Amazon rain forest (B) Western ghats

(C) Indo Burma rivers (D) Eastern ghats

50. Biodiversity hot spot areas that covers India are:-

(A) Western ghat, Eastern ghat, Indo burma

(B) Eastern ghat, Himalaya, Indo burma

(C) Western ghat, Srilanka, Himalaya, Indo burma

(D) Himalaya, Eastern ghat, Western ghat

NEET-2019

51. which of the following is not a method of in situ conservation of biodiversity?

(A) Sacred grove

(B) Biosphere reserve

(C) Wildlife sanctuary

(D) Botanical garden

52. which of the following is the most important cause for animals and plants for being

driven to extinction?

(A) Alien species invasion

(B) Habitat loss and fragmentation

(C) Drought and floods

(D) Economic exploitation

53. Exploration of molecular, genetic and species level diversity for novel products of

economic importance is

(A) Biopiracy

(B) Bioenergetics

(C) Bioremediation

(D) Bioprospection

NEET-2020

54. Which of the following regions of the globe exhibits highest species diversity?

(A) Madagscar

(B) Himalayas

(C) Amazon forests

(D) Western Ghats of India

55. According to Robert May, the global species diversity is about

(A) 20 Million

(B) 50 Million

(C) 7 Million

(D) 1.5 Million

1. C 2. D 3. D 4. C 5. C 6. B

7. C 8. A 9. A 10. D 11. C 12. B

13. B 14. C 15. C 16. B 17. C 18. A

19. C 20. A 21. A 22. D 23. D 24. D

25. B 26. B 27. C 28. B 29. D 30. B

31. A 32. A 33. D 34. D 35. D 36. B

37. C 38. B 39. A 40. A 41. B 42. A

43. A 44. D 45. B 46. D 47. B 48. B

49. A 50. C 51. D 52. B 53. D 54. C

55. C

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