Biodiversity and Conservation — Practice

Question 1

Distinguish between in-situ and ex-situ conservation with one example each.

Accepted Answer

In-situ conservation protects species in their natural habitat. Example: Jim Corbett National Park protects tigers in the wild forest ecosystem. Ex-situ conservation protects species outside their natural habitat. Example: Svalbard Global Seed Vault (Norway) stores seeds of thousands of crop varieties, including Indian rice varieties, as a genetic insurance policy.

Question 2

Explain with examples how habitat loss and invasive species cause biodiversity loss in India.

Accepted Answer

Habitat loss is the single biggest cause of biodiversity decline. In India, deforestation for agriculture and urbanisation has destroyed tropical forests in the Western Ghats and NE India — the most biodiverse regions. Fragmented habitats isolate wildlife populations, reducing genetic diversity and increasing extinction risk. Invasive species compound the damage: Lantana camara, introduced ornamentally from Central America, has spread across Indian national parks, choking out native vegetation and reducing food for herbivores. Water hyacinth (Eichhornia) from South America covers Indian lakes, depleting oxygen and killing native aquatic species. Together, these forces steadily erode India's exceptional biodiversity.

Question 3

Why is India considered a mega-biodiverse country? Discuss the significance of its four biodiversity hotspots.

Accepted Answer

India is one of 17 mega-biodiverse countries because despite covering only 2.4% of the world's land, it harbours ~8% of the world's species — including ~47,000 plant species, 1,300+ bird species, and iconic mammals like tigers, elephants, one-horned rhinos, and snow leopards. This richness arises from India's diverse geography (Himalayas, peninsular plateau, Western Ghats, deserts, coasts) and climatic variation spanning tropical to alpine zones. India's four biodiversity hotspots are regions of outstanding endemism that have lost over 70% of original habitat: (1) Western Ghats — one of world's 'hottest hotspots', with endemic amphibians and plants found nowhere else; (2) Eastern Himalayas — high endemism in plants, red panda, snow leopard; (3) Indo-Burma (NE India) — threatened reptiles, freshwater turtles, and primates; (4) Sundaland (Nicobar Islands) — coral reefs, mangroves, leatherback turtles. Together, these hotspots make India a frontline country in global biodiversity conservation — protecting them protects a disproportionate share of Earth's life.

Practice — Biodiversity and Conservation

Sign in to save attempts to your dashboard and track your accuracy over time

Find a verified tutor

Join a live course

Browse coaching centres

About

Categories

Support

Documentation

Get Study Tips & Updates

Download Our App

Download for iOS

Download for Android

Popular Cities