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Biodiversity, loss and conservation: NEET MCQs with answers

108 questions on this topic of Ecology and Environment (NEET 2027 syllabus). Here are 12; tap one to see its answer and explanation.

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easy

1. Which of the following vertebrate groups has the maximum number of globally recorded species according to current biodiversity estimates represented in NCERT?

  1. Fishes
  2. Amphibians
  3. Reptiles
  4. Mammals
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Answer: (A) Fishes

According to NCERT's global vertebrate diversity representation, fishes constitute the largest number of species among vertebrates, exceeding the combined total of amphibians, reptiles, and mammals. Mammals and amphibians each represent significantly smaller fractions.

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2. Plants (including algae, fungi, bryophytes, gymnosperms and angiosperms) make up no more than what percentage of all recorded species?

  1. 22 per cent
  2. 70 per cent
  3. 50 per cent
  4. 5 per cent
Show answer and explanation

Answer: (A) 22 per cent

More than 70 per cent of all recorded species are animals, while plants including algae, fungi, bryophytes, gymnosperms and angiosperms comprise no more than 22 per cent.

NCERT Class 12

hard

3. David Tilman's long-term ecosystem experiments using outdoor plots found that plots with more species:

  1. Showed less year-to-year variation in total biomass, and increased diversity contributed to higher productivity
  2. Showed more variation in biomass
  3. Had lower productivity
  4. Were less stable
Show answer and explanation

Answer: (A) Showed less year-to-year variation in total biomass, and increased diversity contributed to higher productivity

Tilman found that species-rich communities are more stable and more productive.

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4. Robert May's conservative estimate of global species diversity is about:

  1. 50 million
  2. 1.5 million
  3. 7 million
  4. 20 million
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Answer: (C) 7 million

Ecologist Robert May placed global species diversity at about 7 million, extrapolating from the ratio of tropical to temperate species in well-studied groups.

NCERT Class 12

easy

5. Which of the following pairs of threatened organisms are correctly preserved using ex-situ conservation methods?

  1. Sacred groves and National Parks
  2. Wildlife sanctuaries and Biosphere reserves
  3. Ramsar sites and Tiger reserves
  4. Botanical gardens and Zoological parks
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Answer: (D) Botanical gardens and Zoological parks

Botanical gardens, zoological parks, and wildlife safari parks are examples of ex-situ conservation strategies, where threatened animals and plants are taken out from their natural habitat and placed in special settings.

hard

6. Given below are two statements. Statement I: India is one of the 12 mega-diversity countries of the world. Statement II: Biodiversity hotspots together cover about 25 per cent of Earth's land area. Choose the correct answer.

  1. Both Statement I and Statement II are correct
  2. Statement I is correct but Statement II is incorrect
  3. Statement I is incorrect but Statement II is correct
  4. Both Statement I and Statement II are incorrect
Show answer and explanation

Answer: (B) Statement I is correct but Statement II is incorrect

India is one of the 12 mega-diversity countries. The 34 hotspots cover less than 2 per cent of Earth's land area.

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7. How many of the following are in-situ conservation sites located in India? Biosphere Reserves = 14, National Parks = 90, Wildlife Sanctuaries = 448

  1. All three numbers are correct as per NCERT
  2. Only National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries numbers are correct
  3. Only Biosphere Reserves and National Parks numbers are correct
  4. None of the numbers match the NCERT data
Show answer and explanation

Answer: (A) All three numbers are correct as per NCERT

NCERT mentions: 'India now has 14 biosphere reserves, 90 national parks and 448 wildlife sanctuaries' as part of its in-situ conservation network.

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8. India, with its deserts, rain forests, mangroves, coral reefs, wetlands, estuaries and alpine meadows, has greater diversity at the ecosystem level than a Scandinavian country like Norway. This is:

  1. Alpha diversity of insects
  2. Genetic diversity
  3. Species diversity
  4. Ecological diversity
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Answer: (D) Ecological diversity

Diversity at the ecosystem level is ecological diversity.

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9. The medicinal plant Rauwolfia vomitoria growing in different Himalayan ranges shows variation in the potency and concentration of reserpine. This illustrates:

  1. Alpha diversity
  2. Species diversity
  3. Genetic diversity
  4. Ecological diversity
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Answer: (C) Genetic diversity

Variation in reserpine content among populations of one species across its range is genetic diversity. India's more than 50,000 rice strains and 1,000 mango varieties are other examples.

NCERT Class 12

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10. According to the species-area relationship established by Alexander von Humboldt, what is the value of the slope of regression (Z) when analyzing species diversity over very large regions such as entire continents for frugivorous birds and mammals in tropical forests?

  1. 1.15
  2. 0.6 to 1.2
  3. 0.1 to 0.2
  4. 0.2 to 0.3
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Answer: (A) 1.15

Alexander von Humboldt observed that for larger areas like continents, the slope of regression is steeper (0.6 to 1.2). Specifically, for frugivorous birds and mammals in tropical forests across different continents, the slope (Z) is found to be 1.15.

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11. The current species extinction rate is estimated to be:

  1. 100 to 1,000 times faster than in pre-human times
  2. Equal to pre-human times
  3. 10 times slower than pre-human times
  4. Exactly 2 times faster
Show answer and explanation

Answer: (A) 100 to 1,000 times faster than in pre-human times

The current 'sixth extinction' is 100–1,000 times faster than in pre-human times, and human activities are responsible.

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12. Match Column-I with Column-II. Column-I: (A) Nile perch (B) Steller's sea cow (C) Host fish and its parasites (D) Tropical rain forest cleared for soya beans Column-II: (i) Habitat loss (ii) Co-extinction (iii) Alien species invasion (iv) Over-exploitation

  1. A-(iii), B-(ii), C-(iv), D-(i)
  2. A-(iv), B-(iii), C-(ii), D-(i)
  3. A-(iii), B-(iv), C-(ii), D-(i)
  4. A-(i), B-(iv), C-(ii), D-(iii)
Show answer and explanation

Answer: (C) A-(iii), B-(iv), C-(ii), D-(i)

Nile perch is an alien invader, Steller's sea cow was over-exploited, host–parasite loss is co-extinction, and forest clearing is habitat loss.

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