31 Years NEET Previous Year Questions: Biodiversity & Conservation - 1 - NEET MCQ

To match the correct individual with their contribution or hypothesis, let's review each person listed along with the contributions mentioned:
Robert May is best known for his pioneering work in theoretical ecology, particularly in the areas of population dynamics and stability in ecological communities. However, none of the choices directly mention these specific contributions. Among the options, the closest (though indirect) could be his theoretical work that touch upon aspects like species diversity estimations.
Alexander von Humboldt, known for his extensive work in biogeography, made critical observations on the geographic distributions of species. His work best correlates with the "Species-Area relationship," which describes how the number of species increases with the area surveyed.
Paul Ehrlich is famous for his work on population studies and environmental issues facing humanity. His statement about the planet's carrying capacity and potential biodiversity loss is widely known. The "Global species diversity at about 7 million" might closely relate to his biodiversity and population studies, though it's not his primary known work.
David Tilman is well-acclaimed for his experimental work on biodiversity and ecosystem productivity. The "Long term ecosystem experiment using outdoor plots" directly correlates with his experimental approach to studying the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning using field experiments.

Given these associations:
A (Robert May) might best fit with "Global species diversity at about 7 million" (III) though it's a rough fit.
B (Alexander von Humboldt) correlating with "Species-Area relationship" (I) is a much clearer connection.
C (Paul Ehrlich) and the "Global species diversity at about 7 million" (II) matches if we consider his general scope in biodiversity and population dynamics.
D (David Tilman) with "Long term ecosystem experiment using out door plots" (II) is an exact match for his field of work.

Looking at the options provided,
Option B: A-III, B-I, C-IV, D-II
This option aligns correctly as per the reasoning.
Therefore, the correct answer is Option B.

The major causes of biodiversity loss primarily involve the negative impacts human activities have on ecosystems, with some of the most critical factors being:
Overexploitation: This refers to the unsustainable use of wildlife and plant species for food, medicine, or other human needs which leads to the reduction in numbers of these species to dangerously low levels.
Co-extinction: This occurs when the extinction of one species leads to the extinction of another species that depend on it for survival, such as a predator and its prey or a plant and its pollinator.
Habitat loss and fragmentation: This is the process whereby a large, continuous area of habitat is both reduced in area and divided into smaller, more isolated fragments due to activities like logging, agriculture, and urban development. This disrupts ecosystems and decreases the viability of populations.

Regarding the listed options:

• Mutation: While mutations (genetic changes) are not generally a direct cause of biodiversity loss, they can influence the adaptability and survival of species. However, they are not typically regarded as a major driver of biodiversity loss.
• Migration: Normal species migrations are natural phenomena and not a direct cause of biodiversity loss. Instead, barriers to migration created by human activities can contribute to biodiversity loss by preventing species from reaching essential habitats for their survival and reproduction.

Therefore, the correct option that lists recognized major causes of biodiversity loss is: Option D: A, B, and D only (Overexploitation, Co-extinction, and Habitat loss and fragmentation).

The type of conservation in which threatened species are taken out from their natural habitat and placed in special setting where they can be protected and given special care is called ex-situ conservation which is a type of biodiversity conservation.

The list of endangered species is officially released by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), which is specified as Option D.
The IUCN is an international organization dedicated to natural resource conservation. They are renowned for their comprehensive "Red List of Threatened Species," which assesses the conservation status of plant and animal species worldwide. This Red List is a critical indicator of the health of the world's biodiversity and provides information on the range, population size, habitat and ecology, use and/or trade, threats, and conservation actions that can help inform necessary conservation decisions.
Other options listed such as GEAC (Genetic Engineering Approval Committee), WWF (World Wildlife Fund), and FOAM are not primarily responsible for releasing lists of endangered species globally, although WWF does work extensively in wildlife conservation and might publish reports or statements regarding endangered species based on IUCN's Red List data.

The correct answer is: Option A: A, C, D and E only
A. Tropical latitudes have remained relatively undisturbed for millions of years, hence more time was available for species diversification. This is a major factor contributing to species richness in the tropics. The absence of major geological events like glaciation has allowed for continuous evolution and diversification.
C. More solar energy is available in tropics. This leads to higher productivity, supporting a greater number of species.
D. Constant environments promote niche specialization. Stable conditions allow species to specialize and adapt to specific niches, leading to greater diversity.
E. Tropical environments are constant and predictable. This allows species to evolve specific adaptations to their environment, leading to further specialization and diversification.
Statement B is incorrect: Tropical environments are less seasonal, not more seasonal.

The Earth Summit, formally known as the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), was indeed held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1992. This meeting marked a significant step forward in global conservation efforts, leading to the establishment of the Convention on Biological Diversity, among other important agreements.

Option A : Habitat loss and fragmentation is considered the most important cause driving extinction of species among 'The Evil Quartet'.
The 'Evil Quartet' refers to the four major causes of biodiversity loss: habitat destruction and fragmentation, over-exploitation, pollution, and invasive species. Of these, habitat loss and fragmentation is generally considered the most significant cause, as it directly affects the availability of the resources and space that organisms need to survive. It can be caused by a variety of human activities, including deforestation, urbanization, and agriculture. This loss of habitat leads to smaller, more isolated populations, which are more vulnerable to other threats and have a higher risk of extinction.

• In TCA cycle, the intermediate which is a 5-C compound is α-ketoglutaric acid.
• Oxalo succinic acid is a 6-C compound, whereas succinic acid and fumaric are 4-C compounds.

When we conserve and protect the whole ecosystem, its biodiversity at all levels is protected. This is in-situ or on site conservation strategy.

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

• In-situ conservation means on site conservation i.e. when we conserve and protect the whole ecosystem, its biodiversity at all levels is protected.
• National parks are type of in-situ conservation.
• Whereas, micropropagation, cryopreservation and in-vitro fertilization are methods of ex-situ conservation.

• Khasi Hills in Meghalaya are sacred groves. Zoological park is an ex-situ conservation strategy.
• Nile perch is an alien species.
• Amazon forest releases large quantity of O₂.

About 71% of total carbon is found dissolved in oceans.
Annual fixation of carbon through photosynthesis is 4 × 10¹³ kg.
PAR captured by plants is 2 to 10% of total sunlight.
Productivity of oceans is approximately 55 billion tons.

Key is taxonomical aid used for identification of plants and animals based on the similarities and dissimilarities. The keys are based on the contrasting characters generally in a pair called couplet. Each statement in the key is called a lead. Separate taxonomic keys are required for each taxonomic category such as family, genus and species for identification purposes. Keys are generally analytical in nature.

In 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.

Endemic species are those species which are confined to a particular area, such as, species found in Western Ghats are not found anywhere else.

• Option (a) is the correct answer because some scientists believe that life came from outside. Early Greek thinkers thought units of life called spores were transferred to different planets including earth. This transfer of spores was termed Panspermia.
• Option (b) is not the correct answer because theory of spontaneous generation gave the idea for creation of life from dead and decaying matter.
• Option (c) is not the correct answer because creation of life from chemicals was the basis for chemical evolution.
• Option (d) is not the correct answer as formation of sperm in testes is known as spermatogenesis.

Frugivorous birds are fruit eating birds found in large number in tropical forest mainly because of availability of fruits throughout the year.

Robert May was a theoretical ecologist the established, who field of theoretical ecology and population biology. According to him the global species diversity is about 7 million.

Botanical garden comes under ex-situ method of conservation of biodiversity.

Sacred groves come under in-situ conservation and represent the pristine forest patches around places of worship which are held in high esteem by tribal communities. Cutting of trees and branches is prohibited due to religious reasons. Wildlife safari parks, botanical gardens and seed blinks come under ex-situ conservation.

Alexander von Humboldt described species-area relationship for the first time. He observed that within a region, species richness increases with increasing explored area, but only upto a limit.

Biodiversity hotspots are a method to identify- those regions of the world where attention is needed to address biodiversity loss and to guide investments in conservation. The idea was first developed by Norman Myers in 1988 to identify tropical forests hotspots characterised both by exceptional levels of plant endemism and serious habitat loss which he then expanded to a more global scope. Currently, 34 biodiversity hotspots have been identified most of which occur in tropical forests.

It is estimated that we have 5.1 million species of Fungi on Earth. Fungi are important for the survival of so many other group of organisms on which they form associations.

Hots are the geographical area where biodiversity is maximum. Two hotspots in India are Western Ghats and North eastern himlayan region.

Biodiversity is the number of variety of organism found within a specified geographic region.

In India maximum genetic diversity is seen in rice. Total of 23 variety of irrigated ecology and 8 varieties of rainfed ecology has been invented in India. 

A germplasm is a collection of genetic resources for organisms. For plants, the germplasm may be stored as a seed collection.It includes diverse alleles of all the genes of an organism.

Eutrophication is often seen in fresh water lakes. The main causes of eutrophication in these water systems are sediments and thermal stratification, with agricultural run-off from fertilizers and manure, containing nitrates and phosphates and discharge of partially treated or untreated sewages or phosphate containing detergents. 

Ex-situ conservation is the conservation of selected organism in places outside their natural homes. They include off site collection and gene banks.
In situ conservation, on the other hand, is the conservation of endangered species in their natural habitat. Biosphere reserves, National parks, wildlife sanctuaries and sacred groves all are examples of In situ conservation.