Unit 3: Biodiversity and conservation - Practice Quiz

1 What does biodiversity refer to?

2 Which level of biodiversity refers to variations in genes within a species?

3 The variety of different species present in an area is called:

4 Forests, grasslands, deserts, and wetlands found in a region demonstrate:

5 Which of the following is an ecosystem service provided by bees?

6 The use of plants to develop medicines is an example of biodiversity's:

7 Enjoying the beauty of flowers and wildlife represents which value of biodiversity?

8 What is a biodiversity hotspot?

9 Which activity is a direct cause of habitat loss?

10 What is wildlife poaching?

11 What is an invasive alien species?

12 Which situation is an example of human-wildlife conflict?

13 When is a species considered extinct?

14 An endangered species is one that:

15 A vulnerable species is best described as a species that:

16 Which feature is commonly associated with a rare species?

17 What does EDGE stand for in biodiversity conservation?

18 Which is an example of in-situ conservation?

19 Which is an example of ex-situ conservation?

20 How many major biogeographic zones are commonly recognized in India?

21 A wetland survey records the variety of genes within fish populations, the number of plant and animal species, and the range of aquatic habitats. Which concept includes all three observations?

22 Farmers replace several traditional rice varieties with one high-yield variety, while the number of crop species grown remains unchanged. Which level of biodiversity declines most directly?

23 Two reserves contain the same number of species. Reserve P has similar population sizes for all species, while Reserve Q is dominated by one species. Which conclusion is most appropriate?

24 A town restores mangroves instead of constructing an additional concrete barrier. During storms, the mangroves reduce wave energy and coastal flooding. Which ecosystem service is illustrated?

25 Researchers study a wild plant and identify a chemical that can be developed into a new medicine. Which value of biodiversity is demonstrated most directly?

26 The decline of insect pollinators causes lower fruit production in nearby farms. Which combination of biodiversity values is most directly affected?

27 Region X has many endemic plant species but retains most of its original vegetation. Region Y has many endemic plant species and has lost most of its original vegetation. Which region better fits the biodiversity hotspot concept?

28 A highway divides a continuous forest into several isolated patches. Even if the total forest area changes only slightly, why may wildlife populations decline?

29 Poachers repeatedly remove adult male elephants with large tusks from a population. Which long-term outcome is most likely?

30 An introduced aquatic plant spreads rapidly because local herbivores do not feed on it. It blocks sunlight and reduces native submerged plants. What best explains its success?

31 Elephants frequently raid crops in villages beside a fragmented reserve. Which intervention is most likely to reduce conflict while maintaining elephant movement?

32 Repeated surveys find no members of a species in its former habitat, but a small breeding population survives in a zoo. Which status best describes it?

33 A species has undergone a severe population decline, occupies a shrinking range, and faces a very high risk of extinction in the wild. Which category is most appropriate?

34 A reptile population is declining because nesting beaches are being developed, but its extinction risk is lower than that associated with the endangered category. How should it be classified?

35 A plant occurs naturally in only a few isolated valleys, but surveys show no current rapid decline. Which description fits it best?

36 Conservation funding must prioritize one of four equally endangered species. Which species would receive the highest priority under the EDGE approach?

37 A critically threatened tree is protected in its native forest, while its seeds are also stored in a seed bank. How should these actions be classified?

38 A species has only 12 individuals remaining, all scattered in a habitat facing immediate destruction. Which initial strategy offers the most direct short-term protection?

39 A conservation planner compares the cold high-altitude ecosystem of Ladakh with the warm, humid forests of the Western Ghats. Why are they treated as different biogeographic zones?

40 Which combination best explains why India is recognized as a mega diversity nation?

41 A survey finds that two forest fragments contain the same number of tree species, but they differ greatly in allele frequencies, species abundances, and ecological interactions. Which conclusion best follows from the definition of biodiversity?

42 Four isolated populations of a crop's wild relative are replaced by one high-yielding hybrid population containing the same number of individuals. Species richness and land-cover type remain unchanged. Which biodiversity component is most directly reduced?

43 Landscape P has 30 species in each of two habitats, with 25 species shared between them. Landscape Q also has 30 species in each habitat, but only 5 species are shared. Assuming comparable sampling, which statement is correct?

44 A mangrove restoration project reduces cyclone damage, supports juvenile fish, stores carbon, and attracts visitors. Which mapping to ecosystem-service categories is most defensible?

45 A wild plant has no current market use, but its genome contains an unusual drought-response pathway that may guide future crop breeding. Which value of biodiversity is most directly illustrated?

46 A wetland is valued at ₹40 million for harvested products and ₹90 million for avoided flood damage. Residents also oppose its destruction because it is sacred, even though they do not harvest from the sacred area. Which valuation is correct?

47 Region X contains 1,600 endemic vascular plant species but retains 35% of its original vegetation. Region Y contains 1,400 endemic vascular plant species and retains 20%. Using the standard biodiversity-hotspot thresholds, which result follows?

48 A government must prioritize one of four regions under the biodiversity-hotspot concept. Which region best matches the concept's combined emphasis?

49 A continuous forest is divided by roads into small patches, but the total forest area initially declines by only 5%. Why can biodiversity loss still be disproportionately large?

50 Poachers selectively remove the largest tusked males from an elephant population over several generations. Which combined outcome is most plausible?

51 An introduced plant becomes abundant only after a native herbivore is experimentally excluded. In invaded plots, native plant richness then falls sharply. Which inference is best supported?

52 Elephant crop-raiding rises after a traditional movement corridor is converted into farms. Which intervention most directly addresses the underlying landscape driver while limiting harm to both people and elephants?

53 A freshwater fish has not been recorded for 40 years despite repeated surveys. Several deep, inaccessible tributaries within its former range remain unsurveyed. Which classification judgment is scientifically strongest?

54 Two species face extinction risk. Species A has undergone a rapid, severe population decline across most of its range. Species B has a stable, large population but modest habitat deterioration. Which statement best distinguishes an Endangered assessment from ordinary rarity?

55 A species does not meet the criteria for Endangered but satisfies validated criteria indicating a high risk of extinction in the wild. Which category is most appropriate?

56 A naturally scarce plant occurs in small populations scattered across a broad area. Its abundance is stable, and no major threat is currently documented. Why should "rare" not automatically be treated as equivalent to "Endangered"?

57 Species P is the sole surviving member of an ancient lineage and is globally Endangered. Species Q is Critically Endangered but belongs to a recently diversified lineage with many close relatives. Why might P receive a high EDGE priority despite Q's greater immediate threat?

58 A tree species is reduced to 12 wild individuals, its seeds cannot survive conventional seed-bank drying, and its habitat is still being degraded. Which strategy is most defensible?

59 A conservation portfolio includes cold high-altitude plateaus of Ladakh, the alluvial plains of the Ganga, coral-bearing oceanic islands, and the rain-shadow plateau east of the Western Ghats. Which sequence of Indian biogeographic zones best matches these areas?

60 Which combination most strongly supports India's recognition as a megadiverse nation rather than merely a country with a large land area?