Biodiversity and Conservation for NEET UG
Biodiversity is the variety of life at every level, from genes to ecosystems. India is one of the world's megadiversity countries. This chapter covers patterns of diversity, why it is being lost and how we protect it.
BiologyClass 1273 MCQs2 lessons14 flashcards3 memory tricks
Practise Biodiversity and Conservation free
What you'll learn
- Patterns of biodiversity
Explain levels of biodiversity, latitudinal gradients and species–area relationships. - Loss of biodiversity and conservation
List the causes of biodiversity loss and compare in-situ and ex-situ conservation.
Key formulas
| Species–area relationship (Alexander von Humboldt) | log S = log C + Z log A |
|---|---|
| Slope Z | About 0.1–0.2 for smaller regions; 0.6–1.2 for very large areas like continents |
Memory tricks
Habitat loss, Invasive species, Pollution, Population growth, Overharvesting.
Habitat loss is the biggest cause. Alien invaders in India include Parthenium (gajar ghas), Lantana and water hyacinth (Eichhornia, the 'terror of Bengal').
In situ: national parks, sanctuaries, biosphere reserves, sacred groves (as in Meghalaya and the Western Ghats). Ex situ: zoos, botanical gardens, seed banks, cryopreservation.
Try 3 NEET-style questions
Q1. Which of these became extinct in the last 500 years due to human activities?
- Dodo
- Tiger
- Asian elephant
- Peacock
Show answer
Answer: (1) Dodo
The dodo (Mauritius) is among recent extinctions, along with the quagga, thylacine and Steller's sea cow.
Q2. The dodo, a well-known example of recent extinction, became extinct from
- Australia
- Mauritius
- Russia
- Africa
Show answer
Answer: (2) Mauritius
Recent extinctions include the dodo (Mauritius), quagga (Africa), thylacine (Australia) and Steller's sea cow (Russia).
Q3. The species–area relationship on a log scale is a straight line given by log S = log C + Z log A. The value of Z usually lies in the range
- 0.6 to 1.2
- 0.1 to 0.2
- 1 to 2
- 0.01 to 0.02
Show answer
Answer: (2) 0.1 to 0.2
For most taxa and regions, Z is about 0.1–0.2; for very large areas like continents, it is 0.6–1.2.
Practise all 73 questions Free · explanations for every option · see where you go wrong