20 Questions with Answers and Explanations on “Wildlife & Conservation” for Biology Students:
1. The most important human activity, leading to the extinction of wildlife, is
(a) pollution of air and water
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(b) hunting for valuable wildlife products
(c) introduction of alien species
(d) alteration and destruction of the natural habitats.
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Answer and Explanation:
1. (d): Wildlife includes all those naturally occurring plant and animal species which are neither cultivated, or domesticated nor tamed. Several hundred organisms are endangered or on the verge of extinction. The reasons are deforestation, pollution, killing, over exploitation etc. The most important among them is deforestation or destruction of their natural habitat because it will affect the species (flora and fauna) of complete area and not only the few organisms.
The natural habitat may be destroyed by man for his settlements, grazing grounds, agriculture, mining, industries, dam building etc. As a consequence of this, the species must adapt to the changes, move elsewhere or may succumb to predation, starvation or disease, or eventually dies.
2. Identify the correct match between tiger reserve and its state
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(a) Manas – Assam
(b) Corbett – Madhya Pradesh
(c) Bandipur – Tamil Nadu
(d) Palanau – Orissa.
Answer and Explanation:
2. (a): Manas biosphere reserve is located in Assam. To save tiger from extinction, ‘Project Tiger’ was launched in our country in 1972. Since, then the tiger population is slowly increasing. In Manas, the tiger population was 31 in 1972 and 41 in 1973. Corbett National Park is located in district Nainital of Uttaranchal. Bandipur National Park is located in district Mysore of Karnataka. Palamu is located in Chhotanagpur, Jharkhand.
3. Which of the following is the matching pair of a sanctuary and its main protected wild animal?
(a) Kaziranga-Musk deer
(b) Gir-Lion
(c) Sunderban-Rhino
(d) all of these.
Answer and Explanation:
3. (b): Gir sanctuary is a dense forest of 70 km length and 45 km width, situated in Gujarat. This forest is divided into 9 sub-divisions namely-Hiran, Shingavado, Shingavadi, Raval, Dhatervadi, Malan, Machhundari, Papatidi and Shattunji. The climate is hot and humid. The lions are the main attraction of the forest. The Gujarat Government is very keen for the protection of lion. Thus, the Gir sanctuary was extended over both vegetational zones and open area of about 140 square km in 1973 which was upgraded into a National park in 1975.
A long live hedge wall of 468 km has been maintained to protect the living area of lions in this forest. Kaziranga national park is famous for one-horned rhinoceros and Sunderbans is a tiger reserve.
4. Identify the correctly matched pair
(a) Corbett park – Aves
(b) Runn of Kutch – Wild ass
(c) Gir forest – Rhino
(d) Kajiranga-Elephant.
Answer and Explanation:
4. (d): Kaziranga national park is famous for one- horned rhinoceros of India. Other animals found are elephant, wild buffalo, bison, tiger, leopard, sloth bear etc. Corbett national park is famous for tigers. Gir national park is famous for the Asiatic lions. Runn of Kutch is famous for chinkara.
5. The breeding place of Flamingo (Hansawar) in India is most likely
(a) Runn of Kutch
(b) Ghana Vihar
(c) Sambhar lake
(d) Chilka lake.
Answer and Explanation:
5. (d): Flamingoes are protected in Chilika lake, Orissa. Other important birds protected are water fowls, ducks, cranes, golden plovers, sandpipers etc.
6. If we uncover half of the forest, covering of the earth, what crisis will be produced at most and at first?
(a) some species will be extincted
(b) population and ecological imbalance will rise up
(c) energy crisis will occur
(d) rest half forests will maintain this imbalance.
Answer and Explanation:
6. (a): Deforestation will affect in different ways. Due to destruction of natural habitat, many species will get extinct. Man will be deprived of the benefits of trees and wild animals. Soil erosion will be increased. Floods and drought will become more frequent. There will also be a change in climate. Deforestation will also decrease the atmospheric humidity which will affect rainfall and makes the air hot. Economy of the forest dwelling people will be deteriorated and wild life will be adversely affected.
7. What is the major cause of diminishing wildlife number?
(a) felling of trees
(b) paucity of drinking water
(c) cannibalism
(d) habitat destruction.
Answer and Explanation:
7. (d): Refer answer I.
8. Which of the following is mainly responsible for the extinction of wild life?
(a) pollution of air and water
(b) hunting of flesh
(c) destruction of habitats
(d) all of these.
Answer and Explanation:
8. (c): Pollution of air and water, hunting of flesh, destruction of habitats, all are responsible for extinction of wildlife. Among these, most important is the destruction of habitat. Wildlife includes all those naturally occurring plant and animal species which are neither cultivated, or domesticated nor tamed. Deforestation or destruction of their natural habitat will affect the species (flora and fauna) of complete area and not only the few organisms.
The natural habitat may be destroyed by man for his settlements, grazing grounds, agriculture, mining, industries, dam building etc. As a consequence of this, the species must adapt to the changes, move elsewhere or may succumb to predation, starvation of disease, and eventually dies.
9. Indri-indri lemur is found in
(a) Madagaskar
(b) Mauritius
(c) India
(d) Sri Lanka.
Answer and Explanation:
9. (a): Indri-indri lemur is found in Madagascar. It is the largest of all surviving lemurs and is best known for its beautiful song which can carry for more than 2 km. It is active during the day, feeding on canopy fruit and leaves. Today, the Indri’s number is small and dwindling due to habitat loss.
10. Viable material of endangered species can be preserved by
(a) gene bank
(b) gene library
(c) herbarium
(d) gene pool.
Answer and Explanation:
10. (a): Viable material of endangered species can be preserved by gene bank. Gene bank is an institute that maintains stocks of viable seeds (seed banks), live growing plants (orchards), tissue culture and frozen germplasm with the whole range of genetic variability.
11. Wild life is continuously decreasing. What is the main reason of this?
(a) predation
(b) cutting down of forest
(c) destruction of habitat
(d) hunting.
Answer and Explanation:
11. (c): Wild life refers to all living organisms (terrestrial, aquatic and aerial) living in all possible natural habitats of
their own, other than the cultivated plants and domesticated animals. Thus “wild life” does not exist only in jungles and are hunted down but wild life includes even the migrating birds, turtles, coral reefs, microorganisms, insects, fishes, etc. Several hundred organisms are endangered or on the verge of extinction.
The reasons are deforestation, pollution, killing, over exploitation etc. The most important among them is deforestation or destruction of their natural habitat because it will affect the species (flora and fauna) of complete area and not only the few organisms. The natural habitat may be destroyed by man for his settlements, grazing grounds, agriculture, mining, industries, dam building etc. As a consequence of this, the species must adapt to the changes, move elsewhere or may succumb to predation, starvation or disease, and eventually dies.
12. Which group of vertebrates comprises the highest number of endangered species?
(a) mammals
(b) fishes
(c) reptiles
(d) birds
Answer and Explanation:
12. (a): A taxon is endangered when its populations have decreased or habitats have been reduced to the levels that pose immediate danger of extinction. They are not likely to survive if the factors threatening their extinction continue. IUCN Red List (2004) documents the extinction of 784 species (including 338 vertebrate species, 359 invertebrate species and 87 plant species) in the last 500 years.
On worldwide basis, more than 15,500 species are facing the threat of extinction. At present, 12% of the bird species, 23% of mammal species, 23% of mammal species, 32% of amphibian species and 31% of gymnosperm species are facing the threat of extinction in the world.
Several endangered mammalian species are Panthera pandus (Leopard), Panthera leo persica (Lion), Presbytis pilaelus (capped langur) etc.
13. Which endangered animal is the source of the world’s finest, lightest, warmest and most expensive wool – the shahtoosh?
(a) nilgai
(b) cheetal
(c) kashmiri goat
(d) chiru
Answer and Explanation:
13. (d): Chiru or the Tibetan antelope (Pantholops hodgsoni) is medium-sized bovid which is about 1.2 m in height. Its coat is grey to reddish brown, with a white underside. The Chiru’s wool, known as shahtoosh, is worm, soft and fine. The wool can only be obtained by killing the animal. It is listed as endangered by the world conservation union and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service due to commercial poaching for its wool.
14. According to IUCN Red List, what is the status of Red Panda (AHums fulgens)?
(a) critically endangered species
(b) vulnerable species
(c) extinct species
(d) endangered species.
Answer and Explanation:
14. (d): According to IUCN Red list, the status of Red panda (Ailurus fulgens) is endangered species. Endangered species are those species that are facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future. This category is used when the species suffered a population reduction of 80% or more.
Vulnerable species have sufficient population at present but are depleting fast, e.g., Golder langur, leopard cat. Extinct species no longer exist e.g., Dodo. Critically endangered species are threatened to a greater extent.
15. Which of the following pairs of an animal and a plant represents endangered organisms in India?
(a) Banyan and black Duck
(b) Benlinckia nicobarica and red panda
(c) tamarind and rhesus monkey
(d) Cinchona and leopard
Answer and Explanation:
15. (b): An endangered species is a living organism in danger of disappearing from the face of the earth if it is not protected and its situation is not improved. Red panda (Ailurus fulgens) and Bentinckia nicobarica are endangered organisms of India.
The red panda (Ailurus fulgens) faces problems with human encroachment into its habitat. Bentinckia nicobarica is a fast-growing, slender and elegant, pinnate palm from the Nicobar Islands in the Andaman Sea north of Sumatra.
16. Montreal protocol which calls for appropriate action to protect the ozone layer from human activities was passed in the year
(a) 1985
(b) 1986
(c) 1987
(d) 1988
Answer and Explanation:
16. (c): Montreal protocol is an agreement signed in Montreal (Canada) by over 150 countries in 1987 in which signatory nations consented to limit production and consumption of ozone-damaging chemicals. The aim of the protocol was to protect the ozone layer in the stratosphere by decreasing and eventually eliminating the use of ozone-depleting substances like CFCs.
17. Which one of the following is not included under in-situ conservation?
(a) national park
(b) sanctuary
(c) botanical garden
(d) biosphere reserve
Answer and Explanation:
17. (c): In-situ conservation means “on-site conservation”. In situ conservation is the protection and management of important components of biological diversity through a network of protected areas. Botanical gardens come under Ex situ conservation which is a conservation outside the natural habitats of plants by perpetuating sample populations.
18. Which one of the following is the correctly matched pair of an endangered animal and a national park?
(a) great indian : Keoladeo national park bustard
(b) lion : Corbett national park
(c) rhinoceros : Kaziranga national park
(d) wild ass : Dudhwa national park
Answer and Explanation:
18. (c): Kaziranga national park of Assam is selected for the conservation of Rhinoceros.
• Desert National – Great Indian Park (Rajasthan) bustard
• Keoladeo National – Famous for aquatic Park (Bharatpur) birds
• Corbett National – Tiger Park (Uttaranchal)
• Gir National Park – Lion (Gujarat)
• Dudhwa National Park – Swamp deer
19. Identify the odd combination of the habitat and the particular animal concerned.
(a) Sunderbans – Bengal Tiger
(b) Periyar – Elephant
(c) Rann of Kutch – Wild Ass
(d) Dachigam – Snow Leopard. National Park
20. One of endangered species of Indian medicinal plants is that of
(a) Ocimum
(b) garlic
(c) Nepenthes
(d) Podophyllum.
Answer and Explanation:
20. (d): An endangered species is a population of an organism which are at risk of becoming extinct because it is either a few in number or threatened by changing environmental or predation parameters. Podophyllum is such an endangered species of Indian medicinal plants. They contain podophyllotoxin and podophyllin that is used as a purgative and as a cytostatic. They are also grown as ornamental plants for their attractive foliage and flowers. Extracts of plants are used for genital warts and some skin cancers.