The concept of biodiversity hotspots was given by which scientist?
- A.Norman Myers
- B.Charles Darwin
- C.Robert Whittaker
- D.Alexander von Humboldt
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is A, Norman Myers, the British ecologist who put forward the idea in 1988 to direct scarce conservation money to the places where it would save the most species. A region qualifies when it is exceptionally rich in species found nowhere else and has already lost most of its original vegetation.
Option B, Charles Darwin, gave the theory of evolution by natural selection and has no connection with this classification. Option C, Robert Whittaker, is a real trap because he did give the terms alpha, beta and gamma diversity, which belong to the same chapter, and he is also remembered for a widely used classification of living organisms into five kingdoms. Option D, Alexander von Humboldt, described how species richness rises with the area of a region. Four hotspots extend into India: the Himalaya, Indo-Burma, the Western Ghats with Sri Lanka, and Sundaland.
Read the full article: Biodiversity and Its Conservation: Hotspots and Laws
Practice Questions
View allWhich of the following is not a biodiversity hotspot extending into India?
- A.The Himalaya
- B.Indo-Burma
- C.The Eastern Ghats
- D.The Western Ghats and Sri Lanka
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They are a broken and comparatively dry hill chain and do not meet the twin tests of exceptional endemism and severe threat that define a hotspot.
Read the full explanation →The Convention on Biological Diversity was signed at which conference?
- A.The Stockholm Conference of 1972
- B.The Earth Summit at Rio de Janeiro in 1992
- C.The Kyoto Conference of 1997
- D.The Ramsar Conference of 1971
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The Convention has three objectives: the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components, and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising from the use of genetic resources.
Read the full explanation →Which was the first biosphere reserve to be set up in India?
- A.Nanda Devi
- B.Nilgiri
- C.Sundarbans
- D.Gulf of Mannar
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It spreads across the meeting point of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka in the Western Ghats and takes in several well known national parks and sanctuaries within its area.
Read the full explanation →A biosphere reserve is divided into which three zones?
- A.Core, buffer and transition
- B.Core, sanctuary and park
- C.Inner, middle and outer
- D.Protected, restricted and open
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The core zone is legally protected and left undisturbed, with no human activity allowed. The buffer zone around it permits research, education and limited use of resources that does not damage the core.
Read the full explanation →The Wildlife (Protection) Act was passed in India in which year?
- A.1962
- B.1972
- C.1980
- D.1986
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The Wildlife (Protection) Act provides the legal basis for declaring national parks and wildlife sanctuaries, lists protected species in its schedules, and prohibits hunting and trade in the species it covers.
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