Class 12/Question Bank/Competency Based
Created by Titas Mallick
Biology Teacher • M.Sc. Botany • B.Ed. • CTET (CBSE) • CISCE Examiner
BioNotesBioNotesCreated by Titas Mallick
Biology Teacher • M.Sc. Botany • B.Ed. • CTET (CBSE) • CISCE Examiner
Online
Competency Based Questions on Biodiversity and Conservation
1. Analyze the Data: You are exploring a new island. You find that the number of bird species increases as you explore larger areas of the island. However, after exploring 70% of the island, the rate of discovering new species drops significantly. Which ecological concept does this observation best fit? a) Latitudinal Gradient b) Species-Area Relationship c) Resource Partitioning d) Competitive Exclusion
2. Evaluate the Cause: The passenger pigeon was once the most abundant bird in North America but is now extinct. What was the primary driver of this extinction? a) Habitat fragmentation due to urbanization. b) Introduction of an alien predator. c) Over-exploitation by humans for food. d) A viral disease outbreak.
3. Predict the Impact: If a "Keystone Species" (like the Fig tree in a tropical forest) is removed, what will be the immediate impact on the ecosystem? a) Only the species living on the fig tree will die. b) The ecosystem will become more stable. c) There will be a cascading effect leading to the extinction of many other species (e.g., birds, insects). d) Another tree species will immediately replace its function.
4. Assertion (A): Tropical latitudes have greater biological diversity than temperate latitudes. Reason (R): Tropical environments are less seasonal, relatively more constant, and predictable. a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A. b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A. c) A is true but R is false. d) A is false but R is true.
5. Conservation Strategy: A biologist wants to conserve the genetic diversity of a rare, wild variety of mango that is disappearing from the forest. Which conservation method is most appropriate for long-term preservation of its genes? a) Botanical Garden b) Biosphere Reserve c) Cryopreservation (Gene Bank) d) National Park
6. Identify the Threat: The introduction of the Nile Perch into Lake Victoria caused the extinction of over 200 species of Cichlid fish. This is a classic example of: a) Co-extinction b) Alien Species Invasion c) Habitat Loss d) Over-exploitation
7. Ethical Reasoning: "We should conserve every species, even if it has no direct economic value to humans." Which argument for biodiversity conservation does this statement represent? a) Narrowly Utilitarian b) Broadly Utilitarian c) Ethical d) Scientific
8. Calculate: In the Species-Area equation , if the Z-value (slope) is found to be 1.15 for frugivorous birds, what does this indicate about the area studied? a) It is a very small area. b) It is a large area, likely an entire continent. c) The species richness is decreasing. d) The calculation is wrong; Z cannot exceed 1.
9. Concept Application: Which of the following is an In-situ conservation measure? a) A tiger in a Zoo. b) A rare orchid in a Botanical Garden. c) A rhinoceros in Kaziranga National Park. d) Seeds in a seed bank.
10. Analyze the Trend: Why are amphibians more vulnerable to extinction than birds or mammals? a) They are hunted more. b) They require both aquatic and terrestrial habitats, making them sensitive to habitat fragmentation and pollution. c) They have a very long lifespan. d) They are at the top of the food chain.
11. Identify the Hotspot: Which of the following regions in India is considered a "Biodiversity Hotspot"? a) The Thar Desert b) The Gangetic Plains c) The Western Ghats d) The Deccan Plateau
12. Co-extinction Logic: If a specific species of bee goes extinct, which of the following is the most likely immediate consequence? a) The honey production will increase. b) The specific plant species pollinated only by that bee will also face extinction. c) Other bees will immediately take over its role. d) The ecosystem will remain unaffected.
13. Global Conservation: The historic "Earth Summit" held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 resulted in which major convention? a) Kyoto Protocol b) Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) c) Montreal Protocol d) Ramsar Convention
14. Silent Crisis: Which of the following is often called the "Lungs of the Planet"? a) The Himalayas b) The Western Ghats c) The Amazon Rainforest d) The Great Barrier Reef
15. Differentiation: Genetic Diversity vs. Species Diversity.
The "Evil Quartet" refers to the four major causes of biodiversity loss. Scenario: A large patch of forest is cleared to plant Soya beans. This fragments the remaining forest. A road is built through the middle.
16. Identify: Which member of the "Evil Quartet" is primarily described here? a) Over-exploitation b) Habitat Loss and Fragmentation c) Alien Species Invasion d) Co-extinction
17. Impact Analysis: Why does fragmentation specifically hurt animals like Elephants or Tigers? a) They cannot find food. b) They require large territories for migration and hunting, which are now broken. c) They are afraid of roads. d) The Soya beans are toxic to them.
18. Secondary Effect: The edge of the fragmented forest becomes drier and hotter. This "Edge Effect" will likely: a) Increase the population of deep-forest birds. b) Decrease the population of species adapted to the cool, dark forest interior. c) Have no effect. d) Increase biodiversity.
Project Tiger was launched in India to save the Bengal Tiger. Conservationists used a "Total Ecosystem Approach" rather than just breeding tigers in cages.
19. Rationale: Why conserve the entire forest to save the tiger? a) Because tigers need privacy. b) Because the tiger is at the top of the food chain; saving the forest saves the deer (prey) and the plants (producers) required to support the tiger. c) Because it is cheaper. d) Because tigers eat trees.
20. Classification: Is "Project Tiger" an example of In-situ or Ex-situ conservation? a) In-situ b) Ex-situ c) Both d) Neither
21. Umbrella Species: The tiger is often called an "Umbrella Species". What does this mean? a) It protects other animals from rain. b) Protecting the tiger indirectly protects many other species that live in the same large habitat. c) It is the largest animal. d) It has a wide geographic range.
The plant Rauwolfia vomitoria grows in different ranges of the Himalayas. Scientists found that the concentration of the active chemical Reserpine varies significantly between plants growing in different areas.
22. Identify: This variation in chemical concentration within the same species is an example of: a) Species Diversity b) Ecological Diversity c) Genetic Diversity d) Hybridization
23. Significance: Why is this diversity important for the pharmaceutical industry? a) It allows them to select and breed strains with the highest potency of the drug. b) It makes the plant look prettier. c) It proves the plant is a weed. d) It reduces the cost of harvesting.
24. Conservation: If this plant becomes endangered due to over-harvesting, what is the best immediate Ex-situ method to save its genetic material? a) Declare the Himalaya a National Park. b) Store seeds in a Seed Bank or use Tissue Culture. c) Stop using Reserpine. d) Plant more trees.
25. Designing a Conservation Plan: You are the District Collector. A rare species of frog has been discovered in a local wetland that is being threatened by a housing project.
26. Visualizing Data: Draw a graph representing the Species-Area Relationship.
27. Ethical Debate: Topic: "We should bring back extinct animals (De-extinction) like the Woolly Mammoth using cloning."
28. Scenario Analysis (Invasive Species): Scenario: Parthenium (Carrot grass) has invaded agricultural lands in India.
29. Concept Mapping: Create a concept map connecting: Biodiversity, Ecosystem Services, Oxygen, Pollination, Flood Control, Aesthetic Value.
30. Critical Thinking: "Biodiversity Hotspots cover less than 2% of the earth's land area but hold a massive proportion of the world's biodiversity."
31. Formulating a Hypothesis: Observation: Species diversity decreases as we move from the equator to the poles (Latitudinal Gradient).