BIOLOGY Case study (4 Marks)

Read the following and answer any four questions from (i) to (v) given below:
The Kakapo is the world's largest and heaviest parrot, found only in New Zealand. It is unusual in that it is nocturnal, flightless and ground-dwelling. It is an excellent climber of trees, has strong legs that allow it to "jog" several kilometres in a single trip, and has mossy green plumage mottled with brown and yellow. The Kakapo is also critically endangered as of now, there were only few known living individuals left.

1. Which could be the possible reason for Kakapo to be well-adapted to its environment prior to the arrival of humans in New Zealand?

1. Kakapo was active only in the night when its potential predators would not be out for hunting.
2. The Kakapo would likely be well-camouflaged among the forest foliage due to its greenish plumage.
3. It was able to effectively hunt for food in the night.
4. All of these.

2. When humans started to settle in New Zealand, they took with them non-native animals, including mammals such as cats, dogs and stoats. By which of the following ways, human settlement likely contributed to a near decimation of Kakapo populations in New Zealand?

1. Habitat destruction.
2. Alien species invasion.
3. Pollution.
4. Both (a) and (b).

3. All known survived Kakapo have been relocated by the New Zealand government to three predator-free islands, where they are monitored year round by staffs and volunteers to ensure that the birds are safe, healthy and well-fed. The extremely low population of Kakapo is a hurdle to the species becoming viable in the long term, despite such dedicated conservation efforts. This is because.

1. The small population results in very small gene pool.
2. There would be very Ii mited genetic diversity among the resulting offspring.
3. Of reduced capacity of the species to adapt and survive changes in the environment.
4. All of these.

4. The reasons behind conserving biodiversity have been grouped into which of the following categories?

1. Narrowly utilitarian.
2. Broadly utilitarian.
3. Ethical.
4. All of these.

5. One of the ex situ conservation methods for endangered species is:

1. Wildlife sanctuaries.
2. Biosphere reserves.
3. Cryopreservation.
4. National parks.

Read the following and answer any four questions from (i) to (v) given below:
IUCN maintains a Red Data Book or Red List which is a catalogue of taxa facing risk of extinction. The IUCN Red List (2004) documents the extinction of 784 species in the last 500 years. Some examples of recent extinctions include the dodo, quagga, thylacine and Steller's sea cow. The last twenty years alone have witnessed the disappearance of 27 species. Red List has eight categories of species.

1. Dodo, an extinct taxon, belongs to which country?

1. Mauritius
2. Africa
3. Australia
4. Russia

2. To which of the following categories of IUCN, Berberis nilghiriensis belongs?

1. Extinct.
2. Extinct in wild.
3. Endangered.
4. Critically endangered.

3. Steller's sea cow and passenger pigeon became extinct due to:

1. Alien species invasion.
2. Over-exploitation.
3. Coextinctions.
4. Intensive agriculture.

4. Bali, Javan and Caspian are:

1. Species of tiger.
2. Species of cheetah.
3. Subspecies of cheetah.
4. Subspecies of tiger.

5. Select the correct term for the following definitions (i, ii, iii, iv).

• The taxon is liable to become extinct if not allowed to realise its full biotic potential by providing protection from exotic species/ human exploitation/habitat deterioration/depletion of food.
• The taxon has been completely eliminated or died out from earth, e.g., Dodo.
• The taxon is facing a high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future due to decrease in its habitat, excessive predation or poaching.
• They are species with naturally small populations, either localised or thinly scattered, which are always at risk from pests/ pathogens/ predators/ exotic species.

	(i)	(ii)	(iii)	(iv)
(a)	Threatened	Extinct	Endangered	Rare
(b)	Endangered	Extinct	Threatened	Rare
(c)	Extinct	Rare	Threatened	Endangered
(d)	Threatened	Extinct	Rare	Endangered

Read the following and answer any four questions from (i) to (v) given below:
Wetlands are called Ramsar sites because the first international convention on their conservation was held in Ramsar in Iran in 1971. Wetlands or Ramsar sites are low lying marshy areas which get filled up during rains due to runoff and overflow from other water bodies. They are often considered to be waste lands which are used as dumping areas and filled up to recover land for various constructions activities. As a result, a large number of wetlands have disappeared.

1. Select the incorrect match of wetland and its location.

	Wetland	Location
(a)	Harike	Punjab
(b)	Chandra Tai	H.P.
(c)	Bhoj	M.P.
(d)	Ashtamudi	Odisha

2. Migratory bird flamingo breeds in which of the following wetlands?

1. Bhitarkanika Mangroves.
2. Rann of Kutch.
3. Harike.
4. Chandra Tal.

3. Which of the following is not an importance of wetlands?

1. They are an important source of recharging groundwater.
2. They provide protection from floods.
3. They are good source of siltation and purification of water.
4. None of these.

4. Which of the following wetland ecosystem is highly acidic and has a accumulation of decomposed plants known as peat?

1. Bog
2. Mangrove
3. Estuary
4. Watershed

5. The mangroves of Bhitarkanika are famous for:

1. Rare migratory waterbirds.
2. Nesting sites for endangered olive ridley turtles.
3. Prawn cultivation.
4. All of these.

Read the following and answer any four questions from (i) to (v) given below:

Biosphere reserves are multipurpose protected areas which are meant for preserving genetic diversity in representative ecosystems of various natural biomes and unique biological communities by protecting wild populations, traditional life style of tribals and domesticated plant/animal genetic resources. Each biosphere reserve has three zones-core, buffer and transition zone.

1. Which of the following is similar to biosphere reserve in terms of conservation?

1. Gene banks.
2. Offsite collection.
3. Orchards.
4. Hotspots.

2. Refer to the given figure representing different zones of a biosphere reserve and select the correct option regarding it.

1. A-Limited human activity is allowed such as for research and education.
2. B-An active co-operation occurs between reserve management and local people for activities like cropping, settlements, etc.
3. C-No human activity is allowed.
4. None of these.

3. Refer to the given diagrammatic representation of a biosphere reserve.

Select the incorrect statement regarding X, Y and Z.

1. X is devoted to strict protection of wildlife and no human activity is allowed in this zone.
2. In Y, only limited human activity (compatible with conservation) is allowed.
3. In Z, commercial exploitation of natural resources is allowed.
4. Tourism is allowed in Z zone only.
5. Zone Y helps to maintain the lifestyle of the tribal people living in the area.

1. (iii), (iv) and (v) only
2. (ii), (iii) and (v) only
3. (i), (iii) and (iv) only
4. (ii), (iii) and (iv) only

4. Biosphere reserves differ from national parks and wildlife sanctuaries because in the former.

1. Human beings are not allowed to enter
2. People are an integral part of the system
3. Plants are paid greater attention than the animals
4. Living organisms are brought from all over the world and preserved for posterity.

5. MAB Programme means.

1. Man and biosphere programme.
2. Man and biodiversity conservation programme.
3. Manually aided biosphere conservation programme.
4. None of these.

Read the following and answer any four questions from (i) to (v) given below:

Ginkgo tree has been saved from extinction by selective breeding followed by channeling into trade of nature lovers. This is an ex-situ conservation, where endangered species are protected from all adverse factors. Offspring produced in captive breeding are released in natural habitat for acclimatisation.

1. What is the significance of offsite collections?

1. Restock depleted populations.
2. Protection of endangered species.
3. Reintroduce species in wild.
4. All of these.

2. Which of the following is not an ex-situ conservation?

1. Wetlands
2. Orchards
3. Aquaria
4. Botanical gardens.

3. Select the incorrect statements for ex-situ conservation.

1. It is conservation of species outside their natural habitats.
2. Endangered species are kept under human supervision and provided all the essentials.
3. The species population recovers in natural environment.
4. Both (b) and (c).

4. Conditions maintained in seed banks for orthodox seeds are:

1. Low moisture content.
2. Anaerobic conditions.
3. Low temperature.
4. All of these.

5. Assertion: Animal species which have become extinct in wild continue to be maintained in zoological parks.

Reason: Captive breeding is the conservation of those cases where these is no realistic chance of in-situ survival.

1. Both assertion and reason are true and reason is the correct explanation of assertion.
2. Both assertion and reason are true but reason is not the correct explanation of assertion.
3. Assertion is true but reason is false.
4. Both assertion and reason are false.

Read the following and answer any four questions from (i) to (v) given below:

Excessive exploitation of species, whether a plant or animal reduces the size of its population so it becomes vulnerable to extinction. Such as Dodo and passenger pigeon have become extinct due to over exploitation by humans. Thus the world is facing accelerated rates of species extinctions, largely due to human interference.

1. Which of the following cause of biodiversity loss is not included in evil quartet?

1. Coextinction.
2. Pollution.
3. Alien species invasion.
4. Habitat loss and fragmentation.

2. Identify the species that have become extinct due to over exploitation.

1. Stellar sea cow.
2. Yucca moth.
3. Blatta orientalis.
4. Nile Perch.

3. Factors which make species susceptible to extinction are:

1. Large population size.
2. Lack of genetic variability.
3. Ower status of trophic level.
4. Ability to switch over to ahem ate foods.

4. Assertion: Pollution reduces species biodiversity.

Reason: Spill over of oil in sea causes death of several marine animals.

1. Both assertion and reason are true and reason is the correct explanation of assertion.
2. Both assertion and reason are true but reason is not the correct explanation of assertion.
3. Assertion is true but reason is false.
4. Both assertion and reason are false.

5. ________ is the first major cause of species extinction.

1. Coextinction.
2. Over exploitation.
3. Habitat destruction.
4. Alien species invasion.

Read the following and answer any four questions from (i) to (v) given below:

Non-native or alien species are often introduced in advertently for their economic and other uses. They often become invasive and drive away the local species. Exotic species have proved harmful to both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. For example, water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) was introduced in Indian waters to reduce pollution. It was clogged water bodies including wetlands at many places resulting in death of several aquatic plants and animals.

1. Island water ecosystem are the most vulnerable due to:

1. Small size.
2. Small number of species.
3. Increases reproductive capacity.
4. Both (a) and (b).

2. Which of the following is not an alien species?

1. Lantana camara.
2. Periplaneta americana.
3. Nile Perch.
4. Yucca moth.

3. Second major cause of species extinction is:

1. Habitat loss and fragmentation.
2. Over exploitation.
3. Alien species invasion.
4. Co-extinction.

4. Assertion: Eichhomia crassipes drains off oxygen from water and can be seen growing in standing water.

Reason: Eichhornia crassipes is an indigenous species of India.

1. Both assertion and reason are true and reason is the correct explanation of assertion.
2. Both assertion and reason are true but reason is not the correct explanation of assertion.
3. Assertion is true but reason is false.
4. Both assertion and reason are false.

5. The population of species Pin a certain conununity was constant until a population species Q from a distant land was subsequently introduced into that community. The interaction between the two populations is reflected in the graph below.

What could be the possible reason for the decrease in the population of species P over a number of days?

1. Species Q is a predator of species P.
2. Species Q is a prey species which wiped out the population of species P.
3. Species P and Q compete for space but feeds on different food.
4. None of these.