Biodiversity: UPSC Previous Year Questions (Environment and Ecology)

Explanation

The Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP), also known as Gadgil Committee was chaired by Prof. Madhav Gadgil. It was established by the Ministry of Environment & Forests in 2010 and submitted its report in 2011. The panel was constituted to primarily demarcate ecologically sensitive areas in the Western Ghats and recommended measures for the management of these ecologically sensitive areas. The Kasturirangan committee was constituted to examine the WGEEP report in 2012. The key recommendations were:

Declaring the entire Western Ghats as an Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA). Dividing the region into three zones (Ecologically Sensitive Zones 1, 2, and 3), with strict regulations on mining, industries, and land-use changes. Implementing bottom-up democratic decision-making by involving local communities in conservation efforts. Banning large-scale developmental projects in sensitive zones.

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct: The National Biodiversity Authority(NBA) plays a crucial role in preventing biopiracy which is the unauthorized use of biological resources or traditional knowledge without fair compensation or consent. The NBA ensures that access to India’s biological resources (including agricultural crops, medicinal plants, and traditional knowledge) is regulated. This helps protect India’s indigenous and traditional genetic resources from exploitation by foreign entities or corporations.

Statement 2 is incorrect: NBA does not directly supervise scientific research on genetic modification (GM) of crops. The regulation of Genetically Modified (GM) crops falls under the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee (GEAC) which functions under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

Statement 3 is correct: The NBA’s approval is mandatory before filing any Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) application for patents related to biological resources originating in In-dia. This prevents foreign companies from claiming patents on Indian plants, seeds, and traditional medicines without sharing benefits with local communities.

Explanation

The IUCN Red List of "threatened species" is the world’s most comprehensive inventory of the global conservation status of plant and animal species, which is a grouping of three categories: Critically Endangered, Endangered, and Vulnerable.

Statement 1 is incorrect: The Red Data Books primary purpose is not to catalog endemic species in biodiversity hotspots. Its focus is on the conservation status of species, particularly those that are threatened (vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered).

Statement 2 is correct: The purpose of the Red Data Books is to provide a detailed list of threatened species, including plants and animals. These species are categorized based on their risk of extinction, using criteria such as population size, rate of decline, and geographic range.

Statement 3 is incorrect: The Red Data Books do not focus on listing protected sites or conservation areas. Information about protected sites (such as national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, or biosphere reserves) is typically found in other publications or databases, such as the World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) or national-level conservation reports.

Explanation

Ex Situ Conservation In Situ Conservation Ex situ conservation is the preservation of biodiversity away from their natural habitats. Here, zoological or botanical parks are places where animals and plants are raised or grown. In situ conservation refers to the preservation of plants and animals in their natural environments. Another method of ex situ conservation is the reintroduction of an animal or plant into its former environment. For instance, This includes the establishment of:

1. National parks and sanctuaries

2. Biosphere reserves the extinct Gangetic Gharial has been brought back into the rivers of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan.

3. Nature reserves

4. Reserved and protected forests

5. Preservation plots

6. Reserved forests Important locations for ex situ conservation include seed banks, botanical, horticultural, and recreational gardens.

Explanation

Biodiversity Hotspot are regions with high species richness and a high degree of endemism. In 1988, the British bi-ologist Norman Myers coined the term "biodiversity hotspot" as a biogeographic region characterized both by exceptional levels of plant endemism and by serious levels of habitat loss and provided certain qualifications for a hotspot. Options 1, 3 and 5 are correct: In 1989, Conservation Inter-national (CI) adopted Myers’ hotspots as its institutional model. Western Ghats-Sri Lanka and Indo-Burma Region meets the Myers’ criterion to qualify as Biodiversity Hotspot:

Species richness and endemism is one of the major criteria which must contain at least 1,500 species of vascular plants (> 0.5% of the world’s total) as endemics. ‘Degree of Threat’ is also a major criteria for the recognition of biological hotspots. It has to have lost at least 70% of its original habitat. (It must have 30% or less of its original natural vegetation). In other words, it must be threatened. Options 2, 4 and 6 are incorrect: Vegetation density, ethno-bo-tanical importance and adaptation of flora and fauna to warm and humid conditions are not part of the criteria for the recognition of Biodiversity Hotspots.

Explanation

The diversity of plants and animals varies widely over the world. The tropics are home to more species than temperate or polar regions.

Statement 1 is correct: Species diversity decreases as we move away from the equator towards the pole. This is due to several reasons:

Lower latitudes experience warmer temperatures and more stable climates, which support a greater variety of life forms. The equatorial regions receive more consistent and intense sunlight throughout the year, leading to higher primary productivity (photosynthesis) and thus more diverse ecosystems. Tropical regions, such as rainforests, have complex habitats with multiple layers (canopy, understory, forest floor) which support a wide range of species. Tropical regions have remained relatively stable over geological time, allowing species to diversify over millions of years.

Statement 2 is correct: Elevational diversity gradient (EDG) is an ecological pattern where biodiversity changes with elevation. The EDG states that species richness tends to increase as elevation increases, up to a certain point, creating a "diversity bulge" at middle elevations, after which it decreases with altitude. Therefore, it is true that along the mountain gradients, biodiversity is normally greater in the lower altitudes as compared to the higher altitudes.

Explanation

Biodiversity provides a number of natural services for human beings which are listed in the table below:

Ecosystem Services Protection of water resources Soil formation and protection Nutrient storage and recycling Pollution breakdown and absorption Contribution to climate stability Maintenance of ecosystems Recovery from unpredictable events Biological Services Food Medicinal resources and pharmaceutical drugs Wood products Ornamental plants Pollination of crops Breeding stocks Diversity in genes, species and ecosystems Social Services Research, education and monitoring Recreation and tourism Cultural values

Explanation

Being a confluence of different biogeographical zones Himalayan Range is very rich in species diversity. The Himalayas act as a natural transition zone between several major bio-geographical regions, leading to high species diversity and endemism. There are ten biogeographic zones in India:

1. Trans-Himalayan zone. 2. Himalayan zone

3. Desert zone. 4. Semi Arid zone.

5. Western ghat zone. 6. Deccan plateau zone.

7. Gangetic plain zone. 8. North east zone.

9. Coastal zone 10. Islands

Explanation

Biodiversity hotspot concept is promoted by Conservation international. Each biodiversity hot spot represents a remarkable universe of extraordinary floral and faunal endemicity struggling to survive in rapidly shrinking ecosystems. To qualify as a hotspot, a region must meet two strict criteria:

Species endemism: It must contain at least 1,500 species of vascular plants (> 0.5% of the world’s total) as endemics, and Degree of threat: It has to have lost at least 70% of its original habitat. Statements 1 and 2 are incorrect:

Biodiversity hotspots aren’t limited to tropical regions; examples include the Mediterranean Basin and California Floristic Province. While India is home to significant biodiversity but it has only three recognized hotspots. These hotspots are the Eastern Himalayas, Western Ghats and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The Western Himalayas are not considered as a separate biodiversity hotspot.

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct: The salt-water crocodile, the largest living reptile, is found in coastal regions of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. These islands provide a suitable habitat for the species, including mangrove swamps and estuarine areas, which are ideal for the crocodile’s nesting and hunting.

Statement 2 is correct: The shrew is a small mammal found in the forested areas of the Western Ghats, including the Malabar region. The most common is Malabar Shrew. The tapir, specifically the Malayan tapir, is found in the rainforests of the Western Ghats. Tapirs are herbivorous mammals that are adapted to the dense forests and are native to parts of South and Southeast Asia, including the Western Ghats.