75 practice questions on Biodiversity and Conservation, sorted Easy → Hard. Try each one first, then open its answer page for the worked explanation. Want the full theory first? Read the Biodiversity and Conservation notes.
🔬 Biology · Class 12 · NEET
Biodiversity and Conservation - Practice Questions with Answers
75 free MCQs on Biodiversity and Conservation, each with its own worked answer and explanation. Levels of biodiversity, species richness patterns, threats (HIPPO), and conservation strategies. Always in NEET.
Take the timed Biodiversity and Conservation chapterwise test →Easy - 25 questions
Q1.
The number of living species actually recorded and described on Earth so far is closest to:
- A about 0.5 million
- B about 1.5 million
- C about 20 million
- D about 100 million
Q2.
Among plants, the group having the maximum number of species is:
- A Angiosperms
- B Mosses
- C Ferns
- D Algae
Q3.
India possesses a large biodiversity although its share of the world total land area is only about:
- A 8.1%
- B 20%
- C 2.4%
- D 45%
Q4.
A seed bank where seeds of many varieties are preserved is an example of:
- A in-situ conservation
- B a national park
- C a biosphere reserve
- D ex-situ conservation
Q5.
Project Tiger, which protects tigers within their natural habitat, is an example of:
- A ex-situ conservation
- B in-situ conservation
- C cryopreservation
- D tissue culture
Q6.
An ecosystem consists of:
- A Mainly the living organisms present in an area
- B Mainly the non-living physical factors present
- C Living organisms and their non-living environment
- D Mainly the plant and animal species in a region
Q7.
An extinct species is one that:
- A Is currently classified as an endangered species
- B No longer exists anywhere on Earth
- C Exists today mainly in zoos and captive breeding programs
- D Has a population that has been steadily reduced over time
Q8.
Greenhouse gases include:
- A Oxygen (O<sub>2</sub>) and nitrogen (N<sub>2</sub>)
- B CO<sub>2</sub>, CH<sub>4</sub>, N<sub>2</sub>O, and water vapor
- C Carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>) mainly
- D Oxygen (O<sub>2</sub>) gas mainly
Q9.
An endangered species is one that:
- A Has already gone largely extinct worldwide
- B Is at high risk of extinction in the near future
- C Has largely recovered its former population size
- D Is native to mainly one single country
Q10.
The water cycle involves:
- A Mainly the rainfall that reaches the ground surface directly
- B Evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and transpiration
- C Mainly the underground movement and storage of groundwater
- D Mainly the circulation pattern driving major ocean currents
Q11.
National parks conserve biodiversity. This is an example of:
- A Ex-situ conservation outside its habitat
- B In-situ conservation (in natural habitat)
- C Gene bank storage of seed material
- D Captive zoo-based breeding program
Q12.
Acid rain is caused by:
- A A gradual buildup of excess atmospheric carbon dioxide alone
- B SO<sub>2</sub> and NOx reacting with water to form H<sub>2</sub>SO<sub>4</sub> and HNO<sub>3</sub>
- C Gradual depletion of the protective stratospheric ozone layer
- D Heavy metal contamination accumulating gradually within rainwater
Q13.
The total variety of living organisms present in a region is called:
- A biomass
- B biodiversity
- C biotechnology
- D biome
Q14.
Who coined the popular term "biodiversity"?
- A Edward Wilson
- B some early Greek scholar
- C a plain Indian botanist
- D only a marine ecologist
Q15.
How many levels of biodiversity are commonly recognised?
- A Three
- B a total of seven
- C around a dozen
- D only two broad ones
Q16.
Variation at the level of genes within a species is called what?
- A Genetic diversity
- B plain species variety
- C the wide ecosystem range
- D only habitat variation
Q17.
Which country is one of the world’s megadiverse nations?
- A India
- B a landlocked desert state
- C some small polar island
- D only tiny city nations
Q18.
Conservation of species in their natural habitat is termed what?
- A In-situ
- B the ex-situ approach
- C a plain zoo method
- D only botanical gardens
Q19.
A national park is an example of which conservation type?
- A In-situ
- B the ex-situ approach
- C a simple seed bank
- D only a tissue culture
Q20.
Which of these is an ex-situ conservation method?
- A Zoo
- B a large national park
- C the vast wildlife sanctuary
- D only sacred forest groves
Q21.
The largest number of species belong to which animal group?
- A Insects
- B the plain fish group
- C some large mammals
- D only the amphibians
Q22.
Species found in only one geographic area are called what?
- A Endemic
- B the common cosmopolitan
- C a plain migratory type
- D only introduced ones
Q23.
Which document lists the conservation status of species?
- A Red List
- B a plain census book
- C the local field diary
- D only a museum catalogue
Q24.
Tropical regions generally have how much biodiversity?
- A High
- B rather low overall
- C almost none at all
- D only average amounts
Q25.
Sacred groves are patches of forest protected by whom?
- A Local people
- B a large mining firm
- C the plain city council
- D only foreign tourists
Medium - 25 questions
Q26.
Of the total number of species recorded globally, animals make up roughly:
- A more than 70%
- B about 22%
- C about 8%
- D about 2%
Q27.
The three global biodiversity hotspots that extend into India are Himalaya, Indo-Burma and:
- A the Sundarbans mangrove belt
- B the central Thar desert
- C the Western Ghats-Sri Lanka
- D the eastern Gangetic plains
Q28.
In the species-area relationship S = CA<sup>z</sup>, the letter C stands for:
- A the slope of the line
- B the Y-intercept
- C the total area
- D the number of islands
Q29.
The latitudinal gradient shows that the diversity of living species generally:
- A increases from the equator to the poles
- B decreases from the equator to the poles
- C is uniform at all latitudes
- D is highest near the poles
Q30.
The introduction of the Nile perch into Lake Victoria in East Africa led to the extinction of many native:
- A water birds
- B amphibians
- C aquatic plants
- D cichlid fish species
Q31.
Ex-situ conservation includes:
- A Designated wildlife sanctuaries within natural habitat
- B National parks protecting natural ecosystems
- C Zoos, botanical gardens, gene banks, seed banks
- D Biosphere reserves protecting natural habitat
Q32.
Trophic cascade occurs when:
- A Mainly the removal of producers from the base of a food web over time
- B A change at one trophic level affects multiple levels (top-down or bottom-up effects)
- C Competition increasing specifically between exactly two competing species nearby
- D Mainly a change occurring at the very base of the food web structure
Q33.
The IUCN Red List categories for threatened species include (from least to most risk):
- A Endangered, Vulnerable, Critically Endangered
- B Vulnerable, Endangered, Critically Endangered (CR being highest risk before Extinct in Wild)
- C Rare, Threatened, Endangered
- D Near Threatened, Vulnerable, Endangered, Critically Endangered
Q34.
The phosphorus cycle lacks a significant:
- A A significant, well-defined soil-based component present within the overall cycle
- B Atmospheric (gaseous) phase -- phosphorus does not enter the atmosphere as a gas
- C A significant, well-defined oceanic phase present within the overall global cycle
- D Any meaningful biological uptake of phosphorus by living organisms each season
Q35.
Island biogeography theory predicts that species richness on islands depends on:
- A The particular surface colour or visual appearance of the island itself overall
- B Island size and distance from the mainland (immigration and extinction balance)
- C Mainly the surrounding ocean water temperature near the island in question
- D Mainly the level of human settlement activity present on the island itself
Q36.
A biodiversity hotspot must have a large number of species found nowhere else, that is, high:
- A productivity
- B biomass
- C endemism
- D salinity
Q37.
Protecting a species within its natural habitat, as in a national park, is called:
- A in situ conservation
- B ex situ conservation
- C cryopreservation
- D tissue culture
Q38.
The species-area relationship on a log scale gives what graph?
- A A straight line
- B a plain flat curve
- C some random scatter
- D only a closed loop
Q39.
In the species-area equation, the slope is denoted by which letter?
- A z
- B the common letter q
- C a plain symbol k
- D only the letter m
Q40.
How many biodiversity hotspots are recognised globally?
- A 34
- B about a hundred
- C roughly a thousand
- D only around five
Q41.
Which is NOT a biodiversity hotspot located in India?
- A Amazon Basin
- B the Western Ghats
- C some Indo-Burma zone
- D only the Himalaya region
Q42.
The Rivet Popper hypothesis was proposed by which scientist?
- A Paul Ehrlich
- B a plain David Tilman
- C only Robert May
- D some early Charles Elton
Q43.
About what fraction of global species are found in India?
- A 8.1 percent
- B nearly half of all
- C almost none at all
- D only about forty percent
Q44.
Alien species invasions cause biodiversity loss by which mechanism?
- A Competition
- B a plain overhunting spree
- C only natural disasters
- D some slow soil erosion
Q45.
The evil quartet refers to the causes of what?
- A Biodiversity loss
- B the plain ozone hole
- C a simple food shortage
- D only global warming
Q46.
Which is NOT part of the evil quartet?
- A Afforestation
- B plain habitat loss
- C the co-extinctions
- D only overexploitation
Q47.
Cryopreservation of gametes is which kind of conservation?
- A Ex-situ
- B the in-situ way
- C a plain field method
- D only sacred grove care
Q48.
The most species-rich taxonomic group overall is which one?
- A Fungi over mammals
- B a plain algae group
- C only reptile species
- D some slow bacterial mats
Q49.
Amphibians appear especially vulnerable to which threat?
- A Extinction
- B a plain overgrowth
- C only rapid speciation
- D some quick migration
Q50.
Broad species diversity along latitude is highest where?
- A At the equator
- B near the cold poles
- C a plain mid-desert belt
- D only on high peaks
Hard - 25 questions
Q51.
On a logarithmic scale, the species-area relationship becomes a straight line described by the equation:
- A log S = log C + z log A
- B log A = log C + z log S
- C log C = log S + z log A
- D log S = log A - z log C
Q52.
The invasive aquatic weed notorious for clogging Indian water bodies and often called the terror of Bengal is:
- A Lantana camara
- B Cynodon dactylon
- C Eichhornia crassipes
- D Parthenium hysterophorus
Q53.
The single most important cause of the present loss of biodiversity is:
- A over-exploitation of resources
- B accidental co-extinction events
- C destruction of natural habitat
- D introduction of alien species
Q54.
In Paul Ehrlich Rivet Popper hypothesis, the rivets of an aeroplane represent:
- A the species of an ecosystem
- B the passengers on the plane
- C non-living abiotic factors
- D the flow of energy in food
Q55.
Frogs and other amphibians are declining sharply worldwide, which makes them valuable as:
- A primary ecosystem producers
- B top-level apex predators
- C major soil decomposers
- D sensitive environmental indicators
Q56.
The intermediate disturbance hypothesis proposes that species diversity is highest:
- A In largely undisturbed, mature climax plant and animal communities over time
- B At intermediate levels of disturbance frequency and intensity (not too high, not too low)
- C Specifically within highly and frequently disturbed environments, generally speaking
- D Mainly at the single maximum possible level of disturbance intensity observed
Q57.
Metapopulation theory describes:
- A A single, large, and largely continuous population occupying one habitat with no spatial subdivision into separate patches anywhere
- B A network of semi-isolated local populations connected by limited dispersal (colonization and extinction dynamics)
- C Populations that are restricted mainly to oceanic islands, rarely including any mainland or terrestrial populations
- D Populations of species that live mainly in aquatic habitats, excluding most terrestrial and amphibious species
Q58.
Liebig law of the minimum states:
- A Growth is sometimes thought to be limited specifically by whichever nutrient is present in the greatest abundance overall
- B The scarcest essential nutrient relative to its requirement limits organism growth (limiting factor)
- C All essential nutrients are sometimes thought to contribute roughly equally to limiting an organism's growth rate
- D Organism growth is sometimes thought to be limited mainly by the single nutrient present in maximum supply available
Q59.
Extinction debt describes:
- A Money that is formally owed by governments specifically to fund conservation efforts rather than describing any biological time-lag effect on species survival
- B Species that will eventually go extinct due to past habitat loss even if habitat destruction stops now (time lag in extinction)
- C Current extinction rates mainly, without any reference to past habitat loss, omitting the delayed effect that past habitat loss has on future extinctions
- D Mainly extinct mammal species, excluding birds, reptiles, and other taxa, excluding the many other taxonomic groups this delayed-extinction concept applies to
Q60.
In the species–area relationship, the slope (z value) of the regression line for most taxa over small areas lies between:
- A 0.1 and 0.2
- B 0.6 and 1.2
- C 2 and 4
- D 5 and 10
Q61.
For most taxa on islands, the slope z typically lies in what range?
- A 0.1 to 0.2
- B a wide 5 to 9 band
- C roughly 20 to 30
- D only above one hundred
Q62.
Across very large areas like whole continents z tends toward what?
- A 0.6 to 1.2
- B a plain 0.0 flat
- C only negative values
- D some fixed value of 5
Q63.
The species-area curve is best described by which equation?
- A S = C A<sup>Z</sup>
- B a plain S = C + A
- C only S equals A minus Z
- D some S = Z over A
Q64.
Estimated global species number according to Robert May is about?
- A 7 million
- B nearly a billion
- C only a few thousand
- D some fixed hundred
Q65.
If a habitat shrinks to 10 percent, roughly how many species survive?
- A About 50 percent
- B a plain 90 percent
- C only 5 percent left
- D nearly all of them
Q66.
The extinction of a species dependent on a host is called what?
- A Co-extinction
- B the plain overkill
- C only fragmentation
- D some alien invasion
Q67.
The passenger pigeon extinction was mainly due to which cause?
- A Overexploitation
- B a plain slow drought
- C only volcanic ash
- D some deep sea change
Q68.
How many hotspots collectively cover India’s biodiversity regions?
- A Three
- B about thirty of them
- C only a single one
- D some fixed dozen
Q69.
Number of plant species currently facing extinction threat is near?
- A Over 15500
- B a plain 100 species
- C only about ten of them
- D some fixed fifty species
Q70.
The productivity-stability studies by Tilman showed what for plots?
- A More species, more stable
- B a plain no effect
- C only fewer are stable
- D some random unstable trend
Q71.
Biosphere reserves conserve biodiversity at which broad level?
- A Ecosystem
- B a plain single gene
- C only one lone species
- D some tiny cell organelle
Q72.
Which reasons for conserving biodiversity are termed "narrowly utilitarian"?
- A Direct economic use
- B a plain ethical duty
- C only ecosystem services
- D some pure aesthetic joy
Q73.
Broadly utilitarian arguments emphasise which of the following?
- A Ecosystem services
- B a plain cash crop sale
- C only medicinal product sale
- D some direct timber income
Q74.
How much oxygen does the Amazon forest reportedly contribute?
- A 20 percent
- B nearly all of it
- C only about one percent
- D some fixed half share
Q75.
The ethical argument for conservation stresses what toward species?
- A Intrinsic value
- B a plain resale price
- C only tourism revenue
- D some export earnings
or take the timed test and get a score instead of just reading