Question

All the biodiversity hotspots together cover less than __A__ of Earth’s land area and protection of biodiversity hotspots can reduce the ongoing mass extinctions by ___B___ .

• A. A - 3%, B - 10%
• B. A - 2%, B - 30%
• C. A - 7%, B - 25%
• D. A - 5%, B - 15%

Answer 1

The correct option is B A - 2%, B - 30%

Biodiversity refers to the variety and variability amongst different life forms seen at different levels of organisation.

In the past few years, human intervention has led to habitat destruction and over exploitation of biological resources that have resulted in biodiversity loss in various parts of the world.

The world is currently on the verge of witnessing the 6th mass extinction (when species vanish much faster than they are replaced) since the origin of life on the Earth. The rate at which the 6th mass extinction is happening is alarmingly higher than the first 5 mass extinctions and is majorly an outcome of human intervention.

Conservation of biodiversity is necessary not only for their utilitarian significance but also for the fact that every life form has an intrinsic value for which they need to be protected and conserved.

Biodiversity hotspots are areas that are facing a rapid rate of biodiversity loss and have a high degree of diversity in the number of inhabitant species and possess particular species that are confined specifically to that area (endemism) and are not found anywhere else.

The three major biodiversity hotspots of India as follows :

• Western Ghats - Sri Lanka
• Indo - Burma region
• Himalayas

All the biodiversity hotspots (34) of the world together cover only 2% of the Earth’s landmass. Protection of the flora (plants) and fauna (animals) of these hotspots can reduce the ongoing mass extinction by almost 30%. Hence option b is correct.

Figure : Hotspots