Question

Sacred groves of the Aravalli hills of Rajasthan serve as a ______________.

• A. ex situ conservation strategy for the plant life of that area
• B. ex situ conservation strategy for the animal life of that area
• C. in situ conservation strategy for flora and fauna of that area
• D. biodiversity hotspot

Answer 1

The correct option is C in situ conservation strategy for flora and fauna of that area

In situ conservation involves conserving and protecting organisms in their natural habitat.

Sacred groves refer to the forest tracts that are held in high regard and esteem due to their association with nearby places of worship. The social traditions and taboos associated with these places inculcate values amongst the members of the local communities which cause them to protect the plants and wildlife in these areas.

Thus these forests have minimal human impact and hence act as an ideal site for the conservation of organisms in their natural habitat. Hence sacred groves are categorized as one of the in situ strategies for the conservation of biodiversity.

In India, the sacred groves are found in the following areas :

• Aravalli hills of Rajasthan
• Khasi and Jaintia hills in Meghalaya
• Western Ghats region of Karnataka and Maharashtra
• Sarguja, Chandar and Bastar areas of Madhya Pradesh

Hence option c is correct and option a and b are incorrect.


Ex situ (off site) conservation involves conservation of organisms in a controlled environment, away from their natural habitat. Examples include zoological parks, botanical gardens, seed banks, etc.

Biodiversity hotspots are areas that are facing a rapid rate of biodiversity loss, have a high degree of diversity in the number of inhabitant species and possess particular species that are confined specifically to that area (endemism). So option d is incorrect.

India has 3 major biodiversity hotspots as follows :

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

Figure : Biodiversity hotspots of India