Question

The IUCN has declared that the total number of plant and animal species described so far is slightly more than _______.

• A. 1.5 million
• B. 1 million
• C. 1.5 billion
• D. 1 billion

Answer 1

The correct option is A 1.5 million

Earth is the home for a wide variety of species belonging to all the different kingdoms of organisms. The identification, classification and nomenclature of the millions of different species that have been discovered so far have been officially recorded. This helps us to maintain a count of the total number of described species belonging to different taxonomic groups and the data can be extrapolated to make a gross estimate of the total number of species that are yet to be discovered.

According to the IUCN or International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (2004), which is the world's oldest and largest global environmental organisation, more than 1.5 million different species of plants and animals have been described so far. This number does not reflect the total number of different species that exist on earth.