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The vegetal stratification of an ecosystem, like the strata of the Amazon Rainforest, creates vertical layers with peculiar abiotic and biotic factors, dividing the ecosystem into several different environments. Therefore in the superior layer near the crowns of big trees the exposition to light, rain and wind is greater but moisture is lower compared to the inferior layers. As one goes down the strata the penetration of light diminishes and moisture increases. Regarding the biotic factors, communities of each stratum present ing differcomposition and features, food habits, reproduction strategies, etc. Such variations in the abiotic and biotic factors make the selective pressure upon living beings to be also diversified, there are more ecological niches to be explored and more varied beings emerge during the evolutionary process. 

Very biodiverse areas present enormous economic potential. They can be a source of raw material for the research and production of medicines, cosmetics, chemical products and food. They are depositories of genetic wealth that can be explored by biotechnology. They are sources of species for agriculture. They can also be explored by 'ecological tourism'.

The biggest dangers to biological diversity today are the action of humans. The main of them is the destruction of habitats caused by the growth of the cities, deforestation, pollution and fires. The second is the invasion of ecosystems by nonnative species introduced by humans; these species change the equilibrium of ecosystems causing harm. Other big dangers are predatory hunting and fishing and global warming.

(c) The fix boundary of national park is described in Wild Life Protection Act, 1972 and the actual area of the national park is notified by state government. A biosphere reserve conserves an ecosystem and not just few specific species of plants and animals.

(c) The fix boundary of national park is described in Wild Life Protection Act, 1972 and the actual area of the national park is notified by state government. A biosphere reserve conserves an ecosystem and not just few specific species of plants and animals.

(a) different niches within the same habitat 

(b) the natural enemy might also become a pest. 

(c) the native species have not evolved with these organisms. 

(d) None of the above

(a) Keystone species 

(a) basic science to produce government policies and laws that then must be enforced.

There are two basic approaches towards conservation of bio diversity:

In situ conservation

Ex situ conservation

I. In situ conservation:

a)Biosphere reserves: Out of 425 biosphere reserves in the world, 14 are in India. Hot spots are the areas / regions of high endemism and very high levels of species richness. There are 34 hot spots in the world, of which three are in India; namely Western Ghats and Sri Lanka, Indo-Burma and Himalaya.

b) National parks and wildlife sanctuaries: India has 90 nationals parks and 448 wildlife sanctuaries.

Sacred groves: These are forest patches which were venerated and given total protection. It includes a number of rare, endangered and endemic species. 

Ex. Western Ghats, Khasi and Jaintia Hills in Meghalaya

II. Ex situ conservation: India has 35 botanical gardens and 275 zoological parks. By using Cryopreservation (-196^oC) technique, sperms, eggs, animal cells, tissues and embryos can be stored for long period. Plants are propagated by using tissue culture methods called micropropagation.

(a) The tropical moist deciduous forests are found in Sahyadris, the north-eastern parts of the peninsula and along the foothills of the Himalayas. Teak and sal are found in these forests.

(c) The Gangetic dolphins have been declared as the National Aquatic Animal of India .River Dolphin is the National Aquatic Animal of India. The Ministry of Environment and Forests notified the Ganges River Dolphin as the National Aquatic Animal on 18th May 2010. This mammal is also said to represent the purity of the holy Ganga as it can only survive in pure and fresh water.

(b) The Keibul Lamjao National Park is a national park located in Manipur. It is 40 km in area and the only floating park in the world which is located in North East India, and an integral part of Loktak Lake.

(c) Sualkuchi is located in Assam. This is the textile center of Assam. Muga silk and Pat silk along with Eri silk and Endi cloth from this region is famous for its quality.

(a) Except promotion of vegetarianism all other acts are threats to the biodiversity of a geographical area.

(c) Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary is located in Karnataka.

(b) The Sumatran Rhino Crisis Summit opened with the shocking news that rather than 130-190 Sumatran rhinos as previously estimated, there are in fact fewer than 100 individual animals.

(b) First Climate Change theatre was opened at Pushpa Gujral Science City in Kapurthala, Punjab on 16 January 2014. The theatre will educate people on climate change. This is the second theatre in the world to be opened after Canada. The theatre is 18 metre in diameter and it is set up in a dome-shaped building with a seating capacity of 125 persons. 

The 25-minute film shows what worst can happen if humans do not take action on current or impending problems which could threaten civilization. The film starts by giving a glimpse of future - floods, droughts, earthquakes and other natural disasters.

(c) To qualify as a biodiversity hotspot on Myers 2000 edition of the hotspot-map, a region must meet two strict criteria: it must contain at least 0.5% or 1,500 species of vascular plants as endemics, and it has to have lost at least 70% of its primary vegetation.

(a) Western Ghats are UNESCO World Heritage Site and is one of the eight “hottest hotspots” of biological diversity in the world.

Biological diversity is the variety of species of living beings of an ecosystem. In ecosystems which are more biodiverse, like tropical forests, a great variety of plants, microorganisms and animals live; in ecosystems less biodiverse, like deserts, there are less variety of living beings.

(d) The Sundarbans is the largest single block of tidal halophytic mangrove forest in the world. The Sundarban forest lies in the vast delta on the Bay of Bengal formed by the super confluence of the Ganges, Padma, Brahmaputra and Meghna rivers across southern Bangladesh. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

(d) Biological diversity helps in the formation and maintenance of soil structure and the retention of moisture and nutrient levels. Trees on the other hand, lower the water table and remove deposited salt from the upper soil horizons.

(d) For conversion endangered species Wildlife Crime Control Bureau has been established for control of illegal trade in wildlife, including endangered species of birds and their parts and products. Research and monitoring activities on birds are promoted by the Government through reputed research organizations. Wildlife Institute of India, Bombay Natural History society and Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History are some of the research organizations undertaking research on conservation of birds. The Indian government has banned the veterinary use of diclofenac drug that has caused rapid decline in vulture population across the Indian Subcontinent. Conservation Breeding Programmes to conserve these vulture species have been initiated at Pinjore (Haryana), Buxa (West Bengal) and Rani, Guwahati (Assam) by the Bombay Natural History Society.

(b) • Bhiterkanika, Odisha is a protected area for salt water crocodile, where breeding is the main purpose of that protected area. 

• Great Indian Bustard is protected in desert area of Rajasthan.

 • The Eravikulam National Park was established to protect the Nilgiri tahir (wild goat) species.

(d) An endemic species is one whose habitat is restricted to a particular area. The term could refer to an animal, a plant, a fungus, or even a microorganism. Some of the endemic species in India are Grey-headed Bulbul, Malabar Lark, Nilgiri Flycatcher and Grey Jungle fowl etc.

(b) A biodiversity hotspot is a biogeographic region with a significant reservoir of biodiversity that is under threat from humans. Around the world, as many as 25 areas qualify to be the hotspots. Out of which India has 2 hotspots: Eastern Himalayas and Western Ghats.

(c) To qualify as a hotspot, a region must meet two strict criteria: it must contain at least 1,500 species of vascular plants (> 0.5 percent of the world’s total) as endemics, and it has to have lost at least 70 percent of its original habitat. So we choose Species richness as well as Endemism. Along with this Threat perception is necessary to take, because it makes the base of this concept. Adaptation of flora is an arbitrary option, Ethno-botanical importance does nothing with the Biodiversity Hotspot selection criteria, vegetation Density is also discarded.

(d) Biodiversity hot spots are located in temperate regions and hotspots are present in eastern Himalayas, Western Ghats and Andaman Islands.

(d) Veliconda Hills are situated in southeastern Andhra Pradesh state. They form the eastern flank of the Eastern Ghats.

(a) Biodiversity is richer in tropical regions. Biodiversity is a measure of the health of ecosystems. Greater biodiversity implies greater health. Biodiversity is in part a function of climate. In terrestrial habitats, tropical regions are typically rich whereas Polar Regions support fewer species.

(d) Namdapha National Park is located in Arunachal Pradesh. The climate of this area varies from tropical to subtropical, temperate and arctic. It is tropical and subtropical in southern regions and arctic type found in northern part of the park.

(c) Dampa Tiger Reserve, the largest wildlife sanctuary in Mizoram. Saramati peak is in Nagaland. It is located near Tuensang town with a height of 3,826 m. Gumti Wildlife Sanctuary is famous wildlife reserve in Tripura.

(d) 1. Manas- Asom 

2. Pachmarhi - Madhya Pradesh 

3. Nokrek - Meghalaya 

4. Achanakmar-Amarkantak- Chhattisgarh,

(b) 2  1  3  4 

(b) IUCN is not an organ of UN. It has observer and consultative status at the United Nations.

(c) The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve is an International Biosphere Reserve in the Western Ghats and Nilgiri Hills ranges of South India. Manas Wildlife Sanctuary is situated in Assam and UNESCO Natural World Heritage site which is a Project Tiger Reserve.The Panchmarhi Biosphere Reserve is situated in the Satpura Range of Madhya Pradesh state.Simlipal National Park is a national park and a tiger reserve situated in the Indian state of Odisha.

(c) BirdLife international is a global partnership of conservation organisations that strives to conserve birds, their habitats and global biodiversity. It is working with people towards sustainability in the use of natural resources. It is the World’s largest partnership of conservation organisations, with over 120 partner organizations. An Important Bird and Biodiversity Area (IBA) is an area recognized as being globally important habitat for the conservation of bird populations. The program was developed and sites are identified by BirdLife International.

(b) The concept of biodiversity was propounded by E.O. Wilson. The concept of wildlife was propounded by W. Hornaday. The concept of Ecosystem propounded by G. Tansley. The concept of Ecology was propounded by E. Haeckel.

(c) Periyar National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected area in the districts of Idukki and Pathanamthitta in Kerala. 

Kanha National Park is one of the tiger reserves of India and the largest national park of Madhya Pradesh. 

The Sariska Tiger Reserve is an Indian national park located in the Alwar district of Rajasthan. Dachigam National Park is located in Jammu and Kashmir.

(b) All statements are correct.

(b) 1, 2 and 3

(a) has a disproportionately large impact on an ecosystem. 

(c) Gharial is critically endangered according to IUCN. Overhunting for skin and trophies, habitat loss due to construction of dams and barrages has been the reason for their decline. Leather back turtles are endangered due to human carelessness. Swamp deer occupies a place in the list of the endangered species of the world. Deforestation, draining of swamps and marshes for farming has led to the destruction of their natural habitat.

(a) Star tortoise is found in India in the dry and scrub forests. Pygmy Hog is an endangered species found in Assam. Only 150 animals are left. Monitor Lizard is found in India, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. Spider Monkey is the inhabitant of tropical forests of Central and South America.

(d) National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) checks the biopiracy and protects the indigeneous and traditional genetic resources. It directly monitors and supervises the scientific research on genetic modification of crop plants application for intellectual property Rights related to genetic biological resources cannot be made without the approval of NBA.

(c) The National Biodiversity Authority (NBA) an autonomous body was established in 2003 to implement India’s Biological Diversity Act (2002).