PASSAGE
The biological wealth of our planet has been declining rapidly and the accusing finger is clearly pointing to human activities. The colonisation of tropical pacific islands by humans is said to have led to extinction of more than 2000 species of native birds. The IUCN red list documents the extinction of 784 species. Since the origin and diversification of life on earth, there were five episodes of mass extinction of species. Current species extinction rate as estimated to be 100-1000 times faster. There are four major causes called “The Evil quartet” Habitat loss, over exploitation, Alien species invasion and co-extinction. Conservation efforts are necessary to preserve biodiversity and protect endangered species and their habitats.
Which one of the following is NOT the reason for decline in biodiversity?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Sacred groves
Option (1) Pollution — A reason for decline in biodiversity. Polluted air, water and soil damage habitats and kill sensitive species.
Option (2) Agriculture — A reason for decline in biodiversity. Forests are cleared for farming, which is a major cause of habitat loss.
Option (3) Sacred groves — Not a reason for decline in biodiversity. Sacred groves are tracts of forest protected by religious tradition. They are a form of in situ conservation and the last refuges of many rare plants.
Option (4) Fishing — A reason for decline in biodiversity. Too much fishing is over-exploitation; many marine fish populations are being over-harvested.
Note: The passage is taken from NCERT. NTA has put lines of the NCERT text together to make it. Most CUET (UG) questions come straight from NCERT, so study the book line by line, including figures and their titles.
NCERT Extract:
How Do We Conserve Biodiversity? – “… India has also a history of religious and cultural traditions that emphasised protection of nature. In many cultures, tracts of forest were set aside, and all the trees and wildlife within were venerated and given total protection. Such sacred groves are found in Khasi and Jaintia Hills in Meghalaya, Aravalli Hills of Rajasthan, Western Ghat regions of Karnataka and Maharashtra and the Sarguja, Chanda and Bastar areas of Madhya Pradesh. In Meghalaya, the sacred groves are the last refuges for a large number of rare and threatened plants.”
Loss of Biodiversity – “… The Amazon rain forest (it is so huge that it is called the ‘lungs of the planet’) harbouring probably millions of species is being cut and cleared for cultivating soya beans or for conversion to grasslands for raising beef cattle. Besides total loss, the degradation of many habitats by pollution also threatens the survival of many species.”
Loss of Biodiversity – “… Presently many marine fish populations around the world are over harvested, endangering the continued existence of some commercially important species.”