Read the paragraph and answer the Question given below:

There is no natural habitat on earth known that is inhabited just by a single species. For any species, the minimal requirement is one more species on which it can feed. Even a plant species, which makes its own food, cannot survive alone and needs soil microbes to break down the organic matter in soil and return the inorganic nutrients for absorption. It is obvious that in nature, animals, plants and microbes do not and cannot live in isolation but interact in various ways to form a biological community.

Which of the following is correct among the following statements related to species interaction?

Predators help in maintaining species diversity in a community

The correct answer is Option (2) → Predators help in maintaining species diversity in a community

Explanation for each statement:

Calotropis releases a strong smell to prevent cattle and goats from eating its leaves.  Incorrect.
While Calotropis does have toxic chemicals like cardenolides to deter herbivory, the strong smell is not the primary mechanism for preventing grazing.

Predators help in maintaining species diversity in a community.  Correct.
Predators control the population of prey species, preventing any single species from dominating. This allows less competitive species to coexist, promoting species diversity. For example, the removal of predators often leads to a decline in biodiversity due to unchecked competition.

Totally unrelated species never compete for the same resource. Incorrect.
Competition is not limited to closely related species. Even unrelated species can compete for the same resource if it is limited, such as water, light, or food.

Closely related species competing for the same resources cannot co-exist indefinitely even if the resources are unlimited. Incorrect.
If resources are unlimited, competition is minimized, and closely related species can coexist. The inability to coexist indefinitely arises when resources are limited, leading to competitive exclusion.

Summary:

Predators' role in maintaining species diversity is a well-established concept in ecology, making statement 2 the correct choice.