Which of the following statements about 'biodiversity hotspots' are correct?
A. Initially 25 biodiversity hotspots were identified, and nine more were added to the list later.
B. All the biodiversity hotspots put together cover less than 2 per cent of the earth's land area.
C. Biodiversity hotspots are regions with very high levels of species richness and a low degree of endemism.
D. Strict protection of the biodiversity hotspots could reduce the ongoing mass extinctions by almost 30 per cent.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → A, B and D only
Biodiversity hotspots are regions picked out by conservationists for maximum protection on a global basis. Two things mark a hotspot: very high species richness and a high degree of endemism (species found in that region and nowhere else).
A. Initially 25 biodiversity hotspots were identified, and nine more were added to the list later. — True. This brought the total number of hotspots in the world to 34.
B. All the biodiversity hotspots put together cover less than 2 per cent of the earth’s land area. — True. The area is small, but the number of species these regions hold together is extremely high.
C. Biodiversity hotspots are regions with very high levels of species richness and a low degree of endemism. — False. Hotspots have a high degree of endemism, not a low one. Many of their species are confined to that region, and this is one reason they are chosen for protection.
D. Strict protection of the biodiversity hotspots could reduce the ongoing mass extinctions by almost 30 per cent. — True. Because so many species live in such a small area, protecting it well saves a large share of the species at risk.
NCERT Extract:
How do we conserve Biodiversity? – “… They identified for maximum protection certain ‘biodiversity hotspots’ regions with very high levels of species richness and high degree of endemism (that is, species confined to that region and not found anywhere else). Initially 25 biodiversity hotspots were identified but subsequently nine more have been added to the list, bringing the total number of biodiversity hotspots in the world to 34. … Although all the biodiversity hotspots put together cover less than 2 per cent of the earth’s land area, the number of species they collectively harbour is extremely high and strict protection of these hotspots could reduce the ongoing mass extinctions by almost 30 per cent.”