Read the following passage and answer the next five questions:
In nature, populations of different species in a habitat do not live in isolation but interact in many ways. Depending on the outcome, these interactions between two species are classified as competition, predation and parasitism, commensalism, amensalism and mutualism. Through these interactions trophic energy transfer is facilitated. Some predators help in controlling their prey populations, whereas plants have evolved diverse morphological and chemical defences against herbivores.
Match List-I with List-II:
| List-I | List-II |
|---|---|
| Examples | Interactions |
| (A) Extinction of Abingdon tortoise after introduction of goats on Galapagos Islands | (I) Parasitism |
| (B) Infestations of marine fish by copepods | (II) Commensalism |
| (C) Cattle egret and grazing cattle | (III) Mutualism |
| (D) Fig tree and wasp | (IV) Competition |
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → (A)-(IV), (B) - (I), (C) - (II), (D) - (III)
(A) Extinction of Abingdon tortoise after introduction of goats on Galapagos Islands — this matches (IV) Competition. The goats ate the same plants as the tortoises and grazed them out far more efficiently. Within ten years the tortoises died out for lack of food.
(B) Infestations of marine fish by copepods — this matches (I) Parasitism. The copepods are ectoparasites that live on the fish and feed on it, and the fish is harmed.
(C) Cattle egret and grazing cattle — this matches (II) Commensalism. As the cattle move, they stir up insects from the grass, and the egrets catch them easily. The cattle neither gain nor lose.
(D) Fig tree and wasp — this matches (III) Mutualism. The female wasp pollinates the fig flowers while looking for a place to lay eggs, and the fig gives its seeds as food for the wasp larvae. Both benefit.
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.