Considering only its range of habitats – deserts, rain forests, mangroves, coral reefs, wetlands, estuaries and alpine meadows – India is richer than a Scandinavian country like Norway in:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Ecological diversity
Biodiversity is studied at three levels. Genetic diversity is variation within one species. Species diversity is the variety of species in an area. Ecological diversity is the variety of ecosystems. The habitats listed in the question (deserts, rain forests, mangroves, coral reefs and so on) are different ecosystems.
Option (1) Genetic diversity — Incorrect. Genetic diversity is variation within a single species, for example India’s more than 50,000 genetically different strains of rice. A range of habitats is not variation inside one species.
Option (2) Species diversity — Incorrect. Species diversity is the number and variety of species in an area, for example the Western Ghats have more amphibian species than the Eastern Ghats. The question compares habitats, not species.
Option (3) Ecological diversity — Correct. Many kinds of ecosystems in one country is diversity at the ecosystem level, which is ecological diversity. India, with all these habitats, has a greater ecosystem diversity than Norway.
NCERT Extract:
Biodiversity – “… (i) Genetic diversity: A single species might show high diversity at the genetic level over its distributional range. … India has more than 50,000 genetically different strains of rice, and 1,000 varieties of mango. (ii) Species diversity: The diversity at the species level, for example, the Western Ghats have a greater amphibian species diversity than the Eastern Ghats. (iii) Ecological diversity: At the ecosystem level, India, for instance, with its deserts, rain forests, mangroves, coral reefs, wetlands, estuaries, and alpine meadows has a greater ecosystem diversity than a Scandinavian country like Norway.”