Aravalli Hills of Rajasthan and Khasi and Jaintia Hills in Meghalaya are the examples of:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 3
The correct answer is Option (3) → Sacred groves
Sacred groves are tracts of forest set aside by communities for religious and cultural reasons. All the trees and wildlife in them are worshipped and protected. They are a traditional way of conserving biodiversity in its own place.
Option (1) Hotspots — Incorrect. India’s hotspots are Western Ghats–Sri Lanka, Indo-Burma and Himalaya: huge regions, not these sites.
Option (2) Biosphere reserves — Incorrect. Biosphere reserves are areas protected by law, not by religious tradition.
Option (3) Sacred groves — Correct. Sacred groves are tracts of forest set aside and protected because of religious and cultural traditions. In India they are found in the Khasi and Jaintia Hills in Meghalaya, the Aravalli Hills of Rajasthan, the Western Ghats of Karnataka and Maharashtra, and Chhattisgarh.
Option (4) Wildlife safari parks — Incorrect. Safari parks are ex situ conservation, keeping animals away from their natural habitat.
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.”