Match List-I with List-II
| List-I | List-II |
|---|---|
| Terms | Examples |
| (A) Habitat loss and fragmentation | (I) Amazon rain forest |
| (B) Ex-situ conservation | (II) Seed banks |
| (C) Latitudinal gradient | (III) Forest conversion to grasslands for raising beef cattle |
| (D) Endemic species | (IV) A species confined to that region and not found anywhere else |
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → (A) - (III), (B) - (II), (C) - (I), (D) - (IV)
(A) Habitat loss and fragmentation — this matches (III) Forest conversion to grasslands for raising beef cattle. Clearing a forest for cattle destroys the living space of its species and breaks the rest of the forest into pieces. This is the most important cause of biodiversity loss.
(B) Ex-situ conservation — this matches (II) Seed banks. Seeds are stored away from their natural habitat for a long time. This is conservation outside the habitat.
(C) Latitudinal gradient — this matches (I) Amazon rain forest. Species richness is highest near the equator and falls towards the poles. The tropical Amazon forest has the greatest biodiversity on earth.
(D) Endemic species — this matches (IV) A species confined to that region and not found anywhere else. This is what “endemic” means.
Note: The Amazon rain forest fits two entries of List-I. It is a well-known example of habitat loss, because it is being cleared for crops and cattle. It is also the example of the latitudinal gradient, because it has the greatest biodiversity on earth. Forest conversion to grasslands for raising beef cattle fits only habitat loss, so A takes (III) and C is left with the Amazon rain forest. Option (2) is the only option consistent with this.