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#	Question	Answer
1	Approximately how many species of fishes are mentioned?	Around 28,000 species.
2	What is genetic diversity?	Diversity shown by a single species at the genetic level over its distributional range.
3	What is species diversity?	Diversity at the species level.
4	Why are biodiversity and its conservation considered vital environmental issues?	Because biodiversity is critically important for human survival and well-being on Earth.
5	Who estimated the global species diversity to be about 7 million?	Robert May.
6	What percentage of all recorded species are animals?	More than 70 per cent.
7	According to the text, out of every 10 animals on Earth, how many are insects?	Seven.
8	What percentage of global species diversity is found in India?	8.1 per cent.
9	What major problem threatens many undiscovered species?	They may become extinct before being discovered.
10	How does a tropical forest in Ecuador compare with a temperate forest in the USA in plant species richness?	It has up to 10 times as many species of vascular plants.
11	How many mammal species are found in the Amazonian rain forest?	427 species.
12	What is one reason tropics have greater biodiversity according to ecologists?	Tropical regions have remained relatively undisturbed for millions of years.
13	What type of curve represents the relationship between species richness and area?	A rectangular hyperbola.
14	For what scale are Z values generally between 0.1 and 0.2?	For most taxonomic groups and regions.
15	What question do ecologists ask regarding species diversity and ecosystems?	Whether the number of species in a community matters to ecosystem functioning.
16	Which scientist conducted long-term ecosystem experiments using outdoor plots?	David Tilman.
17	In the rivet popper hypothesis, what do rivets represent?	Species.
18	How many vertebrate species were included among the extinct species listed by IUCN (2004)?	338 species.
19	Which group of animals appears to be more vulnerable to extinction according to records?	Amphibians.
20	What percentage of gymnosperm species face the threat of extinction?	31 per cent.
21	What warning do ecologists give if current trends continue?	Nearly half of all species on Earth might be wiped out within the next 100 years.
22	What is the most important cause of biodiversity loss?	Habitat loss and fragmentation.
23	What is over-exploitation?	Excessive use of natural resources when human need turns into greed.
24	Approximately how many cichlid fish species became extinct in Lake Victoria due to Nile perch?	More than 200 species.
25	In a coevolved plant-pollinator mutualism, what happens if one species becomes extinct?	The other species also becomes extinct.
26	Approximately how many plant species contribute to traditional medicines used by native peoples?	25,000 species.
27	What are some intangible benefits humans derive from nature?	Aesthetic pleasures such as walking through woods, watching flowers bloom, and hearing birds sing.
28	Why is ex situ conservation used?	When species are endangered or threatened and require urgent protection from extinction.
29	Why are biodiversity hotspots important for conservation?	Strict protection could reduce ongoing mass extinctions by almost 30 per cent.
30	What are sacred groves?	Forest tracts protected due to religious and cultural traditions.
31	What is the importance of sacred groves in Meghalaya?	They are the last refuges for many rare and threatened plants.
32	What does cryopreservation help preserve?	Gametes in viable and fertile condition for long periods.
33	Which historic convention on biodiversity was held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992?	The Earth Summit.
34	Approximately when did life originate on Earth according to the summary?	Nearly 3.8 billion years ago.
35	Approximately how many species may still be waiting to be discovered on Earth?	Nearly 6 million species.
36	India is recognised as one of how many mega diversity countries?	12 mega diversity countries.
37	Present extinction rates are how many times higher than earlier rates?	100 to 1000 times higher.
38	What are the major causes of present high extinction rates?	Habitat loss and fragmentation, over-exploitation, biological invasions, and co-extinctions.
39	What happens in in situ conservation?	Endangered species are protected in their natural habitats.
40	What are sacred groves?	Protected forest areas conserved through cultural and religious traditions.
41	What does in vitro fertilisation help achieve in conservation?	Conservation and reproduction of threatened species outside natural habitats.