Specimen Prep - Biodiversity and Conservation

Specimen Prep Guide: Biodiversity and Conservation

Key Concepts (Recall & Understanding)

• Biodiversity: Understand the levels of biodiversity (genetic, species, ecological).
• Patterns of Biodiversity: Know the patterns of biodiversity (latitudinal gradients, species-area relationship).
• Importance of Biodiversity: Understand the importance of biodiversity for ecosystem services, and for narrow utilitarian, broad utilitarian, and ethical reasons.
• Loss of Biodiversity: Know the causes of biodiversity loss (the "Evil Quartet": habitat loss and fragmentation, over-exploitation, alien species invasions, co-extinctions).
• Biodiversity Conservation: Differentiate between in-situ conservation (national parks, sanctuaries, biosphere reserves, sacred groves) and ex-situ conservation (botanical gardens, zoological parks, gene banks).

Application Corner

• Problem Type: Identifying the type of conservation strategy for a given example (e.g., Kaziranga National Park is an example of in-situ conservation).
• Example: Why are the tropics richer in biodiversity than the temperate regions? (Due to greater solar energy, less seasonal variation, and a longer evolutionary history).

Analytical Thinking

• Scenario: The introduction of the Nile perch into Lake Victoria in East Africa led to the extinction of more than 200 species of cichlid fish. What does this exemplify?
• Analysis: This is an example of alien species invasion, one of the major causes of biodiversity loss.
• Diagram Interpretation: Be able to interpret the species-area relationship graph.

Key Case Study

• The "Evil Quartet": This term was coined by Jared Diamond to describe the four major causes of biodiversity loss. Understanding these four causes is crucial for developing effective conservation strategies.

Assertion-Reason Practice

1. Assertion: In-situ conservation is the most appropriate method for biodiversity conservation. Reason: It involves the protection of species in their natural habitats.

   • (a) Both Assertion and Reason are true and Reason is the correct explanation for Assertion.

2. Assertion: The species-area relationship is generally a rectangular hyperbola. Reason: The relationship is described by the equation S = CA^z, where S is species richness, A is area, and Z is the slope of the line.

   • (a) Both Assertion and Reason are true and Reason is the correct explanation for Assertion.

HOTS (Higher-Order Thinking Skills) Question

• What are "sacred groves"? What is their role in biodiversity conservation?
  • Answer: Sacred groves are tracts of forest set aside, and all the trees and wildlife within are venerated and given total protection. They are found in several parts of India and have been instrumental in conserving rare and threatened species.