Biodiversity and Conservation MCQs

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1. What is biodiversity?
(A) The distribution of soil types
(B) The amount of water in ecosystems
(C) The variety of life forms on Earth
(D) The climate of different regions

2. Which of the following is a primary benefit of biodiversity?
(A) Reducing soil fertility
(B) Increasing pollution levels
(C) Enhancing ecosystem resilience
(D) Decreasing water availability

3. What is the term for a species that is at risk of extinction in the near future?
(A) Extinct
(B) Endangered
(C) Vulnerable
(D) Critically Endangered

4. Which international agreement aims to protect biodiversity and ensure sustainable use of its components?
(A) Paris Agreement
(B) Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
(C) Kyoto Protocol
(D) Montreal Protocol

5. What is ‘conservation biology’?
(A) The analysis of economic impacts of ecosystems
(B) The process of creating new species
(C) The study of soil chemistry
(D) The scientific study of protecting and managing biodiversity

6. Which term refers to the loss of a species from a particular habitat?
(A) Extinction
(B) Extirpation
(C) Overexploitation
(D) Endangerment

7. What is ‘habitat fragmentation’?
(A) The process where large habitats are broken into smaller, isolated patches
(B) The increase of habitat size
(C) The restoration of natural habitats
(D) The conservation of entire ecosystems

8. Which of the following is an example of an invasive species?
(A) Giant pandas in China
(B) Native oak trees in Europe
(C) European starlings in North America
(D) African elephants in Africa

9. What does the term ‘endemic species’ refer to?
(A) Species that are found in multiple continents
(B) Species that are native to a particular region and found nowhere else
(C) Species that have become extinct
(D) Species that migrate seasonally

10. Which of the following is a major cause of biodiversity loss?
(A) Protected areas
(B) Increased conservation efforts
(C) Sustainable land use
(D) Habitat destruction

11. What is ‘ecosystem service’?
(A) The measurement of species richness
(B) The financial cost of conserving biodiversity
(C) The process of creating new ecosystems
(D) The benefits humans receive from ecosystems

12. What is ‘overexploitation’?
(A) The protection of endangered species
(B) The balanced use of natural resources
(C) The excessive use of resources leading to depletion
(D) The restoration of habitats

13. Which of the following is a key factor in conservation planning?
(A) Ignoring climate change
(B) Expanding urban areas
(C) Increasing pollution
(D) Identifying critical habitats

14. What is ‘sustainable use’ in the context of biodiversity conservation?
(A) Exploiting resources as quickly as possible
(B) Using resources in a way that does not deplete them for future generations
(C) Increasing resource extraction
(D) Ignoring environmental regulations

15. Which organization is known for its work in protecting endangered species and their habitats?
(A) UNESCO
(B) World Health Organization (WHO)
(C) World Wildlife Fund (WWF)
(D) IMF

16. What does ‘biological magnification’ refer to?
(A) The process by which toxins become more concentrated at higher trophic levels
(B) The increase in species diversity over time
(C) The expansion of natural habitats
(D) The process of photosynthesis

17. What is ‘genetic diversity’?
(A) The different types of ecosystems
(B) The number of species in an ecosystem
(C) The variety of genes within a species
(D) The range of habitats in a region

18. Which of the following is a method of in-situ conservation?
(A) Restoring degraded habitats
(B) Breeding endangered species in captivity
(C) Establishing protected areas such as national parks and wildlife reserves
(D) Creating seed banks

19. What is ‘ex situ conservation’?
(A) The protection of ecosystems in their natural environments
(B) The conservation of species outside their natural habitats
(C) The restoration of polluted habitats
(D) The expansion of natural reserves

20. What does ‘biome’ refer to?
(A) A large ecological area with specific climate and plant/animal life
(B) A small-scale habitat
(C) An artificial ecosystem
(D) A type of genetic diversity

21. Which of the following is a ‘keystone species’?
(A) A species that migrates between different habitats
(B) A species that is the most numerous in an ecosystem
(C) A species that has a disproportionately large effect on its environment
(D) A species that is endangered

22. What is ‘ecosystem restoration’?
(A) The expansion of urban areas
(B) The process of returning a degraded ecosystem to its natural state
(C) The removal of invasive species
(D) The creation of artificial habitats

23. Which of the following is an example of a conservation strategy for marine biodiversity?
(A) Polluting coastal waters
(B) Increasing fishing quotas
(C) Establishing marine protected areas
(D) Reducing marine reserves

24. What is ‘biological diversity’ in agriculture?
(A) The types of farming equipment used
(B) The amount of water used in agriculture
(C) The variety of plant and animal species used in farming
(D) The size of agricultural land plots

25. What is the ‘Red List’?
(A) A list of extinct species
(B) A list of non-endangered species
(C) A list of invasive species
(D) A list of threatened and endangered species maintained by the IUCN

26. What is ‘ecosystem fragmentation’?
(A) The restoration of natural habitats
(B) The expansion of a habitat area
(C) The increase in species diversity
(D) The division of a habitat into smaller, isolated patches

27. Which of the following is a major threat to coral reefs?
(A) Ocean acidification
(B) Increased biodiversity
(C) Coral conservation
(D) Marine protected areas

28. What is ‘biodiversity hotspot’?
(A) A protected area with limited human activity
(B) An area with low species diversity
(C) A region where biodiversity is increasing
(D) A region with a high level of species richness and endemism that is under threat

29. Which organization is primarily responsible for assessing global biodiversity status and trends?
(A) FAO
(B) UNEP
(C) WHO
(D) IUCN

30. What is ‘wildlife trafficking’?
(A) The monitoring of wildlife populations
(B) The conservation of endangered species
(C) The legal trade of wildlife
(D) The illegal trade of wildlife and wildlife products

31. Which of the following practices can contribute to conservation?
(A) Expanding agricultural land
(B) Reducing, reusing, and recycling materials
(C) Polluting natural water sources
(D) Increasing habitat destruction

32. What is ‘ecological succession’?
(A) The sudden replacement of one ecosystem by another
(B) The gradual process by which ecosystems change and develop over time
(C) The permanent alteration of an ecosystem
(D) The decline of species in an ecosystem

33. Which of the following is a benefit of protecting biodiversity?
(A) Providing essential ecosystem services
(B) Increasing pollution
(C) Decreasing food security
(D) Reducing economic opportunities

34. What role do pollinators play in ecosystems?
(A) They destroy crops
(B) They help in the reproduction of flowering plants
(C) They reduce plant diversity
(D) They have no ecological role

35. What is the main cause of climate change that impacts biodiversity?
(A) Restoration of habitats
(B) Increase in biodiversity
(C) Greenhouse gas emissions
(D) Conservation efforts

36. Which of the following is an approach to sustainable agriculture?
(A) Excessive chemical use
(B) Monoculture farming
(C) Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
(D) Habitat destruction

37. What is ‘conservation genetics’?
(A) The analysis of genetic disorders in wildlife
(B) The creation of new genetic modifications in species
(C) The study of genetic variation within species for conservation purposes
(D) The study of the economic impacts of conservation

38. What is the role of CITES?
(A) To regulate international trade of endangered species
(B) To promote the use of endangered species
(C) To protect only terrestrial species
(D) To ban all species trade

39. Which type of agriculture focuses on preserving biodiversity?
(A) Agroecology
(B) Industrial agriculture
(C) Monoculture farming
(D) Factory farming

40. What does the term ‘sustainability’ refer to?
(A) The overexploitation of ecosystems
(B) The depletion of natural resources
(C) Meeting the needs of the present without compromising future generations’ ability to meet their own needs
(D) The increase in greenhouse gas emissions

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