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RAS question

Which of the following statements about Biodiversity Hotspots is/are CORRECT? 1. A region qualifies as a biodiversity hotspot if it has at least 1,500 endemic vascular plant species AND has lost at least 70% of its original habitat. 2. As of the latest assessment, there are 36 globally recognized biodiversity hotspots. 3. India's Western Ghats is part of the Western Ghats and Sri Lanka hotspot, while northeast India falls under the Indo-Burma hotspot. 4. Sundaland hotspot covers the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, and adjacent islands.

Correct answer: (C) 1, 2, 3 and 4.

A biodiversity hotspot must have at least 1,500 endemic vascular plant species and at least 70 percent original habitat loss, and the 36 recognised global hotspots include Western Ghats and Sri Lanka, Indo-Burma and Sundaland.

  1. (A)

    1 and 2 only

  2. (B)

    1, 2 and 3 only

  3. (C)

    1, 2, 3 and 4

  4. (D)

    2, 3 and 4 only

Explanation

A hotspot is defined by rarity plus threat, not by species richness alone. Conservation International states that a qualifying region must have at least 1,500 endemic plant species and 30 percent or less of its original natural vegetation left, which is equivalent to at least 70 percent habitat loss. It also identifies 36 hotspot regions worldwide. The India-specific statements are correct: the Western Ghats are part of the Western Ghats and Sri Lanka hotspot, while northeast India falls under Indo-Burma; India is also linked to Eastern Himalayas and Sundaland through Andaman and Nicobar. Sundaland covers the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Java, Borneo and adjacent islands. Therefore, statements 1, 2, 3 and 4 are all correct.

Why the other options are wrong

  • (A) A is incomplete because statements 3 and 4 are also correct: the Indian hotspot mapping and the Sundaland coverage are both accurate.
  • (B) B wrongly excludes statement 4, although Sundaland covers the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Java, Borneo and adjacent islands.
  • (D) D wrongly excludes statement 1 because the hotspot definition includes both at least 1,500 endemic vascular plant species and at least 70 percent original habitat loss.

Concept

This tests the environment-geography concept of biodiversity hotspots: the formal criteria, global count and India's placement within global hotspot regions. It recurs in RAS because conservation questions often combine definitions with map-based identification.

Source

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