Biodiversity MCQs for UPSC Prelims

133 practice questions on Biodiversity from the Environment & Ecology section of the UPSC Prelims syllabus. 133 come with a written explanation and 38 are actual previous year questions. Try the sample set below - the answer stays hidden until you ask for it.

21 Easy 67 Medium 45 Hard 38 from past papers

Sample questions

Q1
Previous year question medium

Government of India encourages the cultivation of 'sea buckthorn'. What is the importance of this plant? 1. It helps in controlling soil erosion and in preventing desertification. 2. It is a rich source of biodiesel. 3. It has nutritional value and is well-adapted to live in cold areas of high altitudes. 4. Its timber is of great commercial value. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. A 1 only
  2. B 2, 3 and 4 only
  3. C 1 and 3 only
  4. D 1, 2, 3 and 4
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: C - 1 and 3 only

Sea buckthorn is a hardy shrub of the cold deserts of Ladakh, Lahaul-Spiti and other high-altitude Himalayan zones. Its dense, deep root system binds the soil and resists erosion and desertification, so statement 1 is correct, and its berries are exceptionally rich in vitamins and antioxidants while the plant thrives in harsh cold high-altitude conditions, so statement 3 is correct. It is not cultivated as a biodiesel feedstock, so statement 2 is wrong, and being a small shrub it yields no commercially valuable timber, so statement 4 is wrong. Hence only 1 and 3 are correct.

Q2
Previous year question easy

Which of the following can be threats to the biodiversity of a geographical area? 1. Global warming 2. Fragmentation of habitat 3. Invasion of alien species 4. Promotion of vegetarianism Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

  1. A 1, 2 and 3 only
  2. B 2 and 3 only
  3. C 1 and 4 only
  4. D 1, 2, 3 and 4
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: A - 1, 2 and 3 only

Global warming, fragmentation of habitat and invasion of alien species are all major drivers of biodiversity loss, so statements 1, 2 and 3 are threats. Promotion of vegetarianism is not a threat to biodiversity, so statement 4 is excluded, and the answer is 1, 2 and 3 only.

Q3
Previous year question hard

Recently, our scientists have discovered a new and distinct species of banana plant which attains a height of about 11 metres and has orange-coloured fruit pulp. In which part of India has it been discovered?

  1. A Andaman Islands
  2. B Anaimalai Forests
  3. C Maikala Hills
  4. D Tropical rain forests of northeast
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: A - Andaman Islands

The tall wild banana species Musa indandamanensis, reaching about 11 metres with orange-coloured pulp, was discovered in the Andaman Islands, making option (a) correct. The Anaimalai (Anamalai) hills of the Western Ghats were not the site of this find, so option (b) is wrong. The Maikala range of central India is not associated with this species, ruling out option (c). Although the northeast is a centre of banana diversity, this particular discovery was reported from the Andamans and not the northeastern rainforests, eliminating option (d).

Q4
Previous year question easy

The term "sixth mass extinction/sixth extinction" is often mentioned in the news in the context of the discussion of

  1. A Widespread monoculture practices in agriculture and large-scale commercial farming with indiscriminate use of chemicals in many parts of the world that may result in the loss of good native ecosystems.
  2. B Fears of a possible collision of a meteorite with the Earth in the near future in the manner it happened 65 million years ago that caused the mass extinction of many species including those of dinosaurs.
  3. C Large scale cultivation of genetically modified crops in many parts of the world and promoting their cultivation in other parts of the world which may cause the disappearance of good native crop plants and the loss of food biodiversity.
  4. D Mankind's over-exploitation/misuse of natural resources, fragmentation/loss of natural habitats, destruction of ecosystems, pollution and global climate change.
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: D - Mankind's over-exploitation/misuse of natural resources, fragmentation/loss of natural habitats, destruction of ecosystems, pollution and global climate change.

The sixth mass extinction refers to the ongoing, human-driven loss of biodiversity caused by over-exploitation of resources, habitat destruction and fragmentation, pollution and climate change, which is captured by option (d). Option (a) describes only one agricultural pressure and is too narrow to define the concept. Option (b) is wrong because the sixth extinction concerns present human impact, not a hypothetical future meteorite strike, even though the previous fifth extinction is linked to such an impact. Option (c) about GM crops describes a specific concern over crop biodiversity rather than the broad species extinction crisis. Hence option (d) is correct.

Q5
Previous year question easy

Biodiversity forms the basis for human existence in the following ways: 1. Soil formation 2. Prevention of soil erosion 3. Recycling of waste 4. Pollination of crops Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

  1. A 1, 2 and 3 only
  2. B 2, 3 and 4 only
  3. C 1 and 4 only
  4. D 1, 2, 3 and 4
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: D - 1, 2, 3 and 4

Biodiversity underpins a wide range of ecosystem services essential to human life. Soil micro-organisms and decomposers aid soil formation (1); vegetation and root systems prevent soil erosion (2); microbes and detritivores recycle waste and nutrients (3); and insects, birds and other animals pollinate crops (4). All four are genuine ecological services provided by biodiversity, so the correct answer is 1, 2, 3 and 4.

Q6
Previous year question easy

In which of the following regions of India are you most likely to come across the 'Great Indian Hornbill' in its natural habitat?

  1. A Sand deserts of northwest India
  2. B Higher Himalayas of Jammu and Kashmir
  3. C Salt marshes of western Gujarat
  4. D Western Ghats
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: D - Western Ghats

The Great Indian Hornbill inhabits dense, moist evergreen and deciduous forests, and in India it is found chiefly in the Western Ghats and parts of the northeast. It is not adapted to arid sand deserts, high cold Himalayan zones, or coastal salt marshes, so those options are wrong. Hence the Western Ghats is the correct habitat.

Q7
Previous year question medium

If you travel through the Himalayas, you are likely to see which of the following plants naturally growing there? 1. Oak 2. Rhododendron 3. Sandalwood Select the correct answer using the code given below.

  1. A 1 and 2 only
  2. B 3 only
  3. C 1 and 3 only
  4. D 1, 2 and 3
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: A - 1 and 2 only

Oak forests and Rhododendron are characteristic of the temperate Himalayan slopes, so statements 1 and 2 are correct. Sandalwood is a tree of the dry tropical regions of peninsular India, especially Karnataka, and does not grow naturally in the Himalayas, so statement 3 is wrong. Hence 1 and 2 only.

Q8
Previous year question medium

Consider the following statements: Statement-I: Marsupials are not naturally found in India. Statement-II: Marsupials can thrive only in montane grasslands with no predators. Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?

  1. A Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is the correct explanation for Statement-I
  2. B Both Statement-I and Statement-II are correct and Statement-II is not the correct explanation for Statement-I
  3. C Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect
  4. D Statement-I is incorrect but Statement-II is correct
Show answer and explanation

Correct answer: C - Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect

Statement-I is correct: marsupials (pouched mammals such as kangaroos, koalas and opossums) are native to Australasia and the Americas and do not occur naturally in India. Statement-II is incorrect: marsupials inhabit a wide range of habitats - rainforests, deserts, woodlands and plains - and coexist with numerous predators; their absence from India is due to biogeography and continental drift, not a need for predator-free montane grasslands. Hence Statement-I is correct but Statement-II is incorrect, giving option (c). Options (a) and (b) wrongly treat Statement-II as correct, and (d) wrongly rejects the true Statement-I.

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