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Question #46088
The Question
Conservationists relocate the entire remaining wild population of a critically endangered plant species to a botanical garden (ex-situ conservation) to save it from severe habitat fragmentation. However, its obligate pollinator insect is left behind in the wild. According to the 'Evil Quartet' of biodiversity loss, which of the following best describes the ecological outcome of this strategy?
Options
- A.
The insect faces co-extinction due to the loss of its obligate host in the wild, illustrating that single-species ex-situ conservation fails to preserve mutualistic networks.
- B.
The plant faces immediate co-extinction in the botanical garden because obligate mutualists cannot reproduce or survive without their specific pollinators, even under human care.
- C.
The insect faces extinction primarily due to over-exploitation, as it expends excessive energy searching for a new host plant in the fragmented habitat.
- D.
The insect will survive by shifting to a new host plant, demonstrating that habitat fragmentation rarely leads to co-extinction in highly specialized species.
Check Your Answer
Correct Answer
Step-by-Step Solution
Explanation
How the Examiner Thinks
Evolutionary_Exception
Tackle problems where standard rules evolve or change based on specific environmental constraints.
Concepts Behind This Question
Sacred Groves as Refugia|Co-extinction Logic|Rivet Popper Hypothesis
Why This Question Is Tricky
Common Mistakes
Conceptual Pivot: Students often assume that 'Ex-situ conservation' is a flawless method for saving species.
This question tests the limitation of single-species conservation by linking it to the 'Co-extinction' driver of the Evil Quartet.
The trap lies in distinguishing between the fate of the plant (which survives due to human intervention) and the fate of the dependent insect (which perishes due to co-extinction).
Quick Facts About This Question
Question Information
| Subject | Biology |
| Chapter | Biodiversity and Conservation - Class 12 |
| Concept | Sacred Groves as Refugia |
| Difficulty | 8 |
| Cognitive Load | 5 |
| Target Solve Time | 120 sec |
| Access | Free |