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Question #46097
The Question
A massive Biosphere Reserve is established, perfectly fulfilling the habitat preservation mandates of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD). Over time, ecologists note the local extinction of a specific Ficus (fig) species and a rare tertiary consumer (apex predator), despite zero human interference, no alien species invasion, and no habitat fragmentation. Which of the following ecological principles best explains the extinction of the Ficus and the apex predator, respectively?
Options
- A.
Overexploitation of the Ficus by endemic herbivores ; Biomagnification of naturally occurring toxins in the apex predator.
- B.
Co-extinction due to the decline of its obligate pollinator wasp ; Energy starvation due to the 10% law of trophic efficiency limiting viable population size.
- C.
Competitive exclusion by dominant C4 plants in the core zone ; Co-extinction due to the sudden loss of a keystone prey species.
- D.
Genetic drift operating in a large, randomly mating population ; Inability of the apex predator to adapt to the climax community.
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
Cryopreservation|Seed Banks|Obligate Symbionts
Why This Question Is Tricky
Common Mistakes
Conceptual Pivot: Students often harbor the misconception that 'in-situ' conservation (habitat protection) is a universal panacea that halts all extinctions.
This question forces the synthesis of two distinct NCERT chapters (Biodiversity and Ecosystems) to realize that obligate mutualisms (co-extinction vulnerability) and thermodynamic limits (trophic efficiency) operate independently of legal habitat protection and can still drive species into an extinction vortex.
Quick Facts About This Question
Question Information
| Subject | Biology |
| Chapter | Biodiversity and Conservation - Class 12 |
| Concept | Convention on Biological Diversity |
| Difficulty | 8 |
| Cognitive Load | 5 |
| Target Solve Time | 120 sec |
| Access | Free |