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Question #46686
The Question
While estimating the value of ecosystem services in a tropical forest, an economist assigns a low, fixed monetary value to a specific species of pollinator wasp, treating its pollination service as an independent commodity. Based on the concepts of the 'Evil Quartet' and species interactions, which of the following statements best explains why this valuation method is ecologically flawed?
Options
- A.
It ignores the multiplier effect of co-extinction; the loss of the wasp triggers the obligate collapse of its host plant, thereby nullifying all other ecosystem services provided by the plant.
- B.
It assumes the wasp exhibits facultative mutualism, whereas tropical pollinators strictly demonstrate competitive exclusion, leading to the survival of only the fittest plant species.
- C.
It contradicts Costanza’s valuation model, which explicitly assigns 50% of the total global ecosystem value to pollination, making the wasp's role mathematically dominant.
- D.
It fails to recognize that the wasp acts as a keystone predator, and its removal would lead to an exponential increase in the host plant population, disrupting the carrying capacity.
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Correct Answer
Step-by-Step Solution
Explanation
How the Examiner Thinks
Regulatory_Failure
Understand how NOT, EXCEPT, and logical constraints are used to manipulate exam results.
Concepts Behind This Question
Primary Succession Facilitation|Hydrarch vs Xerarch Convergence|Nutrient Immobility
Why This Question Is Tricky
Common Mistakes
Conceptual Pivot: Students often study Ecosystem Services (Costanza) and Biodiversity Loss (Evil Quartet) as isolated NCERT topics.
The pivot requires synthesizing them: realizing that obligate mutualism creates a 'co-extinction threshold'.
A common misconception is treating species as independent variables in an ecosystem ledger, failing to recognize that the extinction of a single keystone mutualist (like the Fig wasp or Yucca moth) acts as a multiplier that collapses the entire associated ecological network.
Quick Facts About This Question
Question Information
| Subject | Biology |
| Chapter | Ecosystem - Class 12 |
| Concept | Hydrarch vs Xerarch Convergence |
| Difficulty | 8 |
| Cognitive Load | 5 |
| Target Solve Time | 120 sec |
| Access | Free |