Biodiversity is made up of all living organisms, each of which plays an important role in their environment. Furthermore, all components of biodiversity are interdependent and must work together to ensure sustainable living. Biodiversity refers to the biological variety and variability of life on Earth. Biodiversity is a measure of genetic, species, and ecosystem variation. Terrestrial biodiversity is typically higher near the equator owing to the warm climate and high primary productivity. It is not evenly distributed on Earth, and it is more abundant in the tropics.
Class 12 Biology Biodiversity and Conservation MCQs with Answer
Q1. What is common to the following plants: Nepenthes, Psilotum, Rauwolfia and Aconitum?
- All are ornamental plants.
- All are phylogenic link species.
- All are prone to over exploitation.
- All are exclusively present in the Eastern Himalayas.
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Ans:3. All are prone to over-exploitation
Explanation:
These plants have various medicinal uses in traditional medicines and hence they are exploited and prone to
increased exploitation.
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Q2. Among the ecosystem mentioned below, where can one find maximum biodiversity?
- Mangroves
- Desert
- Coral reefs
- Alpine meadows
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Ans:3. Coral reefs
Explanation:
Mangroves and alpine meadows can support only a select number of species
Q3. Endemism refers to:
- The distribution of species at a cosmopolitan distribution.
- Distribution of certain species in a restricted area.
- A common feature of all organisms seen in the biosphere.
- A and B are correct.
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Ans:2. Distribution of certain species in a restricted area.
Q4. Which one of the following is an endangered plant species of India?
- Rauwolfia serpentina.
- Santalum album (Sandal wood).
- Cycas beddonei.
- All of the.
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Ans:4. All of the.
Explanation:
Endangered (ER): It is facing a high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future if conservation measures are
not promptly taken.
E.g. Red panda (A Hums fulgens)
Q5. Which of the following is a hot-spot of biodiversity in India?
- Western Ghats.
- Indo-gangetic plain.
- Eastern Ghats.
- Aravalli Hills.
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Ans:1. Western Ghats
Q6. Hot spots are places of:
- High degree of species richness.
- High degree of habitat loss.
- High degree of endemism.
- All the above.
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Ans:4. All the above.

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Q8. The most important cause of extinction of animals and plants, especially in tropical rain forests is:
- Habitat loss.
- Afforestation.
- Pollution.
- Soil erosion.
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Ans:1. Habitat loss.
Q9. Which among the following is not a method of in-situ conservation?
- National Park.
- Botanical garden.
- Wildlife sanctuary.
- Ramsar sites.
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Ans:2. Botanical garden.
Q10. The active chemical drug reserpine is obtained from:
- Datura
- Rauwolfia
- Atropa
- Papaver
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Ans:2. Rauwolfia
Explanation:
The genetic variation shown by the medicinal plant Rauwolfia vomitoria growing in different Himalayan ranges
might be in terms of potency and concentration of the active chemical (Reserpine) obtained from roots of plants.
Q11. The one-horned rhinoceros is specific to which of the following sanctuary:
- Bhitar Kanika.
- Bandipur.
- Kaziranga.
- Corbett park.
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Ans:3. Kaziranga.
Explanation:
Kaziranga National Park is a national park in the Golaghat and Nagaon districts of the state of Assam, India. The
sanctuary, which hosts two-thirds of the world’s great one-horned rhinoceroses, is a World Heritage In 1954.
Q12. Which one is known as the lungs of the planet?
- Amazon rain forest.
- All tropic rain forest.
- All producers.
- Deciduous forest
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Ans:1. Amazon rain forest.
Q13. The extinction of passenger pigeon was due to:
- Increased number of predatory birds.
- Over exploitation by humans.
- Non-availability of the food.
- Bird flu virus infection.
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Ans:2. Over exploitation by humans.
Explanation:
Humans have always depended on nature for food and shelter but when ‘need’ turns to ‘greed’ it leads to overexploitation of natural resources. In the last 500 years many species extinctions (Steller’s sea cow, passenger’s
pigeon) were due to over-exploitation by human.
Q14. Which of the following countries has the highest biodiversity?
- Brazil
- South Africa
- Russia
- India
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Ans:1. Brazil
Explanation:
This country falls in the area of Amazon rainforest which is having the highest biodiversity in the world.
Q15. Reserpine is obtained from:
- Rauwolfia vomitoria.
- Cinchona officinalis.
- Taxus brevifolia.
- Catheranthus roseus.
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Ans:1. Rauwolfia vomitoria.
Q16. Amongst the animal groups given below, which one has the highest percentage of endangered
species?
- Insects
- Mammals
- Amphibians
- Reptiles
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Ans:3. Amphibians
Explanation:
At present, 33% of all amphibian species face threat of extinction.
Q17. The Earth Summit (1992) was held at:
- Johannesburg.
- South Africa.
- Rio de Janeiro.
- Japan.
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Ans:3. Rio de Janeiro.
Q18. From his long term ecosystem experiments, David Tilman showed that.
- Decreased diversity contributed to higher productivity.
- Decreased diversity contributed to decreased productivity.
- Increased diversity contributed to increased productivity.
- Increased diversity contributed to decreased productivity
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Ans:3. Increased diversity contributed to increased productivity

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Ans:3. 0.6-1.2
Q20. Which of the following organisation is responsible for maintaining the Red Data Book?
- IDRI
- IUCN
- UNESCO
- USDA
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Ans:2. IUCN
Q21. Which of the following group of plants exhibit more species diversity?
- Angiosperms
- Algae
- Bryophytes
- Fungi
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Ans:4. Fungi
Explanation:
Among plants; angiosperms and fungi show largest number of species.
Q22. Which of the following forests is known as the ‘lungs of the planet Earth’ ?
- Tiaga forest.
- Tundra forest.
- Amazon rain forest.
- Rain forests of North East India.
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Ans:3. Amazon rain forest.
Explanation:
Amazon rain forest is known as the ‘lungs of the planet Earth’
Q23. What is common to Lantana, Eichhornia and African catfish?
- All are endangered species of India.
- All are key stone species.
- All are mammals found in India.
- All the species are neither threatened nor indigenous species of India.
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Ans:4. All the species are neither threatened nor indigenous species of India.
Q24. Which of the below mentioned regions exhibit less seasonal variations?
- Tropics
- Temperates
- Alpines
- Both (a) & (b)
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Ans:1. Tropics
Explanation:
Tropics get the same amount of illumination throughout the year and hence there is less seasonal variation.
Q25. The enormous number of varieties of mango in India represents:
- Genetie diversity.
- Species diversity.
- Ecological diversity.
- Hybridisation programmes.
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Ans:1. Genetie diversity.