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Students who are looking to revise the NCERT solutions for Class 11 Geography Chapter 14: Biodiversity and Conservation can use this guide for effective exam preparation. These solutions offer clear answers to all the questions of this chapter, which explores biodiversity, its levels, importance, challenges and steps to conservation. You can also download the free PDF to revise the key concepts of this chapter.
Contents
Explore Notes of Class 11 Fundamentals of Physical Geography
NCERT Solutions Class 11 Geography Fundamentals of Physical Geography Chapter 14: Biodiversity and Conservation
These NCERT solutions for Class 11 Geography Chapter 14 will help you understand the questions and answers. Regular revision of these concepts will boost your preparation for the exam.
1. Multiple Choice Questions
(i) Conservation of biodiversity is important for:
(a) Animals
(b) Animals and plants
(c) Plants
(d) All organisms
Answer:
(d) All organisms: Conservation of biodiversity is crucial for all organisms, including plants, animals, and microorganisms, as they are interlinked and essential for ecosystem stability and human survival.
(ii) Threatened species are those which:
(a) threaten others
(b) Lion and tiger
(c) are abundant in number
(d) are suffering from the danger of extinction
Answer:
(d) are suffering from the danger of extinction: Threatened species, as classified by the IUCN, include those at risk of extinction, such as endangered, vulnerable, or rare species.
(iii) National parks and sanctuaries are established for the purpose of:
(a) Recreation
(b) Hunting
(c) Pets
(d) Conservation
Answer:
(d) Conservation: National parks and sanctuaries are established under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, to protect and preserve biodiversity and endangered species.
(iv) Biodiversity is richer in:
(a) Tropical Regions
(b) Polar Regions
(c) Temperate Regions
(d) Oceans
Answer:
(a) Tropical Regions: Biodiversity is richest in tropical regions, particularly tropical forests, which host about 50% of Earth’s species despite covering only one-fourth of its area.
(v) In which one of the following countries, the ‘Earth Summit’ was held?
(a) the UK
(b) Mexico
(c) Brazil
(d) China
Answer:
(c) Brazil: The Earth Summit, where the Convention on Biological Diversity was signed, was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in June 1992.
Also Read:
- NCERT Class 9 Geography Chapter 2 Physical Features of India (Free PDF)
- NCERT Class 8 Geography Chapter 3 Agriculture: Notes, Solutions, Free PDF
2. Answer the Following Questions in About 30 Words
(i) What is biodiversity?
Solution: Biodiversity is the variety of organisms, including plants, animals, microorganisms, their genes, and ecosystems, within a specific geographic region, shaped by millions of years of evolution.
(ii) What are the different levels of biodiversity?
Solution: Biodiversity has three levels: genetic diversity (variation of genes within species), species diversity (variety of species in an area), and ecosystem diversity (variety of habitats and ecological processes).
(iii) What do you understand by ‘hotspots’?
Solution: Hotspots are areas with high species diversity and vulnerability, prioritised for conservation. They are species-rich ecosystems, like Madagascar, where 85% of species are unique.
(iv) Discuss briefly the importance of animals to humankind.
Solution: Animals contribute to ecosystems by cycling nutrients, supporting food chains, and providing resources like food, medicine, and materials. They also aid scientific understanding and cultural values.
(v) What do you understand by ‘exotic species’?
Solution: Exotic species are non-native species introduced into an ecosystem, often causing damage to the natural biotic community, as seen in cases disrupting local biodiversity.
3. Answer the Following Questions in About 150 Words
(i) What are the roles played by biodiversity in the shaping of nature?
Solution: Biodiversity plays critical ecological, economic, and scientific roles in shaping nature. Ecologically, diverse species capture and store energy, cycle nutrients, decompose organic matter, fix atmospheric gases, and regulate climate, ensuring ecosystem stability and resilience. For example, a diverse ecosystem is more productive and better equipped to survive environmental changes. Economically, biodiversity provides resources like food crops, livestock, forests, fish, and medicinal products, supporting human livelihoods. Crop diversity, or agro-biodiversity, is vital for food security. Scientifically, each species offers insights into life’s evolution and ecosystem functions, helping humans understand their role in sustaining nature. Biodiversity also has cultural significance, shaping human communities and emphasising the ethical responsibility to coexist with other species. The loss of biodiversity reduces ecosystem stability, threatening both nature and human survival.
(ii) What are the major factors that are responsible for the loss of biodiversity? What steps are needed to prevent them?
Solution: Major factors causing biodiversity loss include human overexploitation, deforestation, natural calamities, pollution, exotic species, and poaching. Population growth drives resource overuse, particularly in tropical regions, where deforestation destroys 50% of Earth’s species. Natural calamities like earthquakes, floods, and droughts damage flora and fauna. Pesticides and pollutants harm sensitive species, while exotic species disrupt ecosystems. Poaching endangers species like tigers and rhinos. To prevent biodiversity loss, the World Conservation Strategy suggests: preserving endangered species, planning to prevent extinction, conserving crop and livestock varieties, protecting wild relatives’ habitats, safeguarding breeding and resting areas, and regulating trade in wild species. The Government of India’s Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, established national parks and sanctuaries. Community involvement and sustainable practices are essential for effective conservation, as seen in the 1992 Earth Summit’s biodiversity initiatives.
Also Read:
- NCERT Class 8 Geography: Chapter 5 Human Resources Class (Free PDF)
- NCERT Class 8 Geography Chapter 3 Agriculture: Notes, Solutions, Free PDF
Download NCERT Solutions Class 11 Geography Fundamentals of Physical Geography Chapter 14: Biodiversity and Conservation
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