Which one of the following statements about biodiversity is not correct?
- (a)The term 'biodiversity' was coined by Walter G. Rosen in 1986.
- (b)The term 'biodiversity hotspots' was coined by Norman Myers in 1988.
- (c)The regions having richest biodiversity are called 'biodiversity hotspots'.
- (d)More than 100 hotspots of biodiversity are identified in the world.
Correct — D, 'More than 100 hotspots of biodiversity are identified in the world.' The number of recognised biodiversity hotspots worldwide is far fewer than a hundred — around three dozen (about 36 as of the 2021 exam), not more than 100 — so statement (d) is the incorrect one. The other three are accurate: the term 'biodiversity' is credited to Walter G. Rosen (1986), the term 'biodiversity hotspots' to Norman Myers (1988), and hotspots are indeed the regions richest in biodiversity.
- (a)The term 'biodiversity' was coined by Walter G. Rosen in 1986. — This is correct — Walter G. Rosen coined 'biodiversity' (as a contraction of 'biological diversity') around the 1986 National Forum on BioDiversity, so it is not the false statement.
- (b)The term 'biodiversity hotspots' was coined by Norman Myers in 1988. — This is correct — the ecologist Norman Myers introduced the 'biodiversity hotspots' concept in 1988, so it is a true statement.
- (c)The regions having richest biodiversity are called 'biodiversity hotspots'. — This is correct — hotspots are precisely the exceptionally biodiverse and threatened regions, so it is a true statement, not the exception.
A biodiversity hotspot is a region with exceptional species richness and high endemism that is also under severe threat of habitat loss. To qualify, a region must have at least 1,500 endemic vascular plant species and must have lost at least 70% of its original natural vegetation. Only around three dozen such hotspots are recognised worldwide.
Statements (a), (b) and (c) are standard textbook facts about who named these ideas and what a hotspot is. The false claim is the count — the world has roughly 36 hotspots, not more than 100, which makes an inflated number the giveaway.
- The term 'biodiversity' is credited to Walter G. Rosen (around 1986).
- The 'biodiversity hotspots' concept was introduced by Norman Myers in 1988.
- A hotspot needs over 1,500 endemic vascular plants and loss of at least 70% of its primary vegetation.
- About 36 biodiversity hotspots are recognised globally, not more than a hundred; India has four (Himalaya, Indo-Burma, Western Ghats-Sri Lanka and Sundaland/Nicobar).
- Being unsure of the exact global count and picking a true statement — remember hotspots number about 36, not over 100.
- Doubting the naming credits (Rosen for 'biodiversity', Myers for 'hotspots'), which are the correct statements.
Asked as 'which statement is NOT correct' — the inflated hotspot count is the planted error among true naming facts.
Consider the following statements: 1. Biodiversity hotspots are located only in tropical regions. 2. India has four biodiversity hotspots i.e., Eastern Himalayas, Western Himalayas, Western Ghats and Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- (a) 1 only
- (b) 2 only
- (c) Both 1 and 2
- (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Answer(d) Neither 1 nor 2
Same concept — facts about biodiversity hotspots. That UPSC item corrects common myths about where hotspots lie and which four India has; this NDA item flags an inflated global count as the false statement.
Which one of the following is NOT a reason of decrease in biodiversity?
- (a) Large scale deforestation
- (b) Exploitation of forest produce
- (c) Maintaining sacred groves
- (d) Encroachment in forest areas
Answer(c) Maintaining sacred groves
Same subject — biodiversity. That NDA item asks what does NOT reduce biodiversity (sacred groves conserve it); this one tests factual statements about hotspots and who named them.
- practice — not a real PYQ
The concept of 'biodiversity hotspots' was introduced by which one of the following?
- (a)Charles Darwin
- (b)Norman Myers
- (c)E. O. Wilson
- (d)Walter G. Rosen
Answer(b) Norman Myers — he introduced the hotspots concept in 1988.
- practice — not a real PYQ
How many biodiversity hotspots of India are generally recognised?
- (a)Two
- (b)Four
- (c)Ten
- (d)Thirty-six
Answer(b) Four — Himalaya, Indo-Burma, Western Ghats-Sri Lanka and Sundaland (Nicobar Islands).