Which one of the following is NOT a major cause of Wildlife Extinction ?

Question

UnlockIAS · Accepted Answer

Correct (per the official key) — D, 'Fast pace of population growth'. Loss of natural habitat (a), forest fires (b) and the illegal commercial trade in wildlife (c) are all direct, proximate causes — they destroy the ecosystems animals depend on or kill the animals themselves. Rapid human population growth is treated here as an underlying, indirect driver: it fuels extinction only through those direct causes (more land cleared, more hunting and trade) rather than acting as a direct cause itself, so the paper marks it as the option that is NOT a major (direct) cause. Note honestly: some ecology frameworks do list human population growth among the ultimate drivers of biodiversity loss; this question takes the proximate-cause view, and the answer follows the key.

Why the other options are wrong — (a) This IS a major cause, so it is not the answer — habitat destruction and fragmentation is the single largest direct driver of species extinction worldwide.  (b) This IS a cause, so it is not the answer — forest fires destroy habitat and directly kill wildlife, making them a genuine cause of extinction.  (c) This IS a cause, so it is not the answer — poaching and the illegal wildlife trade directly deplete species such as tigers, rhinos and pangolins.

Concept: Species extinction has both proximate (direct) causes — habitat loss and fragmentation, over-exploitation and poaching, invasive species, pollution and fires — and ultimate (indirect) drivers such as human population growth and rising economic demand that operate through those proximate causes. Exam 'odd-one-out' items on extinction usually expect you to separate a direct cause from an indirect driver.

State PCS 2020 Q29 — Environment & Ecology PYQ with Answer

State PCS 2020 Q29 — Environment & Ecology PYQ with Answer