Biodiversity and Conservation PYQs on the CBT Screen

Question 1 · NEET 2026 · Q94 · +4 / −1

Exploring molecular, genetic and species-level diversity for products of economic importance is called:

Answer and explanation

Answer: (3)

Bioprospecting is the exploration of molecular, genetic and species-level biodiversity to find products and processes of economic value (such as new drugs and useful genes). Hence (3) is correct. Biofortification improves the nutrient content of crops, bioremediation uses organisms to remove pollutants, and biomagnification is the increasing concentration of a toxicant along a food chain.

Question 2 · NEET 2026 · Q97 · +4 / −1

Since the origin and diversification of life on Earth, there have been five episodes of mass extinction of species. How is the sixth extinction, which is in progress, different from the previous episodes?

Answer and explanation

Answer: (3)

The current, sixth episode of mass extinction is estimated to be 100 to 1000 times faster than the natural (pre-human) background rate, largely because of human activities. Options stating the rate is zero or far lower are false, and the '10 times' figure greatly understates the accepted estimate.

Question 3 · NEET 2026 · Q102 · +4 / −1

Which of the following statements are correct? Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

Statement I: The Amazon rainforest being cut and cleared for cultivation of soyabeans is an example of habitat loss.
Statement II: Steller's sea cow and passenger pigeon became extinct due to over-exploitation by humans.
Statement III: The Nile perch introduced into Lake Victoria in East Africa helped in population growth of cichlid fish in the lake.
Statement IV: Water hyacinth is an invasive species.
Statement V: When a species becomes extinct, the plant and animal species associated with it are not affected.

Answer and explanation

Answer: (2)

Statements I (Amazon clearing = habitat loss), II (Steller's sea cow and passenger pigeon lost to over-exploitation) and IV (water hyacinth is invasive) are correct. III is wrong because the introduced Nile perch drove more than 200 cichlid species to extinction, and V is wrong because co-extinction affects the species associated with an extinct one. Correct set: I, II and IV.

Question 4 · NEET 2026 · Q119 · +4 / −1

Which of the following is an in-situ conservation method?

Answer and explanation

Answer: (1)

in-situ conservation protects species within their natural habitat; sacred groves are forest patches traditionally protected by local communities and are a classic in-situ method. Wildlife safari parks, botanical gardens and seed banks conserve organisms away from their natural habitat and are therefore ex-situ methods.

Question 5 · NEET 2026 · Q127 · +4 / −1

"The Evil Quartet" of biodiversity loss includes which of the following?

Answer and explanation

Answer: (3)

The Evil Quartet names the four major drivers of biodiversity loss: habitat loss and fragmentation, over-exploitation, alien (invasive) species invasions, and co-extinctions. Only option (3) lists exactly these; the others wrongly substitute air, water or soil pollution, which are not part of the quartet.

Question 6 · Re-NEET 2026 · Q144 · +4 / −1

Arrange the following in descending order of number of species in the Amazonian rain forest.

Statement I: Plants
Statement II: Birds
Statement III: Fishes
Statement IV: Invertebrates
Statement V: Mammals

Choose the correct answer from the options given below :

Answer and explanation

Answer: (2)

NCERT's figures for the Amazonian rain forest are more than 1,25,000 invertebrate species, about 40,000 plant species, 3,000 fishes, 1,300 birds and 427 mammals - giving invertebrates > plants > fishes > birds > mammals. The broader pattern worth carrying away is that invertebrates dominate global species counts overwhelmingly, and vertebrates make up a very small slice. NCERT Class 12, Biodiversity and Conservation.

Question 7 · NEET 2020 · Q60 · +4 / −1

According to Robert May, the global species diversity is about

Answer and explanation

Answer: (3)

Robert May estimated the global species diversity to be around 7 million species. Chapter: Biodiversity and Conservation.

Question 8 · NEET 2020 · Q88 · +4 / −1

Which of the following regions of the globe exhibits highest species diversity?

Answer and explanation

Answer: (3)

The Amazon forests are known for the highest species diversity due to their vast area, varied habitats, and tropical climate. Chapter: Biodiversity and Conservation.

Biodiversity and Conservation, on the exam screen.