The question asks to identify the role of "producers" in a food web. Understanding the basic trophic levels in an ecosystem is key to answering this question. Producers are organisms that create their own food.
Correct Option: B) Plants that produce energy from sunlight
The question asks to identify which option is NOT an ecosystem service provided by biodiversity. Ecosystem services are the many and varied benefits that humans freely gain from the natural environment and from properly-functioning ecosystems. Understanding the categories of ecosystem services (provisioning, regulating, cultural, and supporting) is key to answering this question.
B) Food production — While biodiversity is essential for the genetic resources and healthy ecosystems that support food production, the act of producing food (agriculture, aquaculture) is primarily a human-managed activity that utilizes natural resources. Ecosystems provide the conditions and raw materials, but not the final 'production' in the same direct sense as they regulate climate or form soil.
The question asks about the immediate future applications of 'genome sequencing' in Indian agriculture. We need to evaluate each statement to determine its validity in the context of agricultural advancements.
D) 1, 2 and 3 — All three statements accurately describe how genome sequencing can be used in the immediate future for agriculture in India. It is a powerful tool for identifying beneficial traits, accelerating breeding programs, and understanding complex biological interactions like host-pathogen relationships.
The question asks about the context in which the term "sixth mass extinction" is often mentioned. This requires understanding the current scientific consensus regarding the causes of the ongoing biodiversity crisis.
Correct Option: D) Mankind’s over-exploitation /misuse of natural resources, fragmentation/loss of natural habitats, destruction of ecosystems, pollution and global climate change.
This option accurately describes the multifaceted human activities that are driving the current biodiversity crisis, often referred to as the sixth mass extinction. Scientists widely agree that human impacts, including habitat destruction, pollution, climate change, over-exploitation of species, and the spread of invasive species, are causing species to disappear at an unprecedented rate, far exceeding natural background extinction rates.
The question asks to identify a biological service provided by biodiversity. Biodiversity provides a wide range of services, which can be broadly categorized into provisioning, regulating, cultural, and supporting services. We need to evaluate each option to determine which one falls under a biological service.
Correct Option: B) Breeding stocks. This represents a direct biological product or resource (genetic material) derived from biodiversity, which is essential for human well-being, particularly in agriculture and food security.
The question asks to identify the group of plants that originated in the 'New World' (the Americas) and were subsequently introduced to the 'Old World' (Europe, Asia, Africa). This requires knowledge of the geographical origins of various agricultural crops.
Correct Option: A) Tobacco, cocoa and rubber
All three plants – tobacco, cocoa, and rubber – are indigenous to the Americas (the 'New World') and were later introduced to Europe, Asia, and Africa (the 'Old World') following the Columbian Exchange.