ECOLOGY
BIODIVERSITY AND ITS CONSERVATION
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Question
[CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
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presence of plants and animals can reduce stress
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species with potential economic benefit may be lost before they are discovered
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High biodiversity can increase tourism
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keystone species extinction can have devastating effects on the rest of the ecosystem
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Detailed explanation-1: -Biodiversity is the key indicator of the health of an ecosystem. A wide variety of species will cope better with threats than a limited number of them in large populations. Even if certain species are affected by pollution, climate change or human activities, the ecosystem as a whole may adapt and survive.
Detailed explanation-2: -Keystone species have low functional redundancy. This means that if the species were to disappear from the ecosystem, no other species would be able to fill its ecological niche. The ecosystem would be forced to radically change, allowing new and possibly invasive species to populate the habitat.
Detailed explanation-3: -Keystone species maintain the local biodiversity of an ecosystem, influencing the abundance and type of other species in a habitat. They are nearly always a critical component of the local food web.
Detailed explanation-4: -The classic, generalized example is that of predators acting as the keystone species. A single predator can keep many populations of herbivores in check, allowing all of them to coexist. It also helps to prevent the herbivores from destroying all plant life in the ecosystem unchecked.