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NCERT Solutions
Class 12
Biology
Chapter 13 Biodiversity and Conservation

Frequently Asked Questions

NCERT Solutions use exact textbook terms and clear, structured points to improve factual accuracy for NEET MCQs and help students write well-organized answers in board exams.

Yes, all answers follow the current NCERT textbook and CBSE guidelines, ensuring students study only syllabus-relevant and exam-oriented content.

Each question is solved in a logical sequence, making it easier to understand concepts and present answers neatly in exams.

The solutions use proper NCERT terminology and simple explanations, which makes it easier to recall important definitions during MCQs and theory questions.

Yes, the answers break down ideas into simple, easy-to-follow points, helping students develop strong foundational understanding.

Genetic diversity, species diversity, and ecosystem diversity are the three layers of biodiversity, according to NCERT Solutions. They show differences between species, within species, and within environments.

NCERT Solutions explain that habitat loss and fragmentation, overexploitation, alien species invasion, and co-extinctions are major causes of biodiversity loss. These factors can reduce species populations and increase the risk of extinction.

NCERT Solutions explain that in situ conservation protects species in their natural habitats, such as national parks and wildlife sanctuaries. Ex situ conservation protects organisms outside their natural habitats, such as botanical gardens, zoos, and seed banks.

NCERT Solutions explain that the species-area relationship shows that the number of species generally increases with the size of an area. It helps explain the relationship between area and species diversity.

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NCERT Solutions Class 12 Biology Chapter 13 Biodiversity and Conservation

The diversity of life on Earth and the reasons that biodiversity must be preserved are discussed in Class 12 Biology Chapter 13, Biodiversity and Conservation. Students gain knowledge of the various biodiversity levels, species distribution patterns, and the main factors contributing to biodiversity loss. The chapter also discusses wildlife preservation, protected areas, conservation strategies, and the sustainable use of natural resources. These subjects aid students in comprehending how biodiversity is impacted by human activity and how nature might be preserved.

ALLEN NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Biology Chapter 13 provide clear and point-wise answers to NCERT textbook questions. Students can use these solutions to understand important concepts, revise key topics, and prepare accurate answers for CBSE Board examinations. The solutions also help strengthen concepts related to biodiversity and conservation for NEET preparation.

1.0Key Concepts of Class 12 Biology Chapter 13 Biodiversity and Conservation

The chapter focuses on understanding biological variety and methods to protect it. Some of the key lessons covered in this chapter are given below:

  • Levels of Biodiversity: Understand genetic, species, and ecosystem diversity and how each level contributes to biological variety.
  • Patterns of Biodiversity: Learn about latitudinal gradients in species diversity and the species-area relationship.
  • Importance of Biodiversity: Study the ecological, economic, aesthetic, and ethical values of biodiversity.
  • Loss of Biodiversity: Understand how habitat destruction, pollution, overexploitation, and invasive species contribute to biodiversity loss.
  • Conservation Strategies: Learn about in situ and ex situ conservation and how these approaches help protect species and their habitats.
  • Protected Areas: Understand the role of national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, and biosphere reserves in conserving biodiversity.
  • International Efforts: Learn about global initiatives, agreements, and organisations that support biodiversity conservation.

2.0NCERT Class 12 Biology Chapter 13 Biodiversity and Conservation : Detailed Solutions

  1. Name the three important components of biodiversity. Ans. The three important components of biodiversity are : (i) Genetic Diversity (ii) Species Diversity (iii) Ecological diversity
  2. How do ecologists estimate the total number of species present in the world? Ans. There are two methods to estimate the number of species in the world : (i) By estimating the rate of discovery of new species. (ii) By statistical comparison of the temperatetropical species richness of an exhaustively studied group of insects and extrapolate this ratio to other groups of animals and plants to come up with a gross estimate of the number of species on earth.
  3. Give three hypothesis for explaining why tropics show greatest levels of species richness. [IMP.] Ans. The three hypothesis to explain species richness in tropics are: (a) The constant environment in tropics promotes niche specialization and increased species diversity. (b) There is longer exposure to solar radiation in the tropical regions that contributes directly to higher productivity and indirectly to greater species diversity. (c) There occurred no glaciation in tropical region and it remained undisturbed. Thus organisms living in tropics continued to flourish and evolved more species diversity.
  4. What is the significance of the slope of regression in a species-area relationship? Ans. Slope of regression in a species-area relationship indicates that species richness decreases with the decrease in area. Regression coefficient (Z) is 0.1-0.2 regardless of the taxonomic group or the region e.g. plants in Britain or birds in California. However, when very large areas like the entire continent is analysed, it was found that slope of the line is much steeper with Z values in the range of 0.6 to 1.2.
  5. What are the major causes of species losses in a geographical region? Ans. There are four major causes (The Evil Quartet) (a) Habitat loss and fragmentation. (b) Alien species invasions. (c) Over-exploitation. (d) Co-extinctions.
  6. How is biodiversity important for ecosystem functioning? [IMP.] Ans. Importance of biodiversity for ecosystem functioning - (a) Stability: Biodiversity is an important aspect for stability of an ecosystem. Ecologists believe that communities with more species tend to be more stable than those with less species. (b) Productivity: Ecosystem with higher biodiversity show more productivity than ecosystems with lower biodiversity. David Tilman's long-term ecosystem experiments using outdoor plots provide confirmation. (c) Ecosystem health: Rich biodiversity is not only essential for ecosystem health but imperative for the survival of the human race on earth. Species are interlinked and so, killing or disappearance of one would effect the others also. (d) Resilience: Increased biodiversity provides resilience of the ecosystem against natural or man-made disturbances.
  7. What are sacred groves? What is their role in conservation? Ans. Sacred groves are forest patches for worship in several parts of India. All the trees and wildlife in them are venerated and given total protection. They are found in Khasi and Jaintia Hills in Meghalaya, Western Ghat regions of Karnataka and Maharashtra etc. Tribe do not allow anyone to cut even a single branch of tree in these sacred groves thus sacred groves have been free from all types of exploitations.
  8. Among the ecosystem services are control of floods and soil erosion. How is this achieved by the biotic components of the ecosystem? Ans. Control of soil erosion: Plant roots hold the soil particles tightly and do not allow the top soil to be drifted away by winds or moving water. Plants increase the porosity and fertility of the soil. Control of floods: It is carried out by retaining water and preventing run off of rain water. Litter and humus of plants function as sponges thus retaining the water which percolates down and get stored as underground water. Hence, the flood is controlled.
  9. The species diversity of plants (22%) is much less than that of animals (72%). What could be the explanations to how animals achieved greater diversification? [IMP.] Ans. Animals have achieved greater diversification than plants due to following reasons: (a) They are mobile and thus can move away from their predators or unfavorable environments. On the other hand plants are fixed and have fewer adaptation to obtain optimum amount of raw materials and sunlight therefore they show lesser diversity. (b) Animals have well-developed nervous system to receive stimuli against external factors and thus can respond to them. On the other hand plants do not exhibit any such mechanism thus they show lesser diversity than animals.
  10. Can you think of a situation where we deliberately want to make a species extinct? How would you justify it? Ans. Species which are harmful to human beings can be made extinct e.g. HIV, polio virus, etc. Such micro-organisms are not part of any food chain and ththeir extinction would not affect the ecosystem.

3.0NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Biology | Other Chapter-wise Links

Get complete NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Biology chapter-wise, including detailed answers and easy explanations for NCERT textbook questions.

Chapter Number

Chapterwise NCERT Solutions

Chapter 1

Sexual Reproduction in Flowering Plants

Chapter 2

Human Reproduction

Chapter 3

Reproductive Health

Chapter 4

Principles of Inheritance and Variation

Chapter 5

Molecular Basis of Inheritance

Chapter 6

Evolution

Chapter 7

Human Health and Disease

Chapter 8

Microbes in Human Welfare

Chapter 9

Biotechnology: Principles and Processes

Chapter 10

Biotechnology and Its Applications

Chapter 11

Organisms and Populations

Chapter 12

Ecosystem

4.0Key Features and Benefits of Class 12 Biology Chapter 13 Biodiversity and Conservation

  • Real-World Environmental Examples: Relate biodiversity concepts to forests, oceans, wildlife reserves, and other natural ecosystems.
  • Clear Comparison of Concepts: Easily distinguish between levels of biodiversity, threats to biodiversity, and different conservation methods.
  • Practice for Important Questions: Strengthen your ability to answer environment-based, application-based, and case-study questions.
  • Visual Learning for Quick Revision: Use charts and organised explanations to revise important concepts before board examinations.
  • Strong Foundation for NEET: Build a clear understanding of biodiversity, conservation, and ecological issues relevant to NEET Biology.
  • Simple Understanding of Environmental Issues: Connect scientific concepts with common environmental challenges and the need to protect biological diversity.

Table of Contents

  • 1.0Key Concepts of Class 12 Biology Chapter 13 Biodiversity and Conservation
  • 2.0NCERT Class 12 Biology Chapter 13 Biodiversity and Conservation : Detailed Solutions
  • 3.0NCERT Solutions for Class 12 Biology | Other Chapter-wise Links
  • 4.0Key Features and Benefits of Class 12 Biology Chapter 13 Biodiversity and Conservation