NEET BotanyUpdated 19 Oct 2026

Biodiversity and Its Conservation: NEET PYQs and weightage

Biodiversity and Its Conservation carries 5.3 of 100 Botany marks in NEET by past-paper share: 42 of the 793 tagged NEET Botany PYQs in the ViJEEta bank (NEET 2013–2026). It ranks 8 of 21 Botany chapters.

Take the 25-question Biodiversity and Its Conservation test Key facts ↓All NEET Botany chapters

5.3/100 Weight in Botany

Exam importance (4/5, by past-paper share)

42 NEET PYQs

477 Practice questions

377 With measured difficulty

How the weight is computed: this chapter's tagged NEET PYQs divided by all tagged NEET Botany PYQs in the bank (42 of 793), times 100, with repeated questions counted once. The bank does not store the year of each NEET question, so none is printed. Computed from the bank at build time. Updated 19 Oct 2026.

Biodiversity and Its Conservation: key facts for NEET

16 facts the paper keeps asking, each with how it is asked. Copy it onto one page of your notebook: that page is this chapter's handbook.

Biodiversity and genetic diversity
Sociobiologist Edward Wilson popularised the term "biodiversity". Genetic diversity example: $Rauwolfia vomitoria$ in different Himalayan ranges varies in reserpine potency. India has $> 50, 000$ rice strains and $1, 000$ mango varieties.
Asked as: Reserpine variation in $Rauwolfia$ shows which level of diversity? (genetic)
Species and ecological diversity
Species diversity: the Western Ghats have more amphibian species than the Eastern Ghats. Ecological diversity: India has more ecosystem diversity than Norway.
Asked as: Match each example to genetic, species or ecological diversity.
Number of species
IUCN (2004) counts slightly more than $1.5$ million described species. Robert May's conservative estimate of global species is about $7$ million.
Asked as: Who gave the $\sim 7$ million estimate, and what share has been recorded? (about $22%$ )
Share of recorded species
Animals make up $> 70%$ of recorded species and plants $\leq 22%$ . Insects are $> 70%$ of animals, so $7$ of every $10$ animals are insects. Fungi have more species than fishes, amphibians, reptiles and mammals combined.
Asked as: Which group outnumbers all vertebrates combined in species? (fungi)
India's biodiversity
India has $2.4%$ of the world's land but $8.1%$ of global species diversity. It is one of $12$ megadiversity countries, with $\sim 45, 000$ plant species and twice as many animal species.
Asked as: India's $%$ land area vs $%$ species diversity.
Latitudinal gradient
Latitudinal gradient: diversity falls from the equator to the poles. Bird species: Colombia $\sim 1, 400$ , New York ( $4 1^{\circ} N$ ) $105$ , Greenland ( $7 1^{\circ} N$ ) $56$ , India $> 1, 200$ .
Asked as: Arrange the regions by bird species number.
Why the tropics are richer
The tropics are richer for three reasons: more evolutionary time (no frequent glaciations), a less seasonal, constant environment that favours niche specialisation, and more solar energy giving higher productivity.
Asked as: Which of these is NOT a reason for tropical species richness?
Species-area relationship
$lo g S = lo g C + Z lo g A$
Humboldt observed that within a region species richness rises with explored area, but only up to a limit. For many taxa the species-area relation is a rectangular hyperbola; on a log scale it becomes $lo g S = lo g C + Z lo g A$ . $Z$ is $0.1$ – $0.2$ within a region, $0.6$ – $1.2$ for whole continents, and $1.15$ for frugivorous birds and mammals.
Asked as: The $Z$ value range for small areas vs continents, and what $Z$ stands for (slope/regression coefficient).
Diversity and ecosystem stability
Tilman's outdoor plots showed that more species meant less year-to-year variation in biomass and higher productivity. Paul Ehrlich's "rivet popper" analogy: plane $=$ ecosystem, rivets $=$ species, wing rivets $=$ key species.
Asked as: In the rivet popper hypothesis, what do the rivets on the wings represent?
Recorded extinctions
The IUCN Red List (2004) records $784$ extinctions in the last $500$ years: $338$ vertebrates, $359$ invertebrates and $87$ plants. Recent losses by place: Mauritius lost its dodo, Africa its quagga, Australia its thylacine and Russia its Steller's sea cow. Three tiger subspecies are also gone: Bali, Javan and Caspian.
Asked as: Match each extinct species to its place.
Sixth Extinction
In the "Sixth Extinction", species are lost $100$ – $1, 000$ times faster than in pre-human times. Some groups, such as amphibians, appear more vulnerable to extinction. Under threat: $12%$ of birds, $23%$ of mammals, $32%$ of amphibians, $31%$ of gymnosperms.
Asked as: How much faster is the current extinction rate? / Which group appears more vulnerable to extinction? (amphibians)
The Evil Quartet
The "Evil Quartet" of causes: (i) habitat loss and fragmentation, the most important (rain forests shrank from $> 14%$ to $\leq 6%$ of land); (ii) over-exploitation (Steller's sea cow, passenger pigeon); (iii) alien species invasions; (iv) co-extinctions (a host fish and its parasites; plant-pollinator mutualism).
Asked as: Which is the most important cause of biodiversity loss?
Alien species invasions
The Nile perch in Lake Victoria wiped out $> 200$ cichlid fish species. Invasive weeds: $Parthenium$ (carrot grass), $Lantana$ , $Eichhornia$ (water hyacinth). The African catfish $Clarias gariepinus$ threatens native catfishes.
Asked as: The Nile perch/cichlid case is an example of which cause?
Reasons to conserve
There are three reasons to conserve: (i) Narrowly utilitarian: $> 25%$ of drugs come from plants, $25, 000$ plant species are used in traditional medicine, and bioprospecting. (ii) Broadly utilitarian: ecosystem services such as the Amazon's $20%$ of Earth's oxygen, and pollination. (iii) Ethical: every species has intrinsic value.
Asked as: Oxygen and pollination fall under which argument? (broadly utilitarian)
In situ conservation
In situ: there are $34$ hotspots ( $25$ at first, then $9$ added). Together they cover $< 2%$ of land, and protecting them could cut extinctions by $\sim 30%$ . India's three are Western Ghats–Sri Lanka, Indo-Burma and Himalaya. India has $14$ biosphere reserves, $90$ national parks and $448$ sanctuaries. Sacred groves are in the Khasi–Jaintia Hills (Meghalaya), the Aravallis (Rajasthan), the Western Ghats (Karnataka, Maharashtra), and Sarguja, Chanda and Bastar (MP).
Asked as: Number of hotspots / which hotspots cover India / where are sacred groves found?
Ex situ conservation and summits
Ex situ: zoological parks, botanical gardens, wildlife safari parks, cryopreservation of gametes, in vitro fertilisation, tissue culture and seed banks. The Earth Summit (CBD) was in Rio de Janeiro in $1992$ . At the $2002$ Johannesburg summit, $190$ countries pledged to reduce the rate of biodiversity loss by $2010$ .
Asked as: Match the summit to its city and year / pick the ex situ method.

Trap

Wildlife safari parks, zoos, seed banks and cryopreservation are all ex situ (off site). Hotspots, biosphere reserves, national parks, sanctuaries and sacred groves are in situ (on site). A "park" with animals is not automatically in situ.

How does NEET ask Biodiversity and Its Conservation?

8 real previous-year questions from this chapter, as printed in the paper, each with its worked solution. Answer the first one here with no sign-in.

Q1BotanyNEET UG PYQPatterns of Biodiversity

Try right here · No sign-in

Match List I with List II. List IList IIA. Robert MayI. Species-Area relationshipB. Alexander von HumboldtII. Long term ecosystem experiment using out door plotsC. Paul EhrlichIII. Global species diversity at about 7 millionD. David TilmanIV. Rivet popper hypothesis Choose the correct answer from the options given below.

Answer key (A) & worked solution

Correct answer: Option A

Robert MayGlobal species diversity at about 7 million Alexander von HumboldtSpecies-Area relationship Paul EhrlichRivet popper hypothesisDavid TilmanLong term ecosystem experiment using out door plots

Q2BotanyNEET UG PYQPatterns of Biodiversity

Alexander Von Humbolt described for the first time

ASpecies area relationships

BPopulation Growth equation

CEcological Biodiversity

DLaws of limiting factor

Answer key (A) & worked solution

Correct answer: Option A

Alexander Von Humbolt discovered species-area relationships. Species area relationships are the relationship between the area and the particular habitat. It is dependent on immigration, extinction, and clustering, etc. This relation can be graphically expressed as a rectangular hyperbola.

Q3BotanyNEET UG PYQConcept of Biodiversity

According to Robert May, the global species diversity is about

A50 million

B7 million

C1.5 million

D20 million

Answer key (B) & worked solution

Correct answer: Option B

Robert May was a theoretical ecologist who established the field of theoretical ecology and population biology. According to him, the global species diversity is about 7 million.

Q4BotanyNEET UG PYQBiodiversity Conservation

Which of the following is not a method of ex situ conservation?

AIn vitro fertilization

BNational Parks

CMicropropagation

DCryopreservation

Answer key (B) & worked solution

Correct answer: Option B

National parks are a method of in situ conservation of biodiversity where organisms are protected within their natural habitat.

Q5BotanyNEET UG PYQNational and International Measures to Protect Biodiversity

The organisation which publishes the Red List of species is

AIUCN

BUNEP

CWWF

DICFRE

Answer key (A) & worked solution

Correct answer: Option A

IUCN is the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources publishes the Red List of species facing the risk of extinction.

Q6BotanyNEET UG PYQBiodiversity Conservation

In situ conservation refers to:

AProtect and conserve the whole ecosystem

BConserve only high risk species

CConserve only endangered species

DConserve only extinct species

Answer key (A) & worked solution

Correct answer: Option A

In situ conservation of biodiversity attempts to conserve organisms at their natural habitat. It not only is aimed at protecting the organisms themselves, but also the ecosystem where they live.

Q7BotanyNEET UG PYQBiodiversity Conservation

Which of the following National Parks is home to the famous musk deer or hangul?

ABandhavgarh National Park, Madhya Pradesh

BEaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary, Arunachal Pradesh

CDachigam National Park, Jammu and Kashmir

DKeibul Lamjao National Park, Manipur

Answer key (C) & worked solution

Correct answer: Option C

Bandhavgarh National Park, Madhya Pradesh is famous for Bengal tiger. Eaglenest or Eagle's Nest Wildlife Sanctuary is famous for its birds and tiger. Dachigam National Park, Jammu and Kashmir is famous for Hangul, Kashmir stag. Keibul Lamjao National Park, Manipur is famous for brow-antlered deer and flagship species. Therefore, the correct answer is option c.

Q8BotanyNEET UG PYQConcept of Biodiversity

Arrange the following in descending order of number of species in the Amazonian rain forest. (a) Plants (b) Birds (c) Fishes (d) Invertebrates (e) Mammals Choose the correct answer from the options given below :

A(d) > (a) > (c) > (b) > (e)

B(e) > (b) > (a) > (c) > (d)

C(b) > (a) > (d) > (c) > (e)

D(c) > (b) > (d) > (e) > (a)

Answer key (A) & worked solution

Correct answer: Option A

The Amazonian rain forest is home to more than 40,000 species of plants, 3,000 of fishes, 1300 of birds, 427 of mammals, 378 of reptiles and of more than 1,25,000 invertebrates. Hence the correct decreasing order would be (d) > (a) > (c) > (b) > (e).

Which topics in Biodiversity and Its Conservation carry the most questions?

All 9 topics, by tagged PYQs, then practice questions. Counted from the bank. Updated 19 Oct 2026.

Topic	PYQs	Practice questions
Biodiversity Conservation	17	91
Loss of Biodiversity	10	74
Concept of Biodiversity	7	83
Patterns of Biodiversity	5	69
National and International Measures to Protect Biodiversity	3	26
Reasons for Biodiversity Conservation	0	63
Importance of Biodiversity	0	43
Levels of Biodiversity	0	22
Miscellaneous Examples	0	6

Why does Biodiversity and Its Conservation show "–" until you answer 3 questions?

Unknown is not zero. Until you answer at least 3 graded questions in Biodiversity and Its Conservation, ViJEEta shows – instead of a zero or a 50% default. Book exercises can raise chapter mastery up to 0.60, adaptive practice up to 0.75, and only a timed chapter test or mock can certify 0.80 and above.

How ViJEEta scores you

What happens when you test Biodiversity and Its Conservation?

Every chapter test is 25 questions. It starts at moderate difficulty and adapts after each saved answer. If you open a solution before answering, that attempt earns no credit, so your mastery stays honest.

Start the Biodiversity and Its Conservation test

Chapters either side of Biodiversity and Its Conservation by weight

Cell Cycle and Cell Division Weight 6.4/100 Sexual Reproduction in Flowering plants Weight 6.4/100 Ecosystem Weight 4.7/100 Organisms and Populations Weight 4.7/100

Biodiversity and Its Conservation: NEET PYQs and weightage

Biodiversity and Its Conservation: key facts for NEET

Biodiversity and genetic diversity

Species and ecological diversity

Number of species

Share of recorded species

India's biodiversity

Latitudinal gradient

Why the tropics are richer

Species-area relationship

Diversity and ecosystem stability

Recorded extinctions

Sixth Extinction

The Evil Quartet

Alien species invasions

Reasons to conserve

In situ conservation

Ex situ conservation and summits

How does NEET ask Biodiversity and Its Conservation?

Which topics in Biodiversity and Its Conservation carry the most questions?

Why does Biodiversity and Its Conservation show "–" until you answer 3 questions?

What happens when you test Biodiversity and Its Conservation?

Chapters either side of Biodiversity and Its Conservation by weight