Question

Biodiversity loss can lead to everything except this
A. Increased resistance to the environmental perturbation.
B. A decline in plant production.
C. Increased variability in water use.
D. Increased variability in pest and disease cycle.

Answer 1

Hint:
There are many species in the world that have been discovered till now. The variety of organisms in an ecosystem is referred to as biodiversity. However, a decline in this biodiversity due to habitat loss and fragmentation, over-exploitation, alien species invasion and co-extinctions is seen which is known as biodiversity loss.

Complete answer:
Biodiversity is facing major loss due to human activities and the four major causes of which are: habitat loss and fragmentation, over-exploitation, alien species invasion and co-extinctions. Once, the tropical rainforest used to cover 14% of the earth's land surface but now it doesn't cover more than 6% due to which the many organisms residing there have lost their habitat and have suffered extinction. In the last 500 years, many species have gone extinct due to over-exploitation. More than 200 species of cichlid fishes in Lake Victoria in East Africa have gone extinct due to the introduction of Nile perch into the lake. When an organism living in a mutual relationship undergoes extinction, its co-partner also meets the same fate.
If the same rate of extinction continues, the ecologists have predicted that half of all the species will be wiped out within the next 100 years.
Loss of biodiversity in a region leads to: (a) decline in plant production, (b) increased variability in water use, (c) increased variability in pest and disease cycle and (d) lowered resistance to environmental perturbations.
Thus, the correct answer is:- Increased resistance to the environmental perturbation.

Option ‘A’ is correct

Note:
Extinction of nearly 2,000 species of native birds was seen when humans colonised tropical Pacific islands. In the last 500 years, the extinction of 784 species was documented in the IUCN Red List (2004).