Question

India is considered as one of the megadiversity countries because
A. Many biodiversity hotspots are present in the country.
B. It has the highest biodiversity in the world.
C. It has the highest variety of flora and fauna.
D. It has an 8.1% share in global diversity and has 2.4 % of the world's land area.

Answer 1

Hint:A biogeographic region with a high degree of endemism that is significant to biodiversity is threatened with destruction. India has the highest number of these diversified regions.

Complete solutionIndia is a rich diversified country. It is between the Indomalaya ecozone. India has the maximum number of rich biodiversity hotspots having a high level of species richness and high level of endemism i.e. species are confined to a particular region and that species do not exist anywhere else in the world. It has four exceptionally high biodiversity regions- Western ghats, Sundaland, Indo Burma, and Himalaya. India has four biodiversity hotspots out of 34 hotspots in the world. These hotspots have numerous endemic species of flora and fauna.
Western ghats are present along the edge of peninsular India and receive a good amount of rainfall. It has most of the rainforests and deciduous forests. It is the habitat of about 450 species of birds, 140 species of mammals, 260 species of reptiles, and 175 species of amphibians.
The Himalayas hosts about 163 endangered species of one-horned rhinoceros, wild Asian water buffalo, and about 50 birds, 12 amphibians, 45 mammals, 17 reptiles, 36 different plant varieties, and three invertebrate species.
The Indo-Burma region is the richest region but its worsening in the past few years.
Sundaland is the richest place hosting both terrestrial as well as marine organisms that are endemic to this region.

Hence, the correct answer is option A) Many biodiversity hotspots are present in the country.

Note: India has the richest biodiversity and its 23.39%. The area is covered with forest and trees. It hosts more than 2,00,000 species that are confined to a particular region. India has four hotspots and each of them hosts more than a hundred endangered species.