Which one of the following makes a species most vulnerable to extinction?
Show Hint
- Low density throughout a large geographic range and in several habitat types
- Locally common in a restricted geographic range and in several habitat types
- Low density throughout a large geographic range and in a specific habitat type
- Locally common in a restricted geographic range and in a specific habitat type
The Correct Option is D
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: Understanding the factors.
Species with a small geographic range and limited habitat types are more vulnerable to extinction because they are dependent on a specific environment, making them less adaptable to changes or disturbances.
Step 2: Analyzing the options.
- (A) Low density throughout a large geographic range and in several habitat types: While the species may have low density, the large range and multiple habitats give it more flexibility and resilience to threats.
- (B) Locally common in a restricted geographic range and in several habitat types: The species is common in its region but still has a restricted geographic range, which can limit its survival chances.
- (C) Low density throughout a large geographic range and in a specific habitat type: Even though the species is spread across a large area, its dependence on a specific habitat type increases its vulnerability.
- (D) Locally common in a restricted geographic range and in a specific habitat type: This option presents the highest risk. A species that is locally common but limited to a small geographic area and specific habitat type has no room for expansion or adaptation in the face of changes.
Step 3: Conclusion.
The most vulnerable species would be one that is both locally common and restricted to a specific geographic and habitat type. Therefore, the correct answer is (D).
Final Answer: (D) Locally common in a restricted geographic range and in a specific habitat type
Top GATE EY Ecology and Evolution Questions
- Which one of the following options denotes the time when the majority of animal phyla first appeared in the fossil record? (MYA = Million Years Ago)
- Which one of the following statements is true with respect to energy requirements of photosynthesis in C3 and C4 biochemical cycles?
- Moth caterpillars that mimic bird droppings are an example of which one of the following phenomena?
- Which one of the following processes is not likely to lead to the stable coexistence of two species at the same trophic level within an ecological community?
- A cross between a pure-bred plant with red flowers and a pure-bred plant with white flowers produced F1 generation with pink flowers. If the plants with pink flowers are selfed, what is the proportion of white : pink : red flowers expected in the next generation?
Top GATE EY Population ecology Questions
- Which one of the following sets of characteristics is most likely to cause population extinction via demographic stochasticity?
- A team of ecologists laid 100 plots of 50 m \(\times\) 50 m in a forest and counted the number of individuals of a tree species in each plot. They then calculated the mean and variance of the number of individuals per plot. If trees are randomly distributed, then which one of the following relationships between the variance and mean is expected?
The probability of local extinction increases with body size when there is forest degradation, loss, and fragmentation. Consider the following hypotheses for the vulnerability of larger-bodied species:
(P) Larger-bodied species tend to have smaller population sizes.
(Q) Larger-bodied species require larger territories/home ranges.
(R) Larger-bodied species have higher absolute resource and energy requirements.Which one of the following options correctly lists all potential reasons for the vulnerability of larger-bodied species?
- Demographic stochasticity introduces random variation in population growth because
Consider a population that shows logistic growth of the form
\[ \frac{dN}{dt} = rN \left( 1 - \frac{N}{K} \right) \] where \(\frac{dN}{dt}\) is the population growth rate, \(r\) is the instantaneous rate of increase, \(K\) is the carrying capacity and \(N\) is the population size.
For such a population \((N > 0)\), which one of the following graphs shows the correct relationship between per capita growth rate \((\frac{1}{N} \frac{dN}{dt})\) on the y-axis, and population size (\(N\)) on the x-axis?
Top GATE EY Questions
- If '\(\rightarrow\)' denotes increasing order of intensity, then the meaning of the words [\textit{simmer} \(\rightarrow\) \textit{seethe} \(\rightarrow\) \textit{smolder}] is analogous to [\textit{break} \(\rightarrow\) \textit{raze} \(\rightarrow\) \_\_\_\_\_\_]. Which one of the given options is appropriate to fill the blank?
- In a locality, the houses are numbered in the following way:The house-numbers on one side of a road are consecutive odd integers starting from \(301\), while the house-numbers on the other side of the road are consecutive even numbers starting from \(302\). The total number of houses is the same on both sides of the road. If the difference of the sum of the house-numbers between the two sides of the road is \(27\), then the number of houses on each side of the road is:
- For positive integers \( p \) and \( q \), with \( \frac{p}{q} \neq 1 \), \( \left( \frac{p}{q} \right)^q = p^{q-1 \). Then, which of the following is true?}
- Which one of the given options is a possible value of \(x\) in the following sequence? 3, 7, 15, x, 63, 127, 255
- On a given day, how many times will the second-hand and the minute-hand of a clock cross each other during the clock time 12:05:00 hours to 12:55:00 hours?