Which of the following can be threats to the biodiversity of a geographical area? 1) Global warming 2) Fragmentation of habitat 3) Invasion of alien species 4) Promotion of vegetarianism Select the correct answer using the codes given below:

The correct answer is A. Statements 1, 2 and 3 are recognised threats to biodiversity. Statement 4 is not.

• 1. Global warming: Species whose climatic range shifts faster than they can migrate or adapt decline. Coral bleaching in the Indian Ocean and retreat of high-altitude species in the Himalayas are standard examples.
• 2. Habitat fragmentation: Breaking forest into patches isolates populations, reduces gene flow and increases edge effects. This is why wildlife corridors for tigers and elephants in central and northern India matter.
• 3. Invasion of alien species: Lantana camara, Parthenium and water hyacinth crowd out native flora, and the African catfish has damaged Indian wetlands. Invasive species are among the leading drivers of extinction.
• 4. Promotion of vegetarianism: This is not a threat. Lower demand for animal products reduces pressure on wild and farmed animal stocks, so it is, if anything, a mild conservation positive.

The core concept is the set of direct drivers of biodiversity loss, which the Convention on Biological Diversity and the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 both address. For Mains, this links to the conservation versus development debate.

Trap: Aspirants who read statement 4 as a human activity that disturbs ecosystems and pick D. Ask whether the factor actually harms species, not whether it involves people.