Match List – I with List – II and select the correct answer using the codes given below the lists : List – I (Natural Vegetation) A) Epiphytes B) Acacia C) Baobab D) Cedars List – II (Region) 1) Mediterranean 2) Equatorial 3) Sahara 4) Savanna

The correct match is Epiphytes to Equatorial (2), Acacia to Sahara (3), Baobab to Savanna (4), and Cedars to Mediterranean (1), which is option A.

• Epiphytes (2, Equatorial): Orchids and bromeliads grow on other plants without taking nutrients from them. They need the constant heat and humidity of the equatorial rainforest.
• Acacia (3, Sahara): It is a thorny xerophytic shrub with small leaves and deep roots, adapted to arid conditions at the desert fringe.
• Baobab (4, Savanna): A massive, water-storing tree of the African savanna, with a swollen trunk that stores water through the dry season.
• Cedars (1, Mediterranean): Cedars such as the Cedar of Lebanon suit the cool, wet winter and hot, dry summer of the Mediterranean climate.

Options B, C and D each put Baobab or Cedars in the wrong region. The core concept is the climate-vegetation link, which is useful for GS-I Geography and for Mains answers on biomes.

Trap: Acacia also occurs in savanna, so students who match by 'Africa' pick option B or D. The key is the desert-adapted nature of Acacia in this matching set.