ICAR AICE-JRF/SRF (PhD) — Environmental Sciences (subject 71) and Agricultural Meteorology (subject 60) · India · National Testing Agency for ICAR
Original practice questions written to the published syllabus · not past papersWhat biodiversity is, how it is measured, why it is being lost and how it is conserved, from IUCN Red List categories and protected areas to the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
In the exams: ICAR AICE subject 71 Unit 2 (whole unit); GATE ES Section 8 (biodiversity); UGC NET Unit 3; UPSC CSE Prelims environment (heavily asked)
ICAR AICE-JRF/SRF Environmental Sciences (Unit 2) and ASRB
Whole unit: levels of biodiversity, agrobiodiversity and plant genetic resources, hotspots, IUCN categories, in-situ and ex-situ conservation, Biological Diversity Act 2002, wetlands and mangroves, transgenics and biosafety.
How our questions for ICAR AICE-JRF/SRF spread across the units of Biodiversity Science & Conservation. Difficulty: 19 easy, 27 medium, 10 hard.
| Ex-situ conservation: zoos, botanic gardens, seed and gene banks | 8 | |
| IUCN Red List categories and criteria | 7 | |
| Levels of biodiversity: genetic, species, ecosystem | 6 | |
| Drivers of biodiversity loss: land-use change, overexploitation, climate, pollution, invasive species | 6 | |
| National biodiversity laws and access and benefit-sharing | 6 | |
| Values of biodiversity: use, non-use, intrinsic | 5 | |
| Invasive alien species management | 5 | |
| Biogeographic realms and biodiversity hotspots | 4 | |
| In-situ conservation: protected areas, biosphere reserves | 4 | |
| Convention on Biological Diversity and the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework | 3 | |
| Measuring biodiversity: alpha, beta, gamma diversity and indices | 1 | |
| Population viability and minimum viable population | 1 |
Choose an answer, then open the working. Each explanation says why the right answer is right and why the others are not.
Approximately how many species have been formally described by science?
C. About 2 million
Around 2.1 million species are described; estimates of total eukaryotic species are several times higher (one estimate is about 8.7 million). 20000 and 200000 are far too low; 200 million far exceeds described species.
Further reading: Mora et al. 2011; IUCN
According to Myers and colleagues (2000), the original 25 hotspots covered what share of the land surface?
D. 1.4 %
The 25 hotspots covered 1.4 % of land yet held 44 % of vascular plants and 35 % of terrestrial vertebrates as endemics. 44 % is the plant share, not area.
Further reading: Myers et al. 2000
According to IPBES (2019), which is the largest direct driver of biodiversity loss on land globally?
B. Changes in land use
IPBES ranked land- and sea-use change first, then direct exploitation, climate change, pollution and invasive species. On land, agricultural expansion dominates.
Further reading: IPBES Global Assessment 2019
Roughly how many species did the IPBES Global Assessment (2019) estimate to be threatened with extinction?
D. About 1 million
IPBES estimated around one million animal and plant species threatened with extinction, many within decades.
Further reading: IPBES Global Assessment 2019
Why does acting only on direct drivers often fail to halt biodiversity loss?
C. Indirect drivers keep creating pressures
Land conversion, exploitation and pollution are driven by demand, trade, technology, governance and values; without addressing these, pressures shift elsewhere. Direct drivers clearly matter, indirect drivers are policy-sensitive, and no threshold of protection stops loss automatically.
Further reading: IPBES Global Assessment 2019
Which agricultural change is most linked to declines in farmland birds and insects in Europe?
B. Agricultural intensification
Studies link declines to simplified landscapes, loss of non-crop habitat and pesticide and fertiliser use. Organic schemes, legume rotations and fallows generally support farmland biodiversity.
Further reading: Farmland biodiversity studies
Which IUCN category applies to a species known only to survive in cultivation, captivity or outside its natural range?
A. Extinct in the Wild
EW applies when a species survives only in captivity, cultivation or naturalised populations outside its past range. The others describe extant wild species or assessment status.
Further reading: IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria v3.1
At about what temperature are orthodox seeds stored in long-term base collections under FAO genebank standards?
D. −18 °C
Base collections of dried orthodox seed are stored at about −18 °C. −196 °C is cryopreservation in liquid nitrogen; +4 °C is used for medium-term active collections.
Further reading: FAO Genebank Standards 2014
Seeds of mango, cocoa and rubber cannot be dried and frozen. What are they called?
C. Recalcitrant seeds
Recalcitrant seeds lose viability when dried, so they are conserved in field gene banks, in vitro or by cryopreserving embryos. Orthodox seeds tolerate drying and freezing.
Further reading: FAO Genebank Standards 2014
Which patent on a traditional Indian use was revoked by the United States patent office in 1997 after a challenge by India?
D. The wound-healing use of turmeric
India's CSIR showed prior art for turmeric's wound-healing use, and the patent was revoked in 1997; a neem fungicide patent was later revoked in Europe. Basmati involved a different dispute; tea and cotton were not such cases.
Further reading: CSIR; TKDL
Ten here, 56 in the app. The Laisha app has every practice question we have written to ICAR AICE-JRF/SRF in this subject, marked as you go, with timed papers, a jump-to-unanswered list and a certificate when you pass at 70 per cent.
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