Due to some reasons, if there is a huge fall in the population of species of butterflies, what could be its likely consequence/consequences ?
- 1.Pollination of some plants could be adversely affected.
- 2.There could be a drastic increase in the fungal infections of some cultivated plants.
- 3.It could lead to a fall in the population of some species of wasps, spiders and birds.
Select the correct answer using the code given below :
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Answer: C. Statement 1 is correct: butterflies are pollinators, so some plants would suffer. Statement 2 is wrong: butterflies do not control fungi on crops, so there is no reason for fungal infections to rise sharply. Statement 3 is correct: wasps, spiders and birds feed on butterflies and caterpillars, so their numbers could fall. So 1 and 3 only.
Watch for: Watch for 'drastic' in statement 2; there is no ecological link to support it.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Wrong because the food-chain effect in statement 3 is also likely.
- B. Wrong because there is no link between butterflies and fungal infections.
- D. Wrong because statement 2 has no basis.
Source to check: NCERT Class 12 Biology, Chapter 14 'Ecosystem' and Chapter 15 'Biodiversity and Conservation'
Answer from the official UPSC key. Written and fact-checked by AI against the official key. Spotted a mistake? Report it.