UPSC Prelims 2012·CSAT·Reading Comprehension·Passage Comprehension

Read the following passages and answer the items that follow each passage. Your answers to these items should be based on the passages only. Invasions of exotic species into new geographic areas sometimes occur naturally and without-human agency. However, human actions have increased this trickle to a flood. Human-caused introductions may occur either accidentally as a consequence of human transport, or intentionally but illegally to serve some private purpose or legitimately to procure some hoped-for public benefit by bringing a pest under control, producing new agricultural products or providing novel recreational opportunities. Many introduced species are assimilated into communities without much obvious effect. However, some have been responsible for dramatic changes to native species and natural communities. For example, the accidental introduction of the brown tree snake Boiga irregularis into Guam, an island in the Pacific, has through nest predation reduced 10 endemic forest bird species to the point of extinction. One of the major reasons for the world's great biodiversity is the occurrence of centers of endemism so that similar habitats in different parts of the world are occupied by different groups of species that happen to have evolved there. If every species naturally had access to everywhere on the globe, we might expect a relatively small number of successful species to become dominant in each biome. The extent to which this homogenization can happen naturally is restricted by the limited powers of dispersal of most species in the face of the physical barriers that exist to dispersal. By virtue of the transport opportunities offered by humans, these barriers have been breached by an ever-increasing number of exotic species. The effects of introductions have been to convert a hugely diverse range of local community compositions into something much more homogeneous. It would be wrong, however, to conclude that introducing species to a region will inevitably cause a decline in species richness there. For example, there are numerous species of plants, invertebrates and vertebrates found in continental Europe but absent from the British Isles (many because they have so far failed to recolonize after the last glaciations). Their introduction would be likely to augment British biodiversity. The significant detrimental effect noted above arises where aggressive species provide a novel challenge to endemic biotas ill- equipped to deal with them. With reference to the passage, which of the following statements is correct?

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  1. AIntroduction of exotic species into new geographical areas always leads to reduced biodiversity
  2. BExotic species introduced by man into new areas have always greatly altered the native ecosystems
  3. CMan is the only reason to convert a hugely diverse range of local community compositions into more homogeneous ones
  4. DNone of the statements (a), (b) and (c) is correct in this context.Correct

Explanation

The correct answer is D because statements A, B, and C are incorrect based on the specific text provided. Statement A is incorrect because the passage explicitly states that it would be wrong to conclude that introducing species inevitably causes a decline in species richness. It gives the example of the British Isles, where introducing certain species could actually augment biodiversity. Statement B is incorrect because the passage notes that many introduced species are assimilated into communities without much obvious effect. It is only some species that have been responsible for dramatic changes. Statement C is incorrect because the passage mentions that invasions of exotic species can occur naturally and without human agency. While human actions have increased this process, man is not the only reason for the homogenization of communities. Since all three statements contain absolute terms like always or only which contradict the nuances in the text, D is the right choice.
Reading Comprehension: Read the following passages and answer the items that follow each passage. Your answers to these items should be based o

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