Q1. Which of the following is a major cause of Human-Wildlife Conflict (HWC)?
- Decrease in wildlife population
- Increased availability of forest resources
- Expansion of human settlements into wildlife habitats
- Abandonment of agricultural lands
Correct Option: 3. Expansion of human settlements into wildlife habitats
Explanation: Human-Wildlife Conflict (HWC) arises when wildlife requirements overlap with human activities. As human populations grow, forests are cleared for agriculture, roads, and housing. This leads to habitat loss and fragmentation, bringing wild animals like elephants, tigers, and leopards into closer contact with people. This increases the likelihood of crop damage, livestock depredation, and even human casualties.
Q2. Which plant traps insects using a pitcher-like structure and digests them using enzymes?
- Pinguicula
- Utricularia
- Drosera
- Nepenthes
Correct Option: 4. Nepenthes
Explanation: Nepenthes, commonly known as the pitcher plant, uses a specialized pitcher-shaped leaf to trap insects. The inner walls of the pitcher are slippery, causing insects to fall into the digestive fluid inside. Proteolytic enzymes secreted by glands inside the pitcher break down the prey, and the nutrients are absorbed by the plant. This adaptation helps the plant thrive in nutrient-deficient soils, such as in the north-eastern hill regions of India.
Q3. Which one of the following is an active insectivorous plant?
- Pinguicula
- Aldrovanda
- Nepenthes
- Utricularia
Correct Option: 2. Aldrovanda
Explanation: Aldrovanda, also known as the waterwheel plant, is a rootless, free-floating aquatic insectivorous plant. It has snap-trap mechanisms, where the two halves of its leaf rapidly close when trigger hairs are touched by an insect. This rapid motion is characteristic of active insectivorous plants. It is different from passive types like Nepenthes, which rely on the insect falling into the trap.
Q4. What is the primary reason insectivorous plants hunt insects despite having photosynthetic leaves?
- To obtain nutrients from nutrient-poor soils
- To eliminate pests
- To avoid herbivory
- To store extra food
Correct Option: 1. To obtain nutrients from nutrient-poor soils
Explanation: Insectivorous plants grow in nutrient-deficient and acidic soils—often in waterlogged wetlands or rain-washed terrains where nitrogen and phosphorus are scarce. Despite being photosynthetic, these plants lack essential minerals, especially nitrogen. By trapping and digesting insects, they are able to supplement their nutrient requirements, particularly for amino acids and nucleic acids that require nitrogen.
Q5. Which invasive insect pest has been found forming galls in Eucalyptus in India?
- Crazy Ant
- Leptocybe invasa
- Myna
- Tilapia
Correct Option: 2. Leptocybe invasa
Explanation: Leptocybe invasa is a tiny gall-forming wasp that has become a serious pest in Eucalyptus plantations in India, especially in Tamil Nadu and the Western Ghats. The wasp lays eggs inside the leaves and stems of the plant, causing the formation of galls—abnormal swellings that disrupt nutrient flow and weaken the tree. It is considered an invasive alien species, introduced accidentally and now spreading rapidly.