Cue Column | Notes Column
| Cue | Notes |
|---|---|
| What is genetic diversity? | Variation in genes (alleles) within a species across populations. Example: Rauwolfia vomitoria shows different reserpine concentrations in different Himalayan populations. |
| What is species diversity? | Variety and abundance of species in a region. ~1.5 million described globally; India: ~45,000 plants, ~100,000 animals. |
| What is ecological diversity? | Variety of ecosystems within a region. India: deserts (Thar), rainforests (Western Ghats), mangroves (Sundarbans), coral reefs (Lakshadweep), wetlands (Chilika), alpine meadows (Himalayas). |
| Which level covers variation within a species? | Genetic diversity |
| Which level covers number of species in an area? | Species diversity |
| Which level covers variety of ecosystems? | Ecological diversity |
| NEET trap: Which species exemplifies genetic diversity? | Rauwolfia vomitoria — different alkaloid potency, SAME species |
Summary (Bottom):
Three levels of biodiversity operate at different biological scales: genetic (within species), species (between species), ecological (between ecosystems). India is megadiverse at all three levels due to its extraordinary geographic range. NEET most commonly tests genetic diversity using Rauwolfia vomitoria.
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