Question

(i) How does alien species invasion cause a decline in biodiversity? Explain. How have the following contributed to biodiversity loss? I. Nile Perch II. Lantana and Eichhornia III. Clarias gariepinus (ii) Why have certain regions been declared as biodiversity hotspots by environmentalists of the world? Name any two such regions in India.

Explain how the loss of habitat and fragmentation drives plants and animals to extinction with the help of an example of habitat loss in the Tropical Rain Forest. Also write the effect of fragmentation of a habitat on the population decline.