NEETBotanyBiodiversity and its Conservation
How many plant and animal species have been described so far according to IUCN (2004)?
Options
- A20 to 50 million
- B7 million
- C1.5 million
- D10 million
Correct answer
C. 1.5 million
Step-by-step solution
Since there are published records of all the species discovered and named, we know how many species in all have been recorded so far, but it is not easy to answer the question of how many species there are on earth. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) (2004), the total number of plant and animal species described so far is slightly more than 1.5 million, but we have no clear idea of how many species are yet to be discovered and described. Estimates vary widel