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NEETBotanyBiodiversity and its Conservation

What is the 'rivet popper hypothesis'?

Options

  1. AThe hypothesis that the loss of species does not affect the proper functioning of the ecosystem
  2. BThe hypothesis that the loss of a few species does not matter
  3. CThe hypothesis that the loss of species affects the quality of life
  4. DThe hypothesis that the loss of key species is a serious threat to the ecosystem

Correct answer

D. The hypothesis that the loss of key species is a serious threat to the ecosystem

Step-by-step solution

There are no direct answers to such näive questions but we can develop a proper perspective through an analogy (the ‘rivet popper hypothesis’) used by Stanford ecologist Paul Ehrlich. In an airplane (ecosystem) all parts are joined together using thousands of rivets (species). If every passenger travelling in it starts popping a rivet to take home (causing a species to become extinct), it may not affect flight safety (proper functioning of the ecosystem) initially, but as more and more rivets are removed, the plane

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