IMO Practice Test — Biodiversity and Conservation
7 Questions • 15 min • Olympiad level
15:00
Question 1 of 7
In-situ conservation is generally preferred over ex-situ because it:
Protects the whole ecosystem, not just one species
Is always cheaper
Needs no land
Removes animals from the wild
Explanation: Conserving species in their habitat preserves the web of interactions, which a zoo cannot fully replicate.
Question 2 of 7
Loss of one plant species can cause co-extinctions because:
Animals that depend on it may also die out
It produces no oxygen
It increases rainfall
It has no genes
Explanation: Species linked to it (pollinators, herbivores, parasites) can vanish when their resource disappears.
Question 3 of 7
Seed banks are a valuable ex-situ tool because they:
Store the genetic material of many plant varieties safely for the future
Grow forests instantly
Kill pests
Replace national parks
Explanation: Storing diverse seeds safeguards crop and wild-plant genetic diversity against loss.
Question 4 of 7
A diverse ecosystem usually recovers better from disturbance than a simple one because:
More species provide backup roles and stability
It has fewer organisms
It has no producers
It needs no energy
Explanation: Greater diversity offers functional redundancy, so the system can absorb shocks and bounce back.
Question 5 of 7
Refusing to buy ivory or fur products helps conservation by reducing:
The demand that drives illegal hunting of endangered animals
The number of national parks
Rainfall
Oxygen
Explanation: Cutting demand lowers the incentive to poach, directly protecting threatened species.
Question 6 of 7
Tropical rainforests are conservation priorities (hotspots) mainly because they:
Hold very high biodiversity yet face severe threat
Have no species
Are deserts
Are easy to replace
Explanation: Their exceptional, irreplaceable diversity combined with heavy threat makes their protection urgent.
Question 7 of 7
Sacred groves illustrate that biodiversity conservation can also come from:
Traditional and cultural community practices
Only modern laws
Cutting forests
Building cities
Explanation: Community traditions, not just formal laws, have long helped protect biodiversity.