Question

Match List-I with List-II

List-I (Fact/feature/event/phenomena)	List-II (Definition)
(A) Ecotype	(I) A uniform interbreeding population spread over time and space.
(B) Ecotone	(II) It is a group of individual organisms of the same species in a given area.
(C) Species	(III) It is a population of individuals of a species, which are genetically different.
(D) Population	(IV) A zone of transition, presenting a situation of special ecological interest between two different types of communities.

Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

• (A) - (II), (B) - (IV), (C) - (I), (D) - (III)
• (A) - (III), (B) - (IV), (C) - (I), (D) - (II)
• (A) - (IV), (B) - (I), (C) - (II), (D) - (III)
• (A) - (II), (B) - (III), (C) - (IV), (D) - (I)

Hint:

Think about which term describes genetic variation within a species, and which describes a transition zone between communities.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Each item in List-I is a standard ecology term, and the job here is to pair each with the one definition in List-II that describes it best.

1. Ecotype: A genetically distinct race of a species shaped by local environmental pressure, for example a drought tolerant ecotype of a plant. This fits "a population of individuals of a species, which are genetically different," definition (III).
2. Ecotone: The overlap strip where two different communities meet, like the edge between a wetland and a forest, carries a special mix of species from both sides. This fits definition (IV), the zone of transition.
3. Species: A group whose members can breed with one another wherever and whenever they occur, forming one uniform interbreeding unit across space and time. This fits definition (I).
4. Population: Simply the individuals of one species sharing a given area at a given time, without any requirement of genetic difference. This fits definition (II).

Putting these together gives (A)-(III), (B)-(IV), (C)-(I), (D)-(II).

Let's summarize:

• Ecotype centers on genetic difference within a species.
• Ecotone is about the transition boundary between two communities.
• Species is the broad interbreeding unit, and population is just the local group of one species.

So option (2) gives the correct match.