With reference to the above passage, the following assumptions have been made : 1. Diversification of livelihoods acts as a coping strategy for climate change. 2. Adoption of monocropping practice leads to the extinction of plant varieties and their wild relatives. Which of the above assumptions is/are valid?

Passage

A diversity of natural assets will be needed to cope with climate change and ensure productive agriculture, forestry, and fisheries. For example, crop varieties are needed that perform well under drought, heat, and enhanced CO2. But the private-sector and farmer-led process of choosing crops favours homogeneity adapted to past or current conditions, not varieties capable of producing consistently high yields in warmer, wetter, or drier conditions. Accelerated breeding programmes are needed to conserve a wider pool of genetic resources of existing crops, breeds, and their wild relatives. Relatively intact ecosystems, such as forested catchments, mangroves, wetlands, can buffer the impacts of climate change. Under a changing climate, these ecosystems are themselves at risk, and management approaches will need to be more proactive and adaptive. Connections between natural areas, such as migration corridors, may be needed to facilitate species movements to keep up with the change in climate.

QUESTION

CSAT

Medium

Comprehension

Prelims 2018

With reference to the above passage, the following assumptions have been made :

Diversification of livelihoods acts as a coping strategy for climate change.
Adoption of monocropping practice leads to the extinction of plant varieties and their wild relatives.

Which of the above assumptions is/are valid?

Select an option to attempt

Explanation

Statement 1 is correct. The passage mentions the need for a variety of crop types to cope with climate change, implying that diversification of livelihoods, including diverse crops, can serve as a coping strategy for climate change.

Statement 2 is correct. The passage highlights the concern that current crop practices, particularly homogenous monocropping, can result in the loss of genetic diversity, including the extinction of plant varieties and their wild relatives.