Passage

Elephants are landscape architects, creating clearings in the forest, preventing overgrowth of certain plant species and allowing space for the regeneration of others, which in turn provide sustenance to others herbivorous animals. Elephants eat plants, fruits and seeds, propagating the seeds when they defecate in other places as they travel. Elephant dung provides nourishment to plants and animals and acts as a breeding ground for insects. In times of drought, they access water by digging holes which benefits other wildlife.

QUESTION

CSAT

Easy

Comprehension

Prelims 2023

Which one of the following statements best reflects the most logical and rational inference that can be drawn from the passage?

Select an option to attempt

Explanation

Option A is incorrect: The passage does not mention anything about how large the elephants’ home range must be. It focuses on their ecological role, not the size of their habitat.

Option B is correct: The passage repeatedly describes how elephants:

shape the landscape,
help plant regeneration,
disperse seeds,
support insects through dung,
make water accessible to other animals. These are classic traits of a keystone species—a species whose impact on the ecosystem is disproportionately large. Hence, elephants benefit biodiversity, making this the most logical inference.

Option C is incorrect: The passage highlights the benefits elephants provide but does not claim biodiversity cannot exist without them. That would be an overstatement.

Option D is incorrect: Elephants influence regeneration, but they do not intentionally regenerate forests “as per their requirement.” The passage does not support such purpose-driven behavior.

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