Q1. With reference to Neelakurinji, consider the following statements:
- Neelakurinji is a flowering plant endemic to the Western Ghats and is particularly associated with high-altitude grasslands.
- Its mass flowering is a periodic ecological phenomenon, commonly associated with an interval of about 12 years.
- Its mass flowering is ecologically significant only because it provides food for herbivorous mammals inhabiting the Western Ghats.
- Unregulated tourism can affect Neelakurinji not only through direct trampling but also through degradation of its associated grassland habitat.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
(a) 1 and 2 only
(b) 1, 2 and 4 only
(c) 2, 3 and 4 only
(d) 1, 2, 3 and 4
Answer: (b)
Explanation:
- Statement 1 is correct: Neelakurinji (Strobilanthes kunthiana) is associated with the high-altitude grasslands of the Western Ghats, particularly Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
- Statement 2 is correct: The species is famously known for periodic mass flowering at roughly 12-year intervals.
- Statement 3 is incorrect: Its ecological significance extends beyond herbivores. Mass flowering also supports pollinators and forms an important part of the shola–grassland ecosystem.
- Statement 4 is correct: Tourism can directly damage plants through trampling and uprooting and indirectly degrade the fragile grassland ecosystem.
