Question
In the 'rivet popper hypothesis', Paul Ehrlich compared the rivets in an airplane to which of the following?
species within a genus
genetic diversity
ecosystem
genera within a family
, Stanford ecologist Paul Ehrlich proposed the 'rivet popper hypothesis' to explain the impact of species loss . In this analogy, an airplane represents the ecosystem, and the thousands of rivets holding the plane together represent the various species . The hypothesis suggests that while losing a single rivet (an extinction) might not initially threaten 'flight safety' (ecosystem functioning), the continued removal of rivets eventually makes the plane dangerously weak . Furthermore, the loss of rivets on the wings is compared to the loss of key species that drive major ecosystem functions, posing a much more immediate and serious threat .
This question aligns with the NEET BIOLOGY syllabus, specifically targeting concepts from Biodiversity and Conservation. Mastering this topic is crucial for scoring well in the upcoming medical entrance examinations. Solving conceptually related problems will help you understand the nuances of these concepts and improve your problem-solving speed.
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