Invasive Species & Biodiversity Loss — NEET Biology
✅ Asked in NEET 2026Alien species invasions: When alien species are introduced unintentionally or deliberately for whatever purpose, some of them turn invasive, and cause decline or extinction of indigenous species. The Nile perch introduced into Lake Victoria in east Africa led eventually to the extinction of an ecologically unique assemblage of more than 200 species of cichlid fish in the lake. You must be familiar with the environmental damage caused and threat posed to our native species by invasive weed species like carrot grass (Parthenium), Lantana and water hyacinth (Eichornia). The recent illegal introduction of the African catfish Clarias gariepinus for aquaculture purposes is posing a threat to the indigenous catfishes in our rivers.
NTA tests your understanding of how introduced alien species damage native biodiversity. Students often confuse invasive species with native species or fail to identify them correctly in case studies. The key trap: memorizing that Parthenium, Lantana, water hyacinth, and Clarias catfish are INVASIVE threats, while understanding the mechanism—they outcompete indigenous species for resources, leading to extinction. Remember: the Nile perch eliminated 200+ cichlid species in Lake Victoria, a classic example. For NEET, focus on identifying invasive species by name and their ecological impact on native populations.
This paragraph was tested 2 times in NEET.
Which of the following statements are correct? A. Amazon rainforest cleared for soyabean is habitat loss. B. Steller's sea cow and passenger pigeon became extinct due to over-exploitation. C. Nile perch in Lake Victoria helped cichlid fish growth. D. Water hyacinth is invasive. E. When a species becomes extinct, associated species are not affected.
Which of the following is correctly matched? (NEET 2016 Phase 2)
Through deep analysis of NEET and NTA, 88 of 90 questions from the NEET 2026 paper were matched straight from the MedicNEET Biology question bank.
88/90MedicNEET's Biology question bank is built from the same NCERT lines NTA picks repeatedly. Not random MCQs — questions crafted exactly like NTA crafts them.