With reference to ‘Red Sanders’, sometimes seen in the news, consider the following statements : 1. It is a tree species found in a part of South India. 2. It is one of the most important trees in the tropical rain forest areas of South India. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- (a) 1 only ✓ UPSC's answer
- (b) 2 only
- (c) Both 1 and 2
- (d) Neither 1 nor 2
Why the answer is (a)
• Red Sanders (Pterocarpus santalinus) is a tree endemic to the Seshachalam hills of southern Andhra Pradesh (statement 1), prized for its red heartwood and heavily smuggled to China and Japan.
• Statement 2 is wrong: it grows in dry deciduous forests on rocky, degraded soils, not in tropical rain forests.
• It is listed in CITES Appendix II and is 'Endangered' on the IUCN Red List.
• Hence 1 only, option (a).
Why the other options are wrong
- (b) 2 only
- Statement 2 is wrong: it grows in dry deciduous forests.
- (c) Both 1 and 2
- Statement 2 is wrong.
- (d) Neither 1 nor 2
- Statement 1 is correct: it is found in south Andhra Pradesh.
Asked in the GS Paper I of the UPSC Civil Services Preliminary Examination 2016, held on 7 August 2016. Question and answer key: Union Public Service Commission. Explanation: UPSC Answer Check.