- A Money that is formally owed by governments specifically to fund conservation efforts rather than describing any biological time-lag effect on species survival
- B Species that will eventually go extinct due to past habitat loss even if habitat destruction stops now (time lag in extinction)
- C Current extinction rates mainly, without any reference to past habitat loss, omitting the delayed effect that past habitat loss has on future extinctions
- D Mainly extinct mammal species, excluding birds, reptiles, and other taxa, excluding the many other taxonomic groups this delayed-extinction concept applies to
Correct answer: B. Species that will eventually go extinct due to past habitat loss even if habitat destruction stops now (time lag in extinction)
Explanation: Extinction debt: species committed to extinction by past habitat loss but not yet gone. Small, fragmented populations are not immediately viable. Future extinctions are predictable from current habitat reduction.
Concept context
Levels of biodiversity, species richness patterns, threats (HIPPO), and conservation strategies. Always in NEET.