romikgosai/squad_modified huggingface dataset:
Interspecific crop diversity is, in part, responsible for offering variety in what we eat. Intraspecific diversity, the variety of alleles within a single species, also offers us choice in our diets. If a crop fails in a monoculture, we rely on agricultural diversity to replant the land with something new. If a wheat crop is destroyed by a pest we may plant a hardier variety of wheat the next year, relying on intraspecific diversity. We may forgo wheat production in that area and plant a different species altogether, relying on interspecific diversity. Even an agricultural society which primarily grows monocultures, relies on biodiversity at some point.

Questions and answers:
['
Q: What has some responsibility for offering variety in what we eat?
A: Interspecific crop diversity', '
Q: What is the variety of alleles within a single species?
A: Interspecific crop diversity', '
Q: When do we rely on agricultural diversity to replant the land with something new?
A: If a crop fails in a monoculture', '
Q: What can destroy a wheat crop?
A: a pest', '
Q: What type of a society primarily grows monocultures?
A: agricultural society']
In absolute terms, the planet has lost 52% of its biodiversity since 1970 according to a 2014 study by the World Wildlife Fund. The Living Planet Report 2014 claims that "the number of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish across the globe is, on average, about half the size it was 40 years ago". Of that number, 39% accounts for the terrestrial wildlife gone, 39% for the marine wildlife gone, and 76% for the freshwater wildlife gone. Biodiversity took the biggest hit in Latin America, plummeting 83 percent. High-income countries showed a 10% increase in biodiversity, which was canceled out by a loss in low-income countries. This is despite the fact that high-income countries use five times the ecological resources of low-income countries, which was explained as a result of process whereby wealthy nations are outsourcing resource depletion to poorer nations, which are suffering the greatest ecosystem losses.

Questions and answers:
['
Q: What percentage of biodiversity has the planet lost since 1970
A: 52%', '
Q: What year was they study done by the World Wildlife Fund?
A: 2014', '
Q: What percentage accounts for the terrestrial wildlife gone?
A: 39%', '
Q: What percentage accounts for the marine wildlife gone?
A: 39%', '
Q: What percentage accounts for the freshwater wildlife gone?
A: 76%']
A 2007 study conducted by the National Science Foundation found that biodiversity and genetic diversity are codependent—that diversity among species requires diversity within a species, and vice versa. "If any one type is removed from the system, the cycle can break down, and the community becomes dominated by a single species." At present, the most threatened ecosystems are found in fresh water, according to the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment 2005, which was confirmed by the "Freshwater Animal Diversity Assessment", organised by the biodiversity platform, and the French Institut de recherche pour le développement (MNHNP).

Questions and answers:
['
Q: In which year was the study published that found biodiversity and genetic diversity are codependent?
A: 2007', '
Q: Who conducted the 2007 study?
A: National Science Foundation', '
Q: What can cause a break down of a biodiversity system?
A: If any one type is removed from the system', '
Q: Where are the most threatened ecosystems found?
A: in fresh water']
Finally, an introduced species may unintentionally injure a species that depends on the species it replaces. In Belgium, Prunus spinosa from Eastern Europe leafs much sooner than its West European counterparts, disrupting the feeding habits of the Thecla betulae butterfly (which feeds on the leaves). Introducing new species often leaves endemic and other local species unable to compete with the exotic species and unable to survive. The exotic organisms may be predators, parasites, or may simply outcompete indigenous species for nutrients, water and light.

Questions and answers:
['
Q: What may unintentionally injure a species that depends on the species it replaces?
A: an introduced species', '
Q: Where does the Prunus spinosa leaf much sooner?
A: In Belgium', '
Q: What animal can its feeding habits disturbed by the Prunus spinosa?
A: leaves endemic and other local species unable to compete with the exotic species and unable to survive', '
Q: What species struggle to with the introduction of new species?
A: endemic and other local species', '
Q: What types of new species can be introduced?
A: The exotic organisms may be predators, parasites']
The forests play a vital role in harbouring more than 45,000 floral and 81,000 faunal species of which 5150 floral and 1837 faunal species are endemic. Plant and animal species confined to a specific geographical area are called endemic species. In reserved forests, rights to activities like hunting and grazing are sometimes given to communities living on the fringes of the forest, who sustain their livelihood partially or wholly from forest resources or products. The unclassed forests covers 6.4 percent of the total forest area and they are marked by the following characteristics:

Questions and answers:
['
Q: What plays a vital role in harbouring floral and faunal species?
A: The forests', '
Q: How many endemic floral species do forests harbor?
A: 5150', '
Q: How many endemic faunal species do forests harbor?
A: 1837', '
Q: What types of animals and plans are confined to a specific geographical area?
A: endemic species', '
Q: What types of activities are granted rights in reserved forests?
A: hunting and grazing']
Global agreements such as the Convention on Biological Diversity, give "sovereign national rights over biological resources" (not property). The agreements commit countries to "conserve biodiversity", "develop resources for sustainability" and "share the benefits" resulting from their use. Biodiverse countries that allow bioprospecting or collection of natural products, expect a share of the benefits rather than allowing the individual or institution that discovers/exploits the resource to capture them privately. Bioprospecting can become a type of biopiracy when such principles are not respected.[citation needed]

Questions and answers:
['
Q: What global agreement gives sovereign national rights over biological resources?
A: the Convention on Biological Diversity', '
Q: What agreement commits countries to conserve biodiversity?
A: the Convention on Biological Diversity', '
Q: What agreement commits countries to develop resources for sustainability?
A: the Convention on Biological Diversity', '
Q: What is the process of collecting natural products?
A: bioprospecting']
Rapid environmental changes typically cause mass extinctions. More than 99 percent of all species, amounting to over five billion species, that ever lived on Earth are estimated to be extinct. Estimates on the number of Earth's current species range from 10 million to 14 million, of which about 1.2 million have been documented and over 86 percent have not yet been described. The total amount of related DNA base pairs on Earth is estimated at 5.0 x 1037, and weighs 50 billion tonnes. In comparison, the total mass of the biosphere has been estimated to be as much as 4 TtC (trillion tons of carbon).

Questions and answers:
['
Q: What can typically cause mass extinctions?
A: Rapid environmental changes', '
Q: What percentage of species is estimated to be extinct?
A: More than 99 percent', '
Q: How many species have ever lived on earth?
A: over five billion species', "
Q: How many species currently live on earth?
A: Earth's current species range from 10 million to 14 million,", '
Q: What is the estimated weight of the total amount of related DNA base pairs on Earth?
A: 50 billion tonnes']
The history of biodiversity during the Phanerozoic (the last 540 million years), starts with rapid growth during the Cambrian explosion—a period during which nearly every phylum of multicellular organisms first appeared. Over the next 400 million years or so, invertebrate diversity showed little overall trend, and vertebrate diversity shows an overall exponential trend. This dramatic rise in diversity was marked by periodic, massive losses of diversity classified as mass extinction events. A significant loss occurred when rainforests collapsed in the carboniferous. The worst was the Permian-Triassic extinction event, 251 million years ago. Vertebrates took 30 million years to recover from this event.

Questions and answers:
['
Q: Which era included a rapid growth period?
A: the Cambrian explosion', '
Q: The Phanerozoic era covers what time period?
A: the last 540 million years', '
Q: In which era, did the first phylum of multicellular organisms appear?
A: the Cambrian explosion', '
Q: What type of diversity showed an overall exponential trend?
A: vertebrate diversity', '
Q: In which event did the rainforests collapsed in the carboniferous?
A: the Permian-Triassic extinction event']
Jared Diamond describes an "Evil Quartet" of habitat destruction, overkill, introduced species, and secondary extinctions. Edward O. Wilson prefers the acronym HIPPO, standing for Habitat destruction, Invasive species, Pollution, human over-Population, and Over-harvesting. The most authoritative classification in use today is IUCN's Classification of Direct Threats which has been adopted by major international conservation organizations such as the US Nature Conservancy, the World Wildlife Fund, Conservation International, and BirdLife International.

Questions and answers:
['
Q: Who describes the "Evil Quartet"?
A: Jared Diamond', '
Q: What describes habitat destruction, overkill, introduced species, and secondary extinctions?
A: Evil Quartet', '
Q: What describes Habitat destruction, Invasive species, Pollution, human over-Population, and Over-harvesting?
A: HIPPO', "
Q: What is the most authoritative classification in use today?
A: IUCN's Classification of Direct Threats", "
Q: What funding organization uses the IUCN's Classification of Direct Threats?
A: the World Wildlife Fund"]
Endemic species can be threatened with extinction through the process of genetic pollution, i.e. uncontrolled hybridization, introgression and genetic swamping. Genetic pollution leads to homogenization or replacement of local genomes as a result of either a numerical and/or fitness advantage of an introduced species. Hybridization and introgression are side-effects of introduction and invasion. These phenomena can be especially detrimental to rare species that come into contact with more abundant ones. The abundant species can interbreed with the rare species, swamping its gene pool. This problem is not always apparent from morphological (outward appearance) observations alone. Some degree of gene flow is normal adaptation, and not all gene and genotype constellations can be preserved. However, hybridization with or without introgression may, nevertheless, threaten a rare species' existence.

Questions and answers:
['
Q: What can threaten endemic species with extinction?
A: genetic pollution', '
Q: What are another names for genetic pollution?
A: uncontrolled hybridization, introgression and genetic swamping', '
Q: What causes genetic pollution?
A: either a numerical and/or fitness advantage of an introduced species', '
Q: What are are side-effects of introduction and invasion?
A: Hybridization and introgression', '
Q: What behavior causes swamping of a gene pool?
A: The abundant species can interbreed with the rare species']
The age of the Earth is about 4.54 billion years old. The earliest undisputed evidence of life on Earth dates at least from 3.5 billion years ago, during the Eoarchean Era after a geological crust started to solidify following the earlier molten Hadean Eon. There are microbial mat fossils found in 3.48 billion-year-old sandstone discovered in Western Australia. Other early physical evidence of a biogenic substance is graphite in 3.7 billion-year-old metasedimentary rocks discovered in Western Greenland. More recently, in 2015, "remains of biotic life" were found in 4.1 billion-year-old rocks in Western Australia. According to one of the researchers, "If life arose relatively quickly on Earth ... then it could be common in the universe."

Questions and answers:
['
Q: What is the estimate age of the Earth?
A: about 4.54 billion years old', '
Q: What era contains the earliest undisputed evidence of life on Earth?
A: the Eoarchean Era', '
Q: What is the name of the era that predated life on Earth?
A: Hadean Eon', '
Q: Where were the billion year old microbial mat fossils found?
A: Western Australia', '
Q: Where were the 3.7 billion-year-old metasedimentary rocks discovered?
A: Western Greenland']
The fossil record suggests that the last few million years featured the greatest biodiversity in history. However, not all scientists support this view, since there is uncertainty as to how strongly the fossil record is biased by the greater availability and preservation of recent geologic sections. Some scientists believe that corrected for sampling artifacts, modern biodiversity may not be much different from biodiversity 300 million years ago., whereas others consider the fossil record reasonably reflective of the diversification of life. Estimates of the present global macroscopic species diversity vary from 2 million to 100 million, with a best estimate of somewhere near 9 million, the vast majority arthropods. Diversity appears to increase continually in the absence of natural selection.

Questions and answers:
['
Q: What suggests that the last few million years featured the greatest biodiversity in history?
A: The fossil record', '
Q: Why are some scientists uncertain about the fossil record?
A: how strongly the fossil record is biased by the greater availability and preservation of recent geologic sections.', '
Q: What is the estimate variation of the present global macroscopic species diversity?
A: from 2 million to 100 million', '
Q: What appears increase continually in the absence of natural selection?
A: Diversity']
Agricultural diversity can also be divided by whether it is ‘planned’ diversity or ‘associated’ diversity. This is a functional classification that we impose and not an intrinsic feature of life or diversity. Planned diversity includes the crops which a farmer has encouraged, planted or raised (e.g.: crops, covers, symbionts and livestock, among others), which can be contrasted with the associated diversity that arrives among the crops, uninvited (e.g.: herbivores, weed species and pathogens, among others).

Questions and answers:
['
Q: What are two types of Agricultural diversity?
A: ‘planned’ diversity or ‘associated’ diversity', '
Q: What type of diversity includes the crops which a farmer has encouraged, planted or raised?
A: Planned diversity', '
Q: What type of diversity arrives uninvited?
A: associated diversity', '
Q: What type of diversity includes herbivores and pathogens?
A: associated diversity']
Biodiversity's relevance to human health is becoming an international political issue, as scientific evidence builds on the global health implications of biodiversity loss. This issue is closely linked with the issue of climate change, as many of the anticipated health risks of climate change are associated with changes in biodiversity (e.g. changes in populations and distribution of disease vectors, scarcity of fresh water, impacts on agricultural biodiversity and food resources etc.) This is because the species most likely to disappear are those that buffer against infectious disease transmission, while surviving species tend to be the ones that increase disease transmission, such as that of West Nile Virus, Lyme disease and Hantavirus, according to a study done co-authored by Felicia Keesing, an ecologist at Bard College, and Drew Harvell, associate director for Environment of the Atkinson Center for a Sustainable Future (ACSF) at Cornell University.

Questions and answers:
["
Q: What is becoming an international political issue?
A: Biodiversity's relevance to human health", '
Q: What issue is closely linked with changes in biodiversity?
A: climate change', '
Q: What changes in biodiversity have an effect on the climate?
A: changes in populations and distribution of disease vectors, scarcity of fresh water, impacts on agricultural biodiversity and food resources', '
Q: What types of species disappear when a new disease is introduced?
A: those that buffer against infectious disease transmission']
Since life began on Earth, five major mass extinctions and several minor events have led to large and sudden drops in biodiversity. The Phanerozoic eon (the last 540 million years) marked a rapid growth in biodiversity via the Cambrian explosion—a period during which the majority of multicellular phyla first appeared. The next 400 million years included repeated, massive biodiversity losses classified as mass extinction events. In the Carboniferous, rainforest collapse led to a great loss of plant and animal life. The Permian–Triassic extinction event, 251 million years ago, was the worst; vertebrate recovery took 30 million years. The most recent, the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event, occurred 65 million years ago and has often attracted more attention than others because it resulted in the extinction of the dinosaurs.

Questions and answers:
['
Q: How many mass extinctions have happened since Life began on Earth?
A: five major mass extinctions', '
Q: When was the period where the majority of multicellular phyla first appeared?
A: the Cambrian explosion', '
Q: What happened in the Carboniferous?
A: rainforest collapse led to a great loss of plant and animal life.', '
Q: When was the Permian–Triassic extinction event?
A: 251 million years ago', '
Q: How long did vertebrate recovery take?
A: 30 million years']
The number of species invasions has been on the rise at least since the beginning of the 1900s. Species are increasingly being moved by humans (on purpose and accidentally). In some cases the invaders are causing drastic changes and damage to their new habitats (e.g.: zebra mussels and the emerald ash borer in the Great Lakes region and the lion fish along the North American Atlantic coast). Some evidence suggests that invasive species are competitive in their new habitats because they are subject to less pathogen disturbance. Others report confounding evidence that occasionally suggest that species-rich communities harbor many native and exotic species simultaneously while some say that diverse ecosystems are more resilient and resist invasive plants and animals. An important question is, "do invasive species cause extinctions?" Many studies cite effects of invasive species on natives, but not extinctions. Invasive species seem to increase local (i.e.: alpha diversity) diversity, which decreases turnover of diversity (i.e.: beta diversity). Overall gamma diversity may be lowered because species are going extinct because of other causes, but even some of the most insidious invaders (e.g.: Dutch elm disease, emerald ash borer, chestnut blight in North America) have not caused their host species to become extinct. Extirpation, population decline, and homogenization of regional biodiversity are much more common. Human activities have frequently been the cause of invasive species circumventing their barriers, by introducing them for food and other purposes. Human activities therefore allow species to migrate to new areas (and thus become invasive) occurred on time scales much shorter than historically have been required for a species to extend its range.

Questions and answers:
['
Q: What century started the increase of species invasions?
A: 1900s', '
Q: Who intentionally and unintentionally moves species around?
A: humans', '
Q: What invaders are causing changes in the Great Lakes region?
A: zebra mussels and the emerald ash borer', '
Q: What invaders are causing changes along the North American Atlantic coast?
A: lion fish']
Brazil's Atlantic Forest is considered one such hotspot, containing roughly 20,000 plant species, 1,350 vertebrates, and millions of insects, about half of which occur nowhere else.[citation needed] The island of Madagascar and India are also particularly notable. Colombia is characterized by high biodiversity, with the highest rate of species by area unit worldwide and it has the largest number of endemics (species that are not found naturally anywhere else) of any country. About 10% of the species of the Earth can be found in Colombia, including over 1,900 species of bird, more than in Europe and North America combined, Colombia has 10% of the world’s mammals species, 14% of the amphibian species, and 18% of the bird species of the world. Madagascar dry deciduous forests and lowland rainforests possess a high ratio of endemism.[citation needed] Since the island separated from mainland Africa 66 million years ago, many species and ecosystems have evolved independently.[citation needed] Indonesia's 17,000 islands cover 735,355 square miles (1,904,560 km2) and contain 10% of the world's flowering plants, 12% of mammals, and 17% of reptiles, amphibians and birds—along with nearly 240 million people. Many regions of high biodiversity and/or endemism arise from specialized habitats which require unusual adaptations, for example, alpine environments in high mountains, or Northern European peat bogs.[citation needed]

Questions and answers:
["
Q: How many plant species does Brazil's Atlantic Forest contain?
A: 20,000 plant species", "
Q: How many vertebrates does Brazil's Atlantic Forest contain?
A: 1,350 vertebrates", '
Q: Which country has the highest rate of species by area unit worldwide?
A: Colombia', '
Q: Which country has about 10% of the species on Earth?
A: Colombia', '
Q: What island separated from mainland Africa 66 million years ago?
A: Madagascar']
The existence of a "global carrying capacity", limiting the amount of life that can live at once, is debated, as is the question of whether such a limit would also cap the number of species. While records of life in the sea shows a logistic pattern of growth, life on land (insects, plants and tetrapods)shows an exponential rise in diversity. As one author states, "Tetrapods have not yet invaded 64 per cent of potentially habitable modes, and it could be that without human influence the ecological and taxonomic diversity of tetrapods would continue to increase in an exponential fashion until most or all of the available ecospace is filled."

Questions and answers:
['
Q: What limits the amount of life that can live at once on Earth?
A: global carrying capacity', '
Q: What type of animal shows a logistic pattern of growth?
A: life in the sea', '
Q: What type of animal shows an exponential rise in diversity?
A: life on land', '
Q: What percentage of potentially habitable modes have Tetrapods not yet invaded?
A: 64 per cent']
From 1950 to 2011, world population increased from 2.5 billion to 7 billion and is forecast to reach a plateau of more than 9 billion during the 21st century. Sir David King, former chief scientific adviser to the UK government, told a parliamentary inquiry: "It is self-evident that the massive growth in the human population through the 20th century has had more impact on biodiversity than any other single factor." At least until the middle of the 21st century, worldwide losses of pristine biodiverse land will probably depend much on the worldwide human birth rate.

Questions and answers:
['
Q: What was the increase in population from 1950 to 2011?
A: world population increased from 2.5 billion to 7 billion', '
Q: What year started the increase of population to 7 billion?
A: From 1950', '
Q: What is the forecast plateau that the population will reach during the 21st century?
A: more than 9 billion', '
Q: Who is the former chief scientific adviser to the UK government?
A: Sir David King']