(a) Explain the concept of "co-extinction" by taking two examples.

● When a species becomes extinct, the plant and animal species associated with it in an obligatory way also becomes extinct.

Examples :

Source of oxygen in the earth's atmosphere,

Pollination (without which plants cannot produce fruits or seeds), is another service provided by forest through different pollinators,

Source of aesthetic pleasures (walking through thick woods / watching spring flowers in full bloom / waking up of bulbul's song in the morning),

Human derive countless economic benefits from nature-food (cereals, pulses, fruits),

Source of firewood / fibre / construction material / industrial products (tannins / lubricants / dyes / resins / perfumes),

Contributes to the traditional medicines used by native people around the world, Philosophically or spiritually - we need to realize that every species has an intrinsic value - even if it may not be of current or any economic value to us,

This is the ethical argument for conserving forests which relates to what we owe to the millions of plants / animals / microbe species with whom we share this planet.