Question

Assertion (A): Arctic plants are hardy and perennial.

Reason (R): Lichens can grow without soil, taking nourishment from air and bare rocks.

Options

• Both A and R are true, and R is the correct reason for A.

• Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct reason for A.

• A is true, and R is false.

• A is false, and R is true.

Answer 1

Both A and R are true, but R is not the correct reason for A.

Explanation:

The material notes that “Most of the Arctic plants are hardy and perennial” and explains this by their adaptations to extremely cold, short growing seasons (low growth habit, insulating snow cover, shallow roots, storage of food, small leaves, etc.). Lichens are also described correctly: they “can grow without soil, taking nourishment from air and bare rocks” and even help slowly weather rock into sandy soil.