In situ and ex situ conservation

Conservation in natural habitats (in situ)

In situ (“on site”) conservation protects species in their own habitats, along with the whole ecosystem. It is usually cheaper and keeps natural evolution and interactions going.

• National parks: strictly protected; no grazing, forestry or private rights allowed inside. India’s first, Hailey National Park (1936), is now Jim Corbett National Park in Uttarakhand.
• Wildlife sanctuaries: protect wildlife, but some human activities, such as collecting minor forest produce or grazing, may be allowed if they do not harm wildlife.
• Biosphere reserves: large areas under UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere (MAB) programme (1971), with three zones: core (strictly protected), buffer (research and education) and transition (where people live and work). India’s first was the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve (1986).
• Sacred groves: patches of forest protected by communities for religious reasons, e.g. in Meghalaya, the Western Ghats and Rajasthan.
• Conservation reserves and community reserves were added by a 2002 amendment to the Wild Life (Protection) Act.

Conservation outside habitats (ex situ)

Ex situ (“off site”) conservation keeps species outside their natural homes. It is used for species at high risk.

• Zoos and captive breeding: animals are bred and, where possible, released back to the wild.
• Aquaria: keep and display aquatic life.
• Botanical gardens and arboreta: living plant collections.
• Seed banks and gene banks: store seeds and genetic material; the National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR) in New Delhi runs India’s national gene bank.
• Cryopreservation: storing sperm, eggs, embryos or tissues at about −196 °C in liquid nitrogen.
• Tissue culture: growing plants from small pieces of tissue.

Key points

• In situ = in the natural habitat; ex situ = outside it.
• National park stricter than sanctuary.
• Biosphere reserve zones: core, buffer, transition.
• First national park: Hailey (1936) → Jim Corbett; first biosphere reserve: Nilgiri (1986).

Exam tips

Sort examples quickly: park, sanctuary, biosphere reserve, sacred grove = in situ; zoo, seed bank, botanical garden, cryopreservation = ex situ.

Common mistakes

• Calling a botanical garden in situ; it is ex situ.
• Thinking people may live in the core zone of a biosphere reserve; they live in the transition zone.
• Mixing up the strictness of national parks and sanctuaries.