In situ conservation
Topic: Biodiversity and its Conservation · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 14 "Biodiversity and Conservation"
Meaning
In situ conservation means protecting species in their natural home ("in situ" means "on site"). Examples are national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, biosphere reserves, community reserves and sacred groves. Because the whole habitat is kept, the food chains and natural processes stay intact, and evolution keeps going. That is why it is the main way to save biodiversity.
Example
Kaziranga National Park on the Brahmaputra floodplain in Assam protects the one-horned rhinoceros in its natural grassland home. It holds about two-thirds of the world's one-horned rhinos.
Don't confuse with
- Ex situ conservation: protects species outside their habitat, in zoos, botanical gardens and gene banks. It is a backup, not a replacement for wild habitat.
Related concepts
- Biodiversity conservation
- Ex situ conservation
- World Conservation Strategy
- Convention on Biological Diversity
- Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety
- Nagoya Protocol
- Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework
- 30 by 30 target
- CITES
- Convention on Migratory Species