In-situ and ex-situ conservation are the two main strategies for conserving biodiversity. In-situ conservation involves protecting species within their natural habitats through techniques like establishing protected areas and reserves. This allows species to evolve naturally and maintain genetic variation. Ex-situ conservation involves protecting species outside their natural habitats, such as in zoos, botanical gardens, seed banks, and captive breeding programs. Both approaches are important and complementary, with in-situ conservation preferred but ex-situ providing an insurance policy against extinction.

1. IN-SITUANDEX-SITUCONSERVATION
OFBIODIVERSITY
Introduction:
Biodiversity
Biodiversityisthe degree of variationof life. Thiscanrefertogeneticvariation,speciesvariation,or
ecosystemvariation withinanarea,biome,orplanet.
Importance of biodiversity
 Biodiversityisimportantforthe maintenanceof ahealthyenvironmentandusedfordirect
humanbenefitslike food,medicine,andenergy.
 It is alsousedforrecyclingof differentessentialelements,formitigationof pollution,for
protectionof watersheds,tomitigatesoil erosionandtocontrol excessive variationsinclimate
and catastrophicevents.Forexample,biodiversityprovidesdifferentservicesfree of charge
worthof billionsdollareveryyearforcrucial well-beingof the society.Some of theseservices
are providingcleanwaterandair,soil formationandprotection,pollination,pestcontrol,food,
fuel,fibers,medicine,andconstructionandindustryraw materials.
 Agricultural biodiversityisanotherimportantcomponentof biodiversity,whichhasamore
directlinktothe well-beingandlivelihoodof mankindthanotherformsof biodiversity.Food
plantand animal specieshave beencollected,used,domesticated,andimprovedthrough
traditional systemsof selectionovermany generations.
What factors lead to biodiversity loss??
The numberof speciesof plants,animals,andmicroorganisms,the enormousdiversityof genesinthese
species,the differentecosystemsonthe planet,suchasdeserts,rainforestsandcoral reefsare all part
of a biologicallydiverseEarth.Appropriate conservationandsustainabledevelopmentstrategies
attemptto recognize thisasbeingintegral toanyapproach.Almostall cultureshave insome wayor
formrecognizedthe importance thatnature,anditsbiological diversityhashaduponthemand the
needtomaintainit.Yet,power,greedandpoliticshave affectedthe preciousbalance.

2. Several humaninducedimpactsare leadingtoa massextinctionprocessaffectingglobalbiodiversity.
The major reasonsforrapiddiminishingof biodiversityare attributedtoconversionof landfor
agriculture,wildfires,poormanagementof available land,over-exploitationforfood,fuel-wood,
medicine,construction,overgrazingbycattle,displacementandlossof landraces,loweryielding
varieties,pestsanddiseases,global climate change,pollution(e.g.,acidrain),andgapof scientific
knowledge onsome of the biological resources.
Human beingsare destroyingbiodiversity,particularlyduringlivelihoodactivitieswithorwithout
knowledge of the consequencesof theiractions.Agricultureisone of the mostimportantland-use that
resultsindetrimentalenvironmentalconsequencesfromincreaseduse of fertilizersandbiocides,land
draining,irrigation,andthe lossof manybiodiversity-richlandscapefeatures.There are manythreatsto
biodiversityasaresultof agricultural practice throughchangesinland-use,replacementof traditional
varietiesbymoderncultivars,agricultural intensification,increasedpopulation,poverty,land
degradation,andenvironmental changes(includingclimatechange) .Recentestimatesindicate that
humansuse more than 40% of the terrestrial componentsandsignificantlymodifiedglobal biodiversity.
As a consequence,manyspeciesof livingorganismsare classifiedasthreatenedtodayandthishas
become a central concernfor conservation.
Conservation techniques can be grouped intotwo basic, complementary strategies: in situ
and ex situ
The concept of ex situconservationisfundamentallydifferentfromthatof insituconservation;
however,bothare importantcomplementarymethodsforconservationof biodiversity.
In-situ conservation of biodiversity
DEFINITION: Insituconservationison-site conservationorthe conservation of geneticresourcesin
natural populationsof plantoranimal species,suchasforestgeneticresourcesinnatural populationsof
tree species.
It is the processof protectingan endangeredplantoranimal speciesinitsnatural habitat,eitherby
protectingorcleaningupthe habitatitself,orbydefendingthe speciesfrompredators.
Aims and purpose of in situ conservation of target species:
The main general aimandlong-termgoal of insitu conservationof targetspeciesis toprotect,manage
and monitorthe selectedpopulationsintheirnatural habitatssothatthe natural evolutionary
processescanbe maintained,thus allowingnew variationtobe generatedinthe gene pool thatwill
allowthe speciestoadapt to changingenvironmental conditionssuchasglobal warming,changed
rainfall patterns,acidrainor habitatloss.
Process of insitu conservation of biodiversity involves:

3.  Firstthe area that is suitable forthe creationof areserve hasto be identifiedanddelimited
 Thisrequiressurveystocollectdataonkeyspecies
HOW DOES IT WORKS??
In agriculture, in situ conservation techniques are an effective way to improve, maintain, and
use traditional or native varieties of agricultural crops. Such methodologies link the positive
output of scientific research with farmers' experience and field work.
First, the accessions of a variety stored at a germplasm bank and those of the same variety
multiplied by farmers are jointly tested in the producers field and in the laboratory, under
different situations and stresses. Thus, the scientific knowledge about the production
characteristics of the native varieties is enhanced. Later, the best tested accessions are crossed,
mixed, and multiplied under replicable situations. At last, these improved accessions are
supplied to the producers. Thus, farmers are enabled to crop improved selections of their own
varieties, instead of being lured to substitute their own varieties with commercial ones or to
abandon their crop. This technique of conservation of agricultural biodiversity is more
successful in marginal areas, where commercial varieties are not expedient, due to climate and
soil fertility constraints.
Significanceof in situ conservation
Benefitsof insituconservationof biodiversity:
 It maintains recovering populations in the surrounding where they have developed
their distinctive properties.
 Another is that this strategy helps ensure the ongoing processes of evolution and
adaptation within their environments.
 As a last resort, ex-situ conservation may be used on some or all of the population,
when in situ conservation is too difficult, or impossible.

Ex-Situ Conservation of Biodiversity
Ex situconservationmeansliterally,"off-siteconservation".Itisthe processof protectingan
endangeredspeciesof plantoranimal outside itsnatural habitat;forexample,byremovingpartof the
populationfromathreatenedhabitatandplacingitina new location,whichmaybe a wildareaor
withinthe care of humans
Broadly,ex situconservationincludesavarietyof activities,frommanagingcaptive populations,
educationandraisingawareness,supportingresearchinitiativesandcollaboratingwithinsituefforts

4. [19]. It isusedas valuable toolsinstudyingandconservingbiological resources(plants,animals,and
microorganisms) fordifferentpurposesthrough differenttechniquessuchaszoos,captive breeding,
aquarium,botanical gardens,andgene banks.
Types or strategies of Ex Situ Conservation
Zoos
Zoosor zoological gardensorzoological parksinwhichanimalsare confinedwithinenclosuresor semi-
natural and openareas,displayedtothe public,andinwhichtheymayalsobreed.Theyare considered
by universal thinkersandenvironmentalistsasimportantmeansof conservingbiodiversity. Zoosand
parks try to solve thisby exchangingspecimens orbyartificial inseminationwhere itispossible Invitro
fertilisationandfosteringbya closelyrelated specieshas even been tried.
CaptiveBreeding
Captive breedingisanintegral partof the overall conservationactionplanfora speciesthathelps to
preventextinctionof species,subspecies,orpopulation.Itisan intensivemanagementpractice for
threatenedindividuals,populations,andspeciesbyanthropogenicandnatural factors.
Researchhasledto great advancesintechnologiesforcaptive breeding.Thisincludestechniquessuch
as artificial insemination,embryotransferandlong-termcryogenic(frozen) storage of embryos.These
techniquesare all valuablebecause theyallow new geneticlinestobe introducedwithouthavingto
transportthe adultstonewlocations.Thereforethe animalsare notevenrequiredtoco-operate any
longer.However,furtherresearchisvital.The successof zoosinmaintainingpopulationsof endangered
speciesislimited.Only26of 274 speciesof rare mammalsincaptivityare maintainingself-sustaining
populations(WorldResourcesInstitute).
Aquaria
The role of aquaria has largely been as display and educational facilities. However, they are
assuming new importance in captive breeding programmes. Growing threats to freshwater
species in particular, are leading to the development of ex situ breeding programmes. The
World Conservation Union (IUCN) is currently developing captive breeding programmes for
endangered fish. Initially this will cover those from Lake Victoria in Africa, the desert fishes of N.
America and Appalachian stream fishes. Natural habitats will be restored as part of the
programme.
Marine, as well as freshwater species are also the subject of captive breeding programmes. For
example, The National Marine Aquarium, in South West England, is playing an important role in
the conservation of sea horse species through their captive breeding programme.
Plantseedcollectionandseedbanks

5. Populations of plant species are much easier than animals to maintain artificially. They need
less care and their requirements for particular habitat conditions can be provided more readily.
It is also much easier to breed and propagate plant species in captivity.
A more serious problem with ex situ collections involves gaps in coverage of important species,
particularly those of significant value in tropical countries. One of the most serious gaps is in
the area of crops of regional importance, which are not widely traded on world markets. These
often have recalcitrant seeds (unsuited to long-term storage) and are poorly represented in
botanic collections. Wild crop relatives are also under-represented. These are a potential
source of genes conferring resistance to diseases, pests and parasites and as such are a vital
gene bank for commercial crops.
Plant genetic diversity can also be preserved ex situ through the use of seed banks. Seeds are
small but tough and have evolved to survive all manner of adverse conditions and a host of
attackers. Seeds can be divided into two main types, orthodox and recalcitrant. Orthodox seeds
can be dried and stored at temperatures of -20oC. Almost all species in a temperate flora can be
stored in this way. Surprisingly, many tropical seeds are also orthodox. Recalcitrant seeds, in
contrast, die when dried and frozen in this manner. Acorns of oaks are recalcitrant and it is
believed that so are the seeds of most tropical rain forest trees.
The result of storing seeds under frozen conditions is to slow down the rate at which they lose
their ability to germinate. Seeds of crop plants such as maize and barley could probably survive
thousands of years in such conditions, but for most plants, centuries is probably the norm. This
makes seed banking an attractive conservation option, particularly when all others have failed.
It offers an insurance technique for other methods of conservation.
Significanceof Ex-situ conservation:
 Ex-situ conservation measures can be complementary to in-situ methods as they
provide an "insurance policy" against extinction. These measures also have a valuable
role to play in recovery programmes for endangered species. The Kew Seed Bank in
England has 1.5 per cent of the world's flora - about 4,000 species - on deposit.
 In agriculture, ex-situ conservation measures maintain domesticated plants which
cannot survive in nature unaided.
 Ex-situ conservation provides excellent research opportunities on the components of
biological diversity. Some of these institutions also play a central role in public education
and awareness raising by bringing members of the public into contact with plants and
animals they may not normally come in contact with.
Conclusion

6. Ex-situ methods focus on species conservation in botanic gardens, zoos, gene banks, and
captive breeding programs.In-situ methods use conservation areas as "warehouses" of
biological information. Many scientists and conservationists feel that until methods are
available to discern easily which of the millions of species and varieties will have economic
value, in-situ conservation through the protection of natural areas should be the primary means
for the maintenance of these resources. However, a rigid preservation approach is virtually
impossible to implement and even less likely to be maintained over time. Considering trends in
population growth and the urgency of economic development--especially in the developing
countries--a more appropriate response would be to pursue proactive alternatives to high-
impact development activities, and to implement carefully formulated strategies for in-situ
methods that would include protected areas in the development mix.