advantages of insitu conservation

Advantages of in-situ conservation:

1. The flora and fauna live in natural habitats without human interference.

2. The life cycles of the organisms and their evolution progresses in a
natural way.

3. In-situ conservation provides the required green cover and its
associated benefits to our environment.

4. It is less expensive and easy to manage.

5. The interests of the indigenous people are also protected.

Ex-Situ Conservation:

Ex-situ conservation is the preservation of components of biological
diversity outside their natural habitats. This involves conservation of genetic
resources, as well as wild and cultivated or species, and draws on a diverse
body of techniques and facilities. Such strategies include establishment of
botanical gardens, zoos, conservation strands and gene, pollen seed, seedling,
tissue culture and DNA banks.

i. Seed gene bank:

These are cold storages where seeds are kept under controlled temperature
and humidity for storage and this is easiest way to store the germ plasma of
plants at low temperature. Seeds preserved under controlled conditions (minus
temperature) remain viable for long durations of time.

ii. Gene bank:

Genetic variability also is preserved by gene bank under normal growing
conditions. These are cold storages where germ plam are kept under controlled
temperature and humidity for storage; this is an important way of preserving
the genetic resources.

iii. Cryopreservation:

This is the newest application of technology for preservation of biotic
parts. This type of conservation is done at very low temperature (196°C) in
liquid nitrogen. The metabolic activities of the organisms are suspended under
low temperature, which are later used for research purposes.

iv. Tissue culture bank:

Cryopreservation of disease free meristems is very helpful. Long term
culture of excised roots and shoots are maintained. Meristem culture is very
popular in plant propagation as it’s a virus and disease free method of
multiplication.

v. Long term captive breeding:

The method involves capture, maintenance and captive breeding on long term
basis of individuals of the endangered species which have lost their habitat
permanently or certain highly unfavorable conditions are present in their
habitat.

vi. Botanical gardens:

A botanical garden is a place where flowers, fruits and vegetables are
grown. The botanical gardens provide beauty and calm environment. Most of them
have started keeping exotic plants for educational and research purposes.

vii. Animal Translocation:

Release of animals in a new locality which come from anywhere else.

Translocation is carried in following cases:

1. When a species on which an animal is dependent becomes rare.

2. When a species is endemic or restricted to a particular area.

3. Due to habit destruction and unfavorable environment conditions.

4. Increase in population in an area.

viii. Zoological Gardens:

In zoos wild animals are maintained in captivity and conservation of wild
animals (rare, endangered species). The oldest zoo, the Schonbrumm zoo which
exists today also, was established in VIENNA in 1759.

In India, the 1st zoo came into existence at BARRACKPORE in 1800. In world
there are about 800 zoos. Such zoos have about 3000 species of vertebrates.
Some zoos have undertaken captive breeding programmes.

Advantages of ex-situ preservation:

1. It is useful for declining population of species.

2. Endangered animals on the verge of extinction are successfully breeded.

3. Threatened species are breeded in captivity and then released in the
natural habitats.

4. Ex-situ centres offer the possibilities of observing wild animals, which
is otherwise not possible.

5. It is extremely useful for conducting research and scientific work on
different species.

Difference
Between Insitu and Ex situ Conservation

The term biodiversity refers to
the totality of genes, species and ecosystems of a region. Conservation of

biodiversity is done in two ways In-situ
and Ex-situ conservation.

In situ
conservation

The conservation of genetic
resources through their maintenance within natural or even human made

ecosystems in which they occur,
is called insitu conservation.

1. The conservation within
natural or even manmade ecosystems where the organism occur.

2. Conservation in the natural
environment itself

3. Include National parks,
Sanctuaries, Biosphere reserves etc

Ex situ
conservation

1. The conservation outside their
habitats by perpetuating sample populations.

2. Conservation in an
artificially created environment

3.
Include Zoos, Botanical gardens, Gene banks, Aquarium, Cryopreservation etc.