Q.“Ex-situ conservation practices can significantly reduce the very high risk of extinction of threatened animals and plants in the wild”. Analyse.
You're viewing a preview — the full solution, concept, methods & PYQ mapping are locked.
Start your 14-day free trial to unlock the full solution →Ex-situ conservation protects threatened species off-site — in zoos, gardens, safari parks, seed/gene banks and by cryopreservation — safe from wild threats, enabling breeding and reintroduction, which greatly lowers extinction risk.
Ex-situ ("off-site") conservation is the approach in which threatened animals and plants are taken out of their natural habitat and placed in special settings where they can be protected and given special care. It significantly reduces the risk of extinction of species that are highly threatened in the wild, for the following reasons:
-
Protection from wild threats: In their natural habitat, threatened species face poaching, habitat destruction, competition from invasive species and shortage of food. Kept in zoological parks, botanical gardens and wildlife safari parks, they are protected from these dangers and given proper food and care.
-
Preservation of gametes and seeds: Modern ex-situ methods allow gametes of threatened species to be preserved in viable and fertile condition for long periods using cryopreservation (at very low temperature, e.g. in liquid nitrogen). Seeds of different genetic strains of plants can be kept in seed banks and gene banks.
-
Assisted reproduction and propagation: Eggs can be fertilised in vitro (IVF), and plants can be propagated by tissue culture methods. This helps increase the number of individuals of a rare species even when natural breeding is difficult.
…
Unlock everything free for 14 days
- Full step-by-step solutions
- Concept-first explanations
- Methods, shortcuts & mistakes
- PYQ mapping + timed mock tests
Full access for 14 days. No credit card required.