Biology · Ch 13 — Biodiversity and Conservation
How Do We Conserve Biodiversity?
How Do We Conserve Biodiversity?
Two Approaches to Conservation
The previous section (13.2.1) laid out why biodiversity is worth conserving. This section turns to how: once we decide to protect biodiversity, we face a practical question — where should we do it? There are two broad strategies.
In Situ (On-Site) Conservation
The idea is simple: protect the whole ecosystem so that all levels of biodiversity — genetic, species, and ecosystem — are safeguarded together. The textbook gives a vivid example: we save the entire forest to save the tiger. This is the preferred approach whenever possible, because it preserves natural interactions and evolutionary processes.
However, there is a harsh reality. Development and conservation often clash. No nation has unlimited resources, and the number of species needing protection far exceeds what can be afforded. To tackle this, conservationists have identified biodiversity hotspots — regions that are both exceptionally rich in species and under severe threat.
A biodiversity hotspot is a region that combines two things at once: very high species richness and a very high degree of endemism (species found nowhere else on Earth) — and, at the same time, is under serious, accelerating threat from habitat loss.
Initially, 25 such hotspots were identified worldwide. Later, nine more were added, bringing the total to 34. Although all hotspots together cover less than 2% of Earth's land area, they harbour an extraordinarily high number of species. Protecting them strictly could reduce ongoing mass extinctions by almost 30%.
Three of these hotspots lie partly or wholly in India:
| Hotspot | Region covered |
|---|---|
| Western Ghats and Sri Lanka | Western Ghats of India |
| Indo-Burma | Northeastern India and neighbouring countries |
| Himalaya | The entire Himalayan range |
India's own in situ conservation efforts are reflected in a network of legally protected areas:
- 14 biosphere reserves
- 90 national parks
- 448 wildlife sanctuaries
Beyond formal legislation, India has a long tradition of sacred groves — tracts of forest set aside and venerated by local communities. All trees and wildlife within them are given total protection. These sacred groves are found in:
- Khasi and Jaintia Hills (Meghalaya)
- Aravalli Hills (Rajasthan)
- Western Ghat regions (Karnataka and Maharashtra)
- Sarguja, Chanda, and Bastar areas (Madhya Pradesh)
In Meghalaya, these groves serve as the last refuges for many rare and threatened plants.
Ex Situ (Off-Site) Conservation
When a species is already endangered or threatened — meaning it faces a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future — waiting to protect its habitat may be too slow. In such cases, we take the organism out of its natural habitat and place it in a controlled setting where it can be given special care.
Traditional ex situ facilities include:
- Zoological parks (zoos)
- Botanical gardens
- Wildlife safari parks
Many animals that have become extinct in the wild continue to survive in zoos.
In recent years, ex situ conservation has advanced far beyond keeping animals in enclosures. Modern techniques include:
- Cryopreservation: storing gametes (sperm and eggs) of threatened species in a viable and fertile condition for long periods.
- In vitro fertilisation: fertilising eggs outside the body.
- Tissue culture: propagating plants from small tissue samples.
- Seed banks: storing seeds of different genetic strains of commercially important plants for long periods.
A Global Responsibility
Biodiversity does not respect political boundaries. A species may migrate across several countries, and a forest in one nation can affect rainfall in another. Conservation, therefore, is a collective responsibility of all nations. …