Biosphere reserve & Wild life sancturies

Biosphere reserve & Wild life sancturies

Which of the following is an ex-situ conservation method?

Botanical gardens exemplify ex-situ conservation maintaining collections of living plants labeled with scientific name, family, accession number from diverse ecological zones. They serve as repositories for rare, threatened, and economically significant taxa, conduct propagation via seeds, cuttings, tissue culture, and maintain associated herbaria and seed banks for research. Indian Botanical Garden Howrah established 1787 and National Botanical Garden Lucknow harbor extensive collections. Contrasting with in-situ national parks and sanctuaries where plants remain in natural ecosystem, botanical gardens relocate species for educational display and safeguard. Clarity on this principle prevents confusion between in-situ and ex-situ methods often interchanged in examination options.

Ref: Botanic Gardens Conservation International Role Ex-situ; NCERT Ex-situ Examples Botanical Garden

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Biosphere reserve & Wild life sancturies

Captive breeding is mainly used to

Captive breeding programmes systematically breed threatened species in controlled environments such as zoos, breeding centers, hatcheries to increase population, maintain genetic heterozygosity, and minimize inbreeding through pedigree management and studbooks. Offspring undergo acclimatization, behavioral enrichment, health screening before reintroduction into restored habitats after threat mitigation. Indian examples include gharial breeding at Chambal, pygmy hog at Basistha Assam, snow leopard at Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Park. Goal is preventing imminent extinction and ultimate reinforcement of wild populations. Field identification relies on this character, making it essential for wildlife surveys and protected area management protocols.

Ref: WII Captive Breeding Guidelines and Reintroduction; IUCN One Plan Approach Integrating Ex-situ In-situ

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Biosphere reserve & Wild life sancturies

Seed gene banks conserve

Seed gene banks constitute vital ex-situ facilities conserving plant genetic resources as seeds dried to low moisture content around 5% and stored at subzero temperatures -20°C in sealed packets. Method works for orthodox seeds tolerating desiccation such as cereals, pulses, vegetables, and many wild relatives. Facilities like National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources Delhi and Svalbard Global Seed Vault Norway maintain millions of accessions safeguarding genetic diversity against habitat loss, climate change, and disasters, enabling crop improvement and ecosystem restoration. Conservation strategies built on this knowledge support national biodiversity targets and sustainable livelihood planning for local communities.

Ref: FAO Genebank Standards Seed Bank Function; NBPGR Indian Gene Bank Plant Germplasm Role

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Biosphere reserve & Wild life sancturies

Cryopreservation is carried out at

Cryopreservation ensures long-term conservation by storing viable cells, tissues, gametes, embryos, seeds, and pollen at ultra-low temperature where metabolism essentially halts but viability retained upon thawing. Standard method uses liquid nitrogen at -196°C boiling point, with slow freezing or vitrification using cryoprotectants dimethyl sulfoxide DMSO and glycerol preventing intracellular ice crystal damage. Applications include preservation of endangered plant germplasm at NBPGR New Delhi, animal gamete biobanking at LaCONES Hyderabad, and microbial culture collections supporting future biotechnology. Knowledge of this distribution aids in understanding endemism patterns and UNESCO heritage site designations across India.

Ref: NBPGR Gene Bank Manual Cryopreservation -196°C; NCERT Biotechnology Principles Cryoprotectants

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Biosphere reserve & Wild life sancturies

Ex-situ conservation involves

Biodiversity conservation employs two complementary strategies. In-situ conserves species within natural habitats through protected areas like national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, biosphere reserves, and sacred groves where ecological processes continue without relocation. Ex-situ conserves components outside natural habitat when wild survival is jeopardized, involving zoological gardens, botanical gardens, aquaria, seed banks, cryopreservation in liquid nitrogen, tissue culture, and gene banks. Ex-situ provides genetic backup, enables research, captive breeding, and future reintroduction, integrating with in-situ for holistic conservation. This example illustrates how ecological adaptations correlate with biogeographic zonation and conservation prioritization in Indian context.

Ref: NCERT Class 12 Biology Chapter 15 In-situ vs Ex-situ; Campbell Biology Chapter 56 Conservation Strategies

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Biosphere reserve & Wild life sancturies

The flagship mammal of Gulf of Mannar Marine Park is

Gulf of Mannar Marine National Park and Biosphere Reserve in Tamil Nadu, encompassing 21 coral islands between Rameswaram and Tuticorin, hosts productive seagrass meadows of Cymodocea serrulata and Halodule supporting dugong Dugong dugon, large marine herbivore also called sea cow, weighing up to 400 kg. Dugong grazes exclusively on seagrass, indicating pristine marine pasture health, listed vulnerable globally and Schedule I in Wildlife Protection Act. Entanglement in fishing nets and seagrass disappearance drive decline demanding fishing regulation. Remembering this distinction is crucial for solving taxonomy application questions in GATE and CSIR-NET life sciences papers.

Ref: Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve – Dugong Flagship Species; IUCN Dugong dugon Distribution Seagrass Dependency

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Biosphere reserve & Wild life sancturies

Marine National Park of India is located in

India's first marine national park was established in 1982 in Gulf of Kutch, off Jamnagar coast Gujarat, covering 162.89 km² core plus 295 km² sanctuary area comprising 42 tropical islands with fringing reefs, mangroves, mudflats, and seagrass beds. Notable islands include Pirotan, Narara, and Positra which expose vast intertidal zones at low tide revealing octopus, pufferfish, starfish, and live coral colonies. Gujarat Marine National Park pioneering model protected marine biodiversity before Gulf of Mannar notification and remains important coral site. Such details are high-yield for NEET and CUET as they link morphological classification with modern molecular phylogeny insights.

Ref: Gujarat Ecological Education & Research Foundation Marine NP; MoEFCC Marine Protected Areas List Gujarat

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Biosphere reserve & Wild life sancturies

Great Indian Bustard is protected in

Great Indian Bustard Ardeotis nigriceps is heaviest flying bird, critically endangered with fewer than 150 wild individuals, restricted to arid grasslands of Rajasthan and Gujarat. Desert National Park near Jaisalmer, spread 3162 km² with mixed sewan grass dune, gravel, and scrub, constitutes primary refuge, hosting breeding center run jointly by WII, Rajasthan Forest Department, and IUCN. Bustard requires expansive undisturbed short grassland avoiding tall crops and power lines causing collision mortality, flagship for grassland ecosystem conservation advocacy. Mastery of this rule helps candidates differentiate closely related categories and avoid common errors in diversity questions.

Ref: WII Great Indian Bustard Species Recovery Plan DNP; Rajasthan Desert National Park Gazette Bustard

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Biosphere reserve & Wild life sancturies

Which national park is home to Sangai deer?

Keibul Lamjao National Park in Manipur, declared 1977 covering 40 km² of Loktak Lake, is world's only floating national park built on phumdis. Unique habitat supports Sangai Rucervus eldii eldii, critically endangered brow-antlered deer endemic to Manipur, state animal, with adapted splayed hooves balancing on floating biomass. Estimated population below 260, dependent on phumdi thickness maintained by natural water level fluctuations of Loktak. Phumdi removal, hydropower dam Ithai altering hydrology, and poaching threaten delicate equilibrium. Examinations emphasize this concept because it underpins correct interpretation of phylogenetic relationships and evolutionary systematics.

Ref: MoEFCC Keibul Lamjao National Park – Floating Phumdi Sangai; Ramsar Loktak Lake Factsheet

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Biosphere reserve & Wild life sancturies

Hemis National Park is famous for

Hemis National Park, notified 1981 in Ladakh Union Territory, spans 4400 km² across Zanskar range north of Indus, making it largest national park in South Asia. Altitudinal gradient 3000-6000 meters includes alpine scrub, cold desert, and ephemeral riverine woodlands. Park holds highest density of snow leopard globally, over 200 individuals estimated by WII camera trapping, plus Tibetan wolf, brown bear, bharal. Hemis monastery within park contributes cultural protection. Annual snow leopard census attracts global researchers. This pattern is frequently tested in NCERT-based competitive examinations requiring precise recall of taxonomic hierarchy principles.

Ref: Ladakh Wildlife Dept – Hemis NP 4400 km² Largest; WII Snow Leopard Population Survey Hemis

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Biosphere reserve & Wild life sancturies

Ghost of the Mountains refers to

Snow leopard Panthera uncia, apex predator of high Central Asian mountains between 3000-5500 meters, elusive solitary habit, pale grey rosetted pelage blending perfectly with rocky snow terrain renders it nearly invisible. Wide paws act as snowshoes, long muscular tail aids balance on cliffs, thick fur and enlarged nasal cavity combat cold hypoxia. Due to extreme camouflage and low densities about one per 100 km², researchers term it Ghost of the Mountains, symbolizing pristine alpine wilderness. Clarity on this principle prevents confusion between in-situ and ex-situ methods often interchanged in examination options.

Ref: WWF Ghost of the Mountains Snow Leopard Profile; Snow Leopard Trust Natural History Description

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Biosphere reserve & Wild life sancturies

National Chambal Sanctuary is famous for conservation of

National Chambal Sanctuary, established 1979 along Chambal River crossing Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh over 5400 km², is India's only tri-state protected riverine tract dedicated to aquatic fauna conservation. Its clear waters, sandy banks, and deep pools provide prime breeding habitat for gharial Gavialis gangeticus with distinctive long narrow snout specialized for fish catching, critically endangered with less than 1000 adults wild. Sanctuary also shelters Ganges dolphin, red-crowned roof turtle, and migratory birds. Field identification relies on this character, making it essential for wildlife surveys and protected area management protocols.

Ref: WII Chambal Gharial Conservation Programme; MoEFCC Wildlife Sanctuaries – Chambal Gharial Focal Species

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