Practice question

Within IUCN Red List framework, EW stands for Extinct in the Wild, indicating species that no longer exists in native natural habitats after exhaustive surveys, but persists in cultivation, captivity, or as established populations outside historic range. Examples include Franklinia alatamaha extinct in wild since early 1800s but cultivated, and Hawaiian crow Corvus hawaiiensis. EW is distinct from EX Extinct where no individuals survive anywhere. EW status encourages ex-situ breeding and potential reintroduction if habitat restored. Remembering this distinction is crucial for solving taxonomy application questions in GATE and CSIR-NET life sciences papers.