📌Definition Table

Term	Definition
In situ Conservation	Protection of species in their natural habitat.
Ex situ Conservation	Protection of species outside their natural habitat.
Rewilding	Reintroducing species and restoring ecosystems to their natural state.
EDGE Species	Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered species; high priority for conservation.
Seed Bank	Facility that stores seeds under controlled conditions to preserve genetic diversity.
Tissue Bank	Storage of living tissue or cells for future use in breeding or research.
Protected Area	Region designated for biodiversity conservation, such as national parks or reserves.

📌Introduction

Conservation strategies aim to preserve biodiversity, maintain ecosystem services, and protect endangered species. Effective conservation requires understanding species’ ecological roles, threats to their survival, and the socio-political context. Strategies can be in situ (protecting species in their natural environment) or ex situ (maintaining them outside their natural range). Often, a combination of both is used for long-term success.

❤️ CAS Link: Partner with a wildlife NGO to create an educational campaign comparing in situ and ex situ methods using local examples.

📌 In Situ Conservation

• Protects species in their natural habitats.
• Examples: national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, marine protected areas.
• Benefits: maintains natural behaviours, ecosystem interactions, and evolutionary processes.
• Drawbacks: may not protect against all threats, such as poaching or invasive species.
• Rewilding involves restoring ecosystems and reintroducing species to historical ranges.

🧠 Examiner Tip: When comparing in situ and ex situ, focus on ecological realism vs. control over conditions.

📌 Ex Situ Conservation

• Protects species outside their natural habitats.
• Methods:
  • Zoos and aquariums (breeding programs).
  • Botanic gardens (rare plant cultivation).
  • Seed and tissue banks (long-term genetic storage).
• Advantages: allows close monitoring, protects from immediate threats.
• Disadvantages: may not prepare organisms for reintroduction; costly.

🌍 Real-World Connection: The Millennium Seed Bank in the UK stores over 2.4 billion seeds, safeguarding plant genetic diversity.

📌Species Selection for Conservation

Criteria for priority:

• Endangered status (IUCN Red List).
• Ecological role (keystone species).
• Cultural or economic importance.
• EDGE species status — combining evolutionary uniqueness with high endangerment.

📝 Paper 2: Data Response Tip: When given conservation success/failure data, link results to method choice and threat mitigation.