Describe various methods used in 'In situ conservation'.

Write an explanatory note on In situ conservation.

In situ (on site) conservation is the conservation and protection of the whole ecosystem and its biodiversity at all levels in order to protect the threatened species.

However, it is not economically feasible to conserve all the biological wealth at all the existing ecosystem.

- Methods used in in situ conservation are :

- Biodiversity hotspots : Biodiversity hot spots is an approach for in situ method of conservation.

Eminent conservationists have identified certain regions for the maximum protection these regions are called biodiversity hotspots.

These are regions with very high levels of species richness, high degree of endemism (species confined to a region and not found anywhere else) and accelerated habitat loss.

Initially 25 biodiversity hotspots were identified.

- Now there are 34 hotspots all over the world.

- Three hotspots are in India i.e., Western Ghats and Sri Lanka, Indo-Burma and Eastern Himalaya.

- If all the biodiversity hotspots are put together, they cover less than $2 \%$ of the earth's land area but harbour extremely high diversity.

- Ongoing mass extinction could be reduced by $30 \%$ through strict protection of these hot spots.

- Protected Areas : Protected areas are especially dedicated areas for protection and maintanance of ecologically unique and biodiversity rich regions. Protected areas are classified as :

(a) National parks : These are government maintained areas (90 in India), reserved for the betterment of wildlife and where activities such as cultivation, grazing, forestry and habitat manipulation are not allowed.

- The first National park to be established in India was in 1936 is Hailey's National Park.

(b) Sanctuaries : They are tracts of land with or without lake where wild animals/fauma can take refuge without being hunted.

There number is 448 in India.

- Other activities like collection of forest products, harvesting of timber, private ownership of land, filling of land, etc. are allowed here.

(c) Biosphere Reserves : These are large tracts of protected land with multiple use preserving the genetic diversity of ecosystem by protecting wildlife, traditional life styles of tribals and varied plants and animal genetic resources.