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All 12 Flashcards — Ex situ conservation
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Question
Define ex situ conservation.
Answer
Protecting a species **away from its natural habitat** — e.g. in a zoo, botanic garden, seed bank or gene bank.
Question
Define in situ conservation.
Answer
Protecting a species **inside its natural habitat** — e.g. a nature reserve or national park.
Question
Give three ex situ methods.
Answer
**Captive breeding** (zoos), **botanic gardens**, and **seed / gene banks**.
Question
What is captive breeding?
Answer
Breeding endangered animals **under human care** to raise their numbers, often to **reintroduce** them to the wild.
Question
What is a seed bank?
Answer
A cold, dry store of seeds from many species kept as a **long-term genetic back-up**.
Question
How does ex situ help raise numbers?
Answer
Animals breed **safely** (away from predators/poachers) under expert care, so the **population grows**.
Question
How do gene/seed banks help conservation?
Answer
They **preserve genetic variety** so a species can recover even if wild populations are lost.
Question
What is reintroduction?
Answer
**Releasing** captive-bred individuals back into a (protected) **natural habitat**.
Question
Give two limitations of ex situ conservation.
Answer
It is **expensive** and holds **small numbers** (inbreeding risk); it also **does not protect the habitat**.
Question
Why can captive-bred animals struggle after release?
Answer
They may **lack survival skills** learned in the wild, so they can struggle to find food or avoid predators.
Question
Why is ex situ called a 'back-up'?
Answer
It keeps a species alive when its **wild habitat is too damaged**, but it does not protect that habitat — so it works **best alongside in situ**.
Question
In situ vs ex situ — one key difference?
Answer
**In situ protects the habitat** (the species stays in the wild); **ex situ does not** (the species is held off-site).
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Full study notes for Ex situ conservation
Topic 1.9 hub
Conservation of biodiversity
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