Maarg Manthan · Topic 7.10

Ex-Situ Methods of Conservation: Zoological Parks, Botanical Gardens, Seed Banks

Environment & Ecology › Threats to Biodiversity and Conservation Strategies · Topic 7.10

Ex-situ conservation means conserving species outside their natural habitats, in places where they can be protected and managed by people. The main methods are zoological parks and captive breeding centres, botanical gardens and arboreta, aquaria, gene banks and seed banks, cryopreservation of gametes, embryos and tissues, in-vitro fertilisation and tissue culture, and field gene banks and germplasm collections. They keep an insurance copy of species whose wild populations are very small, provide stock for reintroduction, and support research, education and awareness. India has the National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR) in New Delhi, which runs the National Gene Bank at Delhi with a long-term seed store at minus 18 degrees Celsius, the Laboratory for the Conservation of Endangered Species (LaCONES) at Hyderabad, the Central Zoo Authority regulating zoos, and the Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway as the global backup.

5 min read · UPSC Prelims · Environment & Ecology · Threats to Biodiversity and Conservation Strategies

At a Glance

Meaning Outside natural habitat
Methods Zoos, gardens, banks
Indian gene bank NBPGR, Delhi
Global vault Svalbard, Norway
Zoo regulator Central Zoo Authority
Exam link UPSC Prelims, Environment & Ecology: Threats to Biodiversity and Conservation Strategies

Where Does It Fit?

This topic follows the weighing of in-situ methods. It describes off-site conservation techniques, and the final topic compares their advantages and disadvantages. Previous topic: Advantages and Disadvantages of In-Situ Conservation. Next topic: Advantages and Disadvantages of Ex-Situ Conservation.

What Are the Main Ex-Situ Methods and Examples?

Method	Description and examples
Zoological parks (zoos)	Keep animals in captivity for display, breeding, research and education. India has over 150 recognised zoos regulated by the Central Zoo Authority (set up 1992). Examples: Delhi Zoo, Alipore Zoo (Kolkata), Nandankanan (Odisha), Arignar Anna Zoological Park (Vandalur, Chennai), Mysuru Zoo
Captive breeding programmes	Breeding rare species under care for release: pygmy hog (Assam), gharial (Chambal), Great Indian bustard (Jaisalmer), vultures (Pinjore), Manipur brow-antlered deer
Botanical gardens and arboreta	Living collections of plants, with research and conservation of rare species. Examples: Royal Botanic Garden at Kolkata (Indian Botanic Garden, 1787) with its great banyan, National Botanical Research Institute at Lucknow, Lalbagh in Bengaluru
Seed banks	Store seeds at low temperature and humidity. National Gene Bank (NBPGR, Delhi), Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway (opened 2008), Millennium Seed Bank at Kew in England
Cryopreservation	Freezing sperm, eggs, embryos, cells and tissues in liquid nitrogen at minus 196 degrees Celsius; used for endangered animals
Field gene banks	Living collections of crops and wild relatives, such as fruit trees and clonal crops
Tissue culture	Growing plants from small tissue pieces for rare orchids and endangered plants

Which Indian Institutions and Global Examples Matter?

NBPGR: a unit of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research; National Gene Bank holds seeds, tissues and cryo-stored germplasm
LaCONES: Laboratory for the Conservation of Endangered Species at the CCMB, Hyderabad; bio-banking of Indian wildlife cells
National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources: Karnal; conserves livestock breeds
National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources: Lucknow; fish germplasm
Central Zoo Authority: regulates zoos, approves master plans and coordinates breeding
Svalbard Global Seed Vault: in permafrost on a Norwegian island; backup of the world’s crop seeds, often called the Doomsday Vault
Frozen Zoo: San Diego Zoo’s cell bank
Success stories: Arabian oryx, California condor, black-footed ferret and golden lion tamarin were bred and returned to the wild

What Else Should You Remember?

Species Survival Plan: cooperative breeding plan for zoo animals
Studbook: record of pedigree to avoid inbreeding
Recovery programme: Central Zoo Authority has identified species for planned conservation breeding
Pygmy hog: bred at Basistha near Guwahati and released in Manas
Gharial: eggs collected from the wild, raised and released into rivers
Vultures: Vulture Conservation Breeding Centres at Pinjore, Rajabhatkhawa and Guwahati
Great Indian bustard: egg incubation at Sam, Jaisalmer
Snow leopard: captive breeding at Darjeeling zoo
Red panda: Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park breeds the species
Himalayan Zoological Park: in Darjeeling, breeds snow leopard, red panda and Himalayan wolf
Seed viability: seeds of many crops can last decades in cold storage
Recalcitrant seeds: cannot be dried and frozen, such as mango, cocoa and coconut, so need field gene banks or cryopreservation
Orthodox seeds: can be dried and stored
Gene bank types: seed, field, in vitro and DNA banks
Pollen banks: store pollen
Biobanks: DNA and cells for later use
Cloning: proposed for extinct species; limited
Link to previous: see Advantages and Disadvantages of In-Situ Conservation
Link to next: see Advantages and Disadvantages of Ex-Situ Conservation
Link to seed banks: see Role of Traditional Knowledge in Biodiversity Conservation for community seed banks
Caution: zoo numbers and gene bank holdings change; check the latest official data
Reintroduction: release of captive-bred animals needs suitable habitat and safety
Education: zoos and gardens raise public awareness
Exam hint: learn institution-to-location pairs: NBPGR Delhi, LaCONES Hyderabad, NBAGR Karnal

Why Does It Matter for the Exam?

Methods: zoos, gardens, banks
Vault: Svalbard
India: NBPGR, LaCONES
Current affairs link: vulture breeding and cheetah plans
Common errors: mixing LaCONES and NBPGR or confusing Svalbard with Kew

As an analytical point, ex-situ facilities act as insurance, giving species a second chance when wild populations crash. Their value depends on keeping genetic diversity, health and a habitat ready for release.

Why Is This Topic Important?

Idea Off-site safety net
Methods Zoos, banks
Aim Reintroduction

What Came Next?

The next topic covers the advantages and disadvantages of ex-situ conservation. Next topic: Advantages and Disadvantages of Ex-Situ Conservation.

Key People and Terms

Ex-situ Off site
Cryopreservation Freezing for storage
Arboretum Tree garden
Gene bank Store of genetic material
Studbook Pedigree record
Recalcitrant seed Seed that cannot be dried

Exam Corner

Points to Remember

Svalbard opened 2008.
NBPGR is in Delhi.
LaCONES is in Hyderabad.
Liquid nitrogen: minus 196 C.
CZA set up 1992.

Do Not Confuse With

Zoo and sanctuary Captive display versus wild protected area
Seed bank and field gene bank Stored seeds versus living plants
Orthodox and recalcitrant seeds Dryable versus not dryable

Memory Hook

Zoos for animals, gardens for plants, banks for seeds and cells: the off-site safety net.

Mains Angle

Questions ask for methods and institutions. These points help.

Methods Types
India Institutions
Use Reintroduction

A Question You May Face

An original practice question, not a past paper question.

“What is ex-situ conservation? Discuss its methods and the Indian institutions that carry them out.”

How to Answer

Define Off-site.
Methods Zoos, banks.
India Institutions.
Use Release.

GS Relevance

Prelims: methods, Indian institutions, Svalbard, examples. GS Paper 3: conservation methods.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is ex-situ conservation?

Ex-situ conservation is the protection of plants and animals outside their natural habitats, in zoos, botanical gardens, aquaria, seed banks, gene banks and laboratories. It is used to keep species safe when their wild populations are very small, to breed them for release back into the wild, and for research and education.

What is the Svalbard Global Seed Vault?

The Svalbard Global Seed Vault is a secure facility built into a mountain on the Norwegian island of Spitsbergen, which stores duplicate samples of seeds from gene banks around the world as a backup against loss. It opened in 2008, keeps seeds at about minus 18 degrees Celsius, and is nicknamed the Doomsday Vault.

What is cryopreservation?

Cryopreservation is the storage of living cells, tissues, sperm, eggs or embryos at very low temperatures, usually minus 196 degrees Celsius in liquid nitrogen, so that biological activity stops. It allows genetic material of endangered species to be kept for years and used later for breeding or research.

What does the Central Zoo Authority do?

The Central Zoo Authority is a statutory body under the Wildlife Protection Act, set up in 1992, which regulates zoos in India. It recognises zoos, sets standards of animal welfare and management, approves master plans, coordinates conservation breeding and exchange of animals, and promotes education and research.

Name some captive breeding programmes in India.

India runs captive breeding of the pygmy hog in Assam, gharial in the Chambal and other rivers, vultures at centres in Pinjore, Rajabhatkhawa and Guwahati, the Great Indian bustard in Jaisalmer, the snow leopard and red panda in Darjeeling, and the Manipur brow-antlered deer, along with lion and tiger programmes in zoos.

PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis

1 Seed banks are an ex-situ conservation method.

True

Stored off-site.

2 The Svalbard vault is in Switzerland.

False

It is in Norway.

3 Cryopreservation stores material in liquid nitrogen.