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A4.2.7—Conservation approaches

Conservation combines in situ protection, reserve design, active management, rewilding, and ex situ methods according to species needs and threats.

Syllabus
First assessment 2025
Objective
A4.2.7
Level
HL

Exam analysis

Chance of appearing11%of analysed past papers
Latest appearanceMay 2025
Most common paperPaper3
Typical marks2–3

Common command terms

  • Discuss
  • Outline
  • Distinguish
  • Explain
  • Suggest

Scoring notes

Common mistake
Defining in situ and ex situ without linking each approach to its conservation advantages and limits.

Recent exam appearances

May 2025Paper2 ["HL"] · TZ26(c)(ii)[ 1 ]A4.2.7—Conservation approaches
May 2024Paper3 ["HL"] · TZ118[ 3 ]A4.2.7—Conservation approaches
May 2023Paper3 ["HL"] · TZ117(b)[ 2 ]A4.2.7—Conservation approaches
May 2019Paper3 ["HL"] · TZ217[ 3 ]A4.2.7—Conservation approaches
May 2018Paper3 ["HL"] · TZ117(b)[ 3 ]A4.2.7—Conservation approaches
Practice this objective

Coverage 2012–2025 · Updated 15 Jul 2026

Conservation Matches the Threat to the Scale

No single conservation method is sufficient because species, ecosystems and threats differ. Effective plans combine approaches and monitor whether populations and ecological functions recover.

Approach Main role Examples
In situ Protect species in natural habitats and retain interactions/evolution Nature reserves, corridors, anti-poaching and active habitat management
Ecosystem recovery Restore lost processes and habitat Rewilding and reclamation of degraded ecosystems
Ex situ Protect organisms or genetic material outside the threatened habitat Zoos, captive breeding, botanic gardens, seed banks and tissue/germ-plasm banks

In-situ conservation retains natural selection and food webs but may not control an immediate threat. Ex-situ programmes can protect a very small population, yet require genetic management and a safe habitat before reintroduction.

A threatened amphibian may need a protected and restored wetland, disease control, connected habitat and a carefully managed captive-breeding population rather than one isolated action.

A reserve without enforcement, connectivity or threat removal may protect only a map boundary; captive breeding without genetic management and a viable release site cannot restore a wild population.

Conservation approaches

Assessment in practice

2–4 marks
How it is assessed

This objective is assessed through essay response, structured response, commonly using Discuss / Outline / Distinguish.

Command terms

Discuss / Outline / Distinguish / Explain / Suggest

What earns marks

Build the answer around this relationship: In situ conservation protects species within their natural habitats and communities.

Watch for

Defining in situ and ex situ without linking each approach to its conservation advantages and limits.

Representative question

Question 1

[Maximum number: 4]

Discuss in situ and ex situ conservation of endangered species.

Build A Conservation Argument

A strong conservation answer follows a chain: define biodiversity, measure evidence of decline, identify human drivers, then justify conservation action. Biodiversity includes ecosystem, species, and genetic diversity; species diversity uses richness and evenness. Evidence comes from estimates, fossils, repeated surveys, IPBES reports, and indices. Drivers include extinction pressure, ecosystem conversion, population-driven resource demand, pollution, and invasive species. Responses include in situ, ex situ, and EDGE prioritization.

  • Define biodiversity across ecosystem, species, and genetic levels.
  • Measure species diversity using richness, evenness, and Simpson’s reciprocal index.
  • Use evidence cautiously: modern estimates, fossil gaps, repeated surveys, IPBES reports, and reliability checks.
  • Explain drivers using named examples: moa, Caribbean monk seal, Borneo, Great Barrier Reef, lionfish, water hyacinth.
  • Choose conservation responses: in situ, ex situ, and EDGE priorities.

Concept essentials

  • In situ conservation protects species within their natural habitats and communities.
  • Ex situ conservation preserves species outside natural habitats through controlled collections or breeding programmes.
  • Large connected reserves reduce fragmentation and support movement, gene flow and larger populations.
  • Rewilding restores natural processes by reintroducing native species, rebuilding connectivity or reducing human pressure.