3.3.2—Conservation strategies
- Syllabus
- First assessment 2026
- Objective
- 3.3.2
- Level
- SL
Match In Situ and Ex Situ to the Conservation Job
In situ protects organisms within functioning habitat; ex situ protects organisms or genetic material outside it.
In situ measures such as national parks, nature reserves and sanctuaries maintain habitats, interactions and ecological processes. Ex situ measures such as zoos, botanic gardens and seed banks protect selected organisms or genetic material outside the habitat; CITES limits international trade in threatened species.
A seed bank can preserve a crop allele while a protected landscape maintains pollinators, soil and natural selection.
In situ habitat protection; ex situ secures selected organisms or genes, not all interactions.
Ex situ is not a replacement for habitat conservation; choose based on the threat and what must be preserved.