Ex-situ conservation involves the preservation of components of biological diversity outside their natural habitats. This method is employed when species are threatened or endangered, allowing for conservation efforts in controlled environments. Let's analyze each option to understand which one does not fit this definition:
Based on this analysis, the correct answer is Sacred groves, as they do not fall under ex-situ conservation. They are preserved within their natural environment through cultural or religious stewardship, which is a form of in-situ conservation.
The term ‘biodiversity’ is derived from the two words- ‘bios' which means life and ‘diversity’ i.e, differentiation or variation. Edward Wilson, the sociobiologist was the first to popularise the term ‘biodiversity’ in the year 1992. The term implies the occurrence of various plants and animals along with their variants such as biotypes, ecotypes and genes on earth. In our biosphere, the immense diversity or heterogeneity remains not only at the species level but also, at every level of biological organization that ranges from macromolecules in the cells to biomes.
Biodiversity and Conservation is a topic covered under the fifteenth chapter and Unit 5 of NCERT class 12 biology.