Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow :
India is one of the megadiverse countries housing around 8.1 per cent of global species diversity, although its land area is only 2.4 per cent of the world's land area. Many of the species are highly threatened due to human activities like deforestation, mining and habitat fragmentation. Laws like Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 were enacted by the Government of India to preserve our biological wealth. Various conservation measures are being implemented to save the threatened species.
The following bar graph shows the number of species conserved under different biodiversity conservation methods.
[Bar graph: "Species Conserved under Different Biodiversity Conservation Methods"; x-axis Conservation Method, y-axis Number of Species Conserved (0 to 3000). National Parks 1100, Wildlife Sanctuaries 2500, Biosphere Reserves 1200, Zoological Parks 990, Botanical Gardens 1100.]
Study the graph and answer the questions.
(a) Which method conserves the highest number of species ? Is it ex situ or in situ conservation ?
Show Hint
The tallest bar is Wildlife Sanctuaries (2500), which is in situ conservation.
Step 1: Read the bars:
The heights are: National Parks 1100, Wildlife Sanctuaries 2500, Biosphere Reserves 1200, Zoological Parks 990 and Botanical Gardens 1100.
The tallest bar belongs to Wildlife Sanctuaries, with 2500 species.
Step 2: Decide the type of conservation:
In situ conservation means protecting species in their natural habitat. Ex situ conservation means protecting them outside the habitat, such as in zoos or gardens.
A wildlife sanctuary protects animals and plants where they live naturally, so it is in situ conservation.
Step 3: Check the other bars:
National parks and biosphere reserves are also in situ, but they conserve fewer species (1100 and 1200).
Zoological parks and botanical gardens are ex situ methods and conserve 990 and 1100 species.
Final Answer:
Wildlife sanctuaries conserve the highest number of species (2500). This is in situ conservation.
