Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Biodiversity conservation strategies are divided into two main categories based on whether the target species or populations are protected within or outside their natural environments.
Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
Let us define the given conservation terms:
- In situ conservation: This is the conservation of ecosystems, species, and genetic diversity within their natural habitats, such as national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, and biosphere reserves. This approach allows species to continue their evolutionary processes in their native environments. (True)
- Ex situ conservation: This involves the conservation of biological diversity components outside their natural habitats, such as in seed banks, gene banks, botanical gardens, and zoos.
- In vivo and In vitro are laboratory terms referring to biological processes conducted within a living organism or in an artificial environment (like glassware), respectively, rather than biodiversity conservation strategies.
Therefore, maintaining biodiversity in its natural habitat is called in situ conservation.
Step 3: Final Answer
The correct option is (C).