Depending upon the immediate urgency of the need to conserve biodiversity, arrange the options given below in a descending order.
(A) Hot spots
(B) Sacred groves
(C) Ex situ method
(D) Bioreserves
Choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below.
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → (C), (B), (D), (A)
(C) Ex situ method — first. When a plant or animal faces a very high risk of extinction in the near future, it is taken out of the wild and saved in a zoo, botanical garden or seed bank. This is the step taken when there is no time to save its habitat.
(B) Sacred groves — second. These are small forest patches already protected by local communities. They often hold rare species found nowhere else nearby.
(D) Bioreserves — third. Biosphere reserves are large protected areas set up by the government. They protect whole ecosystems, with people living in their outer zones.
(A) Hot spots — last. Hotspots are whole regions with very high species richness and endemism, chosen for intensive conservation. Their protection is a long-term plan at the global level.
Note: NCERT says only that ex situ conservation comes first when the need is urgent. The order of the other three is not given in NCERT; it follows from the size of the area each protects.
NCERT Extract:
How Do We Conserve Biodiversity? – “… When we conserve and protect the whole ecosystem, its biodiversity at all levels is protected - we save the entire forest to save the tiger. This approach is called in situ (on site) conservation. However, when there are situations where an animal or plant is endangered or threatened (organisms facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the near future) and needs urgent measures to save it from extinction, ex situ (off site) conservation is the desirable approach.”