Conserving and safeguarding the entire ecosystem ensures the preservation of biodiversity at all levels, illustrating the principle of "saving the entire forest to protect the tiger." This approach is known as in situ (on-site) conservation. However, in certain cases where a particular animal or plant species is at risk of extinction and requires immediate intervention, ex situ (off-site) conservation becomes the preferred method. In situ conservation involves protecting the natural habitat and the various organisms that inhabit it, ensuring the continuity of their ecological processes. By preserving the ecosystem as a whole, we indirectly safeguard the survival of individual species, such as the tiger in the forest example. On the other hand, ex situ conservation focuses on taking endangered or threatened species out of their natural environment and placing them in specialized facilities, such as botanical gardens, zoos, or seed banks. This approach is essential when the species faces imminent extinction and requires immediate and dedicated efforts for their survival. These off-site facilities provide a controlled environment where proper care and breeding programs can be implemented to enhance the species' chances of survival and eventual reintroduction into the wild if possible.

What term is used to describe regions with high levels of species richness and endemism?

Biodiversity hotspots

The correct answer is Option (3) –Biodiversity hotspots

Biodiversity hotspots are regions that have exceptionally high levels of species richness (a large number of different species) and a high degree of endemism (species that are unique to that region and not found anywhere else). Three of these hotspots – Western Ghats and Sri Lanka, Indo-Burma and Himalaya – cover our country’s exceptionally high biodiversity regions.