Ex situ Conservation

Ex situ conservation involves protecting and managing plant or animal species outside their natural habitats, typically in controlled environments like botanical gardens, zoos, seed banks, or aquariums. This approach is used when species are at risk of extinction or their natural ecosystems are threatened. By maintaining living specimens or genetic material separately from their wild environment, conservationists can safeguard biodiversity, study species more easily, and potentially reintroduce them into nature when conditions improve. It complements in situ conservation efforts and plays a crucial role in preserving endangered species for future generations.