Sadly, thousands of species around the world are currently at risk of extinction. Some you may have heard of (like the African Elephant and Mountain Gorilla), and some you may have not (like the Pangolin and Yangtze Finless Porpoise). Fortunately, it's not all doom and gloom as conversationists are still developing a range of ways to protect animals at risk, from guarding wild habits to freezing cells for the future. In this article, we take a fascinating look into the main types of conversation out there. Plus, we also explain how each unique method works and where each one has either succeeded or fallen short. Keep reading below.
The Different Types of Conservation: In Situ and Ex Situ Explained
Officially, there are two main types of conservation. Basically, in situ conservation refers to protecting species in their habit. On the other hand, ex situ conservation revolves more around protecting them from outside it and is can be split into two very different approaches.
In he wild (in situ)
National parks and marine parks protect species where they naturally live, along with the habitat they depend on.
In captivity (ex situ)
Zoos and botanic gardens breed endangered animals and grow rare plants, all with the goal of eventually returning them to the wild.
In Storage (ex situ)
Frozen zoos and seed banks store genetic materials so it isn't lost, even if a species is completely lost from the wild.
Both terms originate from Latin with In situ meaning “in place” or “on site”, and ex situ meaning “off site”
Generally most conservation programmes usually use a mix of both types of conservation instead of rigidly sticking to just one. In the section below, we'll take you through an examination of each method in more detail.
Methods of Conservation in the Wild
As a rule, keeping a species in its own habitat usually gives it a higher likelihood of thriving in the long term. The reason for this? It can easily find its natural food and other members of its species, all while not needing to adapt to another environment. However, the challenge is keeping that habitat safe from threats such as development, hunting and pollution, which is where protected areas come in.
National Parks
National parks are areas of land set aside by law to protect wildlife and natural landscapes. More often than not, the government usually manages them and sets the rules for what can and cannot happen inside them (like starting a camp fire or hunting for game, etc). As a bonus, protecting a whole landscape in this fashion safeguards every species living there, not just the endangered ones1.
Common Restrictions
- Controlled access: visitor numbers and routes inside the parks are quite often limited to protect wildlife. It's not unusual for large swathes of parks to be closed to the public entirely to minimize human disturbance.
- Limits on development: Things like farming, building projects, mining, and other industries are either tightly regulated or outright banned too
- Hunting rules: Lastly, hunting in most national parks is also strictly controlled or banned and the penalty for being found doing so severe.
Marine Parks
Marine parks operate very similar to national parks but obviously centre around protecting areas of the sea instead. Typically in these areas, fishing shipping and other activities are heavily limited to protect marine life from harmful effects caused by overfishing and pollution while also giving damaged habits like coral reefs time to recover.
One again, like national parks they rely a lot on support from local communities, many of whom depend on the sea for their income. Without that support, rules are usually quite hard to enforce.
Getting Communities On Their Side
Case study: the Galápagos Islands
Chances are you've heard of the Galápagos Islands (it was here where Charles Darwin began to piece together his famous theory of evolution). These absolutely magnificent islands are home to species as exotic and breath taking as the Giant Tortoises and Marine Iguana which can be found no where else on our blue planet. In 1959, Ecuador officially declared 97.5 percent of the land a national park, and the sea around the islands is treated similarly too with fishing being banned in several areas.
Sadly, invaders like goats and rats and even certain plants have resulted in a lot of damage to the islands. Fortunately, an ambitious programme called Project Isabela has made great progress in setting things right with over 140,000 goats being removed and invasive plants like elephant grass being dug and removed.
Conservation in Captivity
While many people are rightfully not fond of zoos that take animals forcibly from the wild, some animals can only survive with human intervention and the aid of these specialist facilities. Nowadays, it's very common for modern zoos to run their own captive breeding programmes too which focus on trying to increase numbers of endangered animals so healthy populations can one day released back into their natural habitats.
What Limits Do Zoos Have in Conservation?
Zoo Success Stories
Amongst the many hardships and failures of conservation programmes at zoos in days gone past, there are a plethora of inspiring success stories that prove the value of this method too:
Californian Condor
As the early 1980s rolled around, only 22 of these massive vultures survived in the wild. Seeing to avoid their extinction, the last wild individual was taken into captivity in 1987 and bred with captive birds. From here, birds began to be released in the 90s eventually leading to 500 condors roaming the skies in 2019.
Golden lion Tamarin
These gorgeous small monkeys were almost entirely eradicated from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest in the 1970s. However, due to the efforts of scientists zoo born tamarins have helped bolster the population to a much more stable population of around 3,700 individuals.
Pzrewalksi's Horse
incredibly, this horse was last seen in the wild in 1969 before making an amazing comeback with the release of European zoo bred individuals back into Mongolia in 1992. As of now, hundreds of the world last truly wild horse can be encountered by adventurous visitors to the steppe.
Botanic Gardens
Not just a place to wander around and marvel at many exotic plants not native to our ecosystem, botanic gardens also provide a haven for many endangered species of flora. Here, seeds and cuttings taken from the wild are used to grow them in a safe setting and are rigorously monitored, maintained and taken care of by staff.
How Botanic Gardens Help Save Rare Plants
Genetic Material Storage for Conservation
Sadly, there comes a time for many animals when traditional conservation methods are no longer enough to save them from extinction. As a result, scientists may turn to more advanced techniques like the ones listed below.
Frozen Zoos
Frozen zoos offer a way to preserve the genetic material of endangered animals, even when their wild population are virtually non existent. Through a clever process called cryopreservation, scientists are able to store sperm, eggs, embryos and living cells at extreme low temps for future conservation efforts.
Genetic samples are usually stored in liquid nitrogen at as low as -196°C In order to prevent biological deterioration.
Seed Banks
Seed banks play a similar role but with flora. Here seeds are collected, dried, and stored in temperature controlled environments. They act as a safety net against extinction, allowing scientists to grow new plants if a species disappears from its natural habitat.
Unfortunately, not all seeds can survive this conventional drying and freezing process. For example, plants like coffee and cocoa require alternative conservation methods, including tissue culture or specialized crypreservation.
References
- Zuritsky, K. (2026, January 15). Types of conservation: what to know and why it’s important. American Military University. https://www.amu.apus.edu/area-of-study/science/resources/types-of-conservation/
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