Biodiversity Conservation and Biopiracy: ISC Class 12 Biology
Updated 15 October 2026 · Fact-checked
Biodiversity is conserved in situ, by protecting whole ecosystems (hotspots, biosphere reserves, national parks, sanctuaries, sacred groves), and ex situ, by keeping threatened species in zoos, botanical gardens, seed banks or as cryopreserved gametes. Biopiracy is the use of a country's bio-resources or traditional knowledge without authorisation or compensation, as in the basmati and turmeric cases.
Understand Biodiversity Conservation and Biopiracy
Two approaches.
| In situ (on site) | Ex situ (off site) | |
|---|---|---|
| Idea | protect the whole ecosystem, so biodiversity at all levels is saved ('save the entire forest to save the tiger') | take threatened species out of their habitat into special settings for protection and care |
| When | general conservation of rich regions | species endangered or threatened, needing urgent measures |
| Examples | biodiversity hotspots, biosphere reserves, national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, sacred groves, Ramsar wetlands | zoological parks, botanical gardens, wildlife safari parks, captive breeding, cryopreservation, in vitro fertilisation, tissue culture, seed banks |
Biodiversity hotspots. Regions with very high species richness, a high degree of endemism (species found nowhere else) and accelerated habitat loss. Initially 25, now 34 worldwide. Three cover India's richest regions: Western Ghats and Sri Lanka, Indo-Burma, and the Himalaya. Together hotspots cover less than 2% of earth's land area, yet strict protection could reduce ongoing mass extinctions by almost 30%.
Protected areas in India. India has 14 biosphere reserves, 90 national parks and 448 wildlife sanctuaries (NCERT figures).
- Biosphere reserve: three zones: core (no human activity), buffer (limited activity such as research and education), transition (settlements and sustainable use).
- National park: strictly protected for wildlife; no private rights, grazing or cultivation (Jim Corbett, Kaziranga).
- Wildlife sanctuary: protects fauna; some activities such as collecting forest produce or grazing may be allowed.
- Sacred groves: forest tracts protected for religious and cultural reasons, all trees and wildlife venerated: Khasi and Jaintia Hills (Meghalaya), Aravalli Hills (Rajasthan), Western Ghats of Karnataka and Maharashtra, and Sarguja, Chanda and Bastar areas. In Meghalaya they are the last refuges of many rare and threatened plants.
- Ramsar sites: wetlands of international importance under the Ramsar Convention (1971): Chilika Lake, Keoladeo National Park, Wular Lake, Loktak Lake, Sundarbans.
Ex situ techniques. Zoos keep many animals extinct in the wild; captive breeding can restock wild populations. Cryopreservation keeps gametes viable and fertile for long periods at very low temperature (liquid nitrogen, −196 °C); eggs can be fertilised in vitro; plants propagated by tissue culture; seed banks store seeds of genetic strains of commercially important plants.
Red Data Book. A catalogue kept by the IUCN that lists and documents species facing the risk of extinction in categories (extinct, extinct in the wild, critically endangered, endangered, vulnerable), to guide conservation priorities. It is a record of threatened species, not a conservation method itself.
International conventions.
| Event | Place, year | Agenda |
|---|---|---|
| Earth Summit (Convention on Biological Diversity) | Rio de Janeiro, 1992 | every nation to act to conserve biodiversity and to use its benefits sustainably (with fair sharing of benefits) |
| World Summit on Sustainable Development | Johannesburg, South Africa, 2002 | 190 countries pledged to cut the rate of biodiversity loss significantly by 2010, globally, regionally and locally |
Biopiracy and biopatents.
- Biopatent: a patent (exclusive right) granted for biological entities, products or processes.
- Biopiracy: use of bio-resources by multinational companies and other organisations without proper authorisation from the countries and people concerned and without compensatory payment.
- Basmati: India has about 27 documented varieties of basmati, grown for centuries. In 1997 an American company got patent rights on basmati rice through the US Patent and Trademark Office, selling a 'new' variety that had actually been derived from Indian farmers' varieties (crossed with semi-dwarf varieties) and claimed as an invention.
- Attempts were also made to patent uses, products and processes based on Indian traditional medicines, e.g. turmeric and neem.
- Industrialised nations are rich financially but poor in biodiversity and traditional knowledge; developing nations are the reverse. Countries are making laws against unauthorised exploitation; the Indian Parliament cleared the second amendment of the Indian Patents Bill to address such issues.
Flow chart (choosing a method): species safe in a rich ecosystem → in situ (protect the area); species endangered with tiny wild numbers → ex situ (captive breeding, seed bank, cryopreservation) → reintroduce when habitat is secure.
Biodiversity Conservation and Biopiracy: key facts
- Two approaches
In situ (in the habitat) hotspots, biosphere reserves, national parks, sanctuaries, sacred groves Ex situ (outside the habitat) zoos, botanical gardens, seed banks, cryopreservation, tissue culture Use ex situ when a species is endangered and needs urgent help - Give two examples each.
- Indian hotspots
- Western Ghats and Sri Lanka
- Indo-Burma
- Himalaya
- 34 hotspots worldwide; together under 2% of land area.
- Summits
Ramsar Convention 1971, wetlands Earth Summit Rio de Janeiro 1992, conserve biodiversity and use it sustainably World Summit on Sustainable Development Johannesburg 2002, cut loss rate by 2010 - Conservation and sustainable use; cut loss rate by 2010.
- Biopiracy
Biopiracy use of bio-resources without authorisation and without compensation Biopatent exclusive legal right to a biological entity, product or process Indian cases basmati (1997), turmeric, neem - Basmati, turmeric, neem.
How to answer Biodiversity Conservation and Biopiracy questions
ISC asks in situ versus ex situ with examples, hotspots and sacred groves, the purpose of the Red Data Book, the year, place and agenda of the Earth Summit, and biopiracy with an example.
- 1Classify the method first: is the species kept in its habitat (in situ) or moved (ex situ)?
- 2Give named examples: Kaziranga (national park), Khasi Hills (sacred grove), seed bank, cryopreservation.
- 3For hotspots, use both criteria: high species richness and high endemism.
- 4For the Red Data Book, say it lists and documents threatened species to guide conservation.
- 5For summits, give place, year and agenda in one line each.
- 6For biopiracy, include the key words 'without authorisation' and 'without compensation' and one example (basmati, turmeric or neem).
Biodiversity Conservation and Biopiracy in real life
The idea, met in an everyday situation. Answer the question in your own words, then compare with the model answer. The one-line hook is what to remember.
Combining in situ and ex situ conservation
Suppose a rare orchid survives in only one small patch of forest in the Western Ghats, and a road project threatens part of that patch.
Plan a conservation strategy using both approaches.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- In situ: declare the patch and its surroundings a protected area (or support a local sacred grove), keeping the orchid's pollinators and fungal partners in place.
- Ex situ: collect seeds for a seed bank and propagate plants by tissue culture in a botanical garden.
- Cryopreserve pollen or seeds as long-term insurance.
- Reintroduce nursery plants into the protected patch once it is secure.
Answer: Protect the habitat (in situ) and back it up with seed banks, tissue culture and cryopreservation (ex situ), then reintroduce.
Memory hook: Save the home, keep a spare.
Tricks to remember Biodiversity Conservation and Biopiracy
Short memory aids. Say each one aloud once, then use it on a question the same day.
In situ = in the house
In situ keeps species in their own house; ex situ moves them out.
Use it when: Classifying methods.
Rio '92, Jo'burg '02
Ten years apart: Rio 1992, Johannesburg 2002.
Use it when: Summit years.
Pirates take without asking or paying
Biopiracy = no permission, no payment.
Use it when: Definition of biopiracy.
Biodiversity Conservation and Biopiracy: solved examples
Ordered from board level to HOTS. Try each one before you open the solution.
Example 1: In situ versus ex situ · 3 marks · Short answerBoard level
Distinguish between in situ and ex situ conservation, giving two examples of each.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- In situ: conservation in the natural habitat by protecting the whole ecosystem (1 mark).
- Ex situ: threatened species are taken out of their habitat and protected in special settings (1 mark).
- In situ examples: national parks, biosphere reserves, sacred groves; ex situ: zoos, botanical gardens, seed banks, cryopreservation (1 mark).
Answer: On site versus off site, with examples.
Example 2: Correcting a summit timeline · 3 marks · Short answerBoard level
A student's revision card reads: 'Earth Summit: Johannesburg, 2002; agenda: global warming.' Correct the card, and state what actually took place at Johannesburg in 2002 and what was pledged there.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- The Earth Summit (Convention on Biological Diversity) was held at Rio de Janeiro in 1992 (1 mark).
- Its agenda was biodiversity, not global warming: every nation was to act to conserve biodiversity and use its benefits sustainably, sharing them fairly (1 mark).
- Johannesburg, South Africa, 2002 hosted the World Summit on Sustainable Development, where 190 countries pledged to cut the rate of biodiversity loss significantly by 2010 (1 mark).
Answer: Earth Summit: Rio de Janeiro, 1992, biodiversity conservation and sustainable use; Johannesburg 2002 was the WSSD, with the 2010 pledge.
Example 3: The basmati patent · 2 marks · Short answerHarder board level
In 1997 an American company obtained a US patent on a 'new' variety of basmati rice. Name the practice this case illustrates, define it, and explain why the company's claim of invention was challenged.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Biopiracy: the use of a country's bio-resources or traditional knowledge by companies or organisations without authorisation from the country and people concerned and without compensatory payment (1 mark).
- The 'new' rice was derived from Indian farmers' basmati (India has about 27 documented varieties grown for centuries) crossed with semi-dwarf varieties, so it rested on an Indian bio-resource used without permission or payment (1 mark).
Answer: Biopiracy; the variety was built on Indian basmati used without authorisation or compensation.
Example 4: Hotspots · 3 marks · Short answerHarder board level
What are biodiversity hotspots? Name the three that cover India, and explain why protecting hotspots is so effective.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- Regions with very high species richness and a high degree of endemism that also face accelerated habitat loss (1 mark).
- Western Ghats and Sri Lanka, Indo-Burma, Himalaya (1 mark).
- Though together under 2% of earth's land area, they hold a very large share of species; strict protection could reduce ongoing mass extinctions by almost 30% (1 mark).
Answer: Rich, endemic, threatened regions; three in India; small area, big payoff.
Example 5: Using the Red Data Book · 2 marks · Short answerHarder board level
A conservation agency checks the Red Data Book before deciding which species to fund. Who maintains this book, what does it contain, and is it itself a method of conservation?
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- It is maintained by the IUCN and lists and documents species at risk of extinction in categories such as critically endangered, endangered and vulnerable, so it shows which species need help first (1 mark).
- It is not itself a conservation method; it is a record used to decide which species need in situ or ex situ protection (1 mark).
Answer: IUCN list of threatened species that guides priorities; not a method by itself.
Example 6: Protecting traditional knowledge · 4 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency
Suppose a foreign firm files a patent for a skin cream based on a plant paste that tribal healers in India have used for generations. (a) Why could this be biopiracy? (b) Why do such cases often arise between developed and developing nations? (c) Suggest two steps India can take.
Try it first, then show the solutionSolution
- (a) The firm uses a bio-resource and traditional knowledge without authorisation from India or the community and without compensation, and claims it as an invention (1 mark).
- (b) Industrialised nations are financially rich but poor in biodiversity and traditional knowledge; developing nations are rich in both, which can save firms time and money in commercialisation (1 mark).
- (c) Document traditional knowledge so it counts as prior knowledge against patents; enforce patent laws (such as the amended Indian Patents Act) requiring permission and benefit sharing; challenge wrong patents, as in basmati and turmeric (2 marks).
Answer: Unauthorised, uncompensated use; resource imbalance; document knowledge, enforce laws, contest patents.
Where students lose marks in Biodiversity Conservation and Biopiracy
The slips examiners see most often, and what to write instead.
Mistake: Missing key words in biopiracy
In 2025 examiners reported that candidates left out authorisation, patenting and permission, gave a wrong definition, or confused biopatent with biopiracy.
Do this: Write 'without authorisation and without compensation' and give an example.
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Mistake: Wrong year or agenda for the Earth Summit
In 2025 examiners saw guessed years and vague agendas, or global warming introduced wrongly.
Do this: Rio de Janeiro, 1992: conservation of biodiversity and its sustainable use.
Usually costs: 1 mark each part.
Mistake: Misunderstanding the Red Data Book
Examiners (2025) noted the wrong option chosen for its purpose and advised that endangered species are listed in it, not general conservation methods.
Do this: It documents threatened species to guide conservation.
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Mistake: Classifying sacred groves or seed banks wrongly
Sacred groves are in situ; seed banks are ex situ.
Do this: Ask: is the species still in its own habitat?
Usually costs: 1 mark.
Exam tips
- Learn one Indian example for each in situ category.
- Keep a timeline: Ramsar 1971, Earth Summit 1992, Johannesburg 2002.
- Give hotspot criteria (richness and endemism) before naming them.
- Use 'IUCN' with the Red Data Book.
- For biopiracy, mention basmati (1997) or turmeric and neem.
Practice questions on Biodiversity Conservation and Biopiracy
Write each answer on paper first. Open the hint only if you are stuck, and the answer only when you have finished.
Q1 · 1 mark · MCQBoard level
Which of these is an ex situ method of conservation?
(a) sacred grove (b) biosphere reserve (c) seed bank (d) wildlife sanctuaryHint
Outside the habitat.
Answer
(c) seed bank.
Q2 · 2 marks · Short answerBoard level
What are sacred groves? Name two regions of India where they are found.
Hint
Religious protection.
Answer
Tracts of forest set aside for religious or cultural reasons, where all trees and wildlife are venerated and fully protected. Found in the Khasi and Jaintia Hills (Meghalaya) and the Aravalli Hills (Rajasthan) (also Western Ghats of Karnataka and Maharashtra; Sarguja, Chanda, Bastar).
Q3 · 1 mark · Assertion-reasonHarder board level
Assertion (A): Cryopreservation is an ex situ method of conservation.
Reason (R): In cryopreservation, gametes of threatened species are kept viable and fertile for long periods at very low temperatures.
(a) Both A and R are true and R is the correct explanation of A.
(b) Both A and R are true but R is not the correct explanation of A.
(c) A is true but R is false.
(d) A is false but R is true.Hint
Off-site storage.
Answer
(a).
Q4 · 2 marks · Short answerHarder board level
Name the three zones of a biosphere reserve and the activity allowed in each.
Hint
Core outwards.
Answer
Core zone: no human activity; buffer zone: limited activities such as research and education; transition zone: human settlements and sustainable use.
Q5 · 2 marks · Short answerHarder board level
Distinguish between a biopatent and biopiracy.
Hint
Legal right versus unauthorised use.
Answer
A biopatent is an exclusive legal right granted for a biological entity, product or process. Biopiracy is the use of a country's bio-resources or traditional knowledge without authorisation and without compensation, often by obtaining such patents unfairly.
Q6 · 2 marks · Short answerHarder board level
Why is in situ conservation generally preferred, and when is ex situ conservation essential?
Hint
Whole ecosystem.
Answer
In situ conservation protects the whole ecosystem, saving biodiversity at all levels and the interactions species need. Ex situ conservation is essential when a species is endangered or threatened and needs urgent protection, or is extinct in the wild.
Q7 · 3 marks · Short answerHOTS / competency
Suppose a tiger reserve's core is being fragmented by roads and villages. Explain two problems this causes for tigers and suggest two in situ and one ex situ measure.
Hint
Large territories.
Answer
Problems: tigers need large territories, so fragments cannot support enough animals; isolated small populations lose genetic diversity and meet more conflict with people. In situ: create wildlife corridors linking fragments; strictly protect the core and relocate settlements to the transition zone with community support. Ex situ: captive breeding in zoos (or cryopreserved gametes) as a genetic back-up for reintroduction.
Q8 · 3 marks · Case-basedHOTS / competency
Read and answer.
Suppose a quiz card says: 'Held in 1992 at Rio de Janeiro; called on all nations to conserve biodiversity and use it sustainably.'
(a) Name the event. (1)
(b) Name the follow-up summit, its place and year. (1)
(c) What target did 190 countries pledge at the follow-up? (1)Hint
Convention on Biological Diversity.
Answer
(a) The Earth Summit (Convention on Biological Diversity). (b) World Summit on Sustainable Development, Johannesburg, South Africa, 2002. (c) To cut the rate of biodiversity loss significantly by 2010, globally, regionally and locally.
Test your recall
Answer in your head or on paper first, then open the card. Pulling an answer out of memory makes it stick far better than re-reading.
1.How many biodiversity hotspots are there in the world?Show answer
34.
2.Name a sacred grove region of Meghalaya.Show answer
Khasi and Jaintia Hills.
3.Where was the World Summit on Sustainable Development held?Show answer
Johannesburg, South Africa (2002).
4.Who maintains the Red Data Book?Show answer
The IUCN.
5.Name two ex situ methods.Show answer
Seed banks and cryopreservation (also zoos, botanical gardens, tissue culture).
6.Which Indian rice was involved in a biopiracy case?Show answer
Basmati.
Biodiversity Conservation and Biopiracy: frequently asked questions
What is the difference between in situ and ex situ conservation?
In situ conservation protects species in their natural habitat; ex situ conservation protects them outside it, in zoos, gardens, seed banks or as cryopreserved gametes.
What is biopiracy?
The use of a country's bio-resources or traditional knowledge by companies or organisations without authorisation and without compensation, such as the basmati patent.
What was the Earth Summit?
The Convention on Biological Diversity held at Rio de Janeiro in 1992, which called on nations to conserve biodiversity and use it sustainably.
What is the purpose of the Red Data Book?
To list and document species at risk of extinction so that conservation can be prioritised.
Which biodiversity hotspots are in India?
Western Ghats and Sri Lanka, Indo-Burma, and the Himalaya.