Question

(a) What are the two types of desirable approaches to conserve biodiversity? Explain with example bringing out the difference between the two types.
(b) What is the association between the bumblebee and its favourite orchid Ophrys? How would extinction or change of one affect the other?

Answer 1

Hint: Conservation of biodiversity is the protection and care of the biodiversity and natural resources to maintain the harmony of the biosphere of the earth that is responsible for life on earth. The relation between a bumblebee and orchid Ophrys show co-evolution and establish a mutual relationship.

Complete answer: (a) The conservation is broadly divided into two types such as ex-situ conservation and in-situ conservation on the basis of biodiversity.
1. Ex-situ conservation is the conservation of nature and natural resources into the controlled environment or in the laboratory, which is continuously monitored. For example- Botanical garden (plant are preserved in the artificial garden), zoological park(wild animal are the bread and protect in an artificial environment to educate the people and study purpose), gene bank ( maintain the viable stock of seeds), cryopreservation (conserve the germplasm or seed, the tissue under low temperature in liquid nitrogen), orchards (plant and their recalcitrant seed grown in an orchard with all varieties).
2. In-situ:- It is the process of conservation of the whole ecosystem and biodiversity and their resources in their natural habitat by establishing the national park, wildlife park, hot spot, sanctuaries, and biosphere reserves.
-National park:- The preserve is maintained by the government for the betterment of wildlife and anthropogenic activity like cultivation, grazing, and forestry are not allowed.
-Hot spot:- This is the area of highly endemic species of plant and animal, it is marked as a protected area.
-Sanctuaries:- It is the tract of land with or without a water body, where animals take refuge without being hunted.
-Biosphere reserves:- It is large which is marked for the protection of wildlife and it is divided into three zones such as core, buffer, and transition zone, on the basis of activity that are allowed.
(b). The association between the bumblebee and its favourite orchid Ophrys plant represents the mutual relation (commensalism), orchid show diversity of floral pattern and most of them evolved to attract the pollinators insects like bees and other small insects, which ensure the pollination. If the change is occurring in the colour of the female bee will reduce the pollination. If one of them becomes extinct it will lead to the co-extinction of both of them.

Note: Conservation is some kind of sustainable management practice which is implemented by many countries by the UN to get the target to maintain the viability of the natural resource and to meet the need of the current generation to compromise the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.