In-situ conservation in India

In-situ conservation is the on-site conservation or the conservation of genetic resources in natural populations of plant or animal species, such as forest genetic resources in natural populations of Teagan species. This process protects the inhabitants and ensures the sustainability of the environment and ecosystem. About 4% of the total geographical area of the country is used for in situ conservation. The following methods are presently used for in situ conservation. Biosphere reserves cover very large areas, often more than 5000 km2. They are used to protect species for a long time. Currently, there are 18 Biosphere Reserves in India. A national park is an area dedicated for the conservation of wildlife along with its environment. A national park is an area which is used to conserve scenery, natural and historical objects. It is usually a small reserve covering an area of about 100 to 500 square kilometers. Within biosphere reserves, one or more national parks may also exist. Currently, there are 103 national parks in India. A wildlife sanctuary is an area which is reserved for the conservation of animals only. Currently, there are 551 wildlife sanctuaries in India. According to Conservation international, to qualify as a hotspot a region must meet two strict criteria: it must contain at least 1,500 species of vascular plants (∆ 0.5% of the world's total) as endemics, it has to have lost at least 70% of its original habitat. A gene sanctuary is an area where plants are conserved. It includes both biosphere reserves as well as national parks. India has set up its first gene sanctuary in the Garo Hills of Meghalaya for wild relatives of citrus. Efforts are also being made to set up gene sanctuaries for banana, sugarcane, rice and mango. It is the type of protected area introduced in Wildlife Protection Amendment Act 2002 to provide legal support to community or privately owned reserves which cannot be designated as national park or wildlife sanctuary. They are tracts of forest set aside where all the trees and wildlife within are venerated and given total protection.