In-situ Conservation (National Parks, Sanctuaries, Biosphere Reserves)

Attempt the quiz above first, then review every question with its correct answer and a short explanation below.

1. Q1.Conserving an endangered animal or plant species by protecting its entire natural habitat is referred to as:

   • A.Ex-situ conservation
   • B.In-situ (On-site) conservation✓ Correct Answer
   • C.Off-site preservation
   • D.Cryopreservation

   Explanation: NCERT Class 12 Biology Chapter 15 states: 'When we conserve and protect the whole ecosystem, its biodiversity at all levels is protected - we save the forest to save the tiger. This approach is called in-situ (on-site) conservation.'

2. Q2.Which of the following zones of a Biosphere Reserve is legally protected and completely free from any human interference?

   • A.Buffer Zone
   • B.Core Zone✓ Correct Answer
   • C.Transition Zone
   • D.Restoration Zone

   Explanation: A Biosphere Reserve is divided into three zones: (1) Core Zone: The innermost legally protected area where no human activity is allowed. (2) Buffer Zone: Surrounds core, used for limited research and education. (3) Transition Zone: Outer zone where settlements, farming, and community cooperation are permitted.

3. Q3.How many Biosphere Reserves, National Parks, and Wildlife Sanctuaries were historically designated in India as per NCERT Class 12 Biology baseline?

   • A.14 Biosphere Reserves, 90 National Parks, and 448 Wildlife Sanctuaries✓ Correct Answer
   • B.18 Biosphere Reserves, 106 National Parks, and 567 Wildlife Sanctuaries
   • C.10 Biosphere Reserves, 50 National Parks, and 200 Wildlife Sanctuaries
   • D.5 Biosphere Reserves, 20 National Parks, and 100 Wildlife Sanctuaries

   Explanation: NCERT Class 12 Biology, Chapter 15 explicitly states: 'In India, ecologically unique and biodiversity-rich regions are legally protected as biosphere reserves, national parks and sanctuaries. India now has 14 biosphere reserves, 90 national parks and 448 wildlife sanctuaries.' (Note: Current administrative numbers are higher, but this is the NCERT baseline).

4. Q4.Which of the following is the first National Park established in India, initially known as Hailey National Park?

   • A.Kaziranga National Park
   • B.Jim Corbett National Park✓ Correct Answer
   • C.Gir National Park
   • D.Kanha National Park

   Explanation: Jim Corbett National Park, located in Uttarakhand, was established in 1936 as Hailey National Park to protect the endangered Bengal tiger. It is India's oldest national park.

5. Q5.What is the primary difference between a National Park and a Wildlife Sanctuary in India?

   • A.National Parks are run by private companies, while sanctuaries are government-run.
   • B.Human activities like grazing and timber collection are completely prohibited in National Parks, whereas limited human activities may be allowed in Sanctuaries.✓ Correct Answer
   • C.Sanctuaries protect only plants, whereas National Parks protect only animals.
   • D.There is no legal difference between them.

   Explanation: National Parks have a higher degree of protection. No human activities (grazing, timber harvesting, cultivation, private land rights) are allowed in National Parks. In contrast, in Wildlife Sanctuaries, limited human activities like collecting minor forest products or grazing may be permitted by the Chief Wildlife Warden as long as they do not interfere with wildlife conservation.

6. Q6.Which of the following was the first Biosphere Reserve established in India in 1986 under the UNESCO Man and Biosphere (MAB) program?

   • A.Sundarbans Biosphere Reserve
   • B.Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve✓ Correct Answer
   • C.Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve
   • D.Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve

   Explanation: The Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve, spanning parts of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Karnataka in the Western Ghats, was the first biosphere reserve established in India in September 1986.

7. Q7.UNESCO's 'Man and the Biosphere' (MAB) Programme, which initiated the global network of Biosphere Reserves, was launched in which year?

   • A.1968
   • B.1971✓ Correct Answer
   • C.1986
   • D.1992

   Explanation: UNESCO's MAB Programme was launched in 1971. It is an intergovernmental scientific program aiming to establish a scientific basis for the improvement of relationships between people and their environments.

8. Q8.Which of the following in-situ conservation areas of Madhya Pradesh is famous for protecting the endangered Swamp Deer (Barasingha), saved through successful conservation?

   • A.Bandhavgarh National Park
   • B.Kanha National Park✓ Correct Answer
   • C.Panna National Park
   • D.Satpura National Park

   Explanation: Kanha National Park is famous for saving the Central Indian Swamp Deer (Barasingha, Rucervus duvaucelii branderi) from near extinction. It is also well known for its tiger population.

9. Q9.In India, the Sarguja, Chanda, and Bastar areas of Madhya Pradesh/Chhattisgarh are famous examples of which in-situ conservation tradition?

   • A.Biosphere reserves under UNESCO
   • B.Sacred Groves✓ Correct Answer
   • C.National Parks and sanctuaries
   • D.Botanical gardens

   Explanation: NCERT Class 12 Biology mentions: 'Sacred groves are found in Khasi and Jaintia Hills in Meghalaya, Aravalli Hills of Rajasthan, Western Ghat regions of Karnataka and Maharashtra and the Sarguja, Chanda and Bastar areas of Madhya Pradesh.'

10. Q10.Which Biosphere Reserve in India is famous for its unique mangrove ecosystem and is also a Tiger Reserve?

    • A.Manas Biosphere Reserve
    • B.Sundarbans Biosphere Reserve✓ Correct Answer
    • C.Similipal Biosphere Reserve
    • D.Nokrek Biosphere Reserve

    Explanation: The Sundarbans Biosphere Reserve in West Bengal is the largest deltaic mangrove forest in the world and serves as a crucial habitat for the Bengal Tiger. It is a National Park, Tiger Reserve, and Biosphere Reserve (NCERT Geography).

11. Q11.Which of the following is NOT an in-situ conservation strategy?

    • A.Biosphere Reserve
    • B.Botanical Garden✓ Correct Answer
    • C.National Park
    • D.Wildlife Sanctuary

    Explanation: NCERT Chapter 15 divides conservation strategies into In-situ (National Parks, Biosphere Reserves, Sanctuaries, Sacred Groves) and Ex-situ (Botanical Gardens, Zoological Parks, Wildlife Safari Parks, Gene Banks). Botanical gardens conserve plants outside their natural habitats, making them ex-situ.

12. Q12.The concept of 'Project Tiger', one of India's most successful in-situ species recovery programs, was launched in which year?

    • A.1972
    • B.1973✓ Correct Answer
    • C.1986
    • D.1992

    Explanation: Project Tiger was launched by the Government of India on April 1, 1973, from Jim Corbett National Park. It aims to ensure a viable population of Bengal tigers in their natural habitats.

13. Q13.Which of the following National Parks is situated in the Western Ghats (Kerala) and is famous for protecting the unique evergreen rainforest habitat and Lion-tailed Macaque?

    • A.Periyar National Park
    • B.Silent Valley National Park✓ Correct Answer
    • C.Eravikulam National Park
    • D.Bandipur National Park

    Explanation: Silent Valley National Park is located in the Nilgiri Hills, Palakkad district, Kerala. It is one of the last undisturbed tracts of South Western Ghats mountain rain forests and is home to the endangered Lion-tailed Macaque.

14. Q14.Project Elephant, a major in-situ conservation initiative of the Government of India to protect wild Asiatic elephants, was launched in which year?

    • A.1973
    • B.1986
    • C.1992✓ Correct Answer
    • D.2000

    Explanation: Project Elephant was launched in February 1992 by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, to provide financial and technical support to major elephant-bearing states in the country.

15. Q15.Which of the following in-situ protected areas in Assam is famous for harboring the world's largest population of the Great Indian One-horned Rhinoceros?

    • A.Manas National Park
    • B.Kaziranga National Park✓ Correct Answer
    • C.Dibru-Saikhowa National Park
    • D.Orang National Park

    Explanation: Kaziranga National Park in Assam is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that hosts two-thirds of the world's great one-horned rhinoceroses. It is a highly successful in-situ conservation area.

16. Q16.The outer zone of a Biosphere Reserve, where local human settlements are allowed to farm, graze livestock, and co-manage resources with authorities, is the:

    • A.Buffer Zone
    • B.Transition Zone (Manipulation zone)✓ Correct Answer
    • C.Core Zone
    • D.Restricted Zone

    Explanation: The transition zone (or manipulation zone) is the outermost part of a Biosphere Reserve. It is an area of co-operation where human activities such as settlements, agriculture, managed forests, and recreation are carried out in harmony with conservation goals.

17. Q17.Which of the following categories of protected areas was introduced in India's Wildlife Protection Act through the 2002 amendment, allowing local communities to co-manage habitats without losing traditional rights?

    • A.National Parks and sanctuaries
    • B.Conservation Reserves and Community Reserves✓ Correct Answer
    • C.Biosphere Reserves
    • D.Sacred Groves

    Explanation: The Wildlife Protection Amendment Act, 2002, introduced two new categories of protected areas: Conservation Reserves (on government-owned land adjacent to national parks/sanctuaries) and Community Reserves (on private or community lands) to involve local communities in in-situ conservation.

18. Q18.The Great Indian Bustard (Ardeotis nigriceps), a critically endangered bird species, is conserved in-situ primarily in which protected area in India?

    • A.Desert National Park, Rajasthan✓ Correct Answer
    • B.Jim Corbett National Park, Uttarakhand
    • C.Keoladeo Ghana National Park, Rajasthan
    • D.Gir National Park, Gujarat

    Explanation: The Great Indian Bustard is a large, ground-dwelling bird. Its largest remaining population is conserved in-situ within the Desert National Park near Jaisalmer/Barmer in Rajasthan, which protects its grassland-desert scrub habitat.

19. Q19.Under the Indian Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, which schedule originally provided absolute protection to endangered fauna (like Tiger, Lion-tailed Macaque, and Rhinoceros), carrying the harshest penalties?

    • A.Schedule I✓ Correct Answer
    • B.Schedule V
    • C.Schedule VI
    • D.Schedule IV

    Explanation: Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, lists endangered species that need rigorous protection. Offenses against these species attract the maximum penalties and prison sentences.

20. Q20.Which of the following Biosphere Reserves in India is located in the Eastern Himalayas, famous for its red pandas and pitcher plants?

    • A.Nilgiri
    • B.Nokrek (Meghalaya)✓ Correct Answer
    • C.Pachmarhi
    • D.Great Nicobar

    Explanation: Nokrek Biosphere Reserve is located in the Garo Hills of Meghalaya. It is a hotspot of citrus genetic diversity and provides a key habitat for the endangered Red Panda and insectivorous Nepenthes khasiana (pitcher plant).