Question

Which one of the following is an example ex-situ conservation?

• A. National park
• B. Wildlife sanctuary
• C. Seed bank
• D. Sacred groves

Answer 1

The correct option is C Seed bank

A seed bank (also seedbank or seeds bank) stores seeds as a source for planting in case seed reserves elsewhere are destroyed. It is a type of gene bank. The seeds stored may be food crops, or those of rare species to protect biodiversity. The reasons for storing seeds may be varied. In the case of food crops, many useful plants, that were developed over centuries are now no longer used for commercial agricultural production and are becoming rare. Storing seeds also guards against catastrophic events like natural disasters, outbreaks of disease, or war.

Unlike seed libraries or seed swaps, that encourage frequent reuse and sharing of seeds, seed banks are not typically open to the public. This is an example of ex-situ conservation.

Ex situ conservation is the conservation and maintenance of samples of living organisms outside their natural habitat, in the form of whole plants, seed, pollen, vegetative propagules, tissue or cell cultures.