Biology • Year 11 • Module 4 • Lesson 22
Conservation: Strategies, Ethics and Australian Case Studies
Lock in the vocabulary of in-situ and ex-situ conservation, recall the key Australian case studies, and map the connections between strategies, threats, and recovery outcomes.
1. Term–definition match
The ten definitions below are shuffled. In the right-hand column write the matching term from this list: in-situ conservation, ex-situ conservation, national park, wildlife corridor, threat abatement, captive breeding, seed bank, CITES, CBD, restoration ecology. 10 marks
| # | Definition (shuffled) | Matching term |
|---|---|---|
| 1.1 | Protecting a species within its natural habitat — the preferred approach because it preserves whole ecosystems and evolutionary processes. | |
| 1.2 | Protecting a species outside its natural habitat, used as a safety net when in-situ options are insufficient. | |
| 1.3 | A legally protected area of land managed primarily for conservation; Australia has over 500, covering roughly 14% of land area. | |
| 1.4 | A strip of habitat linking isolated patches to allow gene flow, recolonisation and seasonal migration; example: Gondwana Link. | |
| 1.5 | Directly reducing the specific pressures that suppress a population — such as predator baiting, fencing, weed removal or cultural burning. | |
| 1.6 | Maintaining insurance populations of endangered species in zoos or sanctuaries, using studbooks to minimise inbreeding. | |
| 1.7 | A facility that dries, freezes and stores seeds for decades as insurance against plant species loss; example: Australian PlantBank. | |
| 1.8 | The international treaty that regulates trade in wildlife and wildlife products through three appendices ranked by threat level. | |
| 1.9 | The broader international treaty covering conservation, sustainable use, and benefit-sharing from genetic resources (30% land/sea by 2030 target). | |
| 1.10 | The active repair of degraded ecosystems through revegetation, erosion control and reintroduction of locally extinct species. |
2. True or false — with correction
For each statement, circle T or F. If the statement is false, write the corrected version on the line provided. 10 marks (1 T/F + 1 correction where needed)
2.1 In-situ conservation is preferred over ex-situ conservation because it preserves entire ecosystems and evolutionary processes. T / F
2.2 The eastern barred bandicoot was reclassified from Extinct in the Wild to Endangered in 2021 — a historic first for an Australian mammal. T / F
2.3 CITES protects habitat by restricting the amount of land that can be cleared for agriculture. T / F
2.4 The corroboree frog was reduced to fewer than 100 wild individuals by chytrid fungus, and a captive population of over 2,000 is now held at Taronga Zoo. T / F
2.5 Captive breeding eliminates all genetic risk because studbooks track the pedigree of every individual. T / F
3. Cloze paragraph — fill the blanks
Complete the paragraph using terms from the word bank below. Each term is used once. 10 marks
Conservation strategies are broadly divided into conservation (protecting species within their natural habitat) and conservation (maintaining populations outside natural habitat). In-situ is preferred because it preserves entire . Where populations are too small or threats too severe, programs maintain an population to prevent . The eastern barred bandicoot recovery combined both: a captive program preserved the species, while — in-situ — excluded from fenced reserves and allowed of individuals into managed habitat.
4. Function recall
Answer each in 1–2 sentences using precise terms from the lesson. 8 marks (2 each)
4.1 What is the function of wildlife corridors in a fragmented landscape?
4.2 What is the function of a no-take zone within a marine protected area?
4.3 What is the function of a studbook in a captive breeding program?
4.4 Why is ex-situ conservation considered a last resort rather than the default strategy?
5. Build a concept map
Draw labelled arrows between the six terms below to show how they connect. Each arrow must carry a linking phrase (e.g. "is a type of", "reduces", "enables", "requires"). Aim for at least 6 labelled arrows. 6 marks
Supplied terms: biodiversity loss • in-situ conservation • ex-situ conservation • threat abatement • captive breeding • reintroduction.
Q1 — Term–definition matches (10 marks)
1.1 in-situ conservation • 1.2 ex-situ conservation • 1.3 national park • 1.4 wildlife corridor • 1.5 threat abatement • 1.6 captive breeding • 1.7 seed bank • 1.8 CITES • 1.9 CBD • 1.10 restoration ecology.
1 mark per correct match.
Q2 — True / false with correction (10 marks)
2.1 True.
2.2 True.
2.3 False. Correction: CITES regulates international trade in wildlife and wildlife products; it does not protect habitat and has no control over land clearing.
2.4 True.
2.5 False. Correction: studbooks track pedigree to minimise inbreeding, but they cannot eliminate all genetic risk; small captive populations still lose diversity through genetic drift over generations.
1 mark for each correct T/F identification; 1 mark for each correct correction (false statements only).
Q3 — Cloze paragraph (10 marks)
In order: in-situ / ex-situ / ecosystems / captive breeding / insurance / extinction / predator-proof / threat abatement / foxes / reintroduction.
1 mark per correct blank.
Q4.1 — Function of wildlife corridors (2 marks)
Wildlife corridors connect isolated habitat patches in a fragmented landscape, enabling gene flow between populations, recolonisation of patches after local extinction, and seasonal migration [1]. Without corridors, isolated populations face increased inbreeding and local-extinction risk [1].
Q4.2 — Function of a no-take zone (2 marks)
A no-take zone bans fishing and other extractive activities within a designated area of a marine protected area [1]. This allows fish populations to recover, and biomass "spills over" into adjacent fished areas, supporting fisheries outside the zone [1].
Q4.3 — Function of a studbook (2 marks)
A studbook tracks the pedigree of every individual in a captive breeding population across facilities and generations [1]. Managers use this to plan matings that minimise inbreeding and maintain genetic diversity in the insurance population [1].
Q4.4 — Why ex-situ is a last resort (2 marks)
Ex-situ conservation saves the target species but not its ecological context, and it is expensive per individual while carrying risks such as adaptation to captivity and genetic drift [1]. It is therefore reserved for species that are too small, too threatened, or whose habitat is gone — cases where in-situ protection alone cannot keep them alive [1].
Q5 — Sample concept map (6 marks)
A correct map should include arrows such as:
- biodiversity loss —is addressed by→ in-situ conservation
- biodiversity loss —is addressed by→ ex-situ conservation
- in-situ conservation —includes→ threat abatement
- ex-situ conservation —includes→ captive breeding
- captive breeding —enables→ reintroduction
- reintroduction —requires→ threat abatement (predator control / fencing)
Any biologically valid linking phrases are accepted. Award 1 mark per correctly labelled, directionally appropriate arrow, up to 6 marks.