Challenges in ex-situ conservation
Species conserved in ex-situ sites face some challenges. These include separation from the conditions in their natural habitats, competition with species of the new habitats, predation etc. The information below provides somes facts on the issue.
| Release date | 07/05/2015 |
|---|---|
| Contributor | Alhassan Adamu Labaran |
| Geographical coverage | Ghana, |
| Keywords | ex-situ, conservation, challenges, |
Species conserved in ex-situ programmes in Ghana are inevitably separated from the conditions in their natural habitats such as the prevailing weather conditions, predation and interaction with other species. This may have serious evolutionary implications and consequently make reintroduction of the affected species into their natural habitats very difficult to achieve. However, ex-situ conservation can prevent the immediate extinction of species. It can contribute to a rapid increase in the number of individuals in a population and thus help to protect their genetic diversity. It can also provide additional opportunities for interactive management programmes e.g. reintroduction and restocking of species. Finally, ex-situ conservation can provide opportunities for education and research beneficial to the species concerned. Ex-situ conservation centres are challenged to produce viable populations of endangered species wildlife to replenish the stock in the wild.