Ex-situ conservation

Question 1

what is the difference between in-situ and ex-situ conservation

Answer 1

in= conservation of species on site such as in the wild
ex= conservation off site such as in captivity

Question 2

compare in and exitu conservation

Answer 2

in gives biodiversity and the greatest chance of long term persistence but sole reliance in insufficient for protection due to too much habitat destruction, fragmentation and degradation. In order to prevent a species and all of its genetic diversity from going extinct they may need to be maintained in artificial environments

Question 3

give some examples of ex-situ conservation facilities

Answer 3

1) gene banks and seed banks
2) Zoos, safari parks and aquaria

Question 4

outline how gene and seed banks can be used for ex-situ conservation

Answer 4

gene/seed banks are biorepositories which preserve genetic material for animals. They collect and hold tissues, cells and gametes of endangered species for long periods of times which can be used later to assist with reproduction through tech such as AI, invitro fertilisation and cloning

Question 5

outline the evolution of zoos, safari parks and aquaria through time to now

Answer 5

5th-18th centenary= menageries that put animals on display, first for royalty and then general public
18th-20th centaury= evolved into zoological parks that had a dual purpose of entertainment and research
2015- world zoo conservation strategy published which called zoos etc to morph into conservation centres to address sustainable relationships between humans and animals

Question 6

outline some regulations zoos and aquaria must follow in the UK

Answer 6

Zoo licensing act 1981= defines a zoo as collectin of non-domestic animals open to public 7+days a year
= all zoos need a licence and regular formal and informal inspections
= must have one of the following conservation requirements:
- keep animals in an enviro suitable to their species
- do as much as possible to stop animals escaping
- stop pests and vermin getting in
- keep records of zoo collection
- help educate
- conservation research or training
- sharing conservation info
- breeding wild animals in captivity
- repopulate an area or reintroduce a species into the wild

Question 7

outline what BIAZA is

Answer 7

British and irish association of zoos and aquariums
a professional body with over 100 members which is awarded to zoos who undertake significant work in the fields of animal welfare, conservation, education and research
e.g. folly farm, manor wildlife park

Question 8

what does BIAZA provide

Answer 8

specialist advice
husbandry resources
focus groups
conferences
communications with government on welfare and regulations

Question 9

compare regulations EAZA ad WAZA

Question 10

give examples of what zoos do

Answer 10

1) Education
2) Research
3) Ex-situ conservation

Question 11

outline what zoos do for education

Answer 11

there is lots of potential for zoos to educate public on the importance of conservation with more people seen going to zoos that the worlds top 10 sporting leagues e.g. by using signs and info, visitor talks and direct contact with animals

Question 12

outline how effective zoos are at educating the public

Answer 12

found that post visit to a zoo the public felt they had an increased understanding of biodiversity and knowledge of actions to help protect biodiversity however more could be learnt by seeing species in authentic environments and conditions

Question 13

what research do zoos do

Answer 13

research on behaviour, welfare, husbandry, endocrinology, captive breeding improvements, conservation genetics and vetinary

Question 14

what are the different ways zoos can perform ex-situ conservation

Answer 14

1) captive breeding = maintaining reproducing populations of plants and animals in artifical environments e.g. Pere Davids deer

2) Hand rearing and cross fostering= useful when parenting problems e.g. double clutching birds

3) AI/ IVF = species that lose interest in mating in captivity can transport sperm to maintain genetic diversity. Can use surrogate mothers e.g. young bondo and surgoate mother of eland species

Question 15

what are some issues which can be faced a s a result of ex-situ breeding

Answer 15

1) genetic issues= low genetic diversity, inbreeding, outbreeding and hybridisation
= all common in small populations resulting in loss of biological fitness
e.g. Bornean and Sumtran orangutang hybrids dont live as long

2) Adaptation to captive environment = physiological or behavioural e.g. oldfield mice less responsive to predators

3) high cost= large mammals are up to 50 times more expensive that in-situ conservation of same species but they also generate more revenue

Question 16

what is outbreeding

Answer 16

occurs when organisms mate with genetically unrelated individuals causing reduction in fitness due to sexual incompatibility or chromosomal differences

Question 17

what are some solutions to genetic issues associated with ex-situ conservations

Answer 17

1) database with info on each individual e.g. species 360 and ZIMS
2) Stud books which record pedigrees/parentage
3) genotyping can be conducted to find suitbale pairs
4) minimise number of generations in captivity
5) use sperm from wild populations

Question 18

what are some solutions to species becoming adapted to captivity in ex-situ conservation

Answer 18

1) environmental enrichment/naturalistic conditions
2) behavioural training
3) pre-release testing= only release individuals most likely to survive
e.g. califonria condor hatchlings imprinted on human keepers but are now fed using condor puppets and kept from seeing human visitors so they identify with their own species

Question 19

how do existu conservation strategies re-establish wild populations

Answer 19

introductions= re-establish a population into their original habitat/range
reinforcements = augmentation of an endangered population into increase size or genetic diversity

aided by soft release = providing care during acclimatisation and under harsh conditions

Question 20

how well do zoos target endangered species

Question 21

how can we use behaviour to measure welfare

Answer 21

body language tell us how the species may feel
- aggressive vs distressed vs happy facial expressions

Question 22

what can we use ethograms for

Answer 22

Can compare captive to wild. But
Wild data not available for many species
Behaviour in the wild can vary within and between populations
Not all differences indicate poor welfare in captivity (e.g. absence of anti-predator behaviour)
Can compare different rearing conditions
Can get an idea of behaviour based on ecology & natural history

Question 23

what is stereotyping

Answer 23

repetitive behaviour with no goal such as pacing or licking= behavioural indication of welfare

Question 24

what are some solution for species less suited to captivity e.g. species with large home ranges

Answer 24

environmental enrichment
- feeding
- sensory
- environmental complexity

training for shows can be enriching as well as having educational values

= reduced aggression, promotes fitness but may lose novelty over time

Question 25

how can visitors and keeper behaviours impact animal behaviour

Answer 25

Feeding by visitors – can induce excessive begging behaviour
Imitation of calls / behaviours can cause stress
Many species don’t like eye contact
but some species may find it enriching

Question 26

what are some solutions to the effects visitors or keeper behaviours on animals

Answer 26

Need to think about viewpoints into enclosures – screening & positioning
Out of sight areas
Keepers – consider how animals communicate (e.g. using chimpanzee gestures increased positive behaviours)