maintaining biodiversity Flashcards
What is conservation?
the name given to the preservation and careful management of the environment and of natural resources increases organisms chances of survival are maintained by conserving the natural habitat
What is sustainable development?
economic development that meets the needs of people today, without limiting the ability of future generations to meet their needs
What is In Situ conservation?
conservation that takes place inside the organisms natural habitat
What are the advantages of In Situ conservation?
maintains genetic diversity
enables evolutionary adaptations to continue, adapt to changes in the environment such as pesst populations or climate
preserves the interdependant relationships present in a habitat
What are the advantages of a wildlife reserve?
controlled grazing - control number of animals in a habitat to conserve it
restricting human access - plants trampled, animals disrupted
controlling poaches - defences such as fines
feeding animals to ensure they reach reproductive age
removing invasive species which effect economy, environment or health
What is Ex Situ conservation?
removal of organisms from their natural habitat
usually used in addition to In Situ methods
What are the methods of conserving plant life?
botanic gardens:
- endangered species grown in gardens
- provided with the best resources to grow
- potential sources of genes, containing resistance to diseases, pests and parasites
seed banks:
- so plants can be grown in the future
- kept in -20ºC to maintain their ability to germinate
How are animals conserved?
captive breeding programmes
produce stable and healthy populations and then gradually reintroduce them to the wild
provide them with shelter, food, no predators, and vetenary treatment
can be provided with a mate or semen
maintaing genetic diversity is difficult - transport of animals to different organisations and sharing semen samples
Why is it not always suitable to release a captive animal into the wild?
disease - may be a loss in resistance to local disease, new diseases may have developed
behaviour - some behaviour is learned through copying or experience, unable to get food and they have no concept of how to get it
genetic races - genes have became so different they are unable to interbreed
habitat - natural habitat must be restored to allow captive populations to be reintroduced
What are the Internation Union for the Conservation of Nature?
assist in securing agreements between nations
publishes information of the current conservation status of threatened animals
aims to get countries to work together to conserve the species
involved in the establishment of the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species (CITIES)
What does CITES stand for? What was agreed?
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species
regulates trades trade of wild plant and animals specimens and their produces
international cooperation to prevent over-explotation and safeguard certain species
What was agreed in the Rio Convention?
aka Earth summit
Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) - requires contries to develop national strategies for sustainable development, thus ensuring the maintanence of biodiversity
United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change - agreement between nations to take steps to stabalise greenhouse gas concentrations within the atmosphere
combat deforestation - prevent the transformation of fertile land into desert
What is teh Countryside Stewardship Scheme?
offered Govermental payments to farmers and other land managers to enhance and conserve the English landscape
sustaining diversity
extending and improving wildlife habitats
restoring neglected land and conserving histroical features
improving opportunities for countryside enjoyment
Why is ex situ conservation sometimes necessary?
- low reproduction in wild
- natural habitat under threat due to climate change/human activity etc
- maintain gene pool
- protection from predators/herbivoer(for plant species)
- protection from pathogen
- low natural numbers
Why is conseving plant species as seeds rather than adult plants advantageous?
- collect with minimal damage to natural habitat
- large number stored
- store greater genetic diversity
- less maintenace cost
- easy to transport
- viable for long periods
- less vulnerable to disease or environmental change
- prevent fertilisation from unwanted pollen
