Conservation

Question 1

Define biological conservation

Answer 1

“Maintain the diversity of living organisms, their habitats and the inter-relationships between organisms and their environment”.

Question 2

What does the state of the worlds plants report warn?

Answer 2

The report warns that 21% of plants are at risk of extinction, with threats including climate change, habitat loss, disease and invasive species.

Question 3

What is CITES?

Answer 3

The Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora.

International agreement between governments.

To ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.
5,600 species of animals and 30,000 species of plants are protected by CITES against over-exploitation through international trade

Question 4

How biodiversity is responding to these changes?

Answer 4

1) Extinction
2) Phenological changes (Behavioural changes)
3) Migration
4) Acclimation of physiology
5) Rapid evolutionary adaptation

Question 5

Evaluated the magnitude of phenological response to climate change
What happens if you are timing is off?

Answer 5

The gap between arrival/emergence and when food is available has increased.
This will increase mortality and reduce clutch/litter size.

Question 6

Conservation United Nations Conference Convention on Biological Diversity (1992, CBD).
2 basic approaches:

Answer 6

Ex situ- Conservation of biological diversity outside of natural habitats.

In situ- Conservation of ecosystems and natural habitats.

Question 7

What is in situ conservation?

Answer 7

1) Maintain genetic variation on site

2) Conservation of species in their natural habitat: natural parks, nature reserves

Question 8

Case study: National Parks. In situ conservation strategies

Answer 8

New forest National Park
Designated Special Area of Conservation (SAC)
Heathlands vs forest
Without grazing and Scots pine clearing, heathlands might revert to woodland

Question 9

Ex situ strategies

Answer 9

Animal resources: Eggs, embryo, semen

Plant resources: Seed and pollen storage

Question 10

What are seed backs?

Answer 10

1) Dry seeds to low moisture content
2) Store at sub-zero temperatures
3) Most cereals and major crops can be stored in this way + 100 yrs

Question 11

Case study: The Millennium Seed bank. Ex situ conservation strategies

Answer 11

60,000 to 100,000 species of plant are faced
with the threat of extinction.

4th August 2015 Kew has in total:
36,333 plant species 2,115,847,290 seeds in storage

Question 12

Case study: Svalbard Global Seed Vault. Ex situ conservation strategies

Answer 12

The Seed Vault has the capacity to store 2.5 billion seeds.

A temperature of -18oC is required for op2mal storage of the seeds, which are stored and sealed in custom made three- ply foil packages.

Question 13

Advantages of seed storage

Answer 13

Cheap, efficient, small space needed

Question 14

Disadvantages of seed storage

Answer 14

Recalcitrant seed (do not survive drying and freezing during ex-situ conservation) plants or plants with no seeds (e.g. banana)
Plants are no longer free to evolve

Question 15

What are Botanic gardens/zoos?

Answer 15

Living collections of plants, to maintain a living store of genetic diversity that can support many activities in conservation and research.

Question 16

Advantages of Botanic gardens/zoos?

Answer 16

Not ideal- in situ conservation wherever possible. Education.
Reputation — botanical gardens are trusted.

Question 17

Disadvantages of Botanic gardens/zoos?

Answer 17

Genetic problems: Artificial selection, absence of natural evolutionary pressures, inbreeding depression (Miranto, 2005).
Collections are vulnerable to random events and new introductions of pests.
High maintenance costs (including high spa2al requirements)

Question 18

What is Assisted colonisation (translocation)?

Answer 18

Human-mediated movement of living organisms from one area with release in another-The World Conservation Union (IUCN) 2013

Question 19

Case study: Kakapos and New Zealand. Assisted colonisation (translocation)?

Answer 19

Between 1885-1897 Richard Henry moved >700 kakapo and kiwi to Resolution Island off New Zealand’s West Coast

Question 20

Case study: UK butterflies. Assisted colonisation (translocation)?

Answer 20

Marbled white (Melanargia galathea) Moved 65 km
Small skypper (Thymelicus sylvestris) Moved 35 km
10 Years later they are thriving at they new habitat!