Animal conservation

Question 1

what is in situ conservation

Answer 1

when a species is protected at the site of the threatened species and also includes protecting ecosystems and maintaining habitats

Question 2

what is ex situ conservation

Answer 2

when species are protected away from the site of the threatened species
populations can be supported in zoos and conservation centres

Question 3

how do zoos use captive breeding programmes to conserve rare species

Answer 3

• increases population numbers of species which are at risk
• protect animals from predators/poacher
• move animals between zoos and use stud books to keep a record of which individuals breed and who they breed with. Important to maintain genetic diversity
• DNA profiling can be used to monitor genetic diversity and help decide which individuals to breed from
• breeding may involve IVF and surrogates

Question 4

how do zoos use reintroduction programmes to conserve rare species

Answer 4

• select habitats or reserves to release animals into the wild
• prepare animals for reintroduction - need to reinforce wild behaviour e.g. limit food intake to encourage hunting
  raise awareness and educate the local population to help protect the animals from poachers etc which can help to increase population numbers

Question 5

what is genetic drift

Answer 5

genetic drift can occur in small populations
some alleles may not be passed onto offspring/future generations and can be lost from a population. Allele frequency can change overtime.

Question 6

what is interbreeding

Answer 6

interbreeding is when closely related individuals reproduce.
offspring are likely to become homozygous for more and more harmful recessive alleles
may result in the offspring of animals or plants which have been inbred showing inbreeding depression and producing a lower yield or being less fertile
interbreeding depression frequently affects small populations in the wild or in captivity