Conservation of Biodiversity Flashcards
(27 cards)
The value of biodiversity (Direct) // Food sources
- we eat other species of fauna+flora
- we need to preserve old varieties in case we need them in the future
- pests + disease can wipe out non-resistant strains
- breeders only one step ahead of diseases + require wild strains from which they may find resistant genes
e.g in 1960s wheat stripe rust disease wiped out 1/3 of wheat in US. Introduction of resistant genes from wild strain in Turkey that saved the crops
The value of biodiversity (Direct) // Natural products
- medicines, fertilisers + pesticides derived from plants+animals
- guano (seabird droppings) = fertiliser high in phosphate
- oil palms give us oil
- honey, timber etc…
The value of biodiversity (Indirect) // Environmental services
- soil aeration depends on worms
- pollination of food crops depends on insects
- soil + water resources protected by vegetation
- climate regulated by rainforests
- waste broken down + recycled by decomposers
The value of biodiversity (Indirect) // human health
- penicillin obtained from fungi
- a rare species of yew may help on treatment of cancer
- rosy periwinkle, from Madagascar, is curing children w leukaemia
The value of biodiversity (Indirect) // human rights
If biodiversity is protected, indigenous people can continue to live in their native lands
The value of biodiversity (Indirect) // ethical + intrinsic value
Each species has a right to exist - a bright unrelated to human needs
Biodiversity should be preserved form its own sake
What is conservation biology?
The sustainable use and management of natural resources
What is preservation biology?
Attempts to exclude human activity in areas where humans have not yet encroached
The value of biodiversity (Indirect) // others
- scientific + educational value
- recreational
- ecotourism
What would a conservation biologist do to ensure best outcome for biodiversity + local people?
- want development not to be at expense of environment
- look for ways to create income for local people from ecotourism or management of a resource (ANTHROPOCENTRIC VIEW)
What is the view of preservation biology?
- ecocentric viewpoint which puts value on nature for its own intrinsic worth, not as a resource humans can exploit
- Deep green ecologists argue that, whatever the cost, species should be preserved
- e.g. smallpox virus shouldn’t be destroyed according to preservation biologists even though it causes disease in humans
What are intergovernmental organisations (IGOs) ?
- composed of + answering to a group of member states
- e.g. the UN, IPCC
What are governmental organisations (GOs) ?
- part of + funded by a national government
- highly bureaucratic
- research, regulation, monitoring + control activities
- e.g. Environmental Protection Agency of USA
What are NGOs?
- not part of a government
- not for profit
- may be international // local
- some run by volunteers
- e.g. Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace
What was the World Conservation Strategy
Published in 1980 by ICUN, UNEP + WWF, its aims were to
- maintain essential ecological processes
- preserve genetic diversity
- ensure the sustainable utilisation of species + ecosystems
Many countries adopted the WCS and developed their own strategies for addressing national issues
What is CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) ?
- Many species are endangered due to international trade
- CITES is an international agreement between governments to address problem
- Governments sign up voluntarily + write own national laws to support its aims
- CITES has dramatically reduced trade in endangered species of both live animal imports (eg tortoises) or animal parts (elephant tusk)
- Since 1975 has been one of most effective international conservation agreements in world
What is a flagship (umbrella) species?
- These species are instantly recognised + popular
- May not have significant role in ecosystem
- But do have instant appeal + are used to ask for funds from public
- These funds are then used to protect the habitat which will include other species that may be under more threat
3 disadvantages of naming flagship species
- take priority over others
- if they were to become extinct, the message is that we have failed
- may be in conflict w local people eg man-eating tigers
What are keystone species?
- species that plays a critical role in maintaining the structure of their ecosystem
- loss of the small pop. of keystone species could destroy the ecosystem // imbalance it far more than the loss of other species
- tend to be predators or engineers in the ecosystem
- a small predator can keep a herbivore pop. in check, without which herbivores would increase + eat all producers
Name 2 examples of keystone species
- Sea otter eating sea urchins in kelp forests. If there are no sea otters, the urchins need only eat the holdfast of the kelp + it floats away
- Elephants in the African savanna are engineers, removing trees + then grasses can grow
What did UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere programme do?
- started in 1970
- created a network of international reserves, now w 480 reserves in over 100 countries
3 advantages of a single large protected area
- contains sufficient numbers of a large wide-ranging species // top carnivores
- minimises edge effects
- provides more habitats for species
3 advantages of several small protected areas
- provide a greater range of habitats
- more populations of a rare species
- reduced danger of a natural or human-made disaster wipeout out reserve + its inhabitants as some reserves may escape damage
What are ecotones?
Where two habitats meet and there is a change near the boundary
