Conservation of habitats Flashcards
(7 cards)
1
Q
what are the main reasons for conservation?
A
- personal
- ethical
- economic
- cultural and aesthetic
2
Q
what is the personal reason for conservation?
A
-to maintain our planet and therefore our life support system
3
Q
what is the ethical reason for conservation?
A
- other species have occupied the earth far longer than we have and should be allowed to coexist with us
- respect for living things is preferable to disregard for them
4
Q
what are the economic reasons for conservation?
A
- living organisms contain a gigantic pool of genes with the capacity to make millions of substances, many of which may prove valuable in the future
- long term productivity is greater is ecosystems are maintains in their natural balanced state
5
Q
what are the cultural and aesthetic reasons for conservation?
A
- habitats and organisms enrich our lives
- their variety adds interest to everyday life and inspires writers, poets, artists, composers and others who entertain and fulfil us
6
Q
how do we conserve by managing succession?
A
- a climax community has undergone a series of successional changes to reach its current state
- many of the species that existed in the earlier stages are no longer present as part of the climax community
- this is because their habitats have disappeared as a result of succession, or species have been out compared by other species or they have been taken over for human activities
- one way of conserving these habitats and hence the species they contain, is by managing succession in a way that prevents a change to the next stage
7
Q
what is conservation?
A
- conservation is the management of the earths natural resources by humans in such a way that maximum use of them can me made in the future
- this involves active intervention by humans to maintain ecosystems and biodiversity
- it is therefore a dynamic process that entails careful management of existing resources and reclamation of those already damaged by human activities
