4.2 Biodiversity

Question 1

What is conservation in situ?

Answer 1

Carrying out active management to maintain the biodiversity in the natural enviroment.

Question 2

What are marine conservation zones?

Answer 2

Areas of the sea set aside to conserve the diversity of species and habitatas.

Question 3

What are wildlife reserves?

Answer 3

Areas set aside for the conservation of species or habitatas.

Question 4

What sort of process is conservation?

Answer 4

An active process.

Question 5

What does conservation in situ involve?

Answer 5

It involves attempting to minimise human impact on the natural environment and protecting the natural environment.

Question 6

In what ways can conservation in situ be carried out?

Answer 6

• Legislation
• Wildlife reserves
• Repopulation

Question 7

How can legislation protect natural environments?

Answer 7

Its possible to pass legislation to stop activities such as human hunting, logging and clearing for development or agriculture.

Question 8

What are the disadvantages about using legislation to conserve wildlife?

Answer 8

It can be difficult to persuade some countries the legislation is necessary. It can also be difficult to enforce the legislation.

Question 9

What are the principles for choosing a wildlife reserve?

Answer 9

• Comprehensiveness- how many species are represented in the local area.#
• Adequacy- is the area large enough to provide for the long term survival of all the species?
• Representativeness- is there a full range of diversity within each species?

Question 10

Should conservation mean excluding all human activity?

Answer 10

Conservation should not mean excluding all human activity- a reserve should meet the needs of the indigenous people. They might use the land for traditional hunting, or for spiritual activities.

Question 11

How can wildlife reserves, if done wrong, cause conflict?

Answer 11

• Protected animals coming out of the reserve to raid crops.
• People continuing to hunt protected animal
• Illegal harvesting of timber and other plant products.
• Tourists feeding protected animals or leaving litter.

Question 12

What wildlife reserves are found in the UK?

Answer 12

• National parks
• National nature reserves
• Sites of special scientific interest (SSSIs)
• Local nature reserves
• Marine conservation zones

Question 13

What are the advantages of situ conservation?

Answer 13

• Plants and animal are conserves in the natural environment.
• It permanently protects biodiversity.
• Permanently protects significant elements of natural and cultural heritage.
• Allows management of these areas to ensure the ecological integrity is maintained.
• Facilitates scientific research.
• May be possible to improve and restore the ecological integrity of the area.

Question 14

What are the disadvantages of situ conservation?

Answer 14

• Endangered habitats may be fragmented, and each area may not be large enough to ensure survival.
• Conditions that caused the habitat or species to become endangered may still be present.
• The area can act as a ‘honeypot’ to poachers and ecotourists, who cause disturbance.

Question 15

What is an example of repopulation?

Answer 15

In the UK, the number of bitterns and otters are increasing in new reed beds.

Question 16

What is conservation in ex situ?

Answer 16

Conservation outside the normal habitat of the species.

Question 17

In what ways can conservation on ex situ take place?

Answer 17

• Zoos
• Botanic gardens
• Seed banks

Question 18

What would zoos concentrate on to aid conservation?

Answer 18

• Captive breeding
• Breeding endangered species
• Conducting research

Question 19

What may some zoos do while conducting research to spare the endangered species from experimental research?

Answer 19

Carry out research on domestic species or common wild species that are very similar to the target species.

Question 20

What are the advantages of ex situ conservation?

Answer 20

• Organisms are protected from predation and poaching.
• The health of individuals can be monitored and medical assistance given as required.
• Populations can be divided, so that of disaster strikes one population, then the other will still survive.
• The genetic diversity of the population can be measured.
• Selective breeding can be carried out to increase genetic variation.
• Modern reproductive technology can be used to increase chances of reproductive success.
• Animals can be bred to increase the numbers of an endangered species.
• conservation sited can also be used as attractions to raise funds for conservation efforts
• Can be used for education.

Question 21

What are the disadvantages of ex situ conservation?

Answer 21

• A captive population is always likely to have limited genetic diversity.
• The animals can be exposed to a range of diseases.
• The organisms are living outside their natural habitats.
• Nutritional issues can be difficult to manage.
• Animals may not behave normal.
• May be expensive to maintain suitable environmental conditions.
• If reproduction is successful, the animals still have to survive reintroduction to the wild.

Question 22

What is the difference between a zoo and a botanical garden.

Answer 22

A zoo works of conserving animal species, which a botanical garden focussing of conserving plant species.

Question 23

Why may the ex situ conservation of plants easier than that of animals?

Answer 23

• As part of a plants life cycle, most plants naturally have a dormant stage- the seed.
• As seeds are produces in large numbers, they can be collected from the wild without causing too much disturbance.
• Seeds can be sorted and germinated in protected surroundings.
• Seeds can be stored in large numbers without taking up too much space.
• Plants can be bred asexually.
• Captive-bred individuals can be planted in the wild.

Question 24

What are the problems with botanical gardens?

Answer 24

• Funding can be difficult- fewer people are willing to sponsor a plant compared to an animal.
• collecting wild seeds will cause some disturbance.
• The collected species may not have a representative level of genetic diversity.
• Seeds from one area may be different to those collected in other areas.
• seeds stored for any length of time may not be viable.
• Plants bred from asexual reproduction will be genetically identical- reducing genetic diversity.
• Conclusions on a small sample may not be valid for the whole species.

Question 25

What is a seed bank?

Answer 25

A collection of seed samples.

Question 26

What is the largest ex situ conservation project yet conceived?

Answer 26

The Kew Millennium seed bank project- it’s aim is to store a representative sample of seeds from every known species of plant.

Question 27

What are the benefits of a seed bank?

Answer 27

• Provides seeds for food crops and building materials for rural communities.
• Provides disease-resistant crops for agriculture.
• Seeds can also be used for reclamation and repopulation of endangered species.

Question 28

In order to prolong their viability, how are seed stored in seed banks?

Answer 28

Seeds are stored in very dry or freezing conditions.

For every 1% decrease in moisture level, the seeds lifespan doubles. For every 5°C reduction in temperature, the lifespan also doubles.

Question 29

Why is it essential to test the seeds in a seed bank regulary?

Answer 29

To check if the seed is still alive, there is little use in storing seeds that have died.

Question 30

How are seeds from a seed bank tested?

Answer 30

germination tests are carried out. They will remove samples of seeds and germinate them in petri dishes of nutrient agar, keeping them in controlled conditions. Germination rates are monitored, and research of the physiology of the seed dormancy and germination are carried out.

Question 31

How will germination tests benefit seed banks?

Answer 31

Should lead to the discovery of the most effective methods of storage.