A4.2 Conservation of Biodiversity Flashcards
Diversity
“variety/multiformity, condition of being different in character and quality.”
Biodiversity
Variety of life in all its forms, levels, combinations
Different levels of biodiversity
- Ecosystem Diversity
- Species diversity
- Genetic diversity within species
Ecosystem Diversity
variety in the combinations of species living together in communities.
- varied environments on earth
- geographical ranges of organisms
Species diversity
many different species in the evolutionary tree of life.
Genetic diversity within species
variety of gene pool of each species.
Causes of Extinction (Anthropogenic) (H PIG)
1) Habitat destruction
2) Invasive Species
3) pollution
4) global climate change
Anthropogenic
cause of human activity
Case studies of Extinction (CGS)
1) Carribean Monk seal - marine animal, Neomonachus tropicalis
2) Giant moa, terrestrial megafauna, Dinornis novaezealandiae
3) Silphium, early plant extinction
explain the case study of the Carribean Monk seal - marine animal, Neomonachus tropicalis
- native to Caribbean sea + Western Atlantic
- hunted for its oil, 18th-19th centuries
- requires beaches to breed -> easy target -> slow moving
- overfishing of coral reefs -> starvation
explain the case study of the Giant moa, terrestrial megafauna, Dinornis novaezealandiae
- native to new zealand, 13th century, Polynesian settlers arrived
- 200 years to be hunted for extinction
explain the case study of the Silphium, early plant extinction
- grew in Libya, extinct due to arrivla of ancient Greeks
- harvested as it is birth control agent
- overgrazing + desertification -> contributed
Habitat Destruction
habitat -> destroyed -> extinction of species
agriculture main cause, land used for cultivation, rearing livestock
-> cities + towns
Pollution
chemical industries -> vast range of substances produced ->discarded to environment
-> burning of fossil fuels, agriculture, mining
-> accumulation of toxic substances in soil -> decline, less biodiversity
-> discharge/runoff of chemicals/pollutants in water bodies, contaminate environments and harm aquatic organisms -> less biodiversity
Global climate change
- climate change is the change in environmental factors such as rapid changes in temperature and other climactic variables -> species may not adapt quickly enough.
-> may not migrate quickly to survive
Invasive species
introduction -> drive native to extinction (predation)
- can spread pests, disease, competition for resources
- endemic species become extinct when hybridized with alien species
endemic species definition
any species or other taxon whose geographic range or distribution is confined to a single given area
What happens to ecosystems when environmental conditions change?
Replacement of one ecosystem by another
- however recent years, rapid loss of ecosystems due to anthropogenic factors
Case Studies of extinction of ecosystems due to anthropogenic causes
mixed dipterocarp forest of Southeast Asia
Loss of the aral sea
mixed dipterocarp forest of Southeast Asia
MDF -> extremely high diversity of dipterocarp and others
high quantities, timber -> target for logging
> 1970s -> most areas lost, mostly lowland sites areas
lost due to -> conservation -> palm oil plantations
peat in these areas -> stores 250 tonnes, carbon per hectare
conservation -> drainage -> conservation to palm oil plantations -> peat decomposes -> co2 released
global warming -> floods peat lowland areas -> seawater -> destroying little mdf remaining
Loss of the aral sea
Between Uzbekistan + Kazakhstan
4th largest lake
1960s, water management scheme -> diverted major rivers that fed Aral sea -> irrigate an area of desert -> falling water levels -> much of former lake is desert
Water salinity increased -> from 1% to >22% -> 24 species of fish became extinct
invertebrate species disappeared
citizen science
-Scientific Opportunities for citizens to contribute. In the case of biodiversity, citizens are able to monitor biodiversity levels, by using methods such as surveying.
How can we use surveys to gather evidence of loss of biodiversity?
Species:
- population size
- genetic diversity
- range of speces
Ecosystems:
- Species diversity
- richness and evenness of biodviersity
- araa occupied
- extent of degradation
- number of species threatened in a taxonomic group.
biodiversity crisis
the unprecedented loss of ecosystems and species.
exploitation of resources
- the overexploitation of natural resources, such as deforestation, hunting of animals, and fishing can threaten ecosystems, leading to loss in biodiversity.
Why are extinction rates getting increasingly higher over the years?
- because population size of humans has been increasing drastically. Overpopulation, leads to human activities becoming threatening towards other species -> thus ecosystem collapses.
Direct and indirect Causes of ecosystem loss:
- Agriculture
- Urbanization
- Overexploitation of natural resources
- Mining and smelting
- Water management
- Drying of wetlands
- Leeching
- Climate change
Discuss the significance of Mining and Smelting on ecosystem loss.
opencast mines, destroy natural ecosystem areas, e.g tropical forests
smelting and disposal of waste -> causes pollution + widespread damage
Discuss the significance of Water management on ecosystem loss.
reservoirs created -> can flood ecosystems
extraction of water for irrigation+industrial+domestic use -> reduce river flows e.g Aral sea
Discuss the significance of Drying of wetlands on ecosystem loss.
Swamps+wetlands, drained for conversion to agriculture
wetlands -> water diverted, flowing to human use
Discuss the significance of Leeching on ecosystem loss.
washing of fertiliezers -> river and lakes -> eutrophication + algal blooms
Oligotrophic ecosyystems, organisms adapted to low nutrient concentrations -> lost
What are the strategies for conserving biodiversity?
- In situ conservation
- Ex situ conservation
- The need for management of nature reserves
- Rewilding
- Storage of Germ Plasm:
In situ conservation
leave species in their native habtitats, degraded areas can become nature reserves/parks -> allowing for life to be conserved in the abiotic envrionmnt they adapted in.
Ex situ conservation
preservation of species outside native habitat -> remove species from natural habitat -> breed them outside, zoos for animals, botanic gardens for plants -> ultimate aim to reintroduce them back to their natural habitat.
Ecosanturaries, are examples -> semi natural conditions + predator control
- The need for management of nature reserves
removal of alien species
-reintroduction of native species
-control of population sizes
-control of human access
-prevention of poaching
- Rewilding
The return of degraded ecosystems to as natural of a state as possible.
- recovery -> rapid
- balance -> maintained
- due to natural ecological processes
- EXCLUDING INTERVENTION BY HUMANS
- Storage of Germ Plasm:
(long term)
- storage of living material used for propagation in the future (Multiplication or increase, as by natural reproduction)
- seeds (plant) stored dry -> seed banks -> low temps (-20 celsius)
- maintain -> vability
- animal germ plasm -> stored at -20 to -200, tissue banks
What is the EDGE of Existence program?
- A project with two criteria -> which animal species requires conservation the most?
- Evolutionary Distinct:
Does it have Few or no relatives? Member of a small clade? - Globally Endangered:
Are remaining populations all threatened?
