Biological conservation

Question 1

What is the aim of biological conservation?

Answer 1

To maintain the quality of natural environments and their biological resources.

Question 2

What is the difference between preservation and conservation?

Answer 2

Preservation tries to prevent human interference while conservation manages biotic and abiotic components.

Question 3

What types of resources must a population have to survive?

Answer 3

• Biotic resources ( food and access to mates).

- Abiotic resources (space and shelter).

Question 4

Which type of resources are food and access to mates?

Answer 4

Biotic.

Question 5

Which type of resources are space and shelter?

Answer 5

Abiotic.

Question 6

A permanent lack of a vital resource in a population leads to what?

Answer 6

Extinction.

Question 7

How do biological conservationists manage the conflicts between humans and animals?

Answer 7

Sustainable development.

Question 8

What is sustainable development?

Answer 8

Development that can continue indefinitely because it is based on exploiting renewable resources while minimising environmental damage.

Question 9

What are mass extinctions?

Answer 9

When abnormally large numbers of species die out in a very short time.

Question 10

How many mass extinctions have occured?

Answer 10

5.

Question 11

What was the Cretaceous-Tertiary event?

Answer 11

A mass extinction where the dinosaurs became extinct.

Question 12

How can genetic diversity conservation be measured?

Answer 12

By assessing differences in nucleotide sequences using DNA sequencing techniques.

Question 13

What are DNA sequencing techniques?

Answer 13

DNA profiling and genetic markers.

Question 14

What is a genetic marker?

Answer 14

A genetic variation unique to the individual or species that can be identified as a particular nucleotide sequence with a known location on a chromosome.

Question 15

What is In Situ conservation?

Answer 15

The conservation of natural environment of individual species dependant of the conservation of their habitats.

Question 16

What is habitat fragmentation?

Answer 16

The breakdown of a continuous habitat into smaller areas resulting in a partial loss of the original habitat.

Question 17

What causes patch isolation?

Answer 17

Habitat fragmentation.

Question 18

What can be caused by habitat fragmentation?

Answer 18

A partial loss of the original habitat, a reduction in habitat patch size and potential for patch isolation.

Question 19

How can patch isolation be lessened?

Answer 19

Establishment of wildlife corridors such as hedges and grassy footpaths between patches.

Question 20

Give examples of wildlife corridors:

Answer 20

hedges and grassy footpaths between patches.

Question 21

What determines the extent of habitat fragmentation?

Answer 21

The size of habitat patches that are formed.

Question 22

What is island biogeography?

Answer 22

An area of study which investigates the factors that effect the species richness of isolated natural communities.

Question 23

What does CITES stand for and what does it do?

Answer 23

Convention in International Trade in Endangered Species is an international agreement between governments to ensure that international trade in wildlife and wildlife products do not threaten the survival of species.

Question 24

What are the two types of biological conservation?

Answer 24

In Situ and Ex Situ.

Question 25

What is Ex Situ conservation?

Answer 25

Conservation undertaken outside the natural environment.

Question 26

What are examples of Ex Situ conservation?

Answer 26

• Breeding programmes.
• animal sperm banks.
• plant seed banks.

Question 27

What are examples of In Situ conservation?

Answer 27

• Mowing, grazing or burning,

- Coppicing (pruning trees and bushes).

Question 28

What is coppicing and which type of conservation is it?

Answer 28

Pruning trees and shrubs to ground level, it is In Situ conservation.

Question 29

What are EIAs?

Answer 29

Environmental Impact Assessments form an important part of conservation, they are carried out before the development to ensure that the effects are considered before conservation work begins.

Question 30

What is usually included in an EIA?

Answer 30

An audit of the wildlife and an assessment of the possible positive or negative impacts that the proposed development may have on the wildlife and their environment.