Climate change and biodiversity Flashcards
In situ conservation strategies
1) Maintain genetic variation on site
2) Conservation of species in their natural habitat, natural parks, nature reserves
Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD).
Ex situ conservation strategies
Animal resources: Eggs, embryo, semen
Plant resources: Seed and pollen storage
What is a seedbank?
1) Dry seeds to low moisture content
2) Store at sub-zero temperatures
3) Most cereals and major crops can be stored in this way + 100 yrs
Seed storage advantages:
Cheap, efficient, small space needed
Seed storage disadvantages:
Recalcitrant seed (do not survive drying and freezing during ex-situ conservation) plants or plants with no seeds (e.g. banana) Plants are no longer free to evolve
What are botanic gardens/ zoos.
Living collections of plants, to maintain a living store of genetic diversity that can support many activities in conservation and research.
Advantages of botanical collections:
Not ideal- in situ conservation wherever possible.
Education.
Reputation — botanical gardens are trusted.
Disadvantages of botanical collections:
Genetic problems: Artificial selection, absence of natural evolutionary pressures, inbreeding depression (Miranto, 2005).
Collections are vulnerable to random events and new introductions of pests.
High maintenance costs (including high spatial requirements)
What is Cites?
Convention of international trade in endangered species of wild fauna and flora
International agreement between governments to ensure trade of wild/animals does not threaten their survival.
5,600 animals and 30,000 plants protected.
What does the report “state of the worlds plants warn”?
21% of plants are at risk of extinction Risk from: Climate change Habitat loss Disease Invasive species
Define biological conservation
Maintain the diversity of living organisms, their habitats and the interrelationship between organisms and their environment.
How is biodiversity responding to these climate changes?
Extinction Phenological changes (behaviour) Migration Acclimation of physiology Rapid evolutionary adaptation
Where are ex situ strategies are dealt with expressly?
In the CBD in Ar4cle 9, they are relegated to a support role as “complemen/ng in-situ measures”
Case study: In situ conservation strategies
New forest National Park
Designated Special Area of Conservation (SAC)
Heathlands vs forest
Case Study: Ex situ strategies
The Millennium Seed bank
60,000 to 100,000 species of plant are faced
with the threat of extinction
4th August 2015 Kew has in total:
36,333 plant species 2,115,847,290 seeds in storage
Svalbard Global Seed Vault
The Seed Vault has the capacity to store 2.5 billion seeds.
A temperature of -18oC is required for op2mal storage of the seeds, which are stored and sealed in custom made three- ply foil packages.
