CONSERVATION Flashcards
What is species richness? (1)
the total number of different species within a given area or community.
what is meant by a population? (1)
a group of individuals of a species living close together and able to interbreed.
what is a gene pool? (1)
in a population the alleles of the genes located in thee reproductive cells of those individuals make up a gene pool.
what is an interbreeding group? (1)
very small population of individuals.
what is an important consequence of interbreeding? (2)
it leads to homozygosity, more and more of the loci there will be identical alleles, leading to progressive loss of variation. the genetic fitness of aa population is compromised.
what is a biome? (1)
a very large area of interconnected ecosystems of the earth with similar climatic and geographic conditions.
what are some ecological reasons for conserving rainforests? (3)
-the majority of species today occur in the tropics
-they are critically important outdoor labatories where we can learn about evolution of life where organisms live that are unknown.
-the rainforest has soil that cannot support an alternate ecosystem for long, it is one of the most productive biomes in terms of converting the suns energy to biomass
what are some economic reasons for conserving rainforests? (3)
-decreases genetic heritage as a consequence future genetic engineers are deprived of a potential source of genes. many new drugs and products this would be none existent.
-the soil present in the rainforest does not sustain agriculture and yet this was the main point of the deforestation.
-deforestation only solves a current problem not for the timber needed in the future.
what are some aesthetic reasons for conserving rainforests? (1)
-habitats are beautiful and inspirational places to visit.
what are some ethical reasons for conserving rainforests? (2)
-the biome is home to many rainforest people who have the right to a traditional way of life.
-many mammals live exclusively in these habitats.
what does practical conservation involve? (2)
the designation and maintenance of representative habitats as nature reserves.
-perseveration of endangered species and their genetic diversity through the maintenance of botanical and zoological gardens.
what do active management of nature reserves involve? (4)
continuous monitoring
maintenance of effective boundaries
measures to facilitate the successful completion of life cycles
restocking and re-introductions of once-common species
what are some examples of ex-situ conservation? (3)
-zoos
-botanical gardens
-seed banks
what is a stud book? (1)
a computerised database of genetic and demographic data
what are some pros of in-situ conservation? (3)
-habitats are easily lost due to natural disaster therefore some have to be preserved.
-when a habitat disappears the whole community is lost, threatening to increase the total number of endangered species.
-the biota of a reserve may be monitored for early warning of deterioration in numbers of threatened species.
