conservation of biodiversity Flashcards
what is a seed bank
a store of lots of seed from lots of different species of plant
why is a seed bank used
to help conserve biodiversity but conserving seeds of endangered plants
what else do seedbanks help conserve
genetic diversity
what conditions are required for seedbanks and why
cool dry conditions
so it can be stores for a long time
what is meant by viability
the ability for a seed to grow into a plant
what are advantages for using seedbanks
cheaper to store seeds than to store grown plants
larger number of seeds can be stored due to less space required
less labour required
can be stored anywhere as long as it’s cool and dry
less likely to be damaged by disease
disadvantages of seedbanks
testing for viability can be expensive and time consuming
would be too expensive to store all types of seeds
may be difficult to collect seeds from some plants as they may grow in different locations.
what is captive breeding
breeding animals in a controlled environment
how does captive breeding work
species that are extinct or endangered can be bred together in zoos to help increase their numbers
what are problems with captive breeding
animals can have problems breeding outside their natural habitats (zoos)
many people think it’s cruel to keep animals in captivity
what is the reintroduction of organisms
where organisms are reintroduced into the wild from seedbanks or animal breeding to help conserve their numbers
what are problems of reintroduced organisms
they may bring new diseases to habitats and harming other organisms
nah not be adapted well and find it hard to survive
