Conservation of biodiversity Flashcards
What is global biodiversity?
The variety and abundance of life on Earth
What resources are collected from plants and animals?
Wood, fibres, oil, fuels and food
What is wood used for?
Manufacture of buildings, tools and furniture
What are fibres used for?
Cotton, wool, paper, silk and rayon
What are oils used for?
Vegetable and animal oils are used in food, lubricants and soaps
What are some fuel examples?
Wood, charcoal, alcohol and vegetable oils
What are some examples of exploited food?
Plants, animals, algae and fungi
How does the Yeheb Tree from Somalia have the potential for commercial cultivation?
Produces edible nuts, is drought-resistant and can grow in poor soils
How does the spinach family have the potential for commercial cultivation?
May species can grow in high salt content soil, they may be used in crop breeding programmes to increase the salt tolerance of crops grown in areas where irrigation has caused soil salinisation
What is biomimetics?
The use of knowledge of the adaptations of other species, to improve the designs of manufactured items
What’s an example of soaring birds in biomimetics?
Splayed wingtip feathers of soaring birds reduce wind turbulence and drag, copying this feather structure has improved aircraft wing designs to help increase fuel efficiency
What’s an example of humpback whale flippers in biomimetics?
Have tubercles (bumps) on their flippers that channel water flow, including hydrodynamic efficiency and allowing them to turn in tight circles when swimming around shoals of fish, this is applied to ships
What’s an example of shark skin scales in biomimetics?
Scales reduce friction whilst swimming, the ridges have been copied in new designs for aircraft and ship surface coating to reduce fuel consumption
What’s an example of infection control in biomimetics?
Shark skin has scales that bacteria do not stick to easily, a coating material that imitates this is used in hospital operating theatres to help control bacterial infections
What’s an example of architecture in biomimetics?
Termite-constructed mounds above ground absorb sunlight and become hot, the hot air inside rises creating a convection current, this draws the stale air out of the mound, creating a natural solar driven ventilation system
What’s an example of high adhesion in biomimetics?
Toes of gecko lizards have pads that provide strong adhesion, there are attempts to copy this to eliminate glue
Seeds of some plants have burrs with hooks that attach to the fur of animals to aid seed dispersal, this was copied in velcro
What’s an example of low adhesion in biomimetics?
Lotus flowers have water-repelling properties, this has been copied to produce self-cleaning glass
What’s an example of material in biomimetics?
The lightweight, flexible, strong silk produced by spiders is being copied to produce better car airbags and body armour
What does biodiversity provide us with?
Resources, new food species, biomimetics, medicines, physiological research, pest control species, genetic resources, ecosystem services
How do plants protect themselves from herbivores?
Thorns, spikes, bad tastes and toxic chemicals
What is an alkaloid?
Nitrogenous organic compounds of plant origin which have pronounced physiological actions on humans
How do plants provide medicine to humans?
Alkaloid with beneficial medical effects
How has the guggul tree been used for medicine?
Contains a substance that may help to fight heart disease
How has the bark and needles from yew trees been used in medicine?
Create the cancer drug taxol
Where does morphine come from?
Opium poppy
How do marsupials aid physiological research?
They give birth at very early stages of development and allow the offspring to develop further in their pouch, which is easier to analyse than a baby of the same age in the womb
What is hipposudoric acid?
Secreted by hippopotamus skin, it’s a natural sunscreen and antimicrobial agent
How can wildlife species be used to help agricultural pests?
Ladybirds can be brought into greenhouses or farms to control aphids
What can be used to control populations?
Herbivores, pests and pathogens
How was the rabbit population in Australia controlled?
Introduction of myxomatosis (viral disease)
Why do crops lack genetic diversity?
They have been produced from a limited number of original crops
What are CWR species?
Crop Wild Relative species are wild plants of the same species or close relatives that can be bred with domesticated crops to increase genetic diversity
How has sugar cane been protected from mosaic virus?
Crossbreeding with wild sugar cane variety from Indonesia to protect it
How do CWR species help domesticated crops?
Increase genetic diversity, become disease resistant, increase salt-tolerance, resistance to drought, high yield, nutrient uptake and improved taste or appearance
How has CWR been used for increase yield?
Oil palm yields have been increased by 25% by crossbreeding with wild varieties found in central Africa
How has CWR been used for increasing nutrient uptake?
Breeding programmes with wild wheat are increasing nutrient uptake efficiency by forming better associations between the wheat plants and mycorrhizal fungi
Where are the highest concentrations of close relative crop species and who discovered this?
In parts of the world where environmental degradation threatens the survival of the remaining wild species and Nikolai Vavilov
What is a gene-pool?
Total number of different genes present in all individuals in a population of a particular species
Why do genes specific to a certain geographical region exist?
The need to be adapted to the specific, local conditions of each region
How is the Amelanistic zebra affected by gene pool size?
The inability to produce genetic pigments (a recessive allele), so inbred populations are more likely to produce the homozygous recessive gene and so show the condition
What is the importance of conserving biodiversity?
Ethics and morals, education, resources, biomimetics, medicines, physiological research, wildlife species as pest control agents and genetic resources
What are the ecosystem services that organisms contribute to?
Atmospheric composition, hydrological cycle, biogeochemical cycles, soil maintenance, inter species relationships, food, pollination, seed dispersal and habitat provision
What are some examples of inter-species relationships?
Food, pollination, seed dispersal and habitat provision
What’s special about Darwin’s orchid?
Its nectar is at the end of a 30cm long tube and the only insect with a long enough tongue is the sphinx moth, which acts as the pollinator
What’s the benefit of seed dispersal by animals over wind?
Not haphazard and the seeds can be carried longer distances, the animals will likely live in the same habitat as the plant so the seed will be in the right environment
How do trees allow habitat provision?
Allow nesting sites for birds and provide the abiotic conditions under the canopy (light, humidity, wind and temp)
What have humans exploited species for?
Meat, skin, bones, oils, feathers, teeth, fur etc
For use in: food, fashion, furniture and ornaments, traditional medicines, pets and entertainment, other products and eradication of competitors and predators
What is an example of food exploitation?
Cod in the Atlantic, sharks for shark fin soup
What is an example of fashion exploitation?
Tigers, leopards, ocelot, jaguars and other cats were killed for their coats, crocodile skin bags, feathers form peacocks
What is an example of pets and entertainment exploitation?
Hunting wildlife for sport, monkeys and apes for photos at tourists sites, yellow-headed parrot is a popular pet, shooting migrating wild birds, marine life centres, zoos
What is an example of furniture and ornamental exploitation?
Teak, ramin and mahogany wood has been exploited for desirable properties, ivory from elephant tusks and stuffed animals, jewellery with shark teeth and turtle shells, coral collection for tourism
What is an example of traditional medicine exploitation?
Tiger bones, rhinoceros horn and bear bile are traditional Chinese medicines
What is an example of other products use in exploitation?
Hunting whales for oil (lamp oil, candles, soap, lubricating oil, cosmetics and perfume
When did whaling from British ships end?
1963
What species do we eradicate?
Crop pests and livestock predators
What is an example of predator eradication?
European lynx has been persecuted because it eats livestock such as chickens
What is an example of animals which threaten humans?
Shark, poisonous snakes and crocodiles
What is an example of pathogens in vectors?
Malaria mosquitos
What is an example of predators of livestock?
Pumas, wolves, lions, birds of prey, herons and seals
What is an example of agricultural pests?
Insects, fungi, birds and molluscs
What abiotic factors affect the distribution of species?
Temperature, water, light, pH, nutrient levels, turbulence, wind, dissolved oxygen and physical damage
What biotic factors affect the distribution of species?
Food, avoiding predation, pollination, seed dispersal, disease and introduced species
How do humans affect the water availability in habitats?
Drainage and flooding
How do hydroelectric power stations affect water levels?
Sudden changes in water levels may kill eggs in the flooded nests of water birds, freshwater turtles and turtles on sandbanks and riverbanks
How do humans affect light levels in habitats?
Clearance
How can oxygen availability of water be reduced?
Pollution of water with organic matter as decomposition occurs
How can fertiliser runoff influence nutrient variation?
Various chemical reactions and leaching out of nutrients in soils
What is eutrophication?
A surplus of nutrients on waterways
What are the dangers of acid mine drainage?
Causes heavy metals to become soluble in acids and they can bio accumulate and cause kidney, liver and nervous system damage
What else can produce acidic conditions?
Pollutant gases from burning fossil fuels, or smelting metals
What organisms are particularly vulnerable to acidic conditions?
Fish eggs and gills, or invertebrates with calcium-based exoskeletons such as crayfish
How does temperature increase lead to pollution?
Thermal pollution leads to a decrease in dissolved O2 content of water
How does GCC affect biodiversity?
Change in the distribution of species as they colonise areas that become more suitable and die out in areas they can no longer survive in
How does hot effluent water affect biodiversity?
Increases growth rate of aquatic vegetation either creating more food or leading to more decomposition so deoxygenation of the water
What activities increase water turbidity?
Ploughing, mining and dredging
How is an increase in water turbidity damaging to organisms?
Suffocation as gills become blocked and stops photosynthesis as light cannot penetrate
How have insect species been reduced?
The use of pesticides and loss of wild flowering plants
What wildlife are involved in seed dispersal?
Elephants, rhinos, hippos, gorillas and many monkey species
Why have puffin populations declined?
Over-exploitation of the sand eel (their prey)
Why have jelly fish populations increased?
Over-exploitation of turtle eggs has removed their predators and over-exploitation of sardines, herrings and anchovies has removed competition for zooplankton
Why have sea urchins on the west coast of the USA increased?
Decline in the population of sea otters
What habitats are most effected by introduced species?
Isolated areas such as islands
What’s an example of introduced species in the UK?
Grey squirrels from USA have out-competed the red squirrels for food as they can digest more and nest sites as they are larger
What are the dangers of rhododendrons?
They were imported from Asia to the UK and because they’re evergreens they cover a lot of light and prevent the growth of native species as well as releasing toxins that prevent other plants from growing
Why was the Cane toad introduced from America to Australia?
To control insect pests in sugar cane plantations
What is the problem with the introduction of Cane toads?
Doesn’t have a restricted diet and eats many indigenous species including small mammals, birds and invertebrates and it has few predators in Australia and is poisonous if eaten
What is the success story of the Round Island?
Goat species were introduced and the populations of indigenous snake and lizards species dropped as goats eat almost any vegetation, the goats were removed and the populations started to increase
What bird species can pigs with malaria affect?
Liwi honeycreeper
What’s an example of hybridisation in ducks?
The white-headed duck is an endangered European duck species and the introduction of the ruddy duck from North America in the 1950s has lead to cross breeding, not helping population numbers
How do African Forest Elephants positively impact other wildlife?
They create clearing and water wholes which many other species rely on for their water supply
What are some examples of accidental harm?
Getting tangled in litter, getting caught by fishing gear, getting hit by vehicles, loss of food and disturbance
What organisms are frequently affected by litter?
Turtles, dolphins, birds and seals and coral polyps
What animals can be effected by disturbance?
Manatees are slow moving mammals so after they have been under water, they need to come up for air and if they do they may be hit by boats if they don’t react fast enough
What human activities cause habitat destruction?
Deforestation, urban expansion, mineral extraction, reservoir creation and ploughing of grassland
What are the types of habitat damage?
Changes in hydrology, changes in food availability, physical damage, habitat fragmentation, pollution, urbanisation, mineral extraction, expansion of farming and deforestation
How has woodland management impacted woodpeckers?
Woodland management often involves the removal of dead rotting trees where insects (woodpecker prey) like to burrow
What is trampling damage?
Killing the plants by crushing under walker, mountain bikes, skiers, tents and vehicles
What are the dangers of habitat fragmentation?
The gene pool becomes reduced and if one population dies out then recolonisation isn’t easy
What are the dangers of large oil spills?
Massive, local pollution: seabirds, mammals, plankton and seashore seaweeds and invertebrates can be covered and killed
How are rainforest frogs affected by climate changes?
As climate warms it becomes drier and many frogs require moist conditions to keep their skin wet and produce pools of water for breeding
What is the IUCN and what is their role?
International Union for Conservation of Nature and they: coordination global data on biodiversity conservation, increasing understanding of the importance of biodiversity and deploying nature- based solutions to global challenges in climate, food and sustainable development
What are the categories in the Red list?
Extinct, Extinct in the wild, Critically endangered, Endangered, Vulnerable, Near threatened, Least concern and Data deficient
What species was re-categorised in 2016?
Plains zebra from Least concern to Near threatened due to declining population due to habitat loss
What species was re-categorised in 2015?
Successful conservation of Iberian Lynx has moved from Critically endangered to endangered after a captive breeding programme and protection of 2 suitable habitats
What are the requirements for a species to be categorised?
In habitat under threat, evolutionarily unique species, endemic species, keystone species, flagship species and degree of population dispersal
What is an EDGE species?
Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered species, usually they are distinct and the last surviving genus of their evolutionary family
What are some EDGE species?
Bactrian Camel, Pygmy Hippo, Northern Bald Ibis and Secretary Bird
What are some endemic species?
Gozo wall lizard, Redruffed lemur and Aldabra giant tortoise
What is a keystone species?
A species of great importance compared to their low abundance
What are some examples of keystone species?
Jaguars, African Forest Elephants, Cassowaries, Grey Wolves and Beavers
What are flagship species?
Species that have a high public profile
What are some flagship species?
Tigers, elephants, giant pandas and orang-utans
Why is the degree of population dispersal important?
Fragmentation may lead to species dying out as they lack sufficient resources or have small gene pools and entire populations in one area are subjected to local change
What is the Wildlife and Countryside Act (1981)?
Designated protected areas
Illegal to kill or harm wild birds and their nests/eggs
Illegal to kill certain mammals (badger, dormice)
Illegal t pick/uproot wild plants
What are SSSIs?
Special sites of scientific interest, these are areas protected by law to conserve plants, animals or geology
What are MCZs?
Marine conservation zones, they are marine nature reserves in UK waters intended to protect nationally important, rare or threatened species and habitats
What are MNRs?
Marine nature reserve, an area of sea and seabed designated under the Wildlife and Countryside Act for the purpose on conserving marine fauna and flora or geological or physiographical features of special interest and/or providing opportunities for scientific study
What’s an example of an MNR?
Lundy
What is an MPA?
Marine protected area, coastal areas where the activities are more strictly controlled, with a focus on sustainable use
What are the other designated protected areas in the UK?
National Nature Reserve, Special Area of Conservation, Special Protection Area, Natura 2000 sites, Ramsar sites and Local Nature Reserve
What are CITES?
Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species
What do CITES do?
Bans or controls trade in endangered animals and plants or their products
What is IWC and what is the aim?
International Whaling Commission and they aim to regulate and manage whaling
When was commercial whaling banned?
1986
What is ‘aboriginal subsistence’?
Whaling permission for groups that have traditionally hunted whales for food, e.g. Eskimos of Alaska have catch quota of 55 Bowhead whales
What is maximum sustainable yield (MSY)?
Maximum number of a species that can be sustainably harvested
What needs to be known to calculate the MSY?
Population increase rate, death rate, number of offspring, population size and growth of individuals
What is the EUCFP?
European Union of Common Fisheries Policy, ensure that fishing and aquaculture are environmentally, economically and socially sustainable
What are some ways the EUCFP regulates fishing?
Catch quotas, net-mesh sizes, limits on fishing effort and ban on discarding unwanted fish
What is the ITTO?
International tropical timber organisation, encourage sustainable management of tropical forests
What is in situ conservation?
Protecting the organisms but leaving them in their natural habitats
What is Appendix 1 of CITES?
A complete ban on trade
What is Appendix 2 of CITES?
Trade is not closely controlled and permitted in countries where the population is well and protected so limited exploitation doesn’t threaten survival
