conservation of biodiversity Flashcards
who are the IUCN?
-international union for conservation of nature
-created in 1948
-worlds largest & most diverse environmental network
-global authority on the status of natural world & measures needed to safeguard it
what is the red list?
uses a set of criteria to evaluate the extinction risk of thousands of species and subspecies
-assess conservation status of animal, fungi and plant species across the globe
what are the red list categories?
-NE=not evaluated
-LC=least concern
-VU=vulnerable
-EW-extinct in wild
-DD=data deficient
-NT=near threatened
-CR=critically endangered
-EX=extinct
what are some extinct species?
-dodo bird
-boulder snail
what are some extinct in the wild species?
-yellow fatu
-black rhinoceros
what are some critically endangered species?
-chinese stripe-necked turtle
-siberian tiger
what are some endangered species?
-blue whale
-fiji snake
what are some vulnerable species?
-steelhead
what are some near threatened species?
-albatross
-taiwan fir
what are the main reasons for the redlist status?
-habitat loss
-introduction of foreign species
-hunting
-pollution
-disease
-loss of genetic variation
what are some reasons for changing status?
-monitor changing status of biodiversity, essential to reassess species periodically
-reassessment may result in species moving into a different redlist category for genuine or non-genuine reasons
what are some genuine reasons for changing status?
-main threats no longer present, conservation measures have successfully improved the status
-main threats have continued unabated, have increased, or new threats have developed causing status of species to deteriorate
what are non-genuine reasons for changing status?
-new info became available since last assessment
-taxonomic revision resulting in species no longer being the same
-error been discovered in the previous assessment
-previous assessment used older version of IUCN redlist categories and criteria and the reassessment uses the current criteria which has slightly different thresholds
what is evolutionary uniqueness?
EDGE species are threatened by extinction and diverged from other taxa long ago so they have greater genetic differences
what are EDGE species?
-threatened species that have few or no close relatives on the tree of life
-distinct in way they look, live & behave
-critically endangered, endangered, vulnerable, near threatened, least concern
-nothing else like them left on planet
how are EDGE species catagorised?
-every species in a particular taxonomic group is scored according to the amount of unique evolutionary history it represents & its conservation status
-scores combined to give EDGE scores
-high ED and GE get highest EDGE scores are priority species
what is the problem with EDGE?
-currently only calculate edge scores for species with iucn red list assessments that arent data deficient
-research ongoing to develop method for calculating edge scores that can incorporate species for which we lack iucn red list data
-70% of worlds most threatened mammal species are receiving little or no conservation attention
what are some edge examples?
-purple frog
-tooth-bilked pigeon
-boulder star coral
-numbat
-pig-nosed turtle
-winghead shark
what are keystone species?
species whose survival is important for the survival of many other species
what are endemic species?
-only exist in one geographic region
-endemic to large or small areas of earth; some endemic to particular continent, part of a continent, or to a single island
-area is usually isolated, species have difficulty spreading to other areas
what are the 3 types of keystone species?
-predators
-mutualists
-ecosystem engineers
what are predators?
-help control population of prey species, which affects quantity of plants & animals further along food web
-sharks often prey on old or sick fish, leaving healthier animals to flourish
-sharks are able to keep smaller animals from overgrazing and wiping out the grass
-when tiger sharks patrolled the grass beds, sea turtles forced to graze across wider region
what are ecosystem engineers?
-organism that creates, changes, or destroys a habitat
-river ecosystems rely on beavers to take down dead/old trees along riverbanks to use for their dams. this allows new, healthier trees to grow
-dams divert water i rivers, creating wetlands that allow a variety of animals and plants to thrive
what are mutualists?
-when two or more species in an ecosystem interact for each others benefit
-bees take nectar from flowers, they collect pollen and spread it from one flower to the next, enhancing the odds of fertilization & greater flower growth
what are some endemic species examples?
-giant panda
-scottish wildcat
-american alligator
-glacier bear
what are the 4 parts to the wildlife and countryside act of 1981?
-protection of wildlife
-countryside and national parks
-covers public right of ways (footpaths,bridleways)
-miscellaneous provisions (areas of application, offences, interpretation, amendments, repeds)
what is the wildlife countryside act?
-intentionally kill, injure or take any wild bird
-intentionally take, damage/destroy nest of any bird while in use or being built
-intentionally take/destroy egg of wild bird
-have in possession any wild bird, dead or alive, or any part of a wild bird, which has been taken in contravention of the act 1954
what are SSSIs?
-sites of special scientific interest
-biological or physiographic interest
-over 4,100 in England (2019)
-most are on privately owned land
what are NNRs?
-national nature reserve
-aim to protect most important areas of wildlife habitat
-either owned or controlled by natural england or wildlife trusts
-includes coastal salt-marshes, dunes, cliffs, downlands, meadows, woodlands
what are SACs?
-special area of conservation
-aim to protect 189 habitat types and 788 species identified in annexes 1 and 2 of directive
-habitats + species considered most in need of conservation at european level
-in uk, covers around 78 habitat types and 43 species
-600+ sites designated
what are SPAs?
-special protection area
-protected sites for rare/ vulnerable/ migratory birds introduced under EC birds directive
-special importance to wetlands of international importance for naturally occurring, rare, vulnerable & migratory birds
-in uk, most SPAs classified as SSSIs first
what are natura 2000 sites?
-SACs and SPAs
-protected under european legislation for their important wildlife and habitats
-in england, 338 natura sites covering 2,076,875 hectares
what are ramsar sites?
-wetlands of international importance designated under ramsar convention
-many ramsar sites are also SPAs classified under birds directive
-uk currently has 175 sites
what are MRNs?
-uk designation within 3 nautical miles of coast with similar status and protection to NNRs
-conserve marine flora and fauna and geological or physiological features of special interest
-seabed not usually owned, normal planing controls dont apply
what are LNRs?
-local nature reserve
-1050 in england
-capable of being managed with with conservation of nature/maintenance of special opportunities for study, research or enjoyment of nature as priority concern
-include coastal headlands, ancient woodlands, flower-rich meadows, inner city railways etc
what is expensive management?
-management for benefit of wildlife can be expensive
-voluntary gov schemes may be able to provide financial support
-known as agri-environment schemes
what us planning legislation:uk?
-planning applications
-green belts
-public inquires
what are planning applications?
-granted if they conform to local and national planning strategies e.g. school animal house
-hardly any development is allowed in national parles
what are green belts?
-an area of land surrounding an urban area to restrict expansion, it is administered by DEFRA and the LA and must be for one of these purposes:
*protects farmlands/countryside
*prevents neighbouring towns merging
*preserves special character of historic towns
*encourage use of brownfield sites
what are green wedges?
-encourages new urban growth but keeps it in contact with existing urban areas so educing commuting
what are public inquires?
-held to resolve disputes over planning issues such as road building, siteing of power stations
-takes place in a public setting and the public have free access to all info
-both sides put forward their argument
-panel put forward their decision to the secretary of state who publishes it
what are cites:international?
-multilateral treaty to protect endangered plants & animals. was drafted as result of resolution adopted in 1963 at meeting of members of international union for conservation of nature
what is appendix 1?
-complete ban on trades (except by special species)
-includes species threatened with extinction
-e.g tiger, blue whale, rhino species
what is appendix 2?
-restricted trade
-includes species not necessarily threatened with extinction, but in which trade must be controlled in order to avoid utilization incompatible with their survival
-e.g. honduras mahogany, great white shark
what is regulation of sustainable exploitation?
-organisations that aim to exploit living resources sustainability:
*international whaling commission
*common fisheries policy
*international tropical timber organisation
what is the international whaling commission?
-set up under the IWC for regulation of whaling which was signed in washington dc on 2nd december 1946
-aim-provide for the proper conservation of whale stock
-catch limits by species and area
-designating specified areas as whale sanctuaries
-protection of calves and females accompanied by calves
-restricting on hunting methods
what is common fisheries policy?
-fisheries policy of the EU
-sets quotas for which member states are allowed to catch each type of fish, as well as encouraging fishing industry by various market interventions
what is the international tropical timber organisations?
-intergovernmental organisation that promotes conservation of tropical forest resources and their sustainable management, use and trade
what is ex-situ?
-in the past, zoos were for entertainment, but now have important role in conservation
-can maintain populations of animals that would be unlikely to survive in the wild
-breeding programmes
-reintroductions
-education and research role
-provide funding for conservation projects
what are some constraints of zoos?
-habitat size
-food
-dependency on other species
-financial constraints
what are some issues with zoos?
-in small population some of the alleles may not get passed on by chance
-this is genetic drift
-reduces genetic diversity
-to reduce this effect studbooks (family trees) are used to keep inbreeding to a minimum
what are seed banks?
-between 60,000 and 100,000 plants are threatened with extinction
-millennium seed bank project
*conserve seeds and make them available to help human kind
what are seed bank challenges?
-collections must be relevent-provide useful genetic diversity thats accessible to public
-be efficient- mustn’t duplicate materials in collections
-keeping seeds alive for 100s of years is challenge
-many seed types must be stored using nonconventional methods
what are captive breeding programmes?
-conditions for breeding:timing,reserve
-population interactions and breeding success: breeding v non-breeding conflicts
-breeding habitat: courtship, group size
-gene pool size: inbreeding, breed unrelated individuals
-hybridization: plants especially
what are some alternatives to ex-situ?
-in-situ conservation (national parks/forests)
-arboretum
-seed libraries (local genetic info)
how do you increase cbp success?
-cryopreservation
-artificial insemination
-cloning
-embryo transfer
-micropropagation
what is cryopreservation?
-storing eggs/sperm in liquid nitrogen
-quicker, easier, cheaper than moving the parents
-can be stored for years
what is artificial insemination?
-semen from male inserted into female
-avoids natural mating rituals
-commercially available for more than 65 years
what is embryo transfer?
-surrogate mothers in closely related species
-rare species treated with hormones to release eggs
-removed and fertilised with sperm
-implanted into common species
-increases number quickly
what is micropropogation?
-genetic clones produced rapidly
what is WAZA?
-global alliance of regional associations, national federations, zoos and aquariums, dedicated to care and conservation of animals and their habitats
-membership consists of nearly 400 leading institutions and organisations around the world
what are WAZAs priorities?
-animal welfare
-conservation
-community conservation
-sustainability
what is species 360?
-22,000 species
-220M husbandry records (how to look after them)
-82M medical records
-10M animals living & historical
-44 years
what are release programmes?
-selecting suitable sites:
*large enough for suitable habitat
*reliable food/water supplies
*low predation
*suitable breeding sites
*support from local human pop.
*offical support (legal)
what are some problems for the individuals?
-finding food
-developing hunting skills
-recognising safe and poisonous food
-recognising and avoiding predators
-being accepted into wild groups
what are hard release programs?
-no post-release support
-e.g. fish,insects,reptiles
-suitable for adult / sub-adult animals which have been translocated from a free-living situation & are being released into similar habitat
-released at time of day which gives them max time to orientate themselves
-more likely to disperse from release site and less likely to make use of supplementary resources
what are soft release programmes?
-post-release support- gradual removal of provisions
-e.g. mammals and birds
-animals being maintained in an enclosed area at release site for period of time before release, for acclimation
-after release, given assistance (food provision)
-period of acclimatisation allows animals to become familiar with local climate
-make necessary behavioural adjustments
what are some examples of soft release animals?
-whooping crane
-bison
-american condor
-peregrine falcon
-golden lion tamarin
-wolves
