Conservation Of Biodiversity Flashcards
Why might a species go extinct
-new predator, new pathogen, invasive species new competition, habitat destruction(ocean warming and acidification, ice cap habitats melting, desertification,global warming), deforestation
What is in situ conservation
Conserving a species in its natural environment eg passing a government legislation, repopulation
What is ex situ conservation
Conserving a species by taking it outside its natural environment eg zoos and seed banks
Role of zoos
-maintain populations of animals that would be unlikely to survive in the wild
-breeding programs
-reintroduction back into habitat
-education and research role
-providing funding for conservation projects
What is genetic drift
In a small population some of the alleles may not get passed on to offspring purely by chance which leads to a reduction in genetic variation
What is inbreeding depression
A reduction in genetic variation increases the likelihood of closely related individuals mating causing the frequency of homozygous genotypes to rise and the accumulation of the homozygous recessive genotypes in the offspring so the offspring less fit(less able to survive and reproduce)
How can zoos prevent inbreeding/genetic drift
The studbook for an individual species shows the history and location of all the captive animals that are co-operating in an overall breeding plan. Conservation scientists use this to ensure genes from all the founder members of the population are retained and equally represented in the subsequent generations which maintains genetic variation
What is captive breeding
When a zoo breeds the animals in their care to increase the number of individuals of the species if numbers are very low and to maintain genetic diversity within the captive population
What is reintroduction
When animals in captivity are returned to their natural habitat which can involve teaching individuals new skills so they have the ability to survive in the wild
What do seed banks do
Store a representative seed sample from every known plant species which are stored in specific conditions so can last decades and checked regularly to see if they will germinate
Why are seeds preserved rather than plants
They don’t take up much space and are naturally dormant so can be kept in suspended preservation
Conditions seeds are kept in
Reduce water content of the seeds, freeze them so kept at very low temperature and sterilised
Purpose of seed banks
Seed collections and used for research, habitat restoration and species reintroduction. Plants are essential for human survival(producers in food chains) and remove carbon dioxide
How are seeds selected for seed banks
-taken from multiple plants to increase genetic variation
-X-rayed to check for viability of embryos
