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Environmental Systems > Conservation of Biodiversity > Flashcards

Conservation of Biodiversity Flashcards

1
Q

The value of biodiversity (Direct) // Food sources

A
  • we eat other species of fauna+flora
  • we need to preserve old varieties in case we need them in the future
  • pests + disease can wipe out non-resistant strains
  • breeders only one step ahead of diseases + require wild strains from which they may find resistant genes

e.g in 1960s wheat stripe rust disease wiped out 1/3 of wheat in US. Introduction of resistant genes from wild strain in Turkey that saved the crops

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2
Q

The value of biodiversity (Direct) // Natural products

A
  • medicines, fertilisers + pesticides derived from plants+animals
  • guano (seabird droppings) = fertiliser high in phosphate
  • oil palms give us oil
  • honey, timber etc…
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3
Q

The value of biodiversity (Indirect) // Environmental services

A
  • soil aeration depends on worms
  • pollination of food crops depends on insects
  • soil + water resources protected by vegetation
  • climate regulated by rainforests
  • waste broken down + recycled by decomposers
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4
Q

The value of biodiversity (Indirect) // human health

A
  • penicillin obtained from fungi
  • a rare species of yew may help on treatment of cancer
  • rosy periwinkle, from Madagascar, is curing children w leukaemia
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5
Q

The value of biodiversity (Indirect) // human rights

A

If biodiversity is protected, indigenous people can continue to live in their native lands

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6
Q

The value of biodiversity (Indirect) // ethical + intrinsic value

A

Each species has a right to exist - a bright unrelated to human needs

Biodiversity should be preserved form its own sake

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7
Q

What is conservation biology?

A

The sustainable use and management of natural resources

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8
Q

What is preservation biology?

A

Attempts to exclude human activity in areas where humans have not yet encroached

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9
Q

The value of biodiversity (Indirect) // others

A
  • scientific + educational value
  • recreational
  • ecotourism
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10
Q

What would a conservation biologist do to ensure best outcome for biodiversity + local people?

A
  • want development not to be at expense of environment

- look for ways to create income for local people from ecotourism or management of a resource (ANTHROPOCENTRIC VIEW)

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11
Q

What is the view of preservation biology?

A
  • ecocentric viewpoint which puts value on nature for its own intrinsic worth, not as a resource humans can exploit
  • Deep green ecologists argue that, whatever the cost, species should be preserved
  • e.g. smallpox virus shouldn’t be destroyed according to preservation biologists even though it causes disease in humans
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12
Q

What are intergovernmental organisations (IGOs) ?

A
  • composed of + answering to a group of member states

- e.g. the UN, IPCC

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13
Q

What are governmental organisations (GOs) ?

A
  • part of + funded by a national government
  • highly bureaucratic
  • research, regulation, monitoring + control activities
  • e.g. Environmental Protection Agency of USA
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14
Q

What are NGOs?

A
  • not part of a government
  • not for profit
  • may be international // local
  • some run by volunteers
  • e.g. Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace
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15
Q

What was the World Conservation Strategy

A

Published in 1980 by ICUN, UNEP + WWF, its aims were to

  • maintain essential ecological processes
  • preserve genetic diversity
  • ensure the sustainable utilisation of species + ecosystems

Many countries adopted the WCS and developed their own strategies for addressing national issues

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16
Q

What is CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora) ?

A
  • Many species are endangered due to international trade
  • CITES is an international agreement between governments to address problem
  • Governments sign up voluntarily + write own national laws to support its aims
  • CITES has dramatically reduced trade in endangered species of both live animal imports (eg tortoises) or animal parts (elephant tusk)
  • Since 1975 has been one of most effective international conservation agreements in world
17
Q

What is a flagship (umbrella) species?

A
  • These species are instantly recognised + popular
  • May not have significant role in ecosystem
  • But do have instant appeal + are used to ask for funds from public
  • These funds are then used to protect the habitat which will include other species that may be under more threat
18
Q

3 disadvantages of naming flagship species

A
  • take priority over others
  • if they were to become extinct, the message is that we have failed
  • may be in conflict w local people eg man-eating tigers
19
Q

What are keystone species?

A
  • species that plays a critical role in maintaining the structure of their ecosystem
  • loss of the small pop. of keystone species could destroy the ecosystem // imbalance it far more than the loss of other species
  • tend to be predators or engineers in the ecosystem
  • a small predator can keep a herbivore pop. in check, without which herbivores would increase + eat all producers
20
Q

Name 2 examples of keystone species

A
  • Sea otter eating sea urchins in kelp forests. If there are no sea otters, the urchins need only eat the holdfast of the kelp + it floats away
  • Elephants in the African savanna are engineers, removing trees + then grasses can grow
21
Q

What did UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere programme do?

A
  • started in 1970

- created a network of international reserves, now w 480 reserves in over 100 countries

22
Q

3 advantages of a single large protected area

A
  • contains sufficient numbers of a large wide-ranging species // top carnivores
  • minimises edge effects
  • provides more habitats for species
23
Q

3 advantages of several small protected areas

A
  • provide a greater range of habitats
  • more populations of a rare species
  • reduced danger of a natural or human-made disaster wipeout out reserve + its inhabitants as some reserves may escape damage
24
Q

What are ecotones?

A

Where two habitats meet and there is a change near the boundary

25
Q

Where do edge effects occur?

A
  • Edge effects occur at ecotones
  • There are more species present in ecotones + so increased predation + competition
  • Dividing up area w fences, roads + farming should be avoided as fragments the habitat
26
Q

Corridors which are strips of protected land may link reserves. Why are these beneficial?

A
  • Allow individuals to move from reserve to reserve so increase size of gene pool // allow seasonal migration
    e. g. Costa Rica, 2 parks linked by a 7,700 ha corridor + at least 35 species of bird use it to fly from park to park
27
Q

Corridors which are strips of protected land may link reserves. What are the disadvantages?

A
  • disease in one reserve may be spread to the other
  • may be easier for poachers to kill animals in corridor as harder to protect
  • invasive species may get into reserve via the corridors

Environmental Systems (30 decks)

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