lu8 P2 efforts to sustain biodiversity

Question 1

PRESERVATION

Protection of biodiversity from any kind of human activity

Answer 1

• Nostalgia
• Human benefits – value of human society
• Needs

Question 2

CONSERVATION

rotection of biodiversity for sustainable utilization.

Answer 2

• Philosophy of managing the environment in such as way that it does not despoil, exhaust or extinguish it or the resources and values it contains.
• Emphasis on management should be redirected towards the overall conservation of world biodiversity and ecosystems rather than to single target species.
• The ecosystem functions in dynamic equilibrium that not only serve as life-support systems for the Earth but also critical to the continuing survival of human kind.
• Conservation applies the principles and results of diverse disciplines such Ecology, Biogeography, Population Genetics, Economics, Sociology, Anthropology, Geology, Philosophy and many others.
• Therefore becomes a synthetic field to develop scientific principles and then apply them to developing technologies for the maintenance of biological diversity.

Question 2

CURRENT PRACTICE IN CONSERVATION

Conservation of biodiversity can be attempted at 3 levels:

Answer 2

1. Genes
2. Species
3. Ecosystems

Question 3

Level: Genes (Conservation of Genetic Diversity)

What is genetic diversity?

Answer 3

combination of different genes found within a population of a single species,

and the pattern of variation found within different populations of the same species

Question 3

Level: Ecosystem

Answer 3

Maintenance of ecosystem diversity implies conservation of species which constitute that ecosystem, although it is feasible to conserve a species independent of the ecosystem of which it is a normal component.

Question 3

Why genetic diversity matter?

Answer 3

From a biological viewpoint, genetic diversity is needed to ensure present-day and future adaptability of the species as well as their continued evolution.

Genetic diversity is key to the long term survival of a species.

Species must have available pool of genetic diversity if they are to survive environmental pressures exceeding the limits of developmental plasticity.

Question 4

Why genetic diversity matter?

If a population has low level of genetic diversity (genetically homogenous)..

Answer 4

when a virulent form of disease arises, all individuals may be susceptible and die.

But as a result of natural genetic diversity within population, they may be some individuals that are resistant and are able to survive and thus perpetuate the species.

From a human and development perspective, genetic diversity is a vital to maintain and potential for genetic improvement to meet changing end use requirements and dynamically evolving environmental conditions.

Question 4

all genetic (diversity) conservation strategies & actions should be comp

three conservation goals and on three time-scales of concern:

Answer 4

1. Maintenance of viable population in the short term in order to avoid extinction – SHORT TERM FITNESS
2. Maintenance of the ability of the population to continue to undergo adaptive changes – ADAPTATION
3. Maintenance of the ability of the population for continuing speciation – SPECIATION

Question 4

Population seems to be the most reasonable level at which genetic conservation can be attempted. The reasons are as follows:

Answer 4

• The population and not species is the ecologically and evolutionarily significant (i.e. functional) units (ESU)
• Genetic changes take place in the population over generations
• Local adaptive changes likewise occur in the population
• Geographically and genetically isolated populations offer greatest potential for speciation
• Conservation at species level will overlook the dynamics and attributes of individual populations within it as well as their ecological functions
• Conservation at a level of below populations, say at the allelic level, is impractical

Question 5

Why genetic diversity matter?

How many individuals in a population are needed for conservation of genetic diversity?

Answer 5

• “50/500 Rule” – A genetically effectively population size (Ne) of at least 50 individuals is necessary for conservation of genetic diversity in the short term and to avoid inbreeding depression.
• A Ne of 500 is needed to avoid serious genetic drift in long term.

Question 6

Genetic conservation has its own limitations:

Answer 6

• Very young science or still in the developmental stage.
• Many genetic techniques useful in assessing genetic diversity are not cheap are not easily learned, can be misused and misapplied.

Question 6

CURRENT PRACTICE IN CONSERVATION

Level: Species

Answer 6

• Conservation of species diversity will take care to some extent of both** ecosystem maintenance** and genetic maintenance.
• Loss of species diversity is more obvious and quantifiable than genetic or ecosystem diversity loss.
• Conservation based on species maintenance is called Species –based approaches.

Question 6

Conservation of Species Diversity

One of the main players…

Answer 6

• One of the main players in conservation conceptually, biologically and legally is the SPECIES.
• Many powerful legislations on conservation at the world and national levels are focused on species.
• CITES, Endangered Species Act of 1973 (ESA)
• Loss of species diversity is also very obvious and more easily detectable and quantifiable than either loss of genetic or habitat diversity.
• Even conservation approaches based on habitat or ecosystems depend on an intimate understanding of the biology of their constituent species.

Question 6

CITES (?) aka (?)

drafted? aim?

Answer 6

• (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, also known as the (Washington Convention)
• CITES was drafted as a result of a resolution adopted in 1963 at a meeting of members of IUCN (The World Conservation Union). The text of the Convention was finally agreed at a meeting of representatives of 80 countries in Washington, D.C., the United States of America, on 3 March 1973, and on 1 July 1975 CITES entered in force.
• aim = ensure that international trade in specimens of wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival.

Question 7

What is cladistics?

Answer 7

Members of a group share a common evolutionary history, and are “closely related,” more so to members of the same group than to other organisms. These groups are recognized by sharing unique features which were not present in distant ancestors.

Question 8

Cladistic Prioritisation

Answer 8

• Method designed to assess, and to some extent quantify, the distinctiveness between taxa considered for conservation.
• Based on phylogenetic relationship between species, expressed as divergence since their most recent common ancestor.
• Any character ranging from morphological to molecular.

Question 9

Three basic assumptions in cladistics:

Answer 9

1. Any group of organisms are related by descent from a common ancestor [all life on Earth today is related and shares a common ancestor].
2. There is a bifurcating or branching of patterns [new kinds of organisms may arise when existing species or populations divide into exactly two groups or multiple lineages].
3. Change in characteristics occurs in lineages over time [It is only when characteristics change that we are able to recognize different lineages or groups].

Question 10

Second category of species for conservation

directly…

Answer 10

• Directly harvested plants such as forest trees, medicinal taxa, spices, ornamentals, food and forages.
• Plants which are a source of propagating materials for planting elsewhere.
• Plants that are sources of genetic variation useful for breeding and improvement programmes.

Question 11

Used in-situ and ex-situ methods

Answer 11

• Major advantage of the species-based approach is that it allows resource allocation to the most urgent cases – to species which are in danger of immediate extinction on the basis of priority analysis.
• Disadvantages:
  – Only an extremely small proportion of the world’s species can be adequately surveyed to set priorities for conservation.
  – Priorities are based on individual prejudices.

Question 11

Third category of species for conservation

(I, U, K, C, R)

Answer 11

• Indicator species – Particularly sensitive to pollutants, human interferences, ecological instability and other disturbances.
• Umbrella species – Usually required larger space and that provide protection for other species within the ecosystems with scarce resources. Absence in smaller areas with residual vegetation.
• Keystone species – Important to maintain the ecological integrity of the community and are essential to survival of other species.
• Charismatic species – Significant for social, cultural or anthropomorphic standpoints and usually attractive.
• Recreational species – Popular for collection, growing or observation.

Question 11

In-situ conservation

Answer 11

• Organisms or populations are maintained in their own place.
• This step is crucial in order for organisms to reproduce without disturbance from human activities.

1. The conditions – suitable –National Park, Forest Reserve and wildlife sanctuaries.
2. Wild life sanctuaries –wild species
3. Taman Negara – elephants e.g. Taman Negara Pahang
4. National Parks – commercial and non commercial tress eg. belian, ramin
5. Bird sanctuaries – e.g Kuala Gula Bird Sanctuary

Question 11

Ex-situ conservation

Answer 11

1. Semenggoh Wildlife Center
   - Population of particular organisms are moved from their place of origin and nursed at experimental plot or fenced areas.
   Ex-situ conservation is an alternative and compliment of in-situ approach.
2. Botanical Gardens/Arboretum
   - propagation of rare and threatened indigenous plants
3. Zoos
   - e.g. endangered species in zoo, try to breed them, and reintroduce their offsprings in the jungle. (done in case of pandas, orangutans etc.)