Methods Of maintaining Biodiversity

Question 1

Conservation

Answer 1

Preservation and careful management of the environment and of natural resources

Question 2

Two ways which scientists try to conserve biodiversity

Answer 2

In situ conservation = within the natural habitat

Ex situ conservation = out of the natural habitat

Question 3

Extinct

Answer 3

No organisms of the species exists anywhere in the world

Question 4

Extinct in the world

Answer 4

Organisms of the species only exist in captivity

Question 5

Endangered

Answer 5

Species that is in danger of extinction

Question 6

Vulnerable

Answer 6

A species that is considered likely to become endangered in the near future

Question 7

In situ conservation

Answer 7

• Takes place inside an organisms natural habitat
• maintains not only the genetic diversity of species but also the evolutionary adaptations that enable a species to adapt continually to changing environmental conditions
• cheaper than ex situ conservation
• eg. Marine , aquatic, terrestrial land , nature reserves

Question 8

National parks

Answer 8

• areas within the countries where the wildlife and environment are protected
• governments control these areas and pass legislation to ensure their protection
• several restrictions eg.
• human access is strictly controlled
• industrial activities such as agriculture and building are tightly regulated
• hunting is limited or completely prohibited

Question 9

Marine parks

Answer 9

Protected areas of water that have been set up for the conservation of endangered marine ecosystems and species

Restrictions to prevent overfishing and pollution

Question 10

Public engagement

Answer 10

• national and marine parks attract tourists each year which increases money and awareness for the conservation effort
• involving members of the local community can create jobs and acceptance of the parks

Question 11

Active management techniques

Answer 11

• controlled grazing
• restricting human access
• controlling poaching
• feeding animals
• reintroduction of species
• culling or removal of invasive species
• halting succession

Question 12

Halting succession

Answer 12

Natural process in which early colonising species are replaced over time until a stable mature population is achieved

Question 13

Culling or removal of invasive species

Answer 13

• An invasive species is an organism that is not native to an area and has negative effects on the economy , environment , or health
• these organisms compete with native species for resources

Question 14

Reintroduction of species

Answer 14

Adding species to areas that have become locally extinct or whose numbers have decreased significantly

Question 15

Feeding animals

Answer 15

This technique can help to ensure more organisms survive to reproductive age

Question 16

Controlling poaching

Answer 16

This includes Creating defences to prevent access , issuing fines , or more drastic steps such as removal of rhino horns

Question 17

Restricting human access

Answer 17

Not allowing people to visit a beach during the seal reproductive season or by providing paths which must be followed to prevent plants being trampled

Question 18

Controlled grazing

Answer 18

Only allowing livestock to graze a particular area of land for a certain period of time to allow species time to recover or keeping a controlled number of animals in a habitat to maintain it

Question 19

Botanic gardens

Answer 19

• plant species can be grown successfully in botanic gardens
• here the species are actively managed to provide them with the best resources to grow , such as provision of soil nutrients, sufficient watering and the removal or prevention of pests
• 1500 botanic gardens worldwide holding 35000 plant species

Question 20

Seed banks

Answer 20

• example of gene bank - store of genetic material
• seeds are carefully stored so that new plants may be grown in the future
• they are dried and stored at temperatures of -20°c to maintain their viability by slowing down the rate at which they lose their ability to germinate
• seed banks don’t work for all plants
• some seeds die when dries and frozen and sadly the seeds of most tropical rainforest trees fall into this category

Question 21

Captive breeding programs

Answer 21

• produce offspring of species in a human- controlled environment
• run and managed by zoos and aquatic centres
• scientists aim to create a stable,healthy population of species
• captive breeding programmes provide the animals with shelter an abundant supply of nutritious food , absence of predators and veterinary treatment
• suitable breeding partners or semen can be imported from other zoos if not available within the zoos own population

Question 22

Problems with maintains genetic diversity within captive breeding programmes

Answer 22

• small number of breeding partners are Available
• problems related to inbreeding can occur

Question 23

How do you tackle these problems ?

Answer 23

• international catalogue is maintained detailing genealogical data on individuals
• mating can thus be arranged to ensure that genetic diversity is maximised
• artificial insemination
• embryo transfer
• long term cryogenic storage of embryos allow new genetic lines to be introduced without having to transport the adults to new locations

Question 24

Reasons why some organisms may not be suitable for release in the wild

Answer 24

• Disease = loss of resistance to local disease in captive bred populations, new disease might exists in the wild to which captive animals have yet to develop resistance
• behaviour = some behaviour is innate but much has to be learned through copying or experience
• genetic races = the genetic make up of captive animals can become so different from the original population that the two populations cannot interbred
• habitat = the natural habitat must first be restored to allow captive populations to be reintroduced
• if only a small suitable habitat exists it is likely that there are already as many individuals as the habitat can support
• introduction of new individuals can lead to stress and tension as individuals fight for limited territory and resources such as food