New developments in conservation biology

Question 1

What are the underlying goals and principles of conservation biology?

Answer 1

Preventing local and global extinctions
Protect biodiversity 
Prevent population declines
Avoid genetic impoverishment 
Maintain ecosystem functions

Question 2

What are the motivations to conserve biodiversity?

Answer 2

Aesthetic reasons
Moral/ ethical reasons
Economic reasons (financial benefit of the natural resources)
Ecosystem services (wider societal benefit)
Ecological integrity

Question 3

Describe the rivet hypothesis.

Answer 3

Ecosystem is likened to an airplane
Extinction of each plant/ animal species is like taking a rivet out of the plane
Initially the loss only makes a small difference as there are lots of rivets
If many are removed, the plane would be unsafe and unable to do its function

Question 4

What is the underlying assumption of the rivet hypothesis?

Answer 4

Existence of thresholds/ limits that beyond which the ecosystem would collapse

Question 5

Define a flagship species.

Answer 5

Charismatic species (often a large vertebrate) used to anchor a conservation campaign by arousing public interest and sympathy

Question 6

Define an indicator species.

Answer 6

Their presence, absence, population density, reproductive success and other indicators are used to monitor attributes to difficult, inconvenient or expensive to measure for other species or environmental conditions of interest

Question 7

Define a keystone species.

Answer 7

Species that has impact on others, far beyond what might be expected from a consideration of biomass or abundance.

Question 8

Define an umbrella species.

Answer 8

A species that needs such large tracts or threatened habitat that saving it will automatically save many other species

Question 9

What impact has political pressure in Brazil had on rainforest deforestation, and what impact may it have in the future?

Answer 9

Political pressure led to decrease in overall deforestation

But political motivation may also lead to increase again to increase revenue

Question 10

What are some recent threats to white-tailed eagles?

Answer 10

Hunting
Toxic compounds and biomagnification
Deforestation of old pine trees used for nesting

Question 11

How can genetics be used in conservation biology?

Answer 11

Monitor genetic variation and risk of inbreeding depression
Identify unique evolutionary groups
Studying animal movement

Question 12

Why is diversity within a population important for its continuation and recovery? Short term and long term

Answer 12

Short term: avoiding inbreeding depression

Long term: adapting to new environments and acquiring new functions

Question 13

Why is the white-tailed eagle a useful indicator species for limnic and marine habitats?

Answer 13

Sensitive to pollutant in food chain like DDT
Philopatric
Inbreeding not likely to be a problem

Question 14

Define limnic.

Answer 14

Relating to fresh water

Question 15

What does philopatric mean?

Answer 15

Tending to return to or remain near a specific site or area

Question 16

How much of all known species are supported by freshwater?

Answer 16

10%

Question 17

How much of all vertebrate species are supported by freshwater?

Answer 17

1/3

Question 18

What negative human activities are freshwaters a hotpot for?

Answer 18

Habitat degradation
Pollution
Flow regulation
Water extraction
Fisheries overexploitation
Alien species introduction

Question 19

What impact have human activities has on freshwater species?

Answer 19

Caused severe declines in the occurrence, range and abundance of many freshwater species

Question 20

What is freshwater mostly used for by humans?

Answer 20

Agriculture

Question 21

Describe the state of English and Welsh urban rivers.

Answer 21

Show evidence of major recovery, but this is partial and incomplete
High content of nitrates in water in farming areas of UK as well as bank reinforcements of urban areas, changing the natural flow and contents of UK freshwater

Question 22

How many tonnes of plastic enter the world’s oceans annually, and how much of this arrives from rivers?

Answer 22

8-12m tonnes of plastic annually enter ocean

At least 4m tonnes from rivers

Question 23

Define extinct (EX).

Answer 23

No reasonable doubt that the last animal has died

Question 24

Define extinct in the wild (EW).

Answer 24

In captivity or cultivation, but exhaustive surveys have not found it in the wild

Question 25

Define critically endangered (CE).

Answer 25

More than 90% reduction in population over last 3 generations or 10 years
Occurs over less than 100km^2 in fragmented habitat or where extreme fluctuations occur or where the decline is continuing

Question 26

Define endangered (EN).

Answer 26

Over 70% reduction over last 3 generations

Question 27

Define vulnerable (VU).

Answer 27

Over 50% reduction

Question 28

Define near threatened (NT).

Answer 28

Doesn’t qualify for VU status but close in one of three areas

Question 29

Define least concern (LC).

Answer 29

Doesn’t qualify for NT but is judged meriting conservation observation

Question 30

What are some challenges for applying the IUCN criteria to fungi?

Answer 30

Mostly hidden
Even fruiting is irregular and weather dependent
Difficult to define: mature individuals, generational length and geographic location
How should absence data be handled

Question 31

What are some examples of threatened fungi?

Answer 31

Lichens
Dung fungi
Wood decay fungi
Mychorrhizal fungi
Plant pathogenic fungi 
Fungi associated with threatened plants
Grassland fungi

Question 32

Why does tropical biodiversity matter?

Answer 32

Contain majority of world’s biodiversity and most of the world’s biodiversity hotspots
Most productive region
Regulates climate via carbon capture

Question 33

Why is tropical biodiversity under threat from human activity?

Answer 33

Deforestation
Land conversion for agriculture
Mineral extraction
Climate change
Bushmeat Hunting
Political instability
Poverty

Question 34

How many proposed ranges are there for where okapi live and what do they all assume?

Answer 34

Three

All assume okapi is only found north of Congo

Question 35

What is wrong with the assumption in the ranges describing where okapi may live?

Answer 35

Assumes they are only found north of Congi but historical references and museum geo references suggest otherwise

Question 36

What IUCN Redlisting do okapi have?

Answer 36

Endangered

Question 37

What are the three criteria for UK guidelines for choosing protected areas for fungi?

Answer 37

Internationally important fungal features
Threatened fungi in Britain
Ecologically coherent species assemblages