The Rationale For Wildlife Conservation

Question 1

List why we should conserve and protect wildlife.

Answer 1

• to prevent extinction
• to keep the food chain balanced
• ethical reasons
• pollination
• maintains the atmosphere
• food for supplies
• medicines
• aesthetically pleasing
• animal testing
• seed dispersal
• entertainment/ecotourism
• education/awareness
• sport e.g hunting
• transport
• building materials
• clothing - leather, cotton and wool
• mitigate disasters e.g beavers - dams and trees - prevent floods

Question 2

What is biomimetics?

Answer 2

Biomimicry (literally: imitation of the living ) aims to take inspiration from natural selection solutions adopted by nature and translate the principles to human engineering. The biomimicry approach aims to favor “choices” tested by nature which had millions of years to understand what works best and what doesn’t.

Question 3

State 2 examples of biomimetics.

Answer 3

• Bullet train inspired by the Kingfisher (beak).
  The front of the train steadily increases in diameter from the tip, reducing energy use and noise while increasing efficiency.
• Antibacterial surfaces inspired by shark skin.
  Evenly spaced ridges that inhibit bacteria or other organisms from attaching and growing. Applied to high touch areas to reduce transfer among people and used on chopping boards.

Question 4

Give 2 examples of medical breakthroughs achieved through physiological research on animals.