methods of maintaining biodiversity

2 main types of conservation and definition

in situ conservation: species are conserved in their natural habitat

ex situ conservation: species are conserved outside their natural habitat

Methods of in situ conservation (4)

-restricting human access

-removing invasive species

-controlling grazing

-controlling hunting and poaching

[establishing wildlife reserves and marine conservation zones (spec notes)]

methods of ex situ conservation (3)

-store seeds in seed banks

-captive breeding programme→ breed organisms in zoos and reintroduce them into the wild

-growing rare plants in botanic gardens for research and education

advantages of seed banks (3)

-seeds can remain viable longer

-take up little space

-maintains genetic diversity

issues with captive breeding programmes

-reduces genetic diversity→small captive populations can lead to inbreeding

-animals may struggle to survive when reintroduced into the wild

pros (3) and cons (4) of in situ conservation

PROS

-conserves the species and their habitats

-conserves large populations

-less disruptive as species remain in their natural habitat

CONS

-difficult to protect them from:

→climate change

→predation

→disease

→poaching

pros (3) and cons (4) of ex situ conservation

PROS

-animals are protected in a controlled environment from threats like predation and hunting

-animals can be treated for diseases

-competition for resources can be reduced

CONS

-breeding can be less successful in captivity

-animals may struggle to survive when reintroduced into the wild because:

→they may not display natural behaviours (like hunting or avoiding predators)

→they may have less resistance to disease

-expensive to set up and maintain zoos, botanic gardens and breeding programs