protecting endangered species

endangered species

species that is threatened by extinction

national parks

conservation areas with strict limits to protect wildlife and the environment

benefits of national parks

alien species are removed, tourism raises money and awareness, conserves fragile ecosystems

zoos

protection for endangered and vulnerable species…provides enjoyment and entertainment to visitors

captive breeding programmes

helps reintroduce animals into their natural habitats

problems with captive breeding

inbreeding, some animals are susceptible to more danger in the wild, hard to recreate breeding habitats

zoos for research

understand breeding habits, how to create genetic diversity and solve inbreeding problems

botanic gardens

seeds collected from the wild are used to build up population of plants that can one day be returned to the wild

cell growth in botanic gardens

cells grown on sterile agar…divide by mitosis to give cloneable cells which are then transferred to an appropriate plant medium

roles of botanic gardens

protect endangered plant species, research methods for reproduction and growth, educate the public, reintroduce species

frozen zoos

holds genetic resources in the form of eggs, sperm and embryos…increases genetic diversity and can be stored for long periods

problem with frozen eggs

difficult to freeze and can be damaged when thawing

seed banks

seeds of the same species are collected at different wild locations to ensure genetic diversity

recalcitrant seeds

cant be dried or frozen…seeds are collected and grown to form successive generations or kept as tissue cultures

checking seed viability

seeds are germinated every few years…research conditions for breaking seed dormancy