chapter 3.3 : conservation and regeneration

why should we conserve biodiversity?

diversity of organisms and complexity is good, evolutionary adaption is good

biodiversity goods

direct benefits from ecosystems like food water and wood, physical resources we use

biodiversity : services

indirect environmental services from ecosystem process such as nutrient cycling, biogeochemical cycling and climate regulation

why is biodiversity of food crops important?

to ensure there is enough genetic diversity for some of the crops to survive, pests and diseases can wipe out non-resistant strains

how can natural products impact the biodiversity?

lots of medicine was made from plants and animals

conservation biology

is the sustainable use and management of natural resources

preservation biology

attempts to exclude human activity in areas where humans have not yet encroached

what are he three approach’s to conservation?

species based, habitat based, and a mixture of both

species based conservation

focuses on conserving the species but doesn’t look at conserving the habitat in which it lives

what are the five examples of species based conservation approaches

CITES, captive breeding zones, réintroduction, botanical gardens and seed banks, flagship species and keystone species

CITES

an international agreement between governments to address endangered animals and are grouped in CITES appendices based on how threatened they are by international trade

captive breeding and zoos

can keep animals but can of keep every species as some might be hard to breed in captivity

reintroduction

even if a species is bred successfully in captivity, but programmes try to reintroduce wild populations or establish new ones are expensive and difficult

botanical gardens and seed banks

these gardens hold 25,000 species

keystone species

a species that plays a critical role in maintaining the structure of the ecosystem in which it lives

habitat based conservation

management practice that is essential to biodiversity preservation

what are the aims of habitat conservation

conserving, protecting and retorting habitats, preserving species extinction

mixed approach

the location of a protected area within a country is a significant factor in the success of the conservation effort

how to conserve species

community support, funding, education and awareness, legislation