Conservation Why and How

Biodiversity and Conservation

What is conservation?

Maintaining and protecting a living and changing environment.

Why is biodiversity currently under threat?

Human activities are changing ecosystems, destroying habitats, using biological resources and causing pollution and climate change.

How has human population growth affected biodiversity?

A larger human population requires more food, water, land, energy and other resources, increasing pressure on ecosystems and reducing biodiversity.

How does increasing human population increase resource use?

More people require food, water, housing, clothing, medicines and energy, so more biological and physical resources are removed from ecosystems.

How can human activity cause species extinction?

Habitat destruction, pollution, climate change and overexploitation can reduce populations until species can no longer survive.

Why is loss of biodiversity a global problem?

Ecosystems are interconnected and biodiversity provides resources and ecosystem services that humans depend upon.

How did agriculture contribute to human population growth?

A reliable food supply allowed more children to survive and populations to increase.

How has technology contributed to human population growth?

Machinery allows food to be produced on a larger scale, while medicines increase survival rates.

How has urbanisation affected natural ecosystems?

Land is converted into roads, towns and cities, destroying and fragmenting natural habitats.

How does burning fossil fuels affect the environment?

It releases greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, contributing to climate change.

How can intensive farming threaten biodiversity?

Large areas of natural habitat may be cleared, while fertilisers, pesticides and intensive land use can damage surrounding ecosystems.

How can deforestation threaten biodiversity?

It destroys habitats, reduces populations and can cause species extinction.

How can overfishing threaten biodiversity?

Fish may be removed faster than populations can reproduce, causing population declines and disrupting food webs.

What is the human threat to biodiversity?

The reduction of biodiversity caused by human activities such as habitat destruction, pollution, climate change and overexploitation.

Why is biodiversity important at both species and genetic levels?

Ecosystems need a variety of species, while genetic variation helps populations adapt to environmental changes and resist disease.

What is climate change?

A long-term change in Earth's climate and weather patterns.

What evidence indicates that the Earth's climate is changing?

Global temperatures are rising and extreme weather events are becoming more frequent.

Why is current climate change particularly concerning?

The rapid rate of change caused by human activities may be too fast for many species to adapt or migrate.

How can climate change reduce biodiversity?

Changing temperatures, rainfall and extreme weather can alter or destroy habitats and make conditions unsuitable for existing species.

How might climate change affect the geographical distribution of species?

Species may have to migrate to areas with suitable environmental conditions.

Why might some species be unable to respond successfully to climate change?

They may be unable to migrate or adapt quickly enough to changing environmental conditions.

Why is conserving biodiversity important?

It protects species, genetic diversity and ecosystems and maintains resources that humans and other organisms depend upon.

Why is conservation not the same as simply preventing all environmental change?

Natural environments are dynamic, so conservation involves managing and protecting ecosystems while allowing natural change.

What is preservation?

Protecting something so that it remains as close as possible to its current state.

How does conservation differ from preservation?

Conservation manages and protects a living, changing environment, whereas preservation aims to keep something unchanged.

What is sustainable development?

Meeting the needs of people today without preventing future generations from meeting their own needs.

Why is sustainability important in conservation?

Resources must be used at a rate that allows them to be replaced so they remain available in the future.

What is sustainable use of biological resources?

Using biological resources at a rate that allows populations and ecosystems to recover and continue into the future.

How can sustainable agriculture help biodiversity?

It produces food while reducing habitat destruction, pollution and depletion of natural resources.

How can reducing pesticide use help biodiversity?

It reduces harm to non-target species and decreases pollution of ecosystems.

How can reducing fertiliser use help biodiversity?

It reduces nutrient pollution and the risk of eutrophication in aquatic ecosystems.

How can sustainable forestry conserve biodiversity?

Trees are harvested at a rate that allows forests to regenerate while important habitats are protected.

How can sustainable fishing conserve biodiversity?

Fishing is controlled so populations can reproduce and replace the individuals removed.

Why must conservation consider local people?

Conservation is more sustainable when local communities can still obtain food, income and other resources without destroying biodiversity.

How can conservation benefit local communities economically?

Activities such as sustainable farming and ecotourism can provide jobs and income while protecting ecosystems.

What is ecotourism?

Tourism based around natural environments that aims to minimise environmental damage while benefiting conservation and local communities.

How can ecotourism help conservation?

It provides economic value to intact ecosystems, creates local jobs and generates money that can support conservation.

Why can ecotourism encourage governments and communities to protect biodiversity?

Wildlife and natural habitats become economically valuable when tourists pay to experience them.

What is an example of a country using ecotourism to support conservation?

Costa Rica.

How has Costa Rica used conservation and ecotourism together?

It has protected large areas of habitat and developed ecotourism that provides income while conserving its rich biodiversity.

Why is Costa Rica important as an example of biodiversity conservation?

It contains exceptionally high biodiversity and has developed ways of generating income without destroying much of this natural resource.

Why is education important for conservation?

People are more likely to support conservation when they understand how human activities affect biodiversity and how species and habitats can be protected.

What should conservation education teach people?

The effects of human activities on the natural world and ways people can protect organisms and habitats.

How can zoos contribute to conservation education?

They allow people to observe organisms, learn about threatened species and understand conservation programmes.

How can botanical gardens contribute to conservation education?

They allow people to see plant biodiversity and learn about threatened plants and their conservation.

Why can education lead to changes in human behaviour?

Understanding environmental damage and conservation can encourage people to make choices that reduce their impact on biodiversity.

What is in situ conservation?

The conservation of ecosystems, habitats and viable populations of species in their natural surroundings.

What does "in situ" mean?

In the original or natural location.

What is ex situ conservation?

The conservation of organisms or genetic material outside their natural habitats.

What does "ex situ" mean?

Outside the natural habitat.

Give examples of in situ conservation.

Protected areas, nature reserves, habitat management and conservation of species within their natural ecosystems.

Give examples of ex situ conservation.

Zoos, botanical gardens, seed banks, tissue banks and captive breeding programmes.

What is the main advantage of in situ conservation?

Species remain in their natural habitat where normal ecological interactions and selection pressures can continue.

Why does in situ conservation protect more than one species?

Protecting an entire habitat also protects the many organisms and ecological relationships within it.

What is an advantage of ex situ conservation?

Endangered organisms can be protected from threats in their natural habitat and their populations can be carefully managed.

When may ex situ conservation be particularly useful?

When a species has become so endangered that its survival in the wild is unlikely without human intervention.

What is a captive breeding programme?

A programme in which individuals of an endangered species are bred in captivity to prevent extinction and, if possible, later returned to the wild.

What is the main aim of captive breeding programmes?

To increase the population of an endangered species while maintaining as much genetic diversity as possible.

Why is genetic diversity important in captive breeding programmes?

High genetic diversity reduces inbreeding and provides variation that may help the population survive environmental change and disease.

Why must breeding pairs be carefully selected in captive breeding programmes?

To avoid breeding closely related individuals and to maintain genetic diversity.

What is inbreeding?

Breeding between closely related individuals.

Why is inbreeding a problem in small captive populations?

It increases homozygosity and therefore increases the chance that harmful recessive alleles will be expressed.

How can zoos reduce inbreeding in captive breeding programmes?

They can use breeding records and genetic information to select unrelated or genetically different breeding pairs.

Why might animals be transferred between zoos?

To allow genetically suitable individuals to breed and increase genetic diversity.

What is a reintroduction programme?

A programme in which captive-bred organisms are released back into suitable areas of their natural habitat.

What is the aim of reintroduction programmes?

To establish or increase a self-sustaining wild population of an endangered species.

What must be considered before reintroducing a species?

The original cause of its decline must be removed or controlled and suitable habitat must be available.

Why can reintroduction programmes fail?

The original threats may still exist, suitable habitat may be unavailable, or captive-bred organisms may struggle to survive in the wild.

What is an advantage of captive breeding followed by reintroduction?

It can increase the number of individuals and restore populations in areas where the species has disappeared.

What is a disadvantage of captive breeding?

Captive populations may have low genetic diversity and individuals may become less well adapted to surviving in the wild.

Why might captive-bred animals lack important survival behaviours?

They may not experience natural predators, competition or the need to find food while in captivity.

Why are captive breeding programmes expensive?

Animals require specialist housing, food, veterinary care, staff and long-term genetic management.

Why can captive breeding conserve only a limited number of species?

Space, money and specialist resources are limited.

What is a seed bank?

A facility where seeds are stored under controlled conditions to preserve the genetic diversity of plant species.

How do seed banks contribute to conservation?

They preserve seeds and their alleles so plants can potentially be grown again in the future.

Why are seeds suitable for ex situ conservation?

Many seeds are small, can be stored for long periods and require relatively little space.

Why is plant biodiversity often easier to conserve ex situ than animal biodiversity?

Large numbers of seeds can be stored cheaply in a small space without maintaining living adult organisms.

What conditions are generally used to store seeds?

Low temperature and low moisture conditions that reduce respiration and slow deterioration.

Why are seeds periodically germinated in seed banks?

To check that they remain viable and to produce fresh seeds when stored seeds become less viable.

What is a tissue bank?

A collection of living cells or tissues stored for future propagation or genetic conservation.

How can tissue banks help conserve plant species?

Plant tissues can be stored and later grown into whole plants using tissue culture.

What is a gene bank?

A store of genetic material such as seeds, tissues, gametes or DNA that preserves genetic diversity for future use.

How can scientific research contribute to conservation?

It provides information about population sizes, genetics, breeding, habitats and threats, allowing effective conservation strategies to be developed.

Why is genetic research useful in conservation?

It can measure genetic diversity, identify related individuals and help select suitable breeding pairs.

How can research improve captive breeding programmes?

Scientists can analyse genetic relatedness and plan matings that maximise genetic diversity and reduce inbreeding.

How can conservation programmes maintain genetic diversity?

By protecting large populations, preventing excessive inbreeding, exchanging individuals between populations and carefully selecting breeding pairs.

Why is maintaining genetic diversity important for endangered species?

It increases the chance that some individuals possess alleles that allow them to survive disease or environmental change.

How can conservation prevent extinction?

It reduces threats, protects habitats, maintains genetic diversity and increases populations of endangered species.

What is the relationship between conservation and biodiversity?

Conservation aims to protect biodiversity at genetic, species and ecosystem levels.

Why should conservation protect habitats as well as individual species?

Species depend on interactions with other organisms and environmental conditions within their habitat for survival.

How can habitat conservation protect genetic diversity?

Maintaining large, connected populations helps preserve more alleles and reduces inbreeding.

Why are large populations generally better for conservation than very small populations?

Larger populations usually contain greater genetic diversity and are less affected by genetic drift and inbreeding.

How can habitat fragmentation threaten genetic diversity?

It separates populations, reduces gene flow and creates smaller populations in which genetic diversity can be lost.

Why is conservation described as a global issue?

Loss of biodiversity affects ecosystems and resources worldwide, and many environmental threats cross national boundaries.

How can individuals contribute to biodiversity conservation?

By reducing waste and pollution, using resources sustainably and supporting actions that protect species and habitats.

Define conservation.

Maintaining and protecting a living and changing environment.

Define ex situ conservation.

The conservation of components of biological diversity outside their natural habitats.

Define in situ conservation.

The conservation of ecosystems and natural habitats and the maintenance and recovery of viable populations in their natural surroundings.

Define captive breeding programme.

A programme in which individuals of endangered species are bred in captivity to prevent extinction and, where possible, reintroduced into their natural environment.