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conservation 1 - Coggle Diagram
conservation 1
importance of conservation
-reason 1: ethics and morals:
-argued as the right thing to do
-moral codes are subjective
-ethical issues arise over bio rights, rights of indigenous cultures and international conservation legislation
-reason 2: resources:
-wood
-fibres: cotton, wool, silk
-oils: vegetable and animal
-fuels: wood charcoal, alcohol, vegetable oil
-food: plants, animals and fungi
-reason 3: new food:
-few of known species are used as food
-kept in areas where they're maladapted - less productive
-cultivating indigenous species would increase productivity and reduce travel
-many plant species with potential for commercial cultivation
-reason 4: biomimetics:
-the use of knowledge of the adaptations of other species to improve the designs of manufactured items
-species have evolved to adapt to specific conditions we can utilise this
-reason 5: medicines:
-chemicals used by plants and animals can act as medicine in small doses
-even more important recently as antibiotic resistance rises
-examples:
-poppies - morphine and codeine for painkillers
-willow bark - aspirin
-shark blood - AD114 for fibrosis of the lungs
-tropical marine sponge - AZT for HIV / AIDS
-eg, ultrasound:
-bats, dolphins and whales use ultrasound to navigate and hunt
-technique used by humans to monitor pregnancy, ships and objects in the water
-techniques used industrially to accelerate chemical processes
-eg, vehicle design:
-splayed wingtip feathers of soaring birds to reduce turbulence and drag - aircraft wings for fuel efficiency
-shark skin has scales to reduce friction while swimming - ridges to reduce fuel consumption in aircraft and ship surface coating
-termite mounds absorb sunlight and become hot but can regulate heat - self cooling / heating buildings
-hollow bird bones - lightweight bridges and roofing
-gecko toes have a strong adhesion - adhesion without glue
-lotus flowers have water repellent properties - self cleaning windows
-spider silk - car airbags and body armour
setting conservation priorities
-wildlife conservation involves interfering in the habitats and populations of wild species in ways which are intended to be beneficial for conservation
-IUCN:
-coordinating global data on biodiversity conservation
-increasing understanding of the importance of biodiversity
-deploying nature based solutions to global challenges in food and sustainable development
-for:
-species in habitats under particular threat - lemurs in madagascar
-evolutionally unique species - pygmy hippo
-endemic species - Galapagos turtles
-keystone species (important irreplaceable role) - american jaguar
-edge species: species threatened by extinction and have diverged from other taxa long ago so they have greater genetic differences
-species assessed in 2013:
-the okapi can only be found in the forests of the democratic republic of Congo in Africa
-pop. decline due to hunting, habitat loss and difficulties inn carrying out conservation in areas of military conflict (near threatened or endangered)
-species assessed in 2014:
-there are roughly 100 species of lemur all endemic to Madagascar
-82 of such are critically endangered and 48 endangered
-habitat loss and hunting for bushmeat are the major threats
-species recategorization in 2015:
-successful conservation of the Iberian lynx has resulted in its recategorization from critically endangered to endangered
-use of a captive breeding program and the protection of 2 areas of suitable habitat have allowed its pop. to triple in 15 years
-flagship species:
-species that have a high public profile
-raising support for flagships lead to a wider conservational benefit
-may help species that live in the same habitat but do not attract the same attention
importance of conserving biodiversity
-physiological research:
-some species have evolved to be better adapted to specific environmental conditions, studying these can give a greater understanding of human health problems
-studying animals may be more useful and practical than humans
-there are some ethical conditions to consider with this
-pest control species:
-a wide range of predators, herbivores, parasites and pathogens are used to control agricultural pests
-some may be indigenous while others are introduced:
-predators: ladybirds for aphids
-herbivores: prickly pear controlled by cactoblastis moth
-parasites: encarsio, falmosa, parasitic wasp to control whitefly
-pathogens: myxomatosis and rabbits
-genetic resources:
-many populations of wild plants may have genetic characteristics that can be used in breeding programs to improve crops:
-disease ressistance
-salt tolerance
-drought resistance
-high yield
-improved taste or appearance
-crop wild relatives are found where environmental degradation threatens survival
-they traditionally hold desirable characteristics not found in commercial varieties
-centres of diversity:
-russian biologist Nicholai Vavilov studied crop genetics in the 1900s
-realised some areas of the world had higher concentrations of close relatives of important crop species called centres of diversity or Vavilov centres
-most of these centres are in areas where environmental degradation threatens their survival
-protecting the gene pool:
-a gene pool is the total number of different genes present in all individuals in a population of a particular species
-a large population does not necessarily have a large gene pool as they may all be distantly related
-domesticated animals tend to all come from a small number of ancestors with desirable characteristics
-this means all individuals are susceptible to the same diseases and there is a higher risk of inbreeding where respective genes can cause problems
-different populations will have different genes as they are adapted to the specific conditions of their habitat
-consequently when protecting a species all populations should be protected to ensure the largest number of genes are conserved
methods of conserving biodiversity
-legislation and protocols:
-laws that protect endangered species can be very valuable but rarely protect the species effectively on their own
-it can be difficult to enforce and may be broken through ignorance
-there is a large range of laws that protect wildlife but 3 main groups:
-legal protection of habitats and species
-trade controls
-organisations aiming to achieve "sustainable exploitation"
-legal protection of habitat and species:
-the wildlife and countryside act (1981) that covers:
-designated protected areas (SSSIs and MCZs)
-protection of wild birds and nests (pest and game birds)
-protection of mammals
-uprooting of wild plants are generally illegal
-bats: not disturbed and woodworm treatment non toxic or poisonous
-trade controls:
-designed to make unessecary killing or removing of native animals needless as they cant be sold or traded
-CITES:
-CITES permits and certifficates
-law enforcement
-training
-public awareness activities
-selected species are organised into appendices:
-appendix 1:
-species that are threatened with extinction
-all international trade is banned except conservation movements
-eg, great apes, big cats, rhinos, blue whales
-appendix 2:
-species that would be threatened with extinction unless trade is is strictly controlled
-trade permitted from countries where the species is well protected so limited exploitation wont affect survival
-eg, basking shark, great white shark, venus fly trap
-appendix 3:
-species included at the request of a party that already regulates trade in that species but needs cooperation from other countries to prevent unsustainable exploitation
-international trade in these species requires presentation of appropriate permits / certificates
-eg, golden jackal, hyena