Transcript conservation - Beaconsfield High School Virtual Learning

Conservation
Learning Objectives
Distinguish between the terms conservation and
preservation
Explain that conservation is a dynamic process
involving management and reclamation
Discuss the economic, social and ethical reasons for
conservation of biological resources
Loss of Biodiversity
The increasing human population threatens
wild populations through exploitation
for………………
Food e.g. the north sea cod
Sport e.g. sharks
Released species e.g. the coypu
may lead to other populations
becoming threatened
Agriculture, pollution and
building may cause habitat
disruption and fragmentation
Conservation or Preservation?
• Conservation
– maintenance of biodiversity
• between species
• genetic diversity within species
– and of a variety of habitats and ecosystems
– carries a social and economic cost for the
local community.
• Preservation
– protection of areas that as yet are
unused/untouched by humans
Conservation Management
Strategies
• Increase carrying capacity by providing
more food
• Control predators (including humans)
• Control movement of organisms by fencing
• Disease control and prevention
• Prevent pollution or other disruptive
forces
• Remove unwanted species and recolonise
areas with native species
Dynamic conservation
Not just fencing in an area
• preservation of organisms / environments ;
– that are at risk from human activity ;
• requires management
– Else succession takes over
• creation of new habitats ;
• may need reclamation
– But difficult to know which species were originally present
– Succession likely to take a long time before community can
survive again
• conservation requires vigilance
• resolving conflicts ;
Benefit of conserving
invertebrates in arable land
e.g. Through hedgerows
• Biological control
• Pollination
• Maintains biodiversity
– Benefits to food chain (food for other
organisms)
Wildlife corridors
• routeways/pathways allowing movement
of animals/insects
• Offers connectivity of fragmented sites of
refuge/habitat
Economic reasons for
conservation
• Direct (can be harvested or exploited for money)
– Food source (domesticated wild species now and in future)
– Genetic diversity to breed for disease resistance, drought
tolerance, improved yield
– Drugs
– Natural predators (biological control)
• Indirect (activities of species provide a function that
would otherwise cost money)
– Pollinators
– Communities that maintain water quality, protect soil, maintain
soil quality, breakdown waste products, prevent flooding
The Galapagos Islands
An example of conservation in
action
Objectives
Outline, with examples, the effects
of human activities on the animal and
plant populations in the Galapagos
Islands
• Charles Darwin’s visit to
the Galapagos in 1835
provided the stimulus
for his theory of Natural
selection.
The Galapagos Islands form part of one
of the best conserved archipelagos. In
1978 they were allocated World Heritage
Site status by the U.N.
The fauna and flora of these
islands is now world famous
The dramatic
increase in
population size
on these island
has produced
huge demands
on the island’s
resources
Tortoises have been used as a food
source by sailors and introduced species
such as goats have had a devastating
effect on the island’s wildlife
A rapidly developing tourism
trade has had a major impact on
the islands
Task
Carry out detailed research on the
Galapagos Islands and then write an in
depth advert for a conservationist to
move there and dedicate their life to
preserving the ecosystem. You need to
include the reasons specifically that
conservation is essential on these
islands because of the problems of
human intervention.