Aesthetic Ethical Educational Economic Recreational Ecological What is conservation? Protecting the environment from human activities Preventing animals and plants from extinction Creating new habitats Managing natural resources and ecosystems Keeping the balance of nature Preserving the natural environment

Aesthetic Ethical Educational Economic Recreational Ecological What is conservation? Attain sustainable yields whilst maintaining environmental quality Maximum biodiversity of genetic resources Minimal pollution Optimum aesthetic appeal.

Aesthetic Ethical Educational Economic Recreational Ecological What is involved? Preservation –not losing habitats or species –e.g establishing reserves Management –maintaining the balance –removal of alien species –restriction of human interference –deflected succession Reclamation repairing previous damage returning land / water to a more valuable state Habitat creation Producing entirely new ecosystems

Aesthetic Ethical Educational Economic Recreational Ecological Reasons for conservation

Aesthetic Jacques Lake, Canada Aesthete –‘Pleasure seeker’ Natural environment is great source of pleasure To enjoy it we must conserve it!

Ethical Right to live –Are all organisms equal? –Subjective –Bacteria that cause diseases? Different cultures have different views –sacred animals Extinction is often natural –Fossil records Responsibility to maintain diversity?

Educational Fieldwork in ‘outdoor classrooms’

Economic Wildlife and landscapes can provide income: –Visitors spend money –Wildlife watching holidays –Activity holidays

Recreational

Food 250, 000 known plant species –Only 30 used for food on large scale Monocultures more susceptible to pests and disease Wild varieties may possess natural genetic resistance –Seed banks as biological insurance Most wild relatives of food crops are in the tropics –Under most threat!

Medicines Rainforests worth more alive than dead! 47 major drugs from tropical plants –Codeine –Quinine Animals also play a role in medical research –Cytology –physiology Indigenous knowledge may be invaluable –We need to learn from them

Genetics Wild populations face many threats: –Abiotic conditions –Disease Survival of the fittest –Genetic superiority/resistance Breeding has reduced the gene pool –Less tolerant Chances for: –Cross breeding –Genetic engineering

Industrial Products Timber Paper Fuel Gums Dyes Oils

Ecological Plants –Plants help regulate; Atmosphere Water cycle Nutrient cycles Soil structure Form the basis of food chains

Ecological Species interdependence –Food webs –Habitats –Pollination –Nutrient cycles –Seed dispersal What if we manipulate these? –Intentionally Cane toads in Australia –Unintentionally Brown Tree Snake in Guam

Ecological Indicator species: –Lichens and SO 2 pollution –Used to identify and control harmful human activities –Involves studying the natural environment

Need for conservation Some factors may affect individual species directly Others may be threatened by loss of habitat Extinction Endangered

Hunting and Collecting

Persecution Deliberate eradication Damage: –Crops –Landscape –Livestock –People –Property Birds of Prey in UK

Accidental Harm from Human Activities Fishing by-catch –Whales –Dolphins Farm harvesting –Mammals –Ground dwelling birds –Invertebrates Roadkill –Pheasants –Mammals

Introduced Species ‘Alien species’ Moved around world –Boats –Aircraft Accidental or deliberate May have no effect May cause endangerments or extinctions –Predators –Competitors –Disease

Grey Squirrel

Brown Tree Snake

American Mink

Cane Toad

Habitat Change Each species is adapted to a particular environment More competitive species may be able to survive change These will be the ones that are better adapted to the new environment

Habitat Destruction Deforestation –logging Expansion of farmland –Food crops –Cash crops Urbanisation Mineral extraction –Quarrying –Mining Flooding by reservoirs –Water supply –HEP

Pollution

Climate Change