1. 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

2. 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.

3. 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

4. Aesthetic Ethical Educational Economic Recreational Ecological Reasons for conservation

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

6. 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?

7. Educational Fieldwork in ‘outdoor classrooms’

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

9. Recreational

10. 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!

11. 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

12. 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

13. Industrial Products Timber Paper Fuel Gums Dyes Oils

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

15. 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

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

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

18. Hunting and Collecting

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

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

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

22. Grey Squirrel

24. Brown Tree Snake

25. American Mink

26. Cane Toad

27. 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

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

29. Pollution

30. Climate Change