Humans and the environment

05.07.2020
08:44:57

Biology/ grade 10- Today’s topic: Conserving endangered species-course book- pages 314 and 315.

Main points-
Conservation programmes:
If the population of a species drop, the range of variation within the species drops, making it less able to adapt to environmental change.
The species could, therefore, be threatened with extinction.
When animal populations fall, there is less chance of individuals finding each other to mate.


Habitats can be conserved in a number of ways:
Using laws to protect the habitat.
Using wardens to protect the habitat.
Reducing or controlling public access to the habitat.
Controlling factors, such as water drainage and grazing, that may otherwise contribute to destruction of the habitat.
Monitoring and protecting species and habitats.
Captive breeding and reintroductions – possible to boost a species numbers by breeding in captivity and releasing the animals back into the environment.
Seed banks – way of protecting plant species from extinction. They include seed from food crops and rare species. They act as gene banks.


Reasons for conservation programmes (CP – not pokemongo related, word just too long cbf writing it):
Reducing extinction:
CP strive to prevent extinction. Once a species become extinct its genes are lost forever.
So we are also likely to deprive the world of genetic resources.
The chances are that we will deprive ourselves not only of the beauty and diversity of species but also of potential sources of valuable products such as drugs.


Protecting vulnerable environments:
CP are often set up to protect threatened habitats so that rare species living there are not endangered.

Maintaining ecosystem functions:
There is a danger of destabilising food chains of a single species in that food chain is removed.
Crops are grown for food, extraction of drugs and the manufacture of fuel.
Crop growth has major impacts in ecosystems, causing the extinction of many species and reducing the gene pool.

Watch the video to understand the concept better.