Conservation of Biodiversity (DP IB Biology)

True.

Many scientists argue that we are currently experiencing a mass extinction event due to human activities.

False.

There have been five mass extinction events in the past, so the current round of extinctions could be the sixth mass extinction.

Species extinctions caused by human activities include:

• North Island giant moa

• Caribbean monk seal

You should know about one other example of your own choosing.

The North Island giant moa went extinct because it was hunted by humans for food. They may also have suffered the effects of habitat loss due to farming.

Caribbean monk seals were hunted to extinction:

• for their meat

• for oil

• because they were easy to hunt

• to provide scientific specimens

Clear-cutting is a practice where all the trees in an area are cut down and removed.

Clear-cutting in Southeast Asia provides:

• timber

• land for agriculture, such as palm oil plantations

The loss of mixed dipterocarp forest is an example of ecosystem loss that you are expected to know about, along with one other example of choice.

IPBES produces reports that draw together evidence on biodiversity loss.

Repeat survey data is important in biodiversity studies to:

• provide evidence that change is taking place

• track changes in biodiversity over time

• ensure that there is enough data to check reliability

In biodiversity surveys both species richness and species evenness need to be assessed.

Citizen scientists are members of the public who help to gather data.

Peer review is important for published research to ensure that the experimental methods used are suitable, and that any conclusions match the data.

An advantage of involving citizen scientists in research is that they can help to gather large volumes of data from many sites around the world.

A disadvantage is that citizen scientists may not always collect valid data due to a lack of training.

True.

While there are multiple causes of biodiversity loss, all result from human population growth.

Human population growth has resulted in biodiversity loss due to:

• hunting and other forms of over-exploitation

• loss of natural habitat due to urbanisation, deforestation and agriculture

• pollution

• spread of pests and disease

• invasive alien species

In situ conservation involves protecting and managing natural ecosystems within their original locations, such as through protected areas, rewilding, and reclamation.

False.

Rewilding can be either active, involving human intervention, or passive, allowing natural processes to restore ecosystems.

A protected area is a defined geographical region, such as a national park or nature reserve, where human activities are restricted in order to benefit wildlife.

Examples of ex situ conservation methods include:

• zoos

• botanic gardens

• storage of genetic information in seed or tissue banks

Zoos play a critical role in conservation through captive breeding programs, scientific research, and reintroductions of species into the wild.

A seed bank is a facility that conserves plant diversity by drying and storing seeds in temperature-controlled conditions to preserve them for future use.

The EDGE programme focuses on species that are:

• evolutionarily distinct

• globally endangered

Evolutionarily distinct species have few close evolutionary relatives and represent a unique part of Earth's evolutionary tree that is not represented elsewhere.

Globally endangered species are those that face a high risk of extinction across their entire range, not just locally.

Considerations beyond a species' EDGE status when prioritising for conservation include issues that are:

• ethical

• environmental

• political

• social

• cultural

• economic issues

• cultural significance