Reasons for Conservation (Cambridge (CIE) IGCSE Biology)

Reasons for Conservation: Extended

Extended Tier Only

• There are numerous reasons why conservation programmes are important

  • Maintaining or increasing biodiversity

    • Which allows ecosystems to remain stable

  • Reducing extinction

    • Helps to retain iconic species and maintain biodiversity

  • Protecting vulnerable ecosystems which would have been quickly lost to human activity

  • Maintaining ecosystem functions

    • Nutrient cycling eg. carbon cycling to hold back climate change

    • Resource provision, such as

      • Food - making sure we have enough for the population

      • Drugs - having access to plants for plant-based remedies

      • Fuel - for improtant activities such as cooking

      • Genes - so the gene pool remains wide and variety exists in all species

Conservation Techniques: Extended

Extended Tier Only

• Certain conservation techniques can be used to maintain biodiversity

• Examples include

  • Artificial insemination (AI) in captive breeding programmes

    • This allows large numbers of offspring to be produced without the need for conventional sexual intercourse between males and females 

  • In vitro fertilisation (IVF) in captive breeding programmes
    

    • This allows gametes with known alleles to be used in ensuring the next generation remains biodiverse

Risks to a species

• If its population size decreases, a species will experience reduced genetic variation

• This renders the species more susceptible to environmental change

• The species is less resilient and has a greater risk of extinction