Conservation Strategies (HL IB Environmental Systems & Societies (ESS))

Conservation Strategies

• Conservation strategies are methods used to protect and preserve biodiversity

  • These strategies can be divided into:

    • Species-based conservation

    • Habitat-based conservation

    • Mixed approaches

Species-based conservation

• Species-based conservation focuses on protecting individual species, especially those that are endangered

• This often involves ex situ strategies

  • This means conservation actions are taken outside the natural habitat of the species

Ex situ strategies

• Botanic gardens:

  • Botanic gardens are specially designed areas where a wide variety of plants are grown for scientific, educational and ornamental purposes

  • Botanic gardens cultivate and maintain plant species outside their natural habitats

  • They provide a safe environment for endangered plants and facilitate research and education.

    • For example, Kew Gardens in London holds over 30 000 different plant species.

• Zoos:

  • Zoos keep and breed animals in captivity, often focusing on endangered species

  • They play a role in education, research and breeding programmes to reintroduce species into the wild

    • Captive breeding is the process of breeding animals in controlled environments, such as zoos, aquariums, or wildlife sanctuaries

    • These programmes are often used to help restore populations of endangered species that have declined in the wild

    • For example, the San Diego Zoo in the United States runs breeding programmes for species like the California Condor

  • Zoos also play a role in conservation by raising public awareness and funding other conservation efforts

• Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES):

  • CITES is an international agreement that aims to ensure that international trade in wild animals and plants does not threaten their survival

  • It regulates and monitors the trade of endangered species through a licensing system

    • For example, CITES has helped to protect many species, including elephants, rhinos and tigers

• Seed banks:

  • Seed banks are places where seeds of different plant species are stored to preserve genetic diversity

  • They act as a backup against the loss of plants in their natural habitats

    • For example, the Svalbard Global Seed Vault in Norway holds seeds from all around the world

Habitat-based conservation

• Habitat-based conservation focuses on protecting and restoring habitats to support the species that live there

• This often involves in situ strategies

  • This means conservation actions are taken within the natural habitat of the species

In situ measures

• National parks:

  • National parks protect large areas of natural habitat, preserving the ecosystems and species within them

  • They also provide opportunities for research, tourism and education

    • For example, Yellowstone National Park in the USA protects a variety of ecosystems and species, including grizzly bears and wolves

• Reserves and sanctuaries:

  • Wildlife reserves and sanctuaries are areas set aside for the protection of particular species and their habitats

  • They often involve community participation and sustainable use of resources

    • For example, the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya protects a range of species including lions, elephants and wildebeest

Mixed conservation approach

• A mixed conservation approach combines species-based and habitat-based strategies

  • This approach often focuses on flagship or keystone species to justify the conservation of entire ecosystems

Flagship species

• Flagship species are charismatic species that are well-known and popular with the public, such as elephants, pandas or tigers

• They can be used as symbols for conservation efforts and can help to raise awareness and support for conservation efforts

• By protecting charismatic species, their habitats and other species in the same ecosystem may also be protected

  • An example of a flagship species is the mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei beringei)

  • These primates are found in the Virunga Mountains, which span Rwanda, Uganda, and the Democratic Republic of Congo

  • The mountain gorilla population has faced threats from habitat destruction, poaching, and human conflict

  • By focusing on the conservation of mountain gorillas and their habitat, conservation organisations have been able to protect not only this species but also the many other plants and animals that share their ecosystem

Keystone species

• Keystone species are species that have a disproportionate effect on the structure and function of their ecosystem.

• Their removal can cause significant changes in the ecosystem, including the loss of other species

• By protecting keystone species, the integrity of the ecosystem can be maintained, which can in turn benefit other species in the ecosystem

  • For example, the sea otter is a keystone species in the kelp forest ecosystem in the Pacific Northwest of the United States

  • It feeds on sea urchins

  • This helps to control the population of sea urchins, which are herbivores that can significantly damage the kelp forests

Convention on Biological Diversity

• The Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) is a United Nations treaty aimed at promoting sustainable development and conserving biodiversity

  • It was signed at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil in 1992

• Objectives:

  • The conservation of biodiversity by use of a variety of different conservation methods

  • The sustainable use of biological resources

  • Identify and protect marine areas beyond national jurisdictions

• Nagoya Protocol:

  • The CBD also includes the Nagoya Protocol, which is the part that ensures fair sharing of benefits arising from the use of genetic resources

• The countries that signed the convention agreed to:

  • Design and implement national strategies for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity

  • Organise international cooperation and further international meetings