The Rationale for Wildlife Conservation

food source medicine - current and future biodiversity ecotourism pollination decomposition atmospheric regulation

an innovative design concept that draws inspiration from nature and its elements and processes to solve complex human problems

pointed front mimics a kingfisher’s beak reduced noise and energy usage resolved the boom the train made when leaving the tunnel (reduced air resistance)

inspired by the burdock plant small hooks found at the end of the burrs are useful for attaching to things velcro uses the same idea of little hooks

the bumps on the flippers on the humpback whale allow water to flow over more smoothly fewer turbine blades are needed for the same amount of air flow able to spin in less windy conditions

used to study the nervous system contains the largest known nerve cell able to regenerate their tentacles helped us understand degenerative diseases- dementia, alzheimer’s

comparable organ size study their reproductive biology - IVF

produce up to 4 genetically identical babies at one time - useful for drug testing leprosy research - show similar disease progression to humans

Opiates morphine/heroin treats chronic pain

Quinine treats malaria and swine flu

Vinblastine/Vincristine treats cancer vinblastine - Hodgkins’ disease vincristine - childhood leukaemia

domesticated to chickens

adapted over time via selective breeding to live close with humans

domesticated to kale, cabbage, cauliflower, brussel sprouts

insects fungi plant based foods morama bean

an area of the world that has high concentrations of the close relatives of important crop species (before domestication)

reduces the gene pool

Crop Wild Relative

The wild cousins of our agricultural crops useful for adapting our crops to climate change as they contain the original gene pool

More genetically diverse Genetic resource we may need to solve future problems, for example disease resistance, hardiness, drought resistance

Deforestation and habitat clearance- caused by urbanisation, mining, agriculture Contamination of gene pool - GM crops, introduced species Climate Change - droughts, temperature, sea level rise (outside range of tolerance)

Seed banks Legal protection - national parks, protected status Education - sustainable farming Reduce combustion of fossil fuels Invest in renewable energy Reduce methane emissions Remove invasive species

Developed in Vietnam due to increased flooding Able to tolerate increased salinity in order to protect crop yields and food security

Developed in Peru Adapted common potatoes to survive in poor soils and environments