Conservation of biodiversity

wood- timber for structural uses fibres- plant and animal fibres oils- uses of vegetable oils (cooking/ cleaning) fuels- biofuels, wood, charcoal new foods- many plant species have the potential for commercial cultivation

“the use of knowledge of animal and plant adaptations to improve the design of manufactured items” -adhesion- different surfaces- increase or decrease adhesion both important for different survival situations (burrs= velcro) -materials- coats/ hydrophobic textiles -infection control- bacteria does not stick easily to shark skin a coating material that imitates shark skin is used in hospital operating theatres -architecture- termite hills- application of natural structures eg Singapore airport -vehicle design- plane wings- based on eagles wings feather structure/ humpback whales have tubercules on their flippers - has been applied to ship rudders and aerogenerator blades (energy production) -ultrasound diagnosis

“The study of living organisms so the knowledge gained can be applied to engineering or other technological developments.”

new medicines can be developed from the chemicals produced by plants and animals -plants need to protect themselves -thorns/spikes/bad tasted/ many of these chemicals are alkaloids . aloe vera/ ginger/ Tumeric/ cammomile some of the few species we have tested for medicinal purposes - there may be more we dont know about - yew tree- taxol= treat many cancers -poppies- painkillers= morphine and codeine

many wildlife species can be used to control agricultural pests. They may be predators, herbivores, parasites or pathogens. - some are indigenous whilst others are introduced .parasitoids- attack and lay eggs killing pests .predatory fungi- attacks a nematode worm .encarsia formosa= parasitic wasp= released in greenhouses to control whitefly pests on crops like tomatoes

Animal species may be more useful or practical than humans for physiological research some species have evolved to become adapted to specific environmental conditions. Studying these could give a greater understanding of human health problems eg hippopotamus skin secretes hipposudoric acid which is a natural sunscreen and antimicrobial agent = studied to improve the treatment of burns victims

many plant species have the potential for commercial cultivation -potato bean of north America Morama bean of southern Africa Yeheb tree of Somalia we utilise the resources from the earth to sustain our way of living

New genes to improve crop genetic characteristics may be found in the wild relatives of cultivated crops. The importance of centres of diversity/ Vavilov centres for crop wild relatives (CWRs). They are important as they have desirable characteristics not found in crop varieties but with CWRs we can use them to put those desirable characteristic into the crop by a breeding programme

An area of the world, identified by the Russian zoologist Nikolai Vavilov, where crop plants were first domesticated and where wild varieties are still found.

These are wild plant varieties or species that are closely related to domesticated crops. CWRs may contain genetic characteristics that can be used in crop breeding programmes.

-disease resistance- sugar can mosaic virus sugar cane cross- bred with wild sugar cane from indonesia -salt tolerance- sea kale is salt tolerant so it is being studied for possible breeding programmes -resistance to drought cacao is made more drought tolerant by cross breeding with wild plants from the Amazon rainforest -high yield for example oil palm yield was increased by 25% by cross breeding with wild varieties from central Africa

this is regulated by abiotic/ biotic processes= work to ‘cancel each other out’ to maintain a dynamic equilibrium because no overall change often overlooked co2 + o2 regulated largely by photosynthesis and aerobic respiration and water vapour

living organisms are involved in many processes of biogeochemical cycles (phosphorus/ nitrogen/ carbon cycles) most done by microbes = bacteria and fungi without it waste products would build up and important resources would become depleted

no species can survive in ecological isolation as living organisms often provide services that aid the survival of other species like pollination, seed dispersal (animal seed/ pollen dispersal is more effective than wind) and habitat provision

soil is vital for growth and survival of almost all plants. Providing support, food and nutrients. soil regulates water cycles and reduces flooding even influences river flow. Process= breakdown and decomposition of dead organic matter. invertebrate animals, detritivores, fungi and bacteria decompose organic matter and produce humus which helps hold the soil together. decomposition produces organic acids which aids weathering and breakdown of rocks providing the soil with more nutrients.

killing animals because they threaten/interfere with human activities. They are often predators or competitors of agricultural organisms eg wolves, elk (eradication of predators and competitors)

populations of many species have been reduced over time by over-exploitation for resources or deliberate eradication e.g. food/ fashion/ entertainment/ furniture and ornaments/ traditional medicines/ other products.

Human activities may change the abiotic features of a habitat, making it more or less suitable for the survival of wildlife - the changes caused may be because of an action, or inaction eg stopping plagioclimax management - water availability eg by drainage or flooding light levels eg forest clearance -oxygen availability eg by pollution of water with organic matter -nutrient levels eg fertiliser runoff from farmland -pH, eg acid mine drainage -temperature, eg thermal pollution from power stations

changing the population size of one species often has an impact on the population size of other species: - introduced species (competitors= grey squirrel, predators, pathogens= squirrel pox virus) - loss of inter-species relationships (affects ecosystem services) -food chain impacts -pollinator disruption -seed dispersal animal disruption

many human activities remove the natural communities of species: -deforestation -expansion of farmland -urbanisation -mineral extraction -flooding by reservoirs

-coordinating global data on biodiversity conservation -increasing understanding of the importance of biodiversity -deploying nature-based solutions to global challenges in climate, food and sustainable development

-evolutionary uniqueness (EDGE species) -endemic species -keystone species -flagship species -threats to survival -population dispersal -red list categories for threatened species -classification of habitats, threats and required actions.

These are species that are threatened with extinction and have few relatives that are genetically similar. This genetic uniqueness means they should be a high priority for conservation. they are diverged from other taxa long ago so they have greater genetic differences

An endemic species is indigenous (‘native’) to a particular area and is not naturally found elsewhere. (It is also used in disease epidemiology to mean a disease that is normally present). (species found within a single area, especially if the population is small)