Conservation and Biodiversity

• Conservation and Biodiversity refer to the sustainable use and preservation of biological species, maintaining the natural balance of ecosystems, and avoiding the extinction of species.

• Biodiversity essentially includes the variety of life on Earth comprising different species, genes and ecosystems.

• The concept of conservation fundamentally emphasises the management and preservation of natural resources for future generations.

• Biodiversity has huge importance for humans as it has ecosystem services, offering goods such as timber and drugs, and services such as carbon cycling and flood control.

• Conservation methods could include captive breeding programmes, protection and regeneration of rare habitats, reintroduction of field margins/gap sites and reduction of deforestation and carbon dioxide levels.

• Various threats to biodiversity include habitat destruction, farming causing single variant crops, climate change, pollution, disease, over-exploitation and invasive species.

• For instance, deforestation leads to a reduction in global biodiversity, as it destroys the habitats of many species.

• Loss of biodiversity can harm ecosystem balance, as every organism plays a significant role in the environment, and their loss can disrupt the balance.

• Conservation is not just about protecting individual species, but it’s also about protecting whole ecosystems, like coral reefs or rainforests that are threatened due to human impact.

• Methods are often put into place at a local and global level for conservation. Locally, there could be protection laws for certain species or green belt areas. Globally, there could be international agreements such as the Paris Agreement on reducing carbon dioxide emissions.

• Understanding the impact of human activity on the environment and how to conserve biodiversity are key topics of focus for ecologists and conservationists.

• Revision can have a key focus on distinguishing between biodiversity and conservation, understanding threats to biodiversity and recognising current conservation practises.

• Quizzing oneself on the impacts associated with loss of biodiversity and conservation methods can prove beneficial in solidifying knowledge.

• Remembering that conservation aims to protect, preserve, manage and sustain biodiversity can be a useful tip for revision.