20.4 Conservation

2026 Syllabus Objectives

  1. Describe a sustainable resource as one which is produced as rapidly as it is removed from the environment so that it does not run out
  2. State that some resources can be conserved and managed sustainably, limited to forests and fish stocks
  3. Explain why organisms become endangered or extinct, including: climate change, habitat destruction, hunting, overharvesting, pollution and introduced species
  4. Describe how endangered species can be conserved, limited to: (a) monitoring and protecting species and habitats (b) education (c) captive breeding programmes (d) seed banks
  5. Explain how forests can be conserved using: education, protected areas, quotas and replanting
  6. Explain how fish stocks can be conserved using: education, closed seasons, protected areas, controlled net types and mesh size, quotas and monitoring
  7. Describe the reasons for conservation programmes, limited to: (a) maintaining or increasing biodiversity (b) reducing extinction (c) protecting vulnerable ecosystems (d) maintaining ecosystem functions, limited to nutrient cycling and resource provision, including food, drugs, fuel and genes
  8. Describe the use of artificial insemination (AI) and in vitro fertilisation (IVF) in captive breeding programmes
  9. Explain the risks to a species if its population size decreases, reducing genetic variation (knowledge of genetic drift is not required)

What is Conservation? 🌍

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Conservation is the process of looking after the natural environment. The main aim of conservation is to maintain or increase the biodiversity of an area.

Key Definitions 🔑

Biodiversity - The range of different species living in an area.

Conservation - The process of looking after the natural environment to maintain or increase biodiversity.

Why Conservation Matters

One of the greatest threats to biodiversity is the loss of habitats. Each species is adapted to live in a particular habitat. If this habitat is destroyed, the species may have nowhere else to live and will become extinct.

The Impact of Litter and Plastic Waste

Litter can be very unsightly and dangerous to organisms:

Marine environments:

  • Plastic waste thrown into the sea is often mistaken for jellyfish by turtles
  • Turtles eat the plastic, which accumulates in their stomachs
  • The plastic cannot be broken down by enzymes
  • Eventually, turtles cannot eat real food and die

Terrestrial environments:

  • Animals can get trapped inside plastic containers
  • Plastic cords or bags can wrap around animals' bodies and kill them
  • Hermit crabs may choose plastic containers as homes

Critical Example: Researchers on the Henderson Islands found 526 dead hermit crabs in one plastic container. When a crab dies inside a smooth-sided bottle, other hermit crabs detect the scent and crawl in looking for a home, only to become trapped themselves.

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