1. Outline the arguments for preserving biodiversity.

The intrinsic value of species and ecosystems in their own right makes biodiversity
worthy of protection.
Example: Pollinators such as birds, bees and other insects are estimated to be
responsible for a third of the world’s crop production. Without pollinators we would not
have apples, cherries, blueberries, almonds and many other foods we eat. Agriculture is
also reliant upon invertebrates – they help to maintain the health of the soil crops grow in.
Soil is teeming with microbes that are vital for liberating nutrients that plants need to
grow, which are then also passed to us when we eat them. Life from the oceans provides
the main source of animal protein for many people.

Trees, bushes and wetlands and wild grasslands naturally slow down water and help soil
to absorb rainfall. When they are removed it can increase flooding. Trees and other plants
clean the air we breathe and help us tackle the global challenge of climate change by
absorbing carbon dioxide. Coral reefs and mangrove forests act as natural defences
protecting coastlines from waves and storms.

Many of our medicines, along with other complex chemicals that we use in our daily lives
such as latex and rubber, also originate from plants. Spending time in nature is
increasingly understood to lead to improvements in people’s physical and mental health.
Simply having green spaces and trees in cities has been shown to decrease hospital
admissions, reduce stress and lower blood pressure.

2. IGO and NGO involved in conservation: (compare the roles and activities of these 2
organisations)
- IUCN - IUCN works to help countries mainstream nature into economic decisions,
including making the private sector part of the solution for people and nature. IUCN
monitors the impacts of climate change on nature, and guides the conservation and
restoration of ecosystems to help mitigate and adapt to it.
- Greenpeace - Greenpeace investigates, documents and exposes the causes of
environmental destruction. We work to bring about change by lobbying, consumer
pressure and mobilising members of the general public. And we take peaceful direct
action to protect our Earth and promote solutions for a green and peaceful future.

3. General principles behind the World Conservation Strategy

The aim of the World Conservation Strategy is to achieve the three main objectives of living
resource conservation: a. to maintain essential ecological processes and life-support
systems (such as soil regeneration and protection, the recycling of nutrients, and the
cleansing of waters), on which human survival.

4. How shape and size of a protected area caan influence its success in protecting the
organisms and ecosystems within it.

5. Describe and evaluate captive breeding and reintroduction programmes as part of a

species-based approach to conservation.

6. Strengths and weaknesses of the CITES.

7. Explain why your chosen protected area was selected for protection.