1.9.5Inquiry Process
How to Preserve Biodiversity — IB Biology HL Revision Notes & Topical Questions
5 min read 5 parts Lesson 36 of 160
Curriculum Equation Key قوانين الرقم الهيدروجيني والاتزان الأيوني - pH & Acid-Base Equilibrium FormulasFast Exam Solution
pH = -log[H⁺] | pOH = -log[OH⁻] | pH + pOH = 14 | [H⁺][OH⁻] = 10⁻¹⁴
Word Equation & Conditions: الرقم الهيدروجيني = -لوغاريتم تركيز أيون الهيدروجين | pH + pOH = 14
Location & Specifications: الاتزان الأيوني، كيمياء 3 ثانوي، التحصيلي، و AP Chemistry.
Part 1 of 5In Situ Conservation
In situ means protecting species in their natural habitat.
Protected areas
- Protected areas National parks and reserves legally protect habitats so that species can live there naturally.
Habitat restoration
- Habitat restoration Replanting forests, rewetting wetlands and removing invasive species help degraded land recover.
Corridors
- Corridors Strips of habitat link fragments so animals can move and genes can flow between populations.
Legislation
- Legislation Laws and treaties, such as bans on trading endangered species, reduce hunting and trade.
Rewilding
- Rewilding Reintroducing missing species, including top predators, can restore natural ecosystem processes.
Part 2 of 5Ex situ Conservation
Ex situ Conservation
Captive breeding
- Captive breeding Zoos and breeding centres keep and breed endangered animals, managing pairing to maintain genetic diversity.
Seed banks
- Seed banks Seeds dried and stored at low temperature, as at Svalbard, preserve plant diversity for decades.
Botanical gardens
- Botanical gardens Living collections of rare plants support research, education and reintroduction.
Cryopreservation
- Cryopreservation Cells, eggs and sperm are stored in liquid nitrogen to keep genetic material for future use.
| Approach | Advantage | Limitation |
|---|---|---|
| In situ | Keeps whole ecosystem and natural behaviour | Needs large areas and enforcement |
| Ex situ | Safe from threats in the wild | Costly, small gene pool, animals may lose wild behaviour |
Part 3 of 5Setting Priorities
1
Identify the species at highest risk using the IUCN Red List and population studies.
2
The EDGE approach also gives priority to species that are evolutionarily distinct and globally endangered.
3
Find the main threats, such as habitat loss or poaching, and design measures to remove them.
4
Combine protection of habitat with captive breeding or seed banking as insurance.
5
Monitor populations and adjust management, involving local communities so the measures last.
Part 4 of 5Worked Example
Question
- A rare plant survives in only three wild sites.
- Suggest in situ and ex situ conservation measures and one reason for combining them.
- In situprotect the three sites as reserves, control grazing and invasive weeds, and restore habitat between them.
- Ex situcollect seeds and store them in a seed bank, and grow plants in a botanical garden.
- Combining the two gives insuranceif a wild site is lost, stored material can be used to re-establish the species.
Answer Use protected reserves (in situ) plus seed banking and botanical garden cultivation (ex situ) so the species survives even if wild populations are lost.
Part 5 of 5Exam Checklist & Tips
1.9.5 – Key Points for the Exam
- In situ Conservation in the natural habitat.
- Ex situ Conservation outside the natural habitat.
- Wildlife corridor A habitat link joining isolated patches.
- EDGE species Evolutionarily distinct and globally endangered species.
Common Mistakes
- Saying captive breeding alone can save a species without habitat protection.
- Mixing up in situ and ex situ.
- Forgetting that protected areas still need enforcement and funding.
- Thinking seed banks preserve ecosystems, when they preserve genetic material.
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