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Biodiversity: refers to the range of variation found among microorganism, plants, fungi, animal and the genes they

contain. It also refers to the intricate ecosystems they build into the living environment IMPORATNCE OF CONSERVING BIODIVERSITY The conservation of biodiversity is important because it is the cornerstone of human existence. Human beings depend on all living things; fungi, plants, invertebrates and vertebrates to sustain life. Conservation of biodiversity is important for the following: Food: The range of plants has provided food crops that have fed millions of people. By reducing the diversity of these crops, crops are now more prone to attack by diseases and the species would be more likely to go extinct. Biodiversity ensures that the plants and animals will have a greater chance at resisting disease. Medicine: Many medicines have been derived from plant and animal species and have been useful in finding new treatments and cures. Conservation of these species increases the chances of finding new treatments and cures. Maintenance of the ecosystem: Plants have the ability to remove pollutants from the air. Rainforest do this by producing oxygen and absorbing carbon dioxide through photosynthesis. Rainforests also contribute to the formation of soil. Conservation of the rainforest is important because removal has the ability to induce climate changes with can be detrimental to ecosystems.

In situ conservation is the conservation of habitats, ecosystems and species where they naturally occur. Biodiversity is maintained because it allows larger breeding populations to be kept as well as it allows a larger number of species to interact rather than a single species. With the variety of species interacting with all the resources they are adapted to and need to survive present, the populations of the different species are maintained, instead of being decimated. Biodiversity is also maintained with this type of conservation, because it allows evolution to continue, by letting evolution continue new genes are introduced to the gene pool increasing diversity.

Ex situ conservation is the captive breeding of endangered species; the species is removed from its natural habitat. This method of conservation maintains biodiversity because it allows species that have already reached the point where their populations would not recover in the wild to be easily bred and allow those genes to re-enter the gene pool, it replaces the genes that would have been lost due to extinction and hence, increases diversity.

gggIMPORTANCE OF MAINTAINING GENETIC DIVERSITY IN PLANT AND ANIMAL POPULATIONS Species diversity ensures that a species has a greater chance of survival if subjected to disease, pest or drastic climate changes. This would allow the fittest variation of a species to survive and continue. Without genetic diversity, if there was some change the species will be prone to extinction.

ECOLOGICAL FACTORS THAT SHOULD BE INVESTIGATED BEFORE DETERMINING THE SIZE AND LOCATION OF RESERVES:

Region with the greatest number of endangered species Natural range of predators Conservation of groups of species of special interest Conservation of functioning ecosystems Conservation of areas with high biological diversity Features of the reserve must be protected/managed to allow the elements to persist in the area

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