Exercises: Ecosystem conservation

Name three current threats to biodiversity and briefly explain what one of them consists of.

What is a national park? Name one in Ireland and a characteristic species or landscape that it protects.

What is an invasive alien species? Give an example present in Ireland and explain the problem it causes.

What is the difference between a national park and a natural park? Name an example of each, if possible from your county.

Explain what the Red List of threatened species is and what it is for.

State whether these actions help or harm biodiversity and justify one of your answers: releasing an exotic animal into a river, planting native species, pouring used oil down the drain, and installing nest boxes.

What is a seed bank? Explain what it is for and why it is considered a form of ex situ conservation.

Name two threats facing the marine environment and briefly explain one of them.

Distinguish between in situ conservation (national parks and nature reserves) and ex situ conservation (zoos, seed banks, or germplasm banks), and state one advantage of each strategy.

Explain what overfishing is and how measures such as closed seasons or minimum catch sizes help recover fish populations.

The Iberian lynx population has grown from around 100 individuals to more than 2 000 in just two decades. Cite two conservation measures that have made this recovery possible and explain how one of them works.

Roads and fences divide forests into isolated fragments. Explain what habitat fragmentation is and why small, isolated populations are at greater risk of disappearing.

Wildlife crossings, such as ecoducts covered with vegetation over motorways, allow animals to cross roads. Explain what problem they solve and relate it to the connection between populations.

The zebra mussel, which arrived from the Caspian region, invades Irish rivers such as the Shannon and displaces native species. Explain which characteristics make it an invader and why it is so difficult to eradicate.

Captive breeding programmes have made it possible to reintroduce species such as the bearded vulture. Explain what they consist of and what must happen in the natural environment for the reintroduction to succeed.

Flora micro-reserves protect small plots where very rare plants live. Reason why protecting an area of just a few square metres can be effective if it is home to a unique species.

A local council is planning to build a car park next to a lagoon where protected birds overwinter. Draft a set of arguments outlining two foreseeable impacts of the construction work and two less harmful alternatives.

The graph shows the change in the population census of an endangered species since its recovery plan was launched. Calculate the total percentage increase between 2010 and 2024, describe the trend, and assess whether the recovery plan is working.

The construction of a motorway has split a protected natural area in two, leaving a population of badgers separated into two isolated groves. Over the years, environmental officers detect an increase in inbreeding, a lower birth rate, and frequent roadkill of individuals attempting to cross the road.

1. a) Justify why the isolation of these populations threatens their long-term survival, even though the original forest remains well-conserved.
2. b) Design a proposal based on wildlife corridors to restore connectivity between both sectors without halting motorway traffic, and predict what benefits this measure will bring to the species' migrations and genetic exchange.

Two recovery plans give these census results between 2010 and 2020: species A goes from 40 to 90 individuals and species B from 120 to 85. Calculate the percentage change of each census, reason which plan seems to work better, and cite another piece of data you would ask for before drawing conclusions.

A district makes its living from a shellfish whose populations are overexploited. Design a management plan with two specific measures and explain how it balances the conservation of the resource with the local economy.

The presence of the wolf generates conflict with some livestock farmers. Present two arguments in favour of its conservation and two from those who oppose it, and propose a compromise solution.

The creation of a national park is being considered in a district with tourism and farming. Analyse two benefits and two possible conflicts of the measure and suggest a solution for each conflict.

Exotic parrots and tortoises are offered on an internet website without official documentation or a CITES certificate. The seller states in the advertisement: "Buying these animals does not harm nature because in captivity they live better protected; moreover, if you ever get tired of them, releasing them in the countryside of your region will help enrich local biodiversity".

1. a) Refute the seller's claims by justifying two severe ecological impacts caused by the illegal capture of these species in their native ecosystems.
2. b) Predict what unforeseen consequences native fauna could suffer if a buyer decided to release one of these exotic specimens into a nearby natural environment.
3. c) Design two responsible and specific courses of action that any informed citizen should follow if they detect a similar situation.

Topic Challenge. How would you prevent the extinction of a key species in your area? Become an environmental consultant and prepare a reasoned conservation proposal to halt biodiversity loss in your county.

1. Official data search: Access the official National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) website (Irish protected species and Red List data) and select a native plant or animal species listed as vulnerable or endangered in your region.

2. Analysis of ecosystem value: Create a table describing its natural habitat, the anthropogenic pressures it faces, and the ecological services it provides (such as pollination, seed dispersal, or pest control).

3. Conservation plan: Write a brief rescue report that includes $3$ realistic and well-founded measures: one for habitat restoration, another for legal or management action, and another for environmental education, estimating a timeline for implementation.

Evaluation criteria:

• Accuracy in obtaining and recording official data from the NPWS.

• Understanding of the ecological value and threats to the selected species.

• Feasibility, coherence, and biological foundation of the conservation measures.