Free Conservation and Preservation OCR A Level Biology revision notes – covering specification point 6.3.2(c).
Biodiversity can be protected by conservation and preservation:
- Conservation is the active management of an ecosystem to maintain or restore its biodiversity by actively managing it and allowing humans to live in the area sustainably.
- Preservation is the protection of an ecosystem from human activity by limiting its access and use.
It is important to note that conservation and preservation can primarily be distinguished by whether or not human activity is permitted (as with conservation) or heavily restricted (as with preservation).
Reasons for Conservation and Preservation
Conservation and/or preservation of biodiversity is justified for economic, social and ethical reasons:
- Economic reasons include products, research (e.g. new medicines), raw resources, services (e.g. ecosystem services, ecotourism) and the employment opportunities they bring.
- Social reasons include its aesthetic, cultural and spiritual value, as well as its educational and recreational use.
- Ethical reasons include a sense of human responsibility and stewardship for the natural world to preserve species for their own sake.
Conservation
Conservation is the human activity undertaken to maintain biodiversity.
Conservation is carried out either in situ or ex situ:
- Ex situ conservation is conservation carried out outside the natural habitat.
- In situ conservation is conservation carried out within the natural habitat.
Approaches to conservation are explored in greater detail in Module 4.
Preservation
Preservation is the maintenance of habitats and ecosystems in their present condition by minimising human impact.
Considering when preservation is most appropriate includes:
- Habitat sensitivity: What degree of human activity would alter the habitat irreversibly.
- Species vulnerability: What rare, threatened or endangered species that live there would be irreversibly harmed by a disturbance.
- Habitat condition: Is the habitat undisturbed and in an original condition that can be maintained.