Conservation and sustainabilityIB MYP Biology: Flashcards

Exam questions on Conservation and sustainability

1. The Arabian oryx was hunted until it became extinct in the wild in 1972. A few animals survived in zoos and private collections. These animals were bred under human care, and their offspring were later released into protected reserves in Oman and the United Arab Emirates, where hunting is not allowed. The wild population has since grown to several hundred.
   Explain one risk of building up a population from only a few animals.2 marks
2. A national seed bank wants to know how best to store the seeds of wild plants for conservation. Technicians collected seeds from one species of wild grass and divided them into two batches. One batch was stored at -18 °C and the other at 25 °C, both in sealed, dry containers. After five years they placed 100 seeds from each batch on damp filter paper at 20 °C and counted how many germinated in 14 days. From the batch stored at -18 °C, 94 seeds germinated. From the batch stored at 25 °C, 38 seeds germinated.
   Use the results to explain why seed banks store seeds at low temperatures.2 marks
3. Cod fishing off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada, was so intense that the cod population collapsed in the early 1990s and fishing had to be banned for many years. Today many countries set a fishing quota for each species and require nets with a minimum mesh size.
   Explain how quotas and a minimum mesh size help fish populations to recover.3 marks