Populations and sustainability

case studies
 Conservation vs Preservation

Conservation Definition Preservation Definition

Ways in which humans threaten biodiversity

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Economic Reasons for Social/aesthetic Reasons for

Conservation Conservation
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Ecological Reasons for Further Reasons for Conservation

Conservation (eg, ethical)

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 Conservation strategies

Keep these general strategies in mind when you are working

through the case studies

Successful conservation strategies require consideration of social and economic costs to the
local community, and effective education and liaison with the community. Only once the
local community are involved and on board with conservation efforts will they work
effectively.

Conservation strategies include:

 Establishing protected areas such as green belt land, National Parks, sites of special
scientific interest (SSSIs), UNESCO world heritage sites
 Giving legal protection to endangered species (CITES)
 Conservation ex situ (eg, zoos and botanic gardens)
 Conservation in situ (eg, wildlife reserves)
 Raise carrying capacity by providing more food
 Encourage natural dispersion of individuals between fragmented habitats by
developing dispersal corridors of appropriate habitats
 Restrict dispersal of individuals by fencing
 Control predators and poachers
 Vaccination individuals against disease
 Intervene to restrict succession Ieg, by coppicing)
 Clean up pollution
 Remove unwanted species
 Reintroduce original species
This section of the course covers two important areas:

1. Managing the conflicts between the preservation of species and their future
conservation with the demands of an increasing human population

a. Masai Mara, Kenya

b. Terai region, Nepal
c. Peat bogs in the Flow Country, Scotland

2. The effects of human activities on plant and animal populations in ecosystems that are
especially sensitive to environmental change and the ways in which these activities
can be controlled

a. Galapagos Islands, Eastern Pacific Island

b. Antarctica
c. Snowdonia National Park, Wales
d. Lake District, NE England
Section 1: Managing the conflicts between the preservation of species and their
future conservation with the demands of an increasing human population

Balancing the competing requirements for natural resources by humans and other living
things is essential to help secure sustainable use of natural resources, which is compatible
with conservation.

Three successful examples of conservation being implemented alongside

development are:

1. Masai Mara, Kenya

2. Terai region, Nepal
3. Peat bogs in the Flow Country, Scotland

Use both textbooks along with the following resources to complete the
information sheets on all case studies
Masai mara, Kenya
 http://maasaiwilderness.org/programs/conservation-programs/
 Opening address statement from Senior Warden of the Masai Mara National
Reserve

Terai region, Nepal

 Terai Arc Nepal document
 https://www.worldwildlife.org/magazine/issues/winter-2014/articles/history-of-
nepal-conservation

Peat bogs in the Flow Country, Scotland

 Peat-executive-summary document (be aware this relates to peat bogs in Wales,
but the principles are the same)
 The Peatlands of Caithness & Sutherland MANAGEMENT STRATEGY 2005- 2015
(Google this document and scan through – pages 16-22 are especially helpful) -
http://www.snh.org.uk/pdfs/scottish/nhighland/PeatlandsStrategy.pdf
 a
Masai Mara, Keny
Location/Importance of Reserve Ecotourism
Types of ecosystems found, main animals and plants

AS specification links

Conservation and Research

Human Farming Activity:

Grazing
Elephants Hunting/poaching

Agriculture/cultivation
Human-wildlife conflict
Livestock Humans

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Terai Region of Nepal AS specification links

Location/Importance: Conflict of interest with humans 1.

2.
3. Conservation interventions
4.  People and the forests
5.
6.

High stake interest in the forests of Terai

 Tiger conservation

Ecosystem types and main animal species found:

 untry,
Peat Bogs, The Flow Co
What is it/importance Human threat to ecosystem

Animals Present:

Conserving Lowland Bogs

Tree removal
Scotland
AS specification links
Controlled grazing

Muirburn

Plants Present:
RSPB
Formation of peat
Drain blocking

Peat cutting
Questions on Section 1
State the similarities between the strategies adopted in the Terai region and in the
Masai Mara

Explain why both of the above projects tried to involve the local community in
conservation efforts

Write down the positive and negative consequences of each project

Positive consequences Negative consequences

Terai region, Nepal

Masai Mara, Kenya

Flow country peat

bogs, Scotland

Suggest why conservation initiatives that do not account for the needs of local people
tend to fail

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Section 2: The effects of human activities on plant and animal populations
in ecosystems that are especially sensitive to environmental change and the ways
in which these activities can be controlled

Human activities can affect populations in a number of ways, including habitat

destruction, competition for natural resources, hunting and pollution. To overcome these
problems, some areas are protected, such as national parks and reserves, green belt land,
world heritage sites, marine protected areas, and areas of outstanding natural beauty.
There is also legal protection of endangered species, and eradication of invasive species.

There are four locations where humans have strived to control their effects on the
environment:
a. Galapagos Islands, Eastern Pacific Island
b. Antarctica
c. Snowdonia National Park, Wales
d. Lake District, NE England

Use both textbooks along with the following resources to complete the
information sheets on all case studies
The Galapagos Islands
 https://www.worldwildlife.org/places/the-galapagos
 http://whc.unesco.org/en/activities/615/

Antarctica
 http://discoveringantarctica.org.uk/tourism/destination-antarctica/impacts-and-
management/
 Is Rise in Tourism Helping Antarctica or Hurting It? document

Snowdonia, Wales
 Snowdonia National Park Authority document

The Lake District, England

 http://www.lakedistrict.gov.uk/ data/assets/pdf_file/0007/729754/3.0-The-
Strategies.pdf
 AS specification links
Galapagos Islands
Location/importance: Management techniques to reduce
Animals Present:
impact of human activities:
Prevent introduction of non-native species

Use of natural predators

Culling

Education

No-take areas

Impacts of human activity: 1.

Plants Present:
2. Limits on tourist numbers
3.
4.
Galapagos marine reserve

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 Impacts of human activity: AS specification links
Antartica 1.
Location/Importance: 2.
Animals Present:
3.
4.

Control of Human Activities:

1961 Antarctic Treaty

Plants Present:
 The threat of Rhododendron AS specification links
Snowdonia, Wales ponticum
Location / Importance:
Animals present

Plants present:
Control to mitigate threat of human activities
 AS specification links
The Lake District, England
Location / Importance: The threat posed by human activities
Animals present

Plants present:
Control measures to mitigate threats of human activities
Questions on Section 2
Explain why management of the marine reserve around the Galapagos Islands
provides a model for effective conservation

Explain why protection of krill is so important to the Antarctic ecosystem

Make a list of factors working against conservation, and strategies that help
conservation in all 4 locations

Complete the table to indicate strategies for dealing with human impact by location

Galapagos Antarctica Snowdonia Lake District

Protected
areas
Legal
protection for
endangered
species
Eradication
of invasive
species
Encourage
hedge
planting
Discourage
animal
grazing

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