Forest conservation

Forests can be conserved by controlling how trees are removed and protecting places where they grow. The aim is to prevent forest loss and allow forests to continue growing rather than being cleared faster than they can be replaced.

Protecting forests and managing tree removal

Protected areas restrict activities that damage forests. For example, limiting tree removal in a protected area allows trees to remain and continue growing.

Outside such restrictions, quotas can limit the number of trees that may be removed. This controls the amount of harvesting rather than allowing unlimited removal.

Replanting replaces trees that have been harvested. The new trees need time to grow, so replanting works alongside controls on removal to help the forest persist.

Education for forest conservation

Education helps people understand the effects of forest loss and why forests need protection. This understanding can encourage people to support practices such as restricting damaging activities, following quotas and replanting harvested trees.

Biodiversity and ecosystem stability

An ecosystem contains species that depend on one another for resources and suitable conditions. Biodiversity is the variety of living organisms in an area. High biodiversity can make an ecosystem more stable because a species may be less dependent on any one other species.

For example, if an animal can obtain food from several species, the loss of one food source may not leave it without food. Similarly, several species may provide shelter or help maintain the physical environment. When more than one species can contribute to a role, the loss of one is less likely to disrupt the ecosystem severely.

High biodiversity does not mean that losing a species has no effect, or that an ecosystem is guaranteed to remain stable. The effect depends on the species lost and on whether other species can still support the roles it performed.

Biodiversity and human survival

Humans depend on functioning ecosystems for resources and environmental conditions, including food and clean water. If biodiversity is reduced, ecosystems may become less able to continue providing these things.

Many human activities reduce biodiversity, potentially weakening the ecosystems on which humans depend. In recent times, measures have been introduced to try to stop biodiversity loss, helping to maintain the ecosystems needed for human survival.

Breeding programmes for endangered species

A breeding programme manages the reproduction of an endangered species to increase its population and reduce its risk of extinction. Individuals may be bred in captivity or in other managed conditions, where their reproduction can be monitored.

Choosing breeding pairs

Breeding pairs are chosen to maintain genetic diversity: the variety of genetic information within the population. A small population may contain closely related individuals, so breeding between relatives, known as inbreeding, is more likely. Inbreeding increases the chance that offspring inherit harmful versions of genes from both parents. Choosing less closely related pairs helps reduce this risk and maintain genetic diversity.

Reintroduction and population survival

Offspring may be reintroduced into the wild to help increase the wild population. Reintroduction is more likely to succeed when suitable habitat is available and the threats that caused the population to decline have been addressed. Without these conditions, released individuals may not survive or reproduce successfully.

By helping a species maintain a viable population—one able to survive and reproduce over time—breeding programmes can prevent its loss. Preventing the loss of species also supports biodiversity, the variety of living organisms.

Habitat protection and restoration

A habitat provides organisms with places to live, feed and reproduce. When a habitat is destroyed, these places are lost. When it is degraded, they remain but become less suitable for the organisms that use them. Populations can decline as a result, reducing biodiversity.

Habitat protection limits damaging activities in habitats, particularly those that are rare. Habitat restoration, or regeneration, helps damaged habitats recover so that they can support their characteristic communities of organisms again.

Field margins and hedgerows

In agricultural areas where a single crop is grown, removing field margins and hedgerows reduces the variety of habitats available. Reintroducing these features provides food, shelter and breeding sites for a wider range of organisms.

Hedgerows can also connect separate areas of habitat. This helps organisms move between them, allowing them to reach places where they can live, feed or reproduce.

Reducing carbon dioxide emissions to protect biodiversity

Burning fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide, $$\ce{CO2}$$, into the atmosphere. As its concentration increases, more of the heat radiated from Earth is retained in the atmosphere. This strengthens the greenhouse effect, contributing to climate change.

Effects on biodiversity

Climate change can alter the temperature and rainfall in a habitat. These changes may make the habitat less suitable for the species living there. If a species cannot adapt to the new conditions or move to a suitable habitat, its population may decline. Some species may become extinct, reducing biodiversity: the variety of living organisms in an area.

Reducing emissions

Governments can help reduce carbon dioxide emissions by, for example, encouraging energy generation that does not burn fossil fuels or setting limits on emissions. Reducing emissions limits their contribution to further climate change, helping to limit changes to habitats and the resulting harm to species.

Recycling and biodiversity

Recycling processes discarded materials so they can be used again rather than sent to landfill. This can help protect biodiversity: the variety of living organisms in an area.

Less waste sent to landfill means less land is needed to dispose of it. Landfill can damage habitats or pollute them, making them less suitable for the organisms that live there.

Using recycled materials can also reduce demand for newly extracted raw materials. This can limit habitat damage caused by obtaining those materials. By reducing both landfill and raw material extraction, recycling can help protect habitats and the species that depend on them.