In-situ & Ex-Situ Conservation

whooping crane reintroduction

bred in captivity from eggs --> taught them how to migrate by having them follow an aircraft & had to wear costumes so they wouldn't imprint on humans.

aquaria

most fish are caught from the wild, not captive born.

history of zoos

status symbol for wealthy --> entertainment like circus & menageries --> public display & education --> now research, conservation, etc. --> future will have more specialized "zoos" like elephant sanctuaries.

cetaceans in captivity

-Cetaceans are very intelligent, self aware, and sentient. -They experience stress in captivity shown by pacing, ulcers, and self mutilation. -higher mortality in captivity -limp fin = depression

In-situ conservation

-Conservation of biodiversity in the natural environment. -Gives the greatest chance of long-term persistence. -In some instances, in-situ conservation alone may be insufficient to protect biodiversity.

stud books

-Keep track of the parentage/relatedness of every individual in every zoo -Avoids inbreeding between individuals in the zoo network -Allows scientists to find the best genetic combinations among zoo animals to increase genetic diversity within the zoo network

advanced vet technology used in ex-situ

-animal contraceptives to avoid overbreeding in captivity -artificial insemination allows sperm to be transported instead of animal itself, reducing stress. -surrogate species -incubation as head start to raising animals; allows mother to reproduce again instead of raise babies. Similar to cross fostering.

types of reintroductions

-create new pop in original habitat -augmentation: increase existing pop w/ new individuals in original habitat. -new pop in new environment beyond historic range

Limitations of ex-situ compared to in-situ

-ex-situ is more $$, can be a problem for long-term funding. -very small population in captivity, low genetic variation. -Concentration: catastrophic loss to the population bc all the individuals are concentrated. Ex: fox got into flamingo habitat a& killed 25 of them. -selection for animals to be docile and unreactive -lack survival skills; must be trained before reintroduced. -surplus animals--> ethical dilemma, ex: giraffe in zoo fed to lions.

ex situ conservation can benefit in-situ

-outreach & education at ex situ facilities can raise public awareness & encourage in situ conservation. -some revenues generated at ex situ facilities are used to fund in situ conservation. -captive bred indivs are an opportunity for research, reintroduction, & reinforcements (like genetic diversity) that can improve in-situ success & reduce need to take animals from wild. -Seed banks are used to restore native populations of plants.

soft vs hard release

-soft: give food, help them until they are stable -hard: sink or swim, don't assist after release.

traits for successful reintroduction program

-solve original causes of decline -release at many sites not just one -release 100+ indivs and keep adding to it -Monitor pops and threats to make sure they are persisting and change the conservation plan if necessary to make it more successful

Ex-situ conservation

-the protection & management of biodiversity in artificial, human-built environments -fall back pops or "insurance" -Used as short term buffer for extinction -Used when the only way to prevent a species & its genetic diversity from going extinct may be to maintain individuals in artificial environments.

Black footed ferret reintroduction

1979 thought it was extinct --> 1981 pop found in wild but declining --> made captive pop for breeding --> taught how to avoid predators, how to hunt, where to hide etc. --> released in wild.

seed banks & herbaria

1: collections of seeds used as source of genetic variants (esp. crop plants). 2: preserved plant material, used as research resource

botanic gardens

30% of plant species are in botanic gardens. BG in UK has 10% of plant species.