a. State five: (i) challenges that make conservation of resources difficult; [5 marks] (ii) ways by which the Government of a country ensures conservation o...

(a)(i) Five challenges that make conservation of resources difficult

1. Rapid population growth that increases demand for land, food and fuel.
2. Poverty, which forces people to over-exploit resources for immediate survival.
3. Ignorance and lack of awareness about the value of conservation.
4. Weak enforcement of conservation laws and corruption.
5. Inadequate funds and trained personnel to manage protected areas.

Others: industrialisation and urbanisation, and high demand for timber and bushmeat.

(a)(ii) Five ways a government ensures conservation of natural resources

1. Enacting and enforcing laws that protect wildlife and forests.
2. Establishing national parks, game reserves and forest reserves.
3. Educating the public on the need for conservation.
4. Encouraging afforestation and reforestation programmes.
5. Controlling hunting, logging and fishing through licences and closed seasons.

(b) What is an endangered species?

An endangered species is a species whose population has fallen so low that it is in danger of becoming extinct (dying out completely) if the conditions threatening it are not controlled. Examples include the gorilla and certain species of elephant.

(c) Blood group genetics

Blood group O has the genotype OO. A child of blood group O must receive one O allele from each parent.

(c)(i) Genotype of the child: OO.

(c)(ii) Possible genotypes of the father: Since the child is OO, the father must supply an O allele. His possible genotypes are therefore any group carrying an O allele:

• IᴬO (blood group A carrying O)
• IᴮO (blood group B carrying O)
• OO (blood group O)

(d) Three reasons why genetic variation is important to plants

1. It enables some plants to survive changes in the environment (better adaptation).
2. It provides the raw material for natural selection and evolution.
3. It allows breeders to select and produce improved varieties (higher yield, disease resistance).