eer An Deri O Nabi el i Meal N 7 
Goose Lake Prarie, Grundy County, the largest prairie remnant in 
Illinois. —Ill. Dept. of Conservation Photo 
of fungi are found in soil of natural areas and many of these could be lost 
under disturbed conditions. 
Another example comes from California’s citrus industry which de- 
pends on rootstalks from a plant variety once considered worthless, but 
which proved to be resistant to a pathogenic root rot. Finally, at present 
large numbers of wild plant and animal species are being screened for anti- 
cancer and other types of drugs. The loss of any organism serves no one 
and, in the long run, will certainly be to our disadvantage. 
The preservation of larger common organisms, as well as those in 
danger of extinction, is equally important. Natural areas provide an in- 
place preservation of plants and animals that may be used to diversify the 
gene pool of a particular species, race, or variety. Most plant species, for 
instance, have a variety of mechanisms designed to promote cross fertiliza- 
tion between different individuals of the same species (outbreeding ). 
Offspring from outbreeding usually have high vigor and rapid growth 
rates. Where the gene pool (or number of individuals) is limited, self- 
fertilization (inbreeding) or severely restricted outbreeding becomes a 
necssity, and off-spring frequently show declines in vigor. A larger gene 
pool means also a greater variety of characteristics or combinations of 
characteristics and thus more possibilities for natural selection to choose 
the best ones. 
When man destroys a gene pool, he usually destroys both good and 
poor characteristics. In some cases, such as in big-game hunting, man in- 
