Life Cycles

A life cycle is the sequence of stages that any living thing passes through during its natural lifespan. It includes the growth of an organism from its early stages as a single cell, to its fully mature form. All species have their own unique life cycles, with each stage being designed to maximize the organism’s chance of survival. By understanding a species’ life cycle, we can help support and protect threatened species, and use the information to create better and safer agricultural practices, and control invasive species. This knowledge is also used in the fields of conservation and ecology for the development of sustainable management strategies.