BUGHAO, MARIA ANGELIKA A.

PEOPLE AND EARTH’S ECOSYSTEM

BSN-1B MRS. BELINDA LIWANAG

Task for this week:

1. Watch the video on Ecosystem in this link: https://youtu.be/FhaldPmkoNE
 The video is all about Ecosystem Ecology, wherein Mr. Anderson explained how
ecosystem function. According to Mr. Anderson, “Ecosystem are larger areas in the
planet that contains living and non-living material.” He started the lecture by describing
how life on the planet is organized from small to large areas; from individual, population,
communities, ecosystems, and biomes. Larger than biomes are called biosphere or our
planet. Moreover, he described the major biomes on the planet which are the terrestrial
(example: dessert and boreal forest) and aquatic (example: fresh water and salt water)
biomes. He then described the interactions and transitions at the ecosystem level with
food which is organized by food chain and food wed. The producer’s energy (plant) or
the foods energy are being passed to the consumers in which it has different kinds of
levels the herbivores (consumers that only eat plants), carnivores (consumers that only
eat other living things or meats) and the omnivores (consumers that eat both plants and
other living things). Organizing all the food chain in an area can now produce a food
web, in which it is the combination of different food chains or the different producers and
consumers. He also explained the importance of niche, keystone species and the edge
effect in an ecosystem. Niche is the match of a species to a specific environmental
condition. It describes how an organism or population responds to the distribution of
resources and competitors and how it in turn alters those same factors. While, keystone
species is an organism that helps define an entire ecosystem. Without its keystone
species, the ecosystem would be dramatically different or cease to exist altogether.
Lastly, the edge effect is the boundary between two ecosystems that can affect the health
of the ecosystem. It can actually be a healthy area after developing over period of time.
2. Choose one type of ecosystem, Illustrate or draw and determine the different components.

MARINE
ECOSYSTEM
 BUGHAO, MARIA ANGELIKA A. PEOPLE AND EARTH’S ECOSYSTEM
BSN-1B MRS. BELINDA LIWANAG
DIFFERENT COMPONENTS OF MARINE ECOSYSTEM

MARINE
ECOSYSTEM

ABIOTIC BIOTIC
COMPONENTS COMPONENTS

High Na, Ca, Mg, and K PRODUCERS:

salt concentration, It includes phytoplanktons (diatoms,
variable dissolved dinoflagillates), large seaweeds (mainly
oxygen content, sunlight algae like chlorophyceae, phaeophyceae
and temperature make a and rhodophyceae; angiosperms like
unique physiochemical Ruppia, Zostera, posidonia), and
condition in marine mangrove vegetation (like Rhizophora,
water. Carapa etc.)

CONSUMERS:
a. PRIMARY CONSUMERS: These are herbivores
and feed directly on producers (Crustaceans,
Mollusks, fish etc.)
b. SECONDARY CONSUMERS: These are
carnivorous fishes (Herring, Sahd and Mackerel)
c.TERTIARY CONSUMERS: These are top
carnivorous fishes (Cod, Haddock, etc.)

DECOMPOSERS:
These are micro-organisms like bacteria,
fungi. Other important decomposers are
marine worms, echinoderms, crustaceans and
mollusks.
BUGHAO, MARIA ANGELIKA A. PEOPLE AND EARTH’S ECOSYSTEM
BSN-1B MRS. BELINDA LIWANAG
FOOD CHAIN AND FOOD WEB OF MARINE ECOSYSYEM

3. Reflection: What are the threats to our ecosystem? Give 3

Anything that attempts to alter the balance of the ecosystem potentially threatens the
health and existence of that ecosystem. Some of these threats are not overly worrying as they
may be naturally resolved provided the natural conditions are restored. Other factors can destroy
ecosystems and render all or some of its life forms extinct. Here are a few:
I. Habitat loss
 Economic activities such as logging, mining, farming and construction often involve
clearing out places with natural vegetative cover. Very often, tampering with one factor
of the ecosystem can have a ripple effect on it and affect many more or all other factors
of that ecosystem. For example, clearing a piece of forest for timber can expose the upper
layers of the soil to the sun’s heat, causing erosion and drying. It can cause a lot of
animals and insects that depended on the shade and moisture from the tree to die or
migrate to other places.
 It is identified as a main threat to 85% of all species described in the IUCN's Red
List (those species officially classified as "Threatened" and "Endangered"). Increasing
food production is a major agent for the conversion of natural habitat into agricultural
land.
 Habitat loss is due to destruction, fragmentation, or degradation of habitat. When an
ecosystem has been dramatically changed by human activities.
Major Kinds of Habitat Loss
BUGHAO, MARIA ANGELIKA A. PEOPLE AND EARTH’S ECOSYSTEM
BSN-1B MRS. BELINDA LIWANAG
 Habitat destruction: A bulldozer pushing down trees is the iconic image of habitat
destruction. Other ways people directly destroy habitat include filling in wetlands,
dredging rivers, mowing fields, and cutting down trees.
 Habitat fragmentation: Much of the remaining terrestrial wildlife habitat in the U.S. has
been cut up into fragments by roads and development. Aquatic species’ habitats have
been fragmented by dams and water diversions. These fragments of habitat may not be
large or connected enough to support species that need a large territory where they can
find mates and food. The loss and fragmentation of habitats makes it difficult for
migratory species to find places to rest and feed along their migration routes.
 Habitat degradation: Pollution, invasive species, and disruption of ecosystem processes
(such as changing the intensity of fires in an ecosystem) are some of the ways habitats
can become so degraded, they no longer support native wildlife.
Main Causes of Habitat Loss
 Agriculture: Much of the habitat loss from agriculture was done long ago when settlers
converted forests and prairies to cropland. Today, there is increasing pressure to
redevelop conservation lands for high-priced food and biofuel crops.
 Land conversion for development: The conversion of lands that once provided wildlife
habitat to housing developments, roads, office parks, strip malls, parking lots and
industrial sites continues, even during the current economic crisis.
 Water development: Dams and other water diversions siphon off and disconnect waters,
changing hydrology and water chemistry (when nutrients are not able to flow
downstream). During the dry season, the Colorado River has little to no water in it by the
time it reaches the Sea of Cortez.
 Climate change: The emerging driver of habitat loss is climate change. Wildlife that
need the cool temperatures of high elevations, such as the American pika, may soon run
out of habitat. Coastal wildlife may find their habitat underwater as sea levels rise.
BUGHAO, MARIA ANGELIKA A. PEOPLE AND EARTH’S ECOSYSTEM
BSN-1B MRS. BELINDA LIWANAG

II. Po
l lu
t io
n

 Water, land and air pollution all together play a crucial role in the health of ecosystems.
Pollution may be natural or human-caused, but regardless they potentially release
destructive agents or chemicals (pollutants) into the environments of living things. “In a
lake, for example, it can create havoc on the ecological balance by stimulating plant
growth and causing the death of fish due to suffocation resulting from lack of oxygen.
The oxygen cycle will stop, and the polluted water will also affect the animals dependent
on the lake water.”
Three major kinds of pollution:
Air Pollution
Sometimes, air pollution is visible. A person
can see dark smoke pour from the exhaust
pipes of large trucks or factories, for example.
More often, however, air pollution is invisible.
Polluted air can be dangerous, even if the
pollutants are invisible. It can make people’s
eyes burn and make them have difficulty
breathing. It can also increase the risk
of lung cancer.
Air pollution can kill quickly. In 1984, an
accident at a pesticide plant in Bhopal, India,
released a deadly gas into the air. At least
8,000 people died within days. Hundreds of thousands more were permanently injured.
Natural disasters can also cause air pollution to increase quickly. When volcanoes erupt,
they eject volcanic ash and gases into the atmosphere. Volcanic ash can discolor the sky
for months.
BUGHAO, MARIA ANGELIKA A. PEOPLE AND EARTH’S ECOSYSTEM
BSN-1B MRS. BELINDA LIWANAG
Water Pollution
Some polluted water looks muddy, smells bad, and
has garbage floating in it. Some polluted water looks
clean, but is filled with harmful chemicals you can’t
see or smell.Polluted water is unsafe for drinking and
swimming. Some people who drink polluted water are
exposed to hazardous chemicals that may make them
sick years later. Others consume bacteria and other
tiny aquatic organisms that cause disease. The United
Nations estimates that 4,000 children die every day
from drinking dirty water. Sometimes, polluted water
harms people indirectly. They get sick because the
fish that live in polluted water are unsafe to eat. They have too many pollutants in their flesh.
There are some natural sources of water pollution. Oil and natural gas, for example, can leak into
oceans and lakes from natural underground sources. These sites are called petroleum seeps.
Human activity also contributes to water pollution. Chemicals and oils from factories are
sometimes dumped or seep into waterways. These chemicals are called runoff. Chemicals in
runoff can create a toxic environment for aquatic life. Runoff can also help create a fertile
environment for cyanobacteria, also called blue-green algae.

Land pollution
Many of the same pollutants that foul the water also
harm the land. Mining sometimes leaves the
soil contaminated with dangerous chemicals.
Pesticides and fertilizers from agricultural fields are
blown by the wind. They can harm plants, animals,
and sometimes people. Some fruits and vegetables
absorb the pesticides that help them grow. When
people consume the fruits and vegetables, the
pesticides enter their bodies. Some pesticides can
cause cancer and other diseases. A pesticide
called DDT (dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane) was
once commonly used to kill insects, especially mosquitoes. In many parts of the world,
mosquitoes carry a disease called malaria, which kills a million people every year. Trash is
another form of land pollution. Around the world, paper, cans, glass jars, plastic products, and
junked cars and appliances mar the landscape. Litter makes it difficult for plants and other
producers in the food web to create nutrients. Animals can die if they mistakenly eat plastic.
BUGHAO, MARIA ANGELIKA A. PEOPLE AND EARTH’S ECOSYSTEM
BSN-1B MRS. BELINDA LIWANAG
III. Overharvesting
Fish species, game and special plants all do
fall victim from time to time as a result of
over-harvesting or human’s over-dependence
on them. Overharvesting leads to the reduction
in populations, community structures and
distributions, with an overall reduction in
recruitment. Lots of fish species are known to
have reached their maximum exploitation
level, and others will soon be. “For example,
Oreochromis karongae is one of the most
valuable food fishes in Malawi, but
populations collapsed in the 1990s due to
overfishing, and it is now assessed as Endangered.” 
Sustained overharvesting can lead to the destruction of the resource, and is one of the five main
activities – along with pollution, introduced species, habitat fragmentation, and habitat
destruction – that threaten global biodiversity today. Overharvesting these resources for extended
periods of time can deplete natural resources to the point where they are unable to recover within
a short time frame. 
Effects of overharvesting
 Overharvesting is one of the primary threats to biodiversity. It can lead to resource
destruction, including extinction at the population level and even extinction of whole
species. Depleting the numbers or amount of certain resources can also change their
quality; for example, the overharvesting of footstool palm (a wild palm tree found in
Southeast Asia, the leaves of which are used for thatching and food wrapping) has
resulted in its leaf size becoming smaller.
 Overharvesting not only threatens the resource being harvested, but can directly impact
humans as well – for example by decreasing the biodiversity necessary for medicinal
resources. A significant proportion of drugs and medicines are natural products which are
derived, directly or indirectly, from biological sources. However, unregulated and
inappropriate harvesting could potentially lead to overexploitation, ecosystem
degradation, and loss of biodiversity; further, it can negatively impact the rights of the
communities and states from which the resources are taken.

REFLECTION:
 For me, the three major threats of our ecosystems are habitat loss, pollution and
overharvesting wherein these threats causes ecological imbalance and extinctions to all
living and non-living organisms. Human activities are the major caused why these threats
occur in our ecosystems and in our planet. Irresponsible individuals cause the ecosystems
to be weak and decreased it productivity. If these threats persist to destroy our
BUGHAO, MARIA ANGELIKA A. PEOPLE AND EARTH’S ECOSYSTEM
BSN-1B MRS. BELINDA LIWANAG
ecosystems, these might cause a lot of impact to human individuals, since the sources of
our needs are all in the ecosystems and we are overly dependent on its usefulness. Also,
extinction of animals might happen since the animals can no longer sustain their lives
because of the ecosystem’s lack of productivity. Moreover, future generation can no
longer see the beauty of the nature and our mother earth. Along with that, persistent of
these threats might cause the ecosystem to no longer hold on to the needs of humans,
since there is a decreased in productivity in the ecosystem. These alarming situations
might lead to war on each and every country, as they are now fighting against each other
to be able to sustain and support their lives. The daily living of humans can be damage.
Human death might occur or might increase. Lastly, climate change, typhoons and
natural calamities might possibly occur as the ecosystems continues to be weak.
Therefore, as an individual, who have a better mental capacity we should come up with a
plan to help build and secure the ecosystems foundation, since we are the most
beneficiaries of their products and we used those things in our daily livings. Be
responsible and discipline humans, so that in the end we will not be able to feel regret.
Furthermore, taking care of the ecosystem is the same as taking care of our future and
those future generations.

4. How can you help conserve the ecosystem?

An ecosystem is the interaction of plants, animals and small organisms in a certain
environment. All three feed and procreate to keep the ecosystem alive. There are thousands of
ecosystems of varying sizes on Earth. Due to global warming and pollution, many ecosystems
are suffering. Therefore, as an individual, changes to every day’s lifestyle can help to protect the
planet and its ecosystems and this can be done by means of doing the following:

Reduce or eliminate the use of household chemicals and

pesticides that can hurt the environment. Harsh chemicals in typical
store-bought cleaners can get into the water supply and leak into
ecosystems when disposed of. You can make your own cleaning
solutions using distilled vinegar and baking soda. You can also
purchase "green" cleaning products. Brands, such as Seventh
Generation and Clorox Green Works, make their cleaning products
with chemicals that are more environmentally friendly than
conventional cleaners.

Recycle as much waste as you can and reduce the amount of waste
you produce. You can create separate bins in your house and label
them for glass, plastic, paper and aluminum. Take your bins to your
nearest recycling center. Reducing your waste is one of the best ways
to help the environment. Rather than using disposable paper towels,
BUGHAO, MARIA ANGELIKA A. PEOPLE AND EARTH’S ECOSYSTEM
BSN-1B MRS. BELINDA LIWANAG
use reusable towels that can be washed rather than thrown away. Use reusable bags at the
grocery store rather than using disposable plastic or paper bags.

Reduce your carbon footprint. There are numerous ways to cut

back on how much you pollute resulting in a smaller carbon
footprint. In your house, you can turn your hot water heater down a
few degrees, wash dishes in the sink rather than the dishwasher, take
showers rather than baths, turn down your air conditioner or heater,
and use energy efficient light bulbs and electronics. Choose
transportation that pollutes less, such as public transportation and
choosing to take a train over taking a plane.
Choose foods that are locally grown and grown sustainably. The
industrial food system requires food to be transported from all over
the country and internationally and for food to be grown abundantly,
which requires pesticides. The transportation methods transporting
food pollute the environment, but local foods do not need to be
transported far. Organically grown food is also more sustainable,
because it does not use pesticides, which harm ecosystems. Your
local farmer's market is a way to find locally grown food and
organically grown food.

Plant a tree. Trees provide food and oxygen. They help save
energy, clean the air, and help combat climate change.

Preserve the natural ecosystem that occurs in bodies of water. In

order to preserve the natural ecosystem that occurs in bodies of
water you can follow fish and game regulations in your area and
only fish in designated areas. It is also a good idea to take shorter
showers and to wait until you have a full load of clothing before
turning your washing machine on. These small things can help to
preserve what is left of the natural ecosystem, and will help you to
save money as well.

Volunteer. Volunteer for cleanups in your community. You can get

involved in protecting your watershed, too.
 BUGHAO, MARIA ANGELIKA A. PEOPLE AND EARTH’S ECOSYSTEM
BSN-1B MRS. BELINDA LIWANAG

Educate. When you further your own education, you can help
others understand the importance and value of our natural
resources.

As an individual, it is our responsibility and duty to maintain or keep the ecosystem clean
and to make sure that it is safe and healthy. Since, we all consume or use its resources for our
own benefits and daily livings. Therefore, by doing those safety lifestyles, we are not just
protecting the ecosystem itself, but also, we are assuring that future generations can still see the
beauty of the nature and the planet Earth. Apart from my own ways of conserving the ecosystem,
there are a lot of simpler and other ways that you can do to help maintain the natural beauty and
usefulness of our ecosystem. As long as we also have discipline to ourselves, we can be assured
that our ecosystem will live longer. On the other hand, we should not do harm things that might
possibly give us regrets in the end. As for Jonas Salk once said “Eventually we’ll realize that if
we destroy the ecosystem, we destroy ourselves.” Therefore, for the sake of our future children,
let us work together to maintain the purity of our ecosystem and to let the children do or follow
what we do well to our ecosystem or mother earth.

References:
Black, A. (2018, June 18). Enviropol. Retrieved July 04, 2020, from
https://enviropol.com/green/2018/06/18/threats-to-ecosystems/

Mizejewski, D., et al. (2013). Habitat Loss. Retrieved July 04, 2020, from
https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Threats-to-Wildlife/Habitat-
Loss

Padgalskas, V. (2019, November 18). How to Protect the Ecosystem. Retrieved July 04, 2020,
from https://sciencing.com/how-to-protect-the-ecosystem-12221148.html

Thomas, L. (2012, October 09). Pollution. Retrieved July 04, 2020, from
https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/pollution/
 BUGHAO, MARIA ANGELIKA A. PEOPLE AND EARTH’S ECOSYSTEM
BSN-1B MRS. BELINDA LIWANAG
Wakim, S. (2019, November 19). 47.3B: Overharvesting. Retrieved July 04, 2020, from
https://bio.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Introductory_and_General_Biology/Book:_General_
Biology_(Boundless)/47:_Conservation_Biology_and_Biodiversity/47.3:_Threats_to_Biod
iversity/47.3B:_Overharvesting