DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

REGION IV – A CALABARZON
DIVISION OF BATANGAS

SAN LUIS ACADEMY, INC.

Calumpang, San Luis, Batangas
Tel. No. 043-741-6616
sanluisacademyinc@gmail.com

Science 9
First Quarter
Week 5
Changes that Affect Species Extinction

Build your Understanding

Global Changes are triggered by human activities:

1. Habitat loss and fragmentation’
2. Over harvesting
3. Pollution
4. Altered nutrients Cycling
5. Invasive species and interaction
 With 7 billion people consuming natural resources more rapidly than they are
created, we are onset of a major environmental revolution. As consequence, some
species are already shifting , expanding, disappearing changing their behavior and
phenology and exploiting newly available food resources or are abandoning
inadequate ones.
 Climate change and other human driven (anthropogenic) environmental changes will
continue to cause biodiversity loss in the coming decades.
 Biodiversity is a term that can be used to describe the biological diversity at a variety
of different scales.
 Extinction is a natural part of life on Earth. Over the history of the planet, most of
the species that ever existed evolved and then gradually went extinct. Species go
extinct because of natural shifts in the environment that took place over a long period
of time, such as ice ages. Species are going extinct at an accelerated and dangerous
rate because of non-natural environmental changes caused by human activities.
 Some of the activities have direct effects on species and ecosystems:
1. Habitual loss or degradation
2. Overexploitation (such as overfishing)
3. Spread of non- native species or diseases.
 Indirect but wide reaching effect on biodiversity
1. Climate Change
2. Pollution
3. Deforestation
4. Overexploitation
 Other Causes of Extinction
1. Global Warming - is the increase in the average temperature of the Earth’s surface.
Increasing global temperature will cause sea levels to rise and will change the
amount and pattern of precipitation.
 Greenhouse Effect – a major cause of global warming was discovered by
Joseph Fourier back in 1824 and it was first investigated quantitatively by
Svante Arrhenius in 1896. It is the process by which absorption and
emission of infrared radiation by the atmospheric gases warm the planet’s
lower atmosphere and surface.

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  Natural Causes of Extinction
1. Climatic Heating and Cooling- climate change can cause by a number of things. If
the effect of climate change on Earth becomes massive, it may cause extinction to
different biodiversities. The biodiverse earth cannot keep up with the rapid changes
in temperature and climate. The species are not used to severe weather.
2. Changes in Sea levels and Currents - the change in sea levels and currents are the
result of melting freshwater ice.
3. Asteroids and Cosmic Radiation- asteroids hit the Earth with extreme force, and
the resulting reverberations can be felt around the world and the impact site is
completely destroyed.
4. Acid Rain – it is formed when the chemical sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide are
absorbed by water droplets in the clouds and eventually fall to the earth as acid
precipitation.

 Importance of Biological Diversity

 Biodiversity is extremely important to people and the health of ecosystems.
It allows us to live healthily and happily. It provides an array of foods and
materials. It also contributes to economy.
1. Most medical discoveries cure diseases.
2. Biodiversity is such an important part of ecological processes that
make life livable.
3. Allows ecosystem to adjust from disturbances like extreme fires
and floods.
4. Genetic diversity prevents diseases and helps species to adjust to
changes in their environment.

Prepared by:

MRS. KRISTINE AMURAO- BOLLENA

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