STAS111
11
Ms. Eleonor Trinidad / First Semester
Transcriber: Kathleen Venus
BIODIVERSITY AND HEALTHY SOCIETY
OUTLINE
I. Biodiversity
II. Three Types of Biodiversity
A. Genetic Diversity
B. Species Diversity
C. Ecological Diversity
III. Biodiversity and Environment
IV. Status of Philippine Biodiversity
V. Importance of Biodiversity
VI. Biodiversity Hotspots
VII. Factors that caused Philippine Biodiversity Loss
A. Underlying Causes of the Loss of Philippine
Biodiversity
VIII. Genetically Modified Organisms
A. The Impact of GMO to Biodiversity and
Environment
BIODIVERSITY
- Biological diversity, or biodiversity refers to the
variety of life on earth.
- The biodiversity we see today is the outcome of
over 3.5 billion years of evolutionary history,
shaped by natural processes and increasingly,
by the influence of humans.
- Biodiversity forms the web of life of which we
are an integral part and upon which we fully
depend.
- Biodiversity also pertains to the relative abundance
and richness of the different traits, species, and
ecosystems in a particular area or region.
- The United Nations Convention on Biological
Diversity (Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in
1992) defines biodiversity as the variability among
living organisms from all source, including aerial,
terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems,
and the ecological complexes of which they are
part: this includes diversity within species, between
species and of ecosystems.
- Zamora (1997) defined Biodiversity as the
ensemble (all of its parts taken together) and the
interactions (mutual actions) of the genetic, the
species, and the ecological diversity in a given
place and at a given time.
- World Wild Fund for Nature (1989) defined it as
the wealth of life on earth, the millions of
plants, animals and microorganisms, the genes
they contain, and the intricate ecosystems they
help build into the living environment.
THREE TYPES OF BIODIVERSITY
GENETIC DIVERSITY
- refers to a variety of expressed traits or genes
within the species.
- It also refers to the degree of variability of the
genetic material of an organism.
- A gene is a unit of hereditary information consisting
of a specific nucleotide sequence in DNA.
- High genetic diversity indicates populations that
can more easily adapt to changing situations
and environments, and also greater assortment
of materials than can be found, increasing the
chances of finding a useful compound
FINALS
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- It refers to the differences in the genetic make-up of
a distinct species and to the genetic variations
within a single species.
- It concerns DNA sequences
SPECIES DIVERSITY
- refers to a variety of species or diversity between
species.
- Species is a group of organisms or individuals with
the same gene pool or genetic characteristics and
capable of interbreeding with one another.
- The patterns of species diversity in an area or at
one time are due to three factors: history, chance,
and necessity.
- History is the correlation through time as a function
of reproduction.
o For instance, if a species was abundant in
the near past, chances are that it will be
abundant today.
- Chance is the random process of birth, death,
and migration.
- Necessity is the laws of growth and interaction,
that is, different species flourish in different
conditions
- It refers to the variety of species within a habitat or
a region.
ECOLOGICAL DIVERSITY
- refers to a variety of species among ecosystems in
a given area or variety of habitat, communities
and ecological processes in a given area or
variety of habitat, communities and ecological
processes, such as forests, rivers, lakes,
marine, wetland, or terrestrial ecosystems.
- Ecosystem is the unit of interaction between the
biotic community and its physical environment in a
given area.
- It deals with the variations in ecosystems within a
geographical location and its overall impact on
human existence and the environment
BIODIVERSITY AND ENVIRONMENT
Biodiversity is often used to draw attention to issues related
to the environment. It can be closely related to:
The Health of Ecosystems
- For example, the loss of just one species can
have different effects ranging from the
disappearance of the species to complete collapse
of the ecosystem itself. This is because every
species having a certain role within an ecosystem
and being interlinked with other species.
The Health of Mankind
- Experiencing nature is of great importance to
humans and teaches us different values. It is good
to take a walk in the forest, to smell flowers
and breathe fresh air. More specifically, natural
food and medicine can be linked to biodiversity.
STATUS OF PHILIPPINE BIODIVERSITY
- The Department of Environment and Natural
Resources (DENR 2009) claims that in terms of
biodiversity, the Philippine was:
o 5th in the world as to number of plant
species
o 8th in the world list of endemic plants
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o 4th in endemic birds
[STAS111] 1.12 BIODIVERSITY AND HEALTHY SOCIETY – Ms. Eleonor Trinidad
o 5th in endemic mammals
o 8th in endemic reptiles
- Identified endemic species of the country:
o Rafflesia manillana: the world’s largest
flower
o Vanda sanderiana (waling-waling): one
of the world’s largest orchid species
o Pithecophaga jefferyi (monkey -eating
eagle): the largest bird
o Rhincodon typus: the largest fisH
o Tridacna gigas (giant clam): the largest
seashell
o Pandaka pygmea (dwarf goby): the
smallest freshwater fish
o Tarsius syrichta (tarsier): the smallest
primate
o Tragalus nigricans: the smallest hoofed
mammal
o Tylonycteris pachpus (bamboo bat): the
smallest bat
o Pisidum: the tiniest shell in the world
o Connus gloriamaris: one of the most
expensive shells in the world
o Cervus alfredi: the most endangered
deer
o Bubalus mindorensis (tamaraw or dwarf
water buffalo): one of the top ten most
endangered species in the world and the
largest endangered animal.
- Out of 52,177 identified species in the Philippines,
more than half can be found only in this part of the
world
o Of 9,253 plant species, 6,091 are
endemic
o of 1,137 terrestrial species, 558 are
endemic
o of more than 150 species of palms and
dipterocarps, two-thirds are endemic
o of about 8,000 flowering plants in the
world, 3,500 are endemic in the country
o of 1,000 species of orchids, 70 percent are
endemic
o of 165 species of mammals, 121 are
endemic
o of 332 species of reptiles and amphibians,
215 are endemic
o of 895 species of butterflies, 352 are
endemic
o of nearly 21,000 recorded insect species,
70 percent are endemic
o of more than 130 species of tiger beetle,
over 110 are endemic.
- The country is also home to some of the world’s
most exotic birds,
o of 577 species, 185 of these are
endemic
o Of the 915 reef fish species and more
than 400 scleractinian coral species
identified, 12 of which are endemic
- There are 3,000 species trees in the country
o 77 species of which are mangroves.
- It is said that less than 14 of the 114 species of
snakes in the country are poisonous.
- The Philippines, being part of the Coral Triangle
in the Pacific Ocean has more than 500 of the
world’s 700 coral species.
- There are 2,500 species of fish present in the
country’s marine waters.
- There are also 1,062 species of seaweeds and 16
species of sea grasses.
- One indication that a species may be
endangered is a dwindling in numbers.
- The list of endangered species is long and
growing.
- In the 2000 Red List of the International Union for
the Conservation of Nature and Natural resources
(IUCN), of the 52,177 species in the Philippines,
- 418 were listed as threatened.
- The Philippine Biodiversity Conservation Priority-
setting Program (PBCPP) described the 121
endemic mammals as critically endangered.
- The Bird Life International listed 116 of species
of birds in the country are threatened or near
threatened.
- According to the Department of Environment and
Natural Resources report (2010), out of 584 wildlife
in the country, 72% are already threatened with
extinction.
- Several species of plants, frogs, reptiles and
insects remain to be documented.
- Unfortunately, several species were believed to
have vanished without being identified.
- Other indications that species is threatened is
the disappearance of its habitat and the
disappearance of another species on which the
niche depends.
- In the last 500 years, the Philippines saw the
destruction of over 93 percent of its original forest
cover.
- The country was Asia’s most beautiful provider of
rainforest timber during the 20th century.
- Department of Environment and Natural Resources
(DENR) data show that the country’s total forest
size dwindled to 6.7 million hectares in 1990 from
30 million hectares in 1930.
- At the same time, the forest-to-man ratio shrank to
0.1 hectare per Filipino in 1990 from 1.13 hectares
per Filipino in 1930.
- During the last 20 years, the forest cover has been
destroyed at the rate of 2.5 percent annually or
about three times the world average rate of
forest devastation.
- A study by the Philippine Congress said that
123,000 hectares of the country’s forest cover are
lost every year.
- The added that by 2036, there would be no
forest left in the country, unless reforestation is
- started.
- In January 2003, a study by the Green Tropics
International (GTI) claimed that the Philippines
would need P30 trillion to forest country’s denuded
mountains in over 85 years.
- The Inventory of the Coral Resources of the
Philippines (ICRP) found only about 5 percent of
the country’s estimated 26,000 square kilometers of
coral reefs were in excellent condition, with over 75
percent coral cover.
IMPORTANCE OF BIODIVERSITY
1. Ecological Importance
- Biodiversity is the key working parts of the
natural ecosystems.
- Biodiversity is responsible for maintenance of
the gaseous composition of the atmosphere,
regulation of the global climate, generation and
maintenance of soils, recycling of nutrients and
waste products, and biological control of pest
species.
- Plants, specifically, serve as the primary
producers that provide the energy that issued and
channeled to different components of the
ecosystem.
- The interactions among and between the
elements of the ecosystem determine the
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productivity, stability, and sustainability ecosystem
[STAS111] 1.12 BIODIVERSITY AND HEALTHY SOCIETY – Ms. Eleonor Trinidad
including functions such as reproduction and
regeneration, nutrient and water cycling, biotic
stability and others.
- Biodiversity also promotes biomass and genetic
input for new species
2. Economic Importance
- Biodiversity provides the basic materials needed
by man to exist, such as food, clothing, and
shelter.
- They provide raw materials for new and
traditional medicines, thus improving human
health.
- They support livelihoods and provide income, i.e.,
tourism, education, technology, and research.
3. Aesthetic Importance
- Biodiversity provides a sense of satisfaction and
pride in knowing that there are rare flora and fauna
that exist in the area.
- They also provide opportunities for recreational
activities, such as bird watching, scuba diving,
snorkeling, and nature photography
4. Cultural and Spiritual Importance
- Biodiversity has an intrinsic value that it is worth
protecting for human survival and heritage, which is
the concept of stewardship as firmly ensconced in
the Judeo-Christian doctrine.
- The extension of rights to species and landforms is
a necessary extension of the cultural evolution
Homo sapiens.
- McNeil and Shei (2000) noted that biodiversity is
the life insurance of life itself
BIODIVERSITY HOTSPOTS
- It is a biogeographic region that is both a significant
reservoir of biodiversity and is threatened with
destruction
Areas of Critical Biodiversity
- Hotspots: most threatened areas of high biodiversity
- Roughly 25 worldwide
- Madagascar
- Parts of California
- Caribbean
FACTORS THAT CAUSED PHILIPPINE BIODIVERSITY
LOSS
1. Habitat Alteration or Destruction
- Massive deforestation and conversion of forestlands
to other uses.
- In mangrove ecosystem, the development of
fishponds (aquaculture).
- In coral reefs, coastal development, aquaculture,
agriculture, and land-cover change increasing
sediments and nutrients outflow onto reefs, and the
muro-ami fishing technique.
2. Over-harvesting
- Commercial logging, community logging, timber
poaching, and kaingin (slash and burn agriculture).
- In mangrove ecosystem, the extraction of fuel and
construction materials.
- Exploitation of particular plant species and animal
groups for commercial purposes.
- In marine ecosystem, the pa-aling fishing technique.
3. Environmental Pollution
- In the case of coral reefs, the destructive fishing
practices, the use of dynamite cyanide in fishing.
- Domestic agriculture and industrial wastes are
poorly treated and are often discharged into the
sea, and to other bodies of water, such as rivers
and lakes.
- Pollution can lead to diseases and pollution
stresses, such as coral bleaching on reefs.
4. Climate Change
- Destruction of forest and vegetation affects
hydrologic cycle and increase concentration of
greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.
- Drastic changes in the atmosphere can have
catastrophic effects.
5. Introduced Species (Invasive Species)
- Introduced species can change the entire habitat
placing the ecosystem at risk.
- They can crowdout or replace native species that
are beneficial to a given habitat.
- They can damage human enterprise, and can cost
economy of the area.
- In fact, introduced species are greater threat to
native biodiversity than pollution, harvest, and
disease combined
6. Encroachment of Habitat
- Economic activities such as mining, forestry, fishing,
and industry disturb the balance of the ecosystem.
UNDERLYING CAUSES OF THE LOSS OF PHILIPPINE
BIODIVERSITY
The underlying causes of Philippine biodiversity loss are:
o Population growth and increasing resource
consumption
o Ignorance about species and ecosystems
o Poorly conceived policies and poor law enforcement
o Effects of global trading systems
o Inequity of resource distribution
o Apathy or failure to account for the value of
biodiversity
o Interaction of underlying causes
GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS
- While selective breeding has existed for
thousands of years, modern biotechnology is
more efficient, and effective because seed
developers are able to directly modify the genome
of the crop.
- This process is called “Genetic Modified Organism
(GMO). It is also known as “genetic engineering”,
where in selective bred of plants were being
enhanced with the genes if another plant.
- Genetic Modified crops can help farming a lot. It can
produce higher number of yields than usual.
- By this, GMO can strengthen farming especially
against the unpredictable factors of nature.
- But controversy remains on how to get an access to
this biotechnology and regarding to the safety of
genetic modified foods.
THE IMPACT OF GMO TO BIODIVERSITY AND
ENVIRONMENT
The basic goal of biotechnology is to provide the means to
feed the world’s hungry. Moreover, the benefit of GMO in the
increase of the crop yield is well established. But recent
researches and studies have also revealed the adverse
effect of GMO to health, environment and most
importantly in biodiversity. Long term studies about the
potential risks of GMO must be first evaluated and dealt
with. Alarming results have been produced in several
recent studies indicating the toxicity and harm to health and
ecology.
- An insect resistant GM crop could have direct toxic
effect on non-target species.
- A GM crop could have an indirect effect to other
species by reducing the source of food for other
wildlife such as birds.
- Pest resurgence could be resulted from insects
which become resistant to chemicals
- when used on pest tolerant GM crops repeatedly
and may increase the number of insect pest.
- Creating an imbalance in nature by changing the
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predator/prey ratio.