BIODIVERSITY CONSERVATION

by
Ronald L. Orpia
GLOSSARY
Biodiversity - refers to the wealth of life forms found in an area, the number of different plants and animals
associated with microorganisms found in an area
Biodiversity Conservation - refers to the safekeeping or protection of ecosystem with the life form in them from
destruction or decay. It involves the protection of natural and seminatural ecosystem in an area.
Biodiversity Loss - this refers to the endangered and threatened species towards extinction. Ecosystem - the
sum of the living and non-living things interacting in a particular place like in a forest
Ecosystem Diversity — refers to the variety of community organisms, habitat types and the ecological
processes in marginal, agricultural, forests and coastal ecosystems Species - a group of related plants and
animals that is capable of breeding freely to produce offspring similar to them
Intangible - cannot be seen or touched materially
Tropical Countries - these are the countries found near the equator, characterized by warm climate.
Endemic - plants or animals that can be found only in that particular country or region. Conservation - the
safekeeping or protection of something from injury or decay.
Restoration - the act of bringing back to a former condition Rehabilitation - repair
Natural Ecosystem - an ecosystem in its pure, original from and still unaffected by man. Semi-natural
ecosystem - an ecosystem that already shows the effects of human activities Cost effective - effective but not
costly
Protected areas - marine or land-based ecosystem that have been marked out as areas for conservation.
Pollination - a process of fertilizing the egg of a flower with pollen, the product is a seed. Protected areas -
marine or land-based ecosystem that have been marked out as areas for conservation
Climate stability - maintenance of a local climate (temperature and weather conditions of an area) that remains
relatively consistent year after year.
Indigenous People - katutubong PHipino, people native to a place; also called tribal people (e.g., Agtas or
Dumagats of Isabela Province, Aetas of Bataan Province, Higaonons or Bukidnons of Bukidnon Province)
Grazing - eating of the grass by cow, sheep, goat and other herbivores.
Migratory - animals that move from one country to another with the change of seasons (e.g. birds that fly to
Siberia for breeding in the summer, and return to tropical countries like the Philippines when winter comes)
Trans-boundary - moving from one boundary to another Rare - few in number,
hardly seen or observed
Zoning - process of applying different management objectives and regulations to different parts of a protected
area
Buffer - anything that acts to lessen the effects of one thing on another (e.g., boxing gloves buffer the blow of
the boxer)
Climate - characteristic temperature, rainfall, and other weather conditions of a particular place
Landscape - a description of the land and water formations in a place (i.e., presence of plains, mountains, rivers,
seashores)
Primary forest or Old Growth Forest - a forest that has remained untouched by man, as opposed to secondary
forest, which has been logged over by logging companies or by individuals
Habitat - a place where plants and animals live and breed; homes or breeding grounds of plants and animals
Migrants - people who came from other places and settled in a new place
Presidential Proclamation - a law issued by the President of the Republic which serves as a
legal basis for an action
Resolution - agreements, commitments, or decisions made by people in a decision making body
Dipterocarp - trees that usually produce seeds with wings River mouth - meeting
point of a river and the sea Orchard - plantation of fruit trees
Colony - a group of the same kind of plants or animals living and growing together.
Sediments - dirt, sand or small particles that are not dissolved by water
Deplete - to reduce in quantity
Groundwater - water source found underground
Leaf-litters - leaves scattered on the forest floor
Culture - ways of life of a group of people
Nomadic - without a permanent home, moves from one place to another when the resources
of one place have been used up
Denudation - stripping of a forestland, loss of forest
Sewage - waste water from bathrooms. Kitchen, laundry
Water basin - underground water container or table where water from deep wells come from
Pesticides - chemicals applied to kill harmful insects
Population - number of organisms living in one place

GROUND TRUTHS
Our world is made up of living things such as plants, animals and microorganisms and non-living things
such as water, air, soil, and minerals. The living organisms are called biotic factors, while the non-living things
are known as abiotic factors.
The environment is the surroundings of an organism. It includes both the physical factors and the
interaction of living organisms. The air, soil, water, plants, animals, people and their interactions are all part of a
dynamic system that is responsible for the existence of life on earth.
An ecosystem is the interconnected system or manner of conducting life that exists between organisms
and the environment.

Similarly, all organisms have a place to live, an area, space or location where they are naturally found. It is
a place where the things needed for them to survive, grow, develop and reproduce are present and available for
their use. This place is referred to as their habitat. Every organism has a habitat. And habitats vary from one
organism to the other.

BIODIVERSITY
The great variety and variability of organisms found on earth and the environment in which they live is
called biodiversity. It includes the variety among different individuals, species, and ecosystems. The word
biodiversity is the result of a merger of and contraction of two words: biological and diversity.

Characterizing Biodiversity

Biodiversity can be understood within the context of three levels:

1. Genetic Biodiversity - refers to the sum total of all information, contained in the genes of all organisms
that inhabit the earth. Each organism is indeed a repository of immense genetic information that can be
as much as 1,000 genes in single-celled organisms to more than 400,000 in flower bearing plants and
animals.
2. Species Diversity - the variety of living organisms on earth, which is estimated to be between 5- 50
 million or more, although only about 1.75 million or 13% of the total number of species on earth have
been described. Species refers to a group of organisms genetically so similar that they interbreed and
produce fertile offsprings.
3. Ecosystem Diversity - relates to the variety of habitats, biotic communities, and ecological processes
in the biosphere as well as the tremendous diversity within ecosystems in terms of habitat differences
and the variety of ecological processes.

A. Benefits we get from having different kinds of plants and animals

1. Food - Animals provides us with meat, fish, and many more while plants give us fruits and vegetables.
2. Clothing - Wool, cotton and leather can be used as clothing. Wool comes from sheep, fur, cotton comes
from the cotton plants and leather comes from skin of goat, cow or wild animals.
3. Shelter - Plants and animals provide us raw materials for building houses.
4. Medicine - Many plants have medicinal value that can cure ailments and diseases.
5. Firewood - Woods come from fallen trees and branches. It can also be made into charcoal.
6. Means and Livelihood - People earn a living be either growing plants or raising animals, or both.
7. Agriculture - Agricultural products include rice and vegetables and other products that are part of the
local diet.
8. Pollination and Seed Dispersal - Birds and fruit bats are important seed dispersal agents. Bees and
butterflies are pollinators that help flowers bloom and some trees to bear fruits.

B. Other benefits that are derived from biodiversity are as follows:

1. Maintenance of good water quality - An intact home of plants and animals maintains water that is
safe to drink and use.
2. Regulation of climate - A forest with plenty of trees provides clean and cool air to the areas surrounding
it.
3. Protection of soil from erosion - The roots of trees hold the soil and protect it from eroding when
heavy rain pours.
4. Rest and recreational appeal - A thickly-covered mountain with abundant plants and animals can be
a source of enjoyment and relaxation especially during vacations for you.
5. Value-enrichment - By experiencing nature, we learn to respect all life forms. We also learn from
nature how to improve our own lifestyles.

BIODIVERSITY HOTSPOTS
Biodiversity Hotspot is place where there is a high number of endemic species that are presently facing
the danger of extinction. Another criterion for being a hotspot is loss of original forest cover such as extent of
remaining forest in a place (less than 25% original forest remaining). Currently, there are 25 global biodiversity
hotspots (Mittermeier, et al., 1999).
 BIODIVERSITY HOTSPOTS

14. Polynesia and Micronesia

1. Tropical Andes
15. New Caledonia
2. Mediterranean Basin
16. Choco/Darien/Western
3. Madagascar/Indian Ocean Islands
Ecuador
4. Mesoamerica
17. Western Ghats and Sri Lanka
5. Caribbean Islands
18. California Floristic Province
6. Indo-Burma
19. Succulent Karoo
7. Atlantic Forest
20. New Zealand
8. Philippines
21. Central Chile
9. Cape Floristic Region of South Africa
22. Guinean Forests of West Africa
10. Mountains of South Central China
23. Caucasus
11. Sundaland
24. Eastern Arc Mountains and
12. Brazilian Cerrado
Coastal Forests of Kenya and
13. Southwest Australia
Tanzania
25. Wallacea

THE PHILIPPINE BIODIVERSITY

The Philippines has a small land area as compared to many other countries but it harbors an enormous
number of plant and animal species.
■ 101 species of amphibians (frogs, toads, caecilians, etc.), of which 79 are endemics
■ 258 species of reptiles (snakes, turtles, lizards, crocodiles), of which 170 are endemics
■ 556 species of birds, of which 195 are endemics
■ 201 species of mammals, of which 111 are endemics
■ 895 species of butterflies, of which 352 are endemics
■ 330 species of freshwater fishes
■ 1400 species of marine fishes.
■ 10,000 to 12,000 species of plants

But what are endemic species? Endemic Species are organisms found only in a particular place, country,
or region, and not in any other part of the world. More than half of Philippine Biodiversity are endemic to the
country and found nowhere else. As such, it forms not only part of Philippine Patrimony but of global patrimony
as well.
On the contrary, exotic Species are organisms (flora or fauna) that are introduced to a particular
area/locality, which did not thrive there originally. These organisms are usually identified as foreign/alien species.
Moreover, when we say threatened, we are referring to species likely to go extinct and will never be seen
again except in pictures or photographs.
1. Vulnerable - species whose populations are decreasing due to habitat destruction or other environmental
disturbances, e.g., dugong, flame-breasted fruit dove, Philippine hawk-eagle.
2. Endangered - species whose numbers are drastically reduced and are about to become extinct, e.g.,
golden-crowned flying Fox, tamaraw, monitor lizard (Varanus salvatoi), etc.
3. Critical - species facing a very high risk of extinction in the wild in the immediate future, e.g., Philippine
Eagle, writhed-billed hornbill.
4. Extinct - species that are no longer existing (in picture, not recorded in the past 50 years), e.g., dinosaurs,
dodo birds.
 Philippine biodiversity is distributed in different so-called Biogeographic Regions. Biogeography comes
from the word bio meaning "life" and geography meaning "the study of locations", regions refers to
locations. The Biogeographic regions are based on unique or native plant distribution confined only to the
particular region. Biogeographic Regions refers to the division of the country into areas according to the unique
biodiversity confined to the regions.

The following table shows the different biogeographic regions in the Philippines and some of the unique,
animal species, which they contain:

Native Philippine Animals

Biogeographic Regions

1. Greater Luzon Luzon Cloud Rat

2. Greater Mindanao Mindanao bleeding hear Pigeon
3. Greater Palawan Mouse deer, Palawan Treeshrew
4. Greater Negros-Panay Visayan Hornbill
5. Sibuyan Negros Bleeding Heart Pigeon
6. Greater Sulu Sibuyan Fruit Bat
7. Batanes/Babuyan Sulu hornbill
8. Mindanao Ryukyu flying fox
Tamaraw

TYPES OF BIODIVERSITY
A. Terrestrial Biodiversity
1. Plants
a. Waling-waling (Euanthe sanderiana), considered the "Queen of Philippine Orchids" is known for
its exquisitely beautiful flowers that range in color from pale to dark reddish purple. It has a greenish
sepal that bears a characteristic pattern of netted lines and crimson-purple spots. It is the largest
among Philippine orchids, with individual blossoms measuring 7-12 centimeters wide, clustered in
12 to 16 flowers that open in succession. Known only in the vicinity of Mount Apo, this plant is now
believed to be extinct in the wild.
b. Jade Vine (Strongy/odon spp.) is another forest species that bears characteristically bluish-green
flowers shaped like a small boat that gently curves like the upturned beak of a bird. The spectacular
flowers are clustered in long bouquets of 60 to 90 centimeters and hangs gracefully from the stem.
c. Stinking Corpse Lily (Raff/esia spp.) lives as a parasite on the roots of vines related to the
common grape. It does not have leaves nor stem but only roots that spread within the host plant.
The flower of the stinking corpse lily is rarely found, as the timing when it blooms is unpredictable.
Finding one in the forest is a great experience for anyone who chance upon it. The big brown bud
of this lily looks like a cabbage that emerges from the ground. It opens slowly into a big flower with
an overpowering smell. It is considered the smelliest flower in the world because of its strong odor
that resembles that of rotten meat.
d. Insectivorous Pitcher Plants (Nepenthes spp.) are peculiar in their habit of "preying" on insects.
The pitcher-like part of the plant is actually the portion of a leaf that is modified early in its
development and fold around itself to form the characteristic shape complete with a cover.
Rainwater collects inside the pitcher and the plant secretes digestive enzymes into it. Insects are
lured into the rim of the pitcher by a sedative substance produced with the nectar. Once the sedative
takes effect, the insect falls into the interior of the pitcher. The pitcher is usually filled up with water,
and once the insects fall in, they drown. The interior of the walls is covered with glands that secrete
a protein-digesting enzyme. It is this enzyme that digests the insects, which in turn makes the
proteins from the insect available as food to the plants.
 2. Butterflies
The Philippines has one of the highest number of endemic butterfly species in the world. Out of its 895
identified butterfly species, 352 are endemic (Mittermeier, et al., 1997). This makes the Philippines the
number two country with the highest number of endemic butterflies in the world.
3. Mammals
a. Tamaraw (Bubalus mindorensis) is a dwarfed buffalo found only in the island of Mindoro. Less
than 200 heads are left in the mountains of Mindoro. At the beginning of the 20 th century, it was
estimated that there were 10,000 heads.
b. Calamian Deer {Axis ca/amianensis) is found only in the Calamianes group of island, north of
mainland Palawan. Together with the Visayan Spotted Deer, both are considered the most
endangered deers in the world.
c. Golden-crowned Flying Fox {Acerodon jubatus) are found only in the Philippines. Roosting sites
of this species used to have more than hundreds of thousands of individuals, but now their numbers
have been reduced to thousands.
d. Visayan Spotted Deer {Cervus a/fredi) is found only in Panay and Negros and now extinct in Cebu.
Together with the Calamian Deer, both are considered the most endangered deers in the world.
e. Philippine Tarsier {Tarsius syrichta). This unique bug-eyed, lizard-and-insect- eating relative of
the monkey is the only one of its kind in the country. It is found only in the Greater Mindanao Islands
which include Bohol, Leyte, Samar and Mindanao.
f. Large Luzon Forest Rat {Bullimus iuzonicus). This rodent is a strict forest dweller living in
underground burrows or within root networks of trees and other plants. It is a nocturnal animal, or
one that is active during the night, feeding on insects, fruits, seeds and other edible roots crops in
the island of Luzon. It is not found anywhere else but in this largest island of the Philippines.

4. Birds
a. Palawan Peacock Pheasant {Poiypectron emphanum), which is a small and beautiful long-
plumaged bird that is known to occur only in the island of Palawan.
b. Cebu Black Shama {Copsychuscebuensis)
c. Cebu Flower Pecker {Dicaeum quadricoior cebuensis)
d. Philippine Eagle {Pithecophaga jefferyi)

B. Aquatic Biodiversity
Aside from having so many endemic organisms, the Philippines is also at the center of the "Coral Triangle",
where numerous species of corals exists. The "Coral Triangle" includes Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea
and the Philippines. These countries contain the widest area of coral reefs, as well as the greatest number of
individuals and species of corals known to man. But compared to any other country, the Philippines has the
highest number of coral species in its vast marine waters. Out of the 800 identified coral species in the whole
world, some 500 species are found in the country (Veron and Fenner, 2000).
Aside from the great variety of plants and animals that lie on land, the Philippines is also home to numerous
organisms that live in water. These organisms includes the various species of freshwater and marine fishes;
crustaceans, such as the freshwater prawn, lobster, jumbo tiger prawn, mud crab, sand crab and the coconut
crab; different kinds of freshwater and marine algae; different species of sea grass; the coral reefs (bahura); the
mangrove trees (bakawan); the small land turtles (pagong) and the large marine turtles (pawikan); the
chambered nautilus (toksi), squids (pusit) and other cephalopods; the sperm whales (balyena) and the whale
sharks (butanding); the dolphins (lumba-lumba) and porpoises or sea cows (dugong); the freshwater crocodile
(buwaya); and the endemic lake Buhi Goby (sinarapan), which is known as the smallest commercial fish in the
world, to name a few.
ECOSYSTEMS
A. Terrestrial Forest Ecosystem
1. Primary Forest ecosystem
■ Referred to as virgin forest.
■ Large trees usually abound.
■ High diversity of plants compared to secondary forest.
■ A close canopy ecosystem
■ Absence of undergrowth due to absence of sunlight
■ Very thick plant litter accumulates underneath the big trees
2. Secondary Forest Ecosystem
■ Presence of fast-growing, light demanding, and usually invasive pioneering plant species
■ creeping vines, woody shrubs, and new growths of various tree species grow
3. Grassland Ecosystem
■ Grasslands are large open areas dominated by certain groups of plants that belong to the family
Gramineae (bamboo, talahib, cogon, etc.).
■ Generally, grasslands are often the areas where logging had taken place and trees were not allowed
to regenerate.
4. Urban, Agricultural and Agroforestry Ecosystem
■ Presence of human population, urban and agricultural ecosystems include cities, towns, barangays,
and sitios
■ People raise animals as livestock, grow various species of plants, drive away pests, and maintain a
way of living that is highly dependent on other organisms and the environment for the human survival.
■ Other features of the urban and rural ecosystems are the existence of human dwellings (houses and
similar structures), network of streets and foot paths, various areas cleared for use by humans,
presence of domesticated plants and animals, among others.
■ Also included in the agroforestry ecosystem are the farmlands.

B. Aquatic Ecosystem
■ The ponds, rivers, lakes, seas, and oceans are all bodies of water form the aquatic ecosystems.
■ There are two types of aquatic ecosystems, namely: the freshwater and the marine ecosystems.
■ The physical and chemical properties of water such as the level of dissolved oxygen, temperature,
salinity or saltiness of water, turbidity or transparency (which affect the availability of sunlight) are the
major factors that affect aquatic ecosystems.

1. Freshwater Ecosystem
■ Freshwater ecosystem includes all bodies of water, from small streams to large rivers, and from
small ponds and water impoundment to great lakes.
■ Freshwater ecosystems are ready sources of water for use in homes and industries. These also
provide man his transportation needs.

Two Types of Freshwater ecosystem:

a. Lotic or running water ecosystem such as streams and rivers.
b. Lentic or stagnant water ecosystem such as ponds and lakes. Also includes swamps,
marshes and wetlands.
 2. Marine ecosystem
■ It is estimated that more than 70 percent of this planet is water. The large bodies of water that cover
the Earth are the seas and oceans.
■ Planktons and other decaying marine materials produce the nutrients in the seas. These are very
small floating organisms that naturally flow with the water current. Planktons can be grouped into two-
the phytoplankton and the zooplankton.

Types of marine ecosystem

a. Mangrove Ecosystem
■ Areas where the freshwater from rivers and streams meet with saltwater from the sea.
■ An ecosystem that is characterized by a swampy surrounding and an assemblage of plants,
animals and other microorganisms, water is not as salty as the sea or as fresh as the river. It is
brackish water, the mixture of salt and freshwater.
■ Mangrove is a very productive and rich ecosystem. The leaves and flowers of the mangrove tree
fall and collect on the muddy bottom suplying nutrients to the whole surroundings.
b. Coral Reef ecosystem
■ The Philippines is one of few countries in the world with so many species of corals in its vast
marine waters. However, much of our coral reefs are now destroyed due to dynamite fishing and
other destructive means of catching fish.
■ Corals are marine organisms that require strong substrate or forms of attachment. The coral
animal, known as Zooxanthelae, has some form of skeleton that becomes hard and rocky when
the animal dies. The hard and rocky skeleton becomes the substrate where new living corals
attach their bodies. By attaching themselves to this substrate, the corals are protected from the
action of waves and water currents. Thus zooxanthelae are called reef-building organisms.
c. Islands as Critical and Sensitive Ecosystems
■ An island is a unique ecosystem. From the surrounding marine waters to the mountain peaks
inlands, all the other ecosystems described above are found in an island. Yet, an island is an
ecosystem in itself.
■ The Philippines is a group of islands called archipelago. An archipelago has so many ecosystems
that harbor numerous plant and animal life.
■ One peculiar characteristic of the island ecosystem is the development of opportunities for genetic
isolation and species evolution. This means that the origin, development and variation of
organisms, happen only within a single confined locality. They do not or could not mix with similar
species from other places to produce a different variety of the same species. Being so, this
condition gives an island its unique biological characteristics.
■ As a result of this condition, many species in the island ecosystem are not found in any other
place on earth. For example, more than 510 species of land-living mammals, birds, reptiles and
amphibians live only in the Philippines. Aside from this, it is estimated that 85 percent of the
identified mammals that cannot fly are found only in the many islands that make up the
Philippines.

CONSERVATION OF BIODIVERSITY
Conservation refers to the safekeeping or protection of ecosystem with the life form in them from destruction or
decay. It involves the protection of both natural and semi-natural ecosystems, the restoration and rehabilitation
of destructively changed lands, and the preservation of plants and animals in special breeding-feeding and
roosting areas.

Conservation can be carried out through:

1. Natural Habitat Conservation
This is the maintenance of plants and animals in their natural habitat. It aims to allow living things to grow
and multiply in the best possible environment- their natural surroundings. Animals freely move about to find
spaces with the best conditions for their survival and growth or areas that offer the most food or shelter.
This type of conservation preserves not only all the life forms in the area but also the environment such as
the forests or coral reefs. Furthermore, it is cost-effective since no money is spent to feed the animals or to
maintain the place. The area is essentially left alone, and nature is allowed to run its course of taking care of
itself.
2. Conservation Outside the Natural Habitat
This involves the care of wild or domesticated plants and animals in more controlled environments such as
botanic gardens, game farms, zoos orchards, seed collection or laboratories. These places provide long-term
storage, study and reproduction but of a very limited number of threatened storage, study and reproduction but
of a very limited number of threatened and rare species. They serve as banks to make sure that at least some
genetic diversity are kept for future generations. Meanwhile, for each species conserved using this strategy,
thousands of other species in the wild go extinct.
This strategy therefore mainly used when the original habitat of the species is already destroyed or when the
plants or animals are so critically threatened that they need a last, big effort from humans to increase their
number.

Threats to Biodiversity

 Logging  Charcoal Production

 Kaingin or Slash and Bum Cultivation  Fire
 Habitation by People  Illegal Fishing Practices
 Squatting in the Protected Area■  Mining

Effects of Biodiversity Loss

 Poverty
 Nature Imbalance
 Diseases
 Poor Water Quality and Water Shortage

Doing Our Part in the Conservation of Biodiversity

Here are some suggestions on how you, even as a student can actively participate in conservation.
 Share your knowledge to other members of the community about the harmful fishing and logging
activities/practices.
 Hold campaigns to convince the communities not to pollute the rivers and other waterways and how to
sustainably use resources for their livelihood so that something is left for the future.
 Hold a tree-planting project to reforest a portion of protected area.
 Monitor some recreation areas every weekend. Ask people to collect their own trash and place it on the
dumpsites designated by the Sangguniang Bayan and the Barangay Captain.
 Constantly check for pollution, illegal logging, forest fires, and dynamite fishing in your area. Report this
immediately to the authority.
 Hold a contest for the most resourceful plan of recycling used materials.
 Introduce your club to Youth Desk of the DENR, the PAMB or the NGO in your protected area. Perhaps
they can provide your club with seedlings for a tree-planting project.