Biodiversity and Healthy Society

Learning Objectives:

After reading this section, the student should be able to:

1. Explain the significance of biodiversity in various aspects of the

society;
2. Identify the impact of human activity and society on the
flourishing or endangerment of biodiversity; and
3. Come up with a possible course of actions that society could take
to positively affect the environment.

The word biodiversity came from the contraction of “biological

diversity”, first used in 1985. It is composed of interconnected levels –
ecosystem diversity, species diversity, and gene diversity – where life
interplays with the physical environment. A healthy biodiverse ecosystem
is essential if we are to have sustainable livelihoods and a well-functioning
community.

The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization

describes 5 aspects of society that benefit from biodiversity: economic,
ecological life support, recreation, cultural, and scientific.

Economic

Biodiversity plays a vital role to most of the essential industries in

the Philippines. A finely balanced system generates raw materials for our
consumption and production

Food production relies on biodiversity for a variety of food plants,

pollination, pest control, nutrient provision, genetic diversity, and disease
prevention and control. We require diets based on various food species to
avoid problems of micronutrient and vitamin deficiencies.

Over-exploitation of any natural resource may lead to irreversible

destruction of an ecosystem which in turn would damage biodiversity.

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This would have a domino effect on several other ecosystems and would
no doubt boomerang at least one economic activity.

A specific example of how industries affect biodiversity is the

commercial fishing industry. There are only a few environmental policies
concerning deep-sea fishing. In consequence, it is one of the biggest
threats toward marine ecosystems. In overfishing, fishermen have started
capturing more and more fish at a rate that is much faster than they can
reproduce and replenish the water bodies with more fish.

According to Marine Science Today, “The pelagic fish, which live

in the upper parts of the water, are caught by drift netting, whereby a net is
suspended from floats and spread between two boats to trap as many fish
as possible. Since fish are incapable of swimming backwards, they get
caught in the net. There may be a few small fish who can escape through
the net’s mesh.

Fish that live in deeper water are caught by trawling, whereby a

huge net is dragged through the water which traps every creature that
comes in its way. The size of the net’s mesh is crucial and it is important
that very small mesh is banned to spare the young fish before they have
had a chance to procreate, for the conservation of fish stock.”

Not to mention that the net may be tangled on corals and cause
destruction of coral formations and the aquatic nurseries it houses. On top
of the coral bleaching problem, this destruction would result in an even
slower reproduction of the fish population.

If not regulated, overfishing may lead to the collapse of marine

ecosystems. This is not something with effects that will remain in the
ocean – this will lead to seafood shortage, job loss, and eventually the
decline of large fishing industries.

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Ecological Life Support

If healthy, biodiversity provides functioning ecosystems that give a

sufficient supply of oxygen, clean air and water, pollination and
germination of flora, and natural pest control. Biodiverse ecosystems give
us natural and free protection from calamities such as floods and storms,
filter our water and regenerate our soils.

However, human-wrought destruction is one of the most common

causes of damage to biodiversity. Ten years ago, the Global Biodiversity
Outlook identified three most damaging environmental destructions:

“The dieback of large areas of the Amazon forest, due to the

interactions of climate change, deforestation and fires, with consequences
for the global climate, regional rainfall and widespread species
extinctions.

The shift of many freshwater lakes and other inland water bodies
to eutrophic or algae-dominated states, caused by the buildup of nutrients
and leading to widespread fish kills and loss of recreational amenities.

Multiple collapses of coral reef ecosystems, due to a combination

of ocean acidification, warmer water leading to bleaching, overfishing and
nutrient pollution and threatening the livelihoods of hundreds of millions
of species directly dependent on coral reef resources.”

Despite being presented as a grave threat a decade ago, these

problems are ones we still face today. If left overlooked, these issues will
only get worse and create irreversible consequences. With these
destructions, weather patterns have been harder to predict and storms have
been stronger. More areas are now at-risk from floods, landslides, and sea-
level rise.

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Recreations

The outdoor tourism industry relies on biodiversity to create and

maintain that which tourists come to see – be it mountain ranges and
wildlife, aquatic attractions, or even seasonal fruits and festivals.

Marine ecosystem damage would lead to loss of recreational

amenities, like how the pollution in Manila Bay and Pasig River rendered
it unpleasant and a health hazard instead of venues for sightseeing, fishing,
and sports activities.

Deforestation could render parts of land formations vulnerable to

landslides or very high temperatures, making it unsuitable for trekking,
camping, or any other mountaineering related activity.

In the extremes, if the population of insects that pollinate certain

plants and trees become too low to perform their role in the ecosystem,
even the production of seasonal fruits may be negatively affected. These
would then create problems in the festivals where these local produce are
showcased, like the Lanzones Festival in Camiguin, the Manggahan
Festival in Guimaras, or the Panagbenga Festival in Baguio.

Cultural

Human cultures co-evolve with their habitat. Changes in human

beliefs, norms, livelihoods, or knowledge may cause a shift in the
ecosystem. In turn, a shift in the local environment would affect the
culture of its inhabitants.

In the country’s traditional societies, the link between culture and

biodiversity is most apparent in communities in remote mountain regions
and those living in our southernmost seas. They regard nature as a force
that has power over them through droughts, famines, or bountiful harvests.
Nature provides the setting in which culture evolves and values develop.
In turn, they develop a culture centered on nature. The conservation of

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land and water by dedicating forests to a deity, cultural taboos on
exploitation of resources, and other traditional customs may make or break
the ecosystem the community is a part of.

Many industrialized communities, however, view themselves as

separate from nature and see the environment more as a tool or reservoir
that exists to serve humanity. As such, they strive to assert power over
nature and develop a way of life less centered on maintaining the balance
of nature and man and more on exploitation of natural resources for profit.

Scientific

Diversity of microorganism, flora, and fauna provides a vast

wealth of knowledge which has the potential to bring medical and
pharmacological solutions to our human health issues.

From traditional medicine to synthetic cures, science relies on the

existence of biomedical research on plants, animals, and microbes to
understand human physiology and treat diseases.

Biodiversity loss threatens these researches. Society stands to lose

knowledge if disruptions to ecosystems are left unmitigated. It could mean
losing undiscovered knowledge and potential health benefits if gene and
species diversity dwindle.

Furthermore, disturbing and altering native biodiversity may

reduce organism population, cause growth in others, modify their
interactions, or alter their chemical environments. According to the World
Health Organization, patterns of infectious diseases are sensitive to these
disturbances.

In recent years, outbreaks of SARS, COVID19, Ebola, Hantavirus

pulmonary syndrome, avian flu, and malaria have been attributed to
human impacts on biodiversity. Accidental or intentional human exposure
of pathogens, wildlife trading, and uncontrolled urbanization are only a

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few of human-caused disruptions which cause harm to the ecosystem and
inflict health consequences to our communities.

Climate is an integral part of ecosystem functioning which greatly

affects terrestrial and marine ecosystems. Factors that affect our climate –
ocean acidification, carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, soil
degradation – also affects biodiversity. It is in our best interest to maintain
the health of ecosystems to decrease risks and at the same time, mitigate
the threat of climate change.

The Way Forward

The world and living and non-living inhabitants are

interconnected. The more diverse an ecosystem is, the more stable it is,
and the more productive it tends to be. If species have a varied gene pool,
the more resilient it tends to be against environmental stress.

The more resilient a biodiverse ecosystem is, the more sustainable

human livelihood will be, the more scientific knowledge will be
discovered and applied, the more protection communities will have from
natural disasters, and the lower the risks are for disease outbreaks. The
better living conditions for humans are, with enough attention to global
issues, we could put forward solutions that threaten humanity – like world
hunger or climate change.

The way forward was already paved decades ago by the

Convention on Biological Diversity. They’ve released the fifth Global
Biodiversity Outlook this September, detailing the status of biodiversity
targets and outlining a framework to help policy makers navigate towards
the 2050 Vision for Biodiversity. The strategy includes the following:

1. Address the underlying causes of biodiversity loss by

mainstreaming biodiversity across government and society;
2. Reduce pressures on biodiversity and promote sustainable use;

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 3. Improve status of biodiversity by safeguarding ecosystems,
species, and genetic diversity;
4. Enhance the benefits to all from biodiversity and ecosystem
services; and
5. Enhance the benefits to all from biodiversity and ecosystem
services.

The challenge of raising awareness for biodiversity issues should be

faced by all of us. This will not affect only a single person or just one
country. Failure to improve the state of our ecosystems will bring
consequences on the human race. We will fail without a unified effort
from people of all sectors of the community.

Activity:

The fifth Global Biodiversity Outlook is available for free online at

https://www.cbd.int/gbo5. Read through the downloadable summary for
policy makers and submit the assessment activity below.

Put yourself in the shoes of a Filipino policy maker and present at least
two national plans or policies that will address the biodiversity targets
outlined in the report.

References

Carrington, D. “What is biodiversity and why does it matter to us?”.

https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/mar/12/what-is-biodiversity-
and-why-does-it-matter-to-us. Retrieved September 16, 2020.

Creswell, I. Murphy D., Biodiversity: Importance of Biodiversity.

https://soe.environment.gov.au/theme/biodiversity/topic/2016/importance-
biodiversity. DOI 10.4226/94/58b65ac828812. Retrieved September 16,
2020.

7 | Contributing Author: Ricaborda, T.J.M

Jetson, K. Impact of Overfishing on Human Lives. Marine Science Today.
http://marinesciencetoday.com/2014/04/09/impact-of-overfishing-on-
human-lives/. Retrieved September 16, 2020.

Smith, C. Biodiversity, The World’s Economic Backbone. Our World.

https://ourworld.unu.edu/en/biodiversity-the-worlds-economic-backbone.
Retrieved September 16, 2020.

Global Biodiversity Outlook 3. Convention of Biological Diversity.

https://www.cbd.int/gbo3/. Retrieved September 16, 2020.

Global Biodiversity Outlook 5. Convention of Biological Diversity.

https://www.cbd.int/gbo5. Retrieved September 16, 2020.

Pretty, J., Adams, B., Berkes, F., Ferreira de Athayde, S., Dudley, N.,
Hunn, E., Maffi, L., Milton, K., Rapport, D., Robbins, P., Samson, C.,
Sterling, E., Stolton, S., Takeuchi, K., Tsing, A., Vintinner, E., Pilgrim, S.
“How Do Biodiversity and Culture Intersect?” Plenary paper for The
World Conservation Union. 2008.
https://sites.oxy.edu/clint/evolution/articles/Howdobiodiversityandculturei
ntersect.pdf. Retrieved September 16, 2020.

8 | Contributing Author: Ricaborda, T.J.M