PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY ON THE IMPACT OF CLIMATE CHANGE ON EARTH’S

ECOSYSTEMS

JOHN DOE GHEMS B. GUINOCOR

GWYNETH PATRICE R. ESTUDILLO
JOHN PAUL D. UGAY

SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENT IN PRACTICAL

RESEARCH 1

GRADE 11 STEM

BOCBOC NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL

JUNE 2023
 CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

Climate is sometimes mistaken for weather. But climate is different from weather
because it is measured over a long period time, whereas weather can change from day to
day, or from year to year. The climate of an area includes seasonal temperature and rainfall
averages, and wind patterns. Different place have different climates. Different places have
different climates. A desert, for example, is referred is an arid climate because little water
falls, as rain or snow, during the year. Other types of climate include tropical climates, which
have warm summers and cooler winters. (National Geographic Education, 2022).

Climate change is a shift in the region’s typical weather patterns. This could indicate
a shift in the typical annual rainfall for a location. Alternations to a location’s typical
temperature for a month or season are another possibility. Climate change also refers to a
shift in the planet’s climate. This could be a deviation from the average temperature of earth.
Alterations to where rain and snow typically fall on earth could also be the cause.

The climate of earth is dynamic. The climate of earth has occasionally been warmer
than it is right now. There have been periods of cooler weather. These epochs may span for
a thousand years or a million years. People who study the planet can tell that the climate is
warming up. In the past 100 years, the earth’s temperature has increased by around one
degree Fahrenheit. It might not appear to me much. However, even the modest variations in
the Earth’s temperature can have a large impact. There are already some effects. Some
snow and ice have started to melt as a result of climate change on earth. Oceans have risen
as a result of the warming. Additionally, it has altered the timing of when some plants grow.

The early 21st century’s accelerated anthropogenic climate change is closely linked to
the wellbeing and efficiency of the biosphere. In addition to other related effects like rising
ocean acidification and atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations, climate change is having
an impact on ecosystems through changes in mean conditions and climate variability.
Additionally, it interacts with other stressors on ecosystems, such as fragmentation,
deforestation, and degradation. The effects of the climate change are no longer merely a
theoretical concern; the0y are really being felt on a global scale. Millions of people are being
negatively impacted by climate change, which is preventing them from escaping poverty.

In light of this harsh reality, it will be crucial to implement climate risk concerns into
policy as soon as possible in order to make sure that development moves along resilient
paths. Existing threats to ecosystems worldwide include changes in land use and land cover,
resource extraction, biological disturbances, and pollution. Up until this point, these
environmental stressors have been the main cause of ecosystem degeneration-, and now,
climate change is acceleration some of these effects.

Understanding how different stresses will interact is important, especially as the

severity of climate change grows, as stressed-out ecosystems are likely to respond to
climate change more quickly and acutely. Designing climate adaption methods could be
greatly aided by understanding these relationships, especially given that efforts made by
other sectors (such as energy, agriculture, and transportation) to combat climate change
may result in the creation of new ecosystems pressures.

Scientist think we can do things to stop the climate from changing as much. We can help by
using less energy and water. Turn off lights and TVs when you leave a room. Turn off the
water when brushing your teeth. You can help by planting trees. Another way to help is by
learning about earth. Another way to help is by learning about earth. The more you know
about earth, the more you can help solve climate problems. (NASA, 2014).

Long-term changes in temperature and weather patterns are referred to as climate change.
These changes could be caused by natural processes, such oscillations in the solar cycle.
But since the 1800s human activities-primarily the combustion of fossil fuels like coal, oil,
and gas-have been the primary cause of climate change. Fossil fuel combustion produces
greenhouse gas emissions that serve as a blanket around the planet trapping solar heat and
increasing temperatures.

Carbon dioxide and methane are two examples of greenhouse gas emissions that
are contribution to climate change. These are produced, for instance, while burning coal or
gasoline to heat a building. Carbon Dioxide can also be released during forest and land
clearing. Methane emissions are primarily produced by waste landfills. Among the major
emitters are energy, industry, transportation, buildings, agriculture, and land use. A variety of
hazards and effects associates with climate change are anticipated to have a detrimental
effect on our economy. These include hazards to financial stability, costs associates with
infrastructure and services, and property loss and destruction.
 Ecosystem productivity is shifting due to climate change, which is also accelerating
the spread invasive species and altering how different species interact with one another and
their surroundings. Ecosystems are being reconfigured in previously unheard-of ways by
these changes. With so many potential climate-sensitive factors to take into account,
scientists need to find ways to reduce the range of potential environmental outcomes so that
they can identify which specific issues to tackle. This problem is made even more
challenging by the fact that the very factors that influence temperature changes, such as
ocean circulation and terrestrial ecosystem responses, will themselves be altered as the
climate changes.

The environmental discourses surrounding climate change and weather prediction to

interest academics and policy makers alike. Africa, like other parts of the world, is impacted
by climate change brought on by global warming. It has been recognized that global
warming has a significant impact on ecological systems, with reverberations that ultimately
have complex socioeconomic repercussions on humans. In an effort to meet its
requirements and preserve itself, humanity has tried to manage the environment for
millennia. However, despite technical advancements in the application of contemporary
scientific tools to predict and control weather.

Climate has a significant impact on the ecosystems of forests and their ability to
provide products and services. Effects of climate change on forests are influenced by
ecosystem-specific elements such as human activity, natural processes, and other climate
variables (temperature, drought, wind, etc.). Boreal forests show more evidence of recent
climate-related changes in ecosystem process than other ecosystem types. Contrarily,
subtropical and tropical forests typically have more severe limitations on adaptive capacity
that enhance sensitivity to climate change than temperate and boreal regions. The amount
of evidence now available is insufficient to provide a quantitative evaluation of the ecological,
social, and economic effects of recent forest reactions to anthropogenic climate change.
Impact quantification and forecasting are severely hampered by the complexity of both
natural and human systems. Consequences of invasive species and land use practices, for
instance, can obscure and combine with consequences of climate change. In spite of this,
significant progress has been achieved in pinpointing the mechanisms through which climate
change affects forest ecosystems. Identification and mitigation of some of the circumstances
that increase vulnerability to climate change in the forest industry are made possible by
knowledge of impact mechanism.
 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

This study try to answer the question: What are the impact of climate change on
Earth’s ecology as observed by local farmers of the municipality of Don Carlos and
Kadingilan, Bukidnon?

OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY

The objective of this study is to determine the impact of climate change in Earth’s
ecology as observed by the local farmers of the municipality of Don Carlos and Kadingilan,
Bukidnon.

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

The purpose of this study is to gather data for assessing the impacts of climate
change on Earth’s ecology of Bukidnon, specifically in the municipalities of Don Carlos and
Kadingilan. The study can be used to learn about the participants' individual viewpoints on
the impacts of climate change on the ecology of the planet. The findings of this study are
intended to improve understanding of the following subjects and benefit and matter to the
following community groups:

Students - The findings of this study will aid students in understanding and acquiring
more knowledge about how climate change is affecting the ecology of our planet.

Teacher - By using the findings of this study to teach their students about the effects
of climate change on Earth's biosphere, instructors will be able to gather more information.

Parents: The study can inform parents about how climate change is influencing their
community and how it might effect their daily lives. They might make informed decisions to
reduce their personal carbon footprints, use this information to become more conscious of
local environmental issues, and use it to motivate their children to attend school.

Schools will benefit from the study in order to increase climate change awareness
and participation in the community's climate change program. With this, they have a great
opportunity of developing better, more efficient solutions for the community. The most useful
aspect of this study is communities. Communities will benefit from this as they learn more
about how climate change affects the environment. With the assistance of elected authorities
and engaging initiatives, communities will contribute to reducing the effects of climate
change.
 SCOPE AND DELIMITATION

This study's scope is limited on the exploration of the ecological impacts of climate
change on earth's ecosystems in a phenomenological perspective. The study will focus
about the impacts of climate change on Earth’s ecology experienced by the local farmers in
the municipality of Don Carlos and Kadingilan , Bukidnon. The study's delimitation includes
the ecological impacts of climate change excluding the other factors that isn't related in this
study such as economic, political and social impacts.

DEFINITION OF TERMS

Earth – is third planet from the Sun and the fifth largest planet in the solar system in terms of
size and mass. Its single most outstanding feature is that its near-surface environments are
the only places in the universe known to harbour life.

Climate Change - is a long-term shift in global or regional climate patterns. Often climate
change refers specifically to the rise in global temperatures from the mid-20 th century to
present.

Ecosystem - An ecosystem (or ecological system) consists of all the organisms and the
physical environment with which they interact.

Phenomenological - is relating to someone’s awareness or experience of something rather

than the thing itself or based on observed or observable facts.
 CHAPTER 2

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK

This chapter presents the review of literature and studies related to the impacts of
climate change on Earth’s ecology. The conceptual framework and the hypothesized models
of the study were also presented.

Review Of Related Literature and Studies

Ward et al. (2016) investigated the Impacts of climate change on mangrove

ecosystems: a region by region overview .The study used a phenomenological research
method which deals about the impacts of climate change in mangrove ecosystems. This
method aims to present the impacts of the range of climate change factors on mangroves at
a regional scale.
Climate change is likely to have a substantial impact on mangrove ecosystems,
through processes including sea level rise (SLR), changing ocean currents, increased
storminess, increased temperature, changes in precipitation and increased Carbon
Dioxide .These factors are inter-related and spatially variable on inter-regional
scales(climate, geomorphology, biodiversity, forest structure, tidal range, climate change
impacts).A regional approach is required because while mangroves are a pan-tropical
ecosystem type, they vary substantially across space in terms of their biodiversity, ecological
structure, physiology, hydrodynamic and geomorphological settings, and tolerance to
environmental factors such as temperature and salinity. Furthermore, the impacts of climate
change are likely to be geographically variable at both a regional and local scale, which
suggests that the literature should be reviewed using a region by region approach.
There are specific climate change factors that cause impacts on mangrove .These
are sea level rise , storminess, change of precipitation and change of temperature Sea level
rise is a major potential climate change threat to mangrove ecosystems, because
mangroves are sensitive to changes. Storminess can significantly influence mangrove
productivity and health and globally extreme weather events have been predicted to
increase in frequency and severity. Change of precipitation will be further complicated by
changes in temperature, influencing both evaporation and transpiration rates. Changing
rainfall patterns are likely to influence the distribution, extent, and growth rates of mangrove
forest .Change of temperature increase is likely to influence mangrove species composition,
phenology, productivity, and ultimately the latitudinal range of their distribution. All these
factors plays a role in determining the resiliency and vulnerability of mangroves ecosystems
on the impacts of climate change and because mangroves are varied in type and
geographical location. These findings will be a good model on understanding the interactions
at different scales.
In general, mangrove communities globally are expected to be substantially
influenced by climate change-related physical processes in the future. This research has
highlighted the extreme regional variation in mangrove communities, their biodiversity,
threats, protection, climatic influences, and level of understanding .These allowed them to
conclude the processes that control vulnerability and resiliency to the various impacts of
climate change in mangrove ecosystems in regional level.
 This research recommended to study a global representative view of mangroves to
better understand the importance of mangrove type and landscape setting in determining
system resiliency to future climate change.

Sunny (2017) conducted a literature review of studies that is related on effect of

global climate change on seaweed and sea grass. The study used a scientific method that
focuses on how global climate change influences the growth, production and reproduction of
seaweed, sea grass and their associated ecosystems.
Changes in global climate and its variability have an influence on ecological,
biological and Socio-economic systems. The impacts of increased atmospheric carbon
dioxide, elevated land and sea temperatures, increasing sea level, and increasing UV
radiation could alter the Growth of terrestrial and aquatic plants. The possible effects of
global climate change on natural and agricultural terrestrial plant communities have already
received an Open considerable attention. Relatively little emphasis has been given to the
Possible effects of global climate change on aquatic plant communities, including sea
grasses .Although seaweed and sea grass are known to be affected by the physical and
chemical changes of marine environment but current and future impact of climate change on
these communities remain poorly understood.
Seaweed survival, growth, and reproduction are known to vary with numerous
climatically sensitive environmental variables including temperature, desiccation, salinity,
wave heights, nutrient supply, and carbon dioxide concentration itself. Understanding the
relationship between environmental change and the performance of individual seaweeds
depends on a loose combination of mechanistic, physiological research, and
phenomenological studies. Increased temperature may also alter sea grass distribution and
abundance through direct effects on flowering and seed germination. Tidal height and tidal
range effects on light availability, current velocities, depth, and salinity distribution are all
factors that regulate the distribution and abundance of sea grasses. Increased tidal range
will restrict the depth to which plants can grow by increasing the stress of light limitation.
Aspects of water motion, including current velocity, circulation flow, and flow duration, all
have effects on sea grass plants and habitat structure .Rising levels of atmospheric CO2 are
predicted to have significant direct effects on global vegetation, including aquatic plant
communities.
In general, the increasing rate of global climate change seen in this century will
significantly impact the earth’s oceans, with large potential impacts to seaweeds and sea
grasses. Both direct and indirect effects of global climate change will alter plant productivity,
distribution and function. Increases in seawater temperature resulting from the greenhouse
effect could have secondary impacts of changing water depth and tidal range, altered current
circulation patterns, modified current velocities and increased salinity intrusion. At this point it
is difficult to predict the consequences of global climate change on the seaweeds and sea
grasses of any given areas.
This literature review recommend a critical need for research on the direct effects of
the various aspects of global climate change on seaweed and sea grass.
 Sweetman et al. (2017) conducted a literature review of the studies that is related to
the major impacts of climate change on deep-sea benthic ecosystems. The study used a
scientific method which deals on the rising atmospheric greenhouse gases that are bringing
about significant changes in the environmental properties of the ocean realm and deep-sea
ecosystems.
The oceans are a major sink for CO2 produced by the burning of fossil fuels as well
as for the heat produced by the greenhouse effect. Oceans thus help to buffer multiple
aspects of global climate change and their effects on marine and terrestrial ecosystems.
Deep-sea ecological processes and characteristics, such as nutrient cycling, carbon
sequestration, productivity, habitat provision, and trophic support, underlie the healthy
functioning of ocean ecosystems and provide valuable ecosystem services to mankind. The
nutrients produced during the re-mineralization of organic matter at the deep seafloor are
ultimately used by phytoplankton to produce organic matter that fuels secondary production.
At the same time, organic-matter degradation and re-mineralization contribute to carbon
biogeochemical cycling in the ocean, and help to buffer the ocean against pH changes and
the effects of ocean acidification.
The health and sustainable functioning of the planet are therefore highly dependent
on the deep sea, which accounts for more than 95% of the volume of the Earth’s oceans.
Currently, temperatures at the abyssal seafloor at low to mid-latitudes in the Atlantic, Indian
and Pacific Oceans range between about 0.01 and 4°C. Hydrographic, topographic and
biotic influences create a multitude of sea bed habitats and biomass/biodiversity hotspots,
and can biodiversity. Warming of surface waters along continental margins, and increased
thermal stratification and reduced nutrient supply to the surface are likely to reduce both
productivity and phytoplankton type and size. The expansion of low O2 zones will affect
many aspects of deep-sea ecosystem structure and function. Biodiversity declines as O2
levels decline, which can be manifested in multiple ways. Many species of octocorals
provide habitat for many species in the deep-sea, but octocorals often decrease in
abundance as O2 levels decline. Major changes in the upper ocean resulting from global
warming are likely to include increased sea-surface temperatures and thermal stratification,
and reduced nutrient upwelling over vast areas of the open ocean.
In general, climate mitigation by the deep ocean may ultimately reduce the effects of
climate change in deep-sea ecosystem .The large fraction of the planet covered in deep
waters guarantees that most carbon sequestration and significant nitrogen cycling in the
ocean occurs here. The deep sea provides our global society a diversity of ecological and
ecosystem services, which are likely to expand in the coming decades. At the same time, a
number of co-occurring stressors are likely to impact the ecology of deep-sea communities
and the ways in which these communities influence the long-term carbon cycle.
This review recommended that as society makes critical decisions about the use
and conservation of deep-ocean ecosystems, it is important that we recognize the
vulnerability of life on the ocean floor to climate-related stressors, and the direct influence
that the surface climate can exert on the world’s largest ecosystem.
 Holden (2018) investigated about the typhoons, climate change, and climate Injustice
in the Philippines. The study used a phenomenological research method which explains the
effects of typhoons, climate change, and climate injustice in the Philippines.
The Philippine are an archipelago of 7,100 islands located in Southeast Asia. In
2017, the population of the archipelago was approximately 105 million people spread over
roughly 300,000 km2 of land area generating a population density of 352 people per km2.
The Philippines are a country firmly ensconced in the developing world and approximately
26% of all Filipinos live in poverty. The seas, and life near it, are integral components of life
in the archipelago and it has approximately 36,289 km of coastline and 25,000 km2 of coral
reefs. More than 80% of its population live within 50 km of the coast, and much food is
grown on land marginally above sea level .Climate change is occurring due to the increasing
concentration of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane, and nitrogen
oxides, released into the atmosphere from human activity. Once these gases are
concentrated in the atmosphere, they intercept terrestrial radiation and prevent some of this
from escaping to space, trapping the energy within the lower atmosphere and re-radiating
some of this back to the surface. Climate change is an uneven process when it comes to the
contribution of individual countries and the impact that climate change has, and will have, on
individual countries. Much of the atmosphere’s CO2 has been emitted in recent decades
because of modern industrialization, with 75% of all anthropogenic CO2 emitted from 1950
to 2010 and 50% having been emitted from 1980 to 2010.
Much of the Philippines is at risk from typhoons and each year about 20 of them,
equivalent to 25% of the total number of such events in the world, enter Philippine waters
with between 7 to 9 of these making landfall .From 1970 to 2013, 856 tropical cyclones
entered Philippine waters and 322 of these were destructive. Approximately 95% of these
typhoons originated in the Pacific Ocean, south and east of the archipelago, between the
months of July to November, and they travel in a northwesterly direction mainly affecting the
eastern half of the country with the most heavily affected portions of the Philippines being
Northern Luzon, the Bicol Peninsula, and Samar. Although the moisture provided by these
storms has a somewhat positive effect, providing between 38 to 47% of the archipelago’s
average annual rainfall, their overall effects are profoundly negative setting off landslides,
causing severe flooding, and being responsible for more loss of life and property than any
other natural hazard.
In general, the main argument that emerged was that the nations of Southeast Asia
did not cause the problem of climate change but, as the world progresses further into the
21st Century, they will disproportionately bear its consequences. As humanity progresses
further into a world affected by climate change, what happened in Tacloban in 2013 shows
how those who have caused climate change must assist those who have not caused the
problem and stand only to be hurt by it. Ultimately, as humans we only have one planet and
all of humanity must share this planet. In the words of Pope Francis “reducing greenhouse
gases requires honesty, courage, and responsibility, above all on the part of those countries
which are more powerful and pollute the most”.
This research recommended that developed countries, such as Australia, Canada,
and the United States, should reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, because the
consequences of these emissions effects on countries such as the Philippines.
 Horne, Stone and Daigle (2021) conducted a research of Climate Change
Adaptation and Mitigation in the Face of Local Uncertainty. The study used a
phenomenological research methodology to understand our participants’ lived experiences.
This methodology allowed us to research the essence of being a nature-based tourism
stakeholder in the Maine Lakes and Mountains Region experiencing and adjusting to the
effects of climate change.
Nature-based tourism is an important economic industry for Maine, with winter
tourism especially vulnerable to climate change. Perceptions of risk due to climate change
can influence stakeholder decisions to respond (adapt or mitigate) to climate change. We
used phenomenology to study how nature-based tourism stakeholders perceive their risk to
climate change and how they are responding. The researchers conducted 20 semi-
structured stakeholder interviews in Western Maine. They analyzed interviews using
interpretive phenomenological analysis. A key theme was that of uncertainty of the causes of
climate change, impacts to the region, and whether or not experienced environmental
changes were related to climate change. Participants showed a need for information about
climate change specific to the study region to facilitate the adoption of more strategies to
bolster the adaptive capacity of the destinations.
The researchers use an interpretive phenomenological analysis to analyze interview
using an interactive process of constructing subordinate themes and sub themes from the
transcripts.
In conclusion, Participants in the region are aware of environmental changes and
their role in protecting the environment to sustain tourism and the regional economy;
however, there was a lot of uncertainty surrounding knowledge of climate change and
uncertainty about whether or not observed environmental changes were a result of climate
change. This uncertainty led to mixed perceptions of climate change risk.
Many participants were not aware of what mitigation strategies, and, to a lesser extent,
adaptation strategies, could be implemented to reduce climate change impacts on both their
environment and businesses and organization. Uncertainly, participants were adapting to
environmental change through strategies such as artificial snowmaking product development
and changing the timing of activities. Participants observed environmental changes and
therefore had to adapt despite lack of information surrounding regional climate-change
impacts. Though there were some large-scale mitigation efforts, most stakeholders were
adopting small-scale mitigation practices.
This study has limitations related to its qualitative approach. While phenomenology
yields rich data about participants lived experiences. The data are inherently subjective and
represent the personal views of study subjects. Their results therefore have limited
generalizability; however, they might expect to produce similar results in a study within a
similar context. Further research could compare adjective perceived risk from climate
change among tourism stakeholders with scientific data on climate change impacts to better
understand the gap between perceptions and scientific data.
 Conceptual Framework

This study is anchored on several theories on the subject of climate change including
the effect of greenhouses and global warming. The meaning and importance of climate
change are not clear to many, but the following theories reflect the efforts of scientists over
the years to explain the phenomenon.

In the 1820s, the French mathematician and physicist Joseph Fourier

suggested that the energy that reaches the planet as sunlight must be balanced with
energy returning to space because hot surfaces emit radiation. However, Fourier
believed that some of this energy should stay in the atmosphere and not return to
space, keeping the Earth warm. Fourier believed, according to History, the Earth’s
thin covering of air (atmosphere) works the way a greenhouse does. Energy enters
through glass walls, but is trapped inside, like a warm greenhouse. This theory was
further explored by the work of Eunice Newton Foote in the 1850s. Foote’s
experiments using glass cylinders have shown that the heating effect of the sun was
greater in moist air than in dry air and that the highest heating occurred in a cylinder
containing carbon dioxide. Her work foreshadowed the work of Irish scientist John
Tyndall who also focused on the types of gases that played the greatest role in
absorbing heat. Experts have since realized that the term global warming was an
oversimplification, since the infrared radiation released is not completely trapped in
the Earth’s atmosphere but is absorbed. The more greenhouse gases, the more
energy is stored within the Earth’s atmosphere. Irish scientist John Tyndall explored
the types of gases most likely to play a role in absorbing sunlight.
Laboratory tests by Tyndall in the 1860s showed that coal gas (which contains
carbon dioxide, methane, and volatile hydrocarbons) was particularly effective at
absorbing energy. He eventually showed that carbon dioxide alone behaves like a
sponge in the way it can absorb multiple wavelengths of sunlight. By 1895, Swedish
chemist Svante Arrhenius became curious about how lower levels of carbon dioxide
in the atmosphere could cool the Earth. In order to explain past ice ages, Arrhenius
wondered if reduced volcanic activity might reduce global carbon dioxide levels. His
calculations revealed that if carbon dioxide levels were halved, global temperatures
could drop by about 5 degrees Celsius. After that, Arrhenius wondered if the
opposite was true, revising his previous calculations to investigate what would
happen if carbon dioxide levels doubled. The possibility seemed remote at the time,
but his results indicated that global temperatures would rise by the same amount, 5
degrees Celsius or 9 degrees Fahrenheit. Decades later, recent climate modeling
confirmed that Arrhenius’ numbers were not far from reality.
 INSIGHT GAINED
Climate change is a complex and multifaceted issue that is one of the most pressing
challenges facing our planet today. The overwhelming scientific consensus is that the
Earth’s climate is changing and that human activities, particularly the burning of fossil fuels,
are the primary cause of this change. The impacts of climate change are already being felt
around the world, from rising sea levels and more frequent and severe heatwaves, to more
intense storms and droughts.

These impacts are expected to worsen in the coming decades, with potentially
catastrophic consequences for ecosystems, economies, and human societies. Mitigating the
worst effects of climate change will require a combination of measures, including reducing
greenhouse gas emissions, transitioning to clean energy sources, improving energy
efficiency, and adapting to the changes that are already underway. It will also require
international cooperation and political will to address this global challenge.

The increasing rate of global climate change seen in this century will significantly
impact the earth’s ecosystems, with large potential impacts to each living organisms. Both
direct and indirect effects of global climate change will alter a ecosystems productivity,
distribution and function.

As the world progresses to the 21st century, the entire world would bear the
consequences of climate change. As humans we only have one planet and all of humanity
must share this planet. While there is still much work to be done to address climate change,
there is also reason for hope. Advances in renewable energy technologies, increased public
awareness of the issue, and the growing recognition of the economic and social benefits of a
low-carbon future are all positive signs that we can make progress in addressing this critical
issue.
 CHAPTER 3
METHODOLOGY
This chapter explains the research design, describe the locale of the study and
introduce the research participants. It also discusses the sampling procedure, research
instrument, data gathering procedure as well as the analysis of data.

Research Method

In this study, the qualitative research approach will be used. Understanding human
ideas, behaviors, attitudes, and perceptions of particular social or non-social issues within
their own contextual context is the goal of qualitative research, a type of research approach.
The researchers used qualitative technique because it is ideal for the study on the effects of
climate change on Earth's ecology. It uses open-ended questions and encourages
participants to express their thoughts and views freely and without restrictions. In addition,
because this approach is non-numerical or immeasurable, it provides researchers with a
large collection of data.

Research Design

Phenomenological research design is used in this study. Phenomenological research

design states and explore the live experiences of people in a phenomenon .The researchers
used a phenomenological research design to find the Impacts of climate change in Earth's
ecology that each of the participants have experienced. Using this design, the researchers
will be able to accomplish their goals in this study.

Locale of the study

The study was conducted in the Province of Bukidnon, specifically in the

municipalities of Don Carlos and Kadingilan. Bukidnon is a wide plateau located in the north
central part of the island of Mindanao, the province is also considered as the food basket in
the region, being a major producer of rice and corn. Don Carlos is a 1st class municipality in
the province of Bukidnon as it is considered as the "Little Vigan of Bukidnon". Kadingilan is a
3rd class municipality in the province of Bukidnon and considered as the " Green Haven of
the South".

MAP OF DON CARLOS

 MAP OF KADINGILAN

Participants of the study

The research participants are local farmers in the municipality of Don Carlos and
Kadingilan, province of Bukidnon . There are a total of 5 participants in the study, 4 of them
are from the municipality of Kadingilan and 1 of them is from the municipality of Don Carlos.
Two of them are female and 3 of them are male. Each of the participants is at least 50 years
old to consider that they have a lot of experiences on the impacts of climate change on
Earth’s ecology.

Participants Address Gender Age Occupation

P-4 Sibonga,
Participant 1 Kadingilan, Male 63 Farmer
Bukidnon
P-4 Sibonga,
Participant 2 Kadingilan ,Bukidno Female 62 Farmer
n
P-4 Sibonga,
Participant 3 Kadingilan , Male 50 Farmer
Bukidnon
P-4 Sibonga,
Participant 4 Kadingilan , Female 53 Farmer
Bukidnon
P-5 Bocboc, Don
Participant 5 Carlos, Bukidnon Male 56 Farmer

Sampling Procedure

Purposive sampling was used in the study. Purposive sampling depends on the
researcher's ability to identify a starting group of respondents who fit the necessary criteria.
By randomly choosing a portion of individuals from a population, it was a non-random
selection of participants. The desired number of participants in this study, taking into account
the participants and the intended participants, is at least 10 in order to provide a highly
reliable result from the responses of each of the participants. Four members of this sample
are from the Kadingilan municipality, while one member is from Don Carlos.
 Research Instrument

An interview served as the method of data collection. The researchers think that
doing this will improve their ability to collect data. Compared to other research approaches,
interviewing helps us to collect extensive data and reach more thorough findings. The
interview questions were created by the researchers. Their own readings of published
studies and the information they obtained were used to create this interview question.

Data-Gathering Procedure

A formal letter was sent to each of the participants to formally ask their consent in
participating the research study. Each of the participants agreed to participate in the
research study .The researchers personally visited the participants to give an interview about
their live observations about the impacts of climate change in Earth’s ecology. The
researchers then ask questions and recorded the responses of the participants. The
researchers will ask the participants to share their knowledge regarding on the impact of
climate change on Earth’s ecology that they have observed. Lastly, the researchers
collected the data and information on the responses of the participants.
 CHAPTER 4
PRESENTATION, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA

Impact of Climate Change on Earth’s Ecology as Observed by Local Farmers of the

Municipality of Don Carlos and Kadingilan, Bukidnon

Participant 1
Transcription
Sauna mag eskwela mag baklay ,putos ug balon way sakyanan . Karon mag skwela
karon, de cellphone ,de motor ,kuhaon pa gyud sa ginikanan. Dayon dako ug kausaban kay
sauna daghan kaayo kahoy, daghan pud kaayong lasang karon nangaupaw na ang mga
bukid, pero naay pero ,Kay atong mga karsada karon gwapo na. Saunang panahon dili
init ,lahi karon Kay daghan pang kahoy ,karon alas 10 pa gani perti nang inita,dayon
hightech napud ron Kay taas naman ang kahibalo sa ttawo.

Translation
In the past we go to school by walking, pack our lunch and there was no car.
Now ,the children that go to school , have cell phone, have motorcycle, and their parents will
pick them from school. Then, there was a big change because in the past, there were so
many trees and so many forests, but now the mountains are clear, but there is a reason,
because our roads are now beautiful. In the past it wasn’t hot, unlike now, because there are
more trees from way back then. Now , at 10 o’clock in the morning the temperature is very
hot. Then all the things now are in high technology because people’s knowledge is very high.

Participant 2
Transcription
Ayy dako kaayo ug deperensya oi,kay ang saunang panahon kanang safety kaayo
ug kanang safety.Unya karon, unsaon paman nga ang mga produkto karon kinahanglan na
ug mga medisina, mga fertilizer dili parihas sauna nga panahon nga ang mga mais tamnan
lang ang yuta, dina magkinahanglan ug abono dagko kaayog abot. Unya, tapos ang mga
Kuan ang mga kahoy karon sa atong palibot halos na wala nay nahibilin kay gipamutol
na .Unya ang ato pung mahangab sa kahanginan murag deperensya na kaayo Kay tungod
sa kanang murag dili na kaayo safety ang panahon karon gumikan sa mga daghan nga mga
ang hangin karon murag tungod sa daghan Ng hugaw sa palibot mao ni nga murag Dili na
kaayo ta safety.

Translation
There is a big difference, because in the past it was very safe . Then now, how can it
be safe that ,the products now needs medicines, and fertilizers ,unlike the time when corn
was only planted on the ground, and it will not need a lot of fertilizer but have higher amount
of harvest. Then the trees around us now have almost nothing left because they have been
cut down. Then the air that we breathe is a lot different than before . It is not safe because
there is a lot of pollution exist in our surroundings, and it seems that we are not very safe.

Participant 3
Transcription
Lahi sauna ang init bugnaw bugnaw pa pero ang karon grabi gyung inita kailangan
na gyud ka mangitag pasilunganan kay ang init ron na over sa ka init jud.Ang mga tao
magkasakit nalang mahighblood tungud sa panahon nga grabi ka init.Tungud sa kainit dili
kaayo makaincome tungud sa mga pananom nga nangamatay tungud sa init.Katong dili
kaayo kabalo mugalam ug hayop mamatay gyud kay ang weather karon grabi jud kainit.

Translation

Last year the heat was different than now, the air was little cold in the past, but now
it's almost hot, you really need to find a shelter because the heat is too much now. The
human can get sick and get high blood because of the heat. Because of the heat, people
didn't get much income because all of the crops are died because of the weather. Those
who don't know how to take care of animals will die because of the weather that is so very
hot.

Participant 4

Transcription

Lahi na kaayo grabi na kainit karon maski hangin init na paminawon unya makadaot
na sa mga hayop nga mainitan dili na sya pwede mababad kaayo sa init kay para dili
mamatay ang hayop.Heat stroke kasagaran, naglisod ang karon kaysa sauna.Makadaot labi
na sa init talagsa nalang ang ulan, Makadaot kini sa mga pananom tungod sa init ug talagsa
nalang ang ulan. ang tanom karon lahi na kaayo sa una nindot ang sauna nga mga
tanom.Bisag mga iro maka cause saila ug heat stroke mura ra na silag tawo pareha nato
maka kuha tag heat storke tungud sa init nga mag cause ug death saatua.

Translation

Today is very different from the past, it’s so hot now, even the air is too hot to feel,
then it will harm the animals that are warmed, it can no longer be warmed to much because
it can causes them death. Heat stroke is usually a human disease when the weather is very
hot, now is more difficult than the past. Harmful especially in the heat and the rain is rare,
today’s plants are different now than in the past. Even dogs get sick because of the heat that
causes them a heat stroke, animals is the same as humans they have possibility died when
there is a heat.

Participant 5

Transcription
 Ah pag bag o sa clima gikan sa una hangtud karon, karon hinuon mas gwapo ang
magsasaka kay wala naman mag init. Sauna ma predict nila nga ang panahon march ug
april taas kaayo ug init so dili magtanum ang magsasaka, karon tuloy tuloy ang pagtanum sa
magsasaka kay walaya ni agi nga taas nga initang ilang kigabalak-an kay basin ug dunay
mo abot ang panahon nga taas ang init mao nang pag balhin sa climate change. Sa
pagkakaron maayo ang epekto kay nag sige mag ulan ang mga tanom sa mag uuma
perminte ma buhi bisag unsa nga panahon duna kay ma harvest dunay pwede ka mag
tanom pero wala lang nato na predict ug kanus a mag init ug mo taas lang pud ang init
mobalos ang init ah diha na maapektohan ang mag uuma. Okay sya ang epekto sa
kahayupan kay wala naman sya nag init, kay katong mag init ug taas kaayo mag lisud ang
mga hayop ato bisan ang kabaw kay namatay na ang mga sagbot, parehas sa una nga niagi
nga tag nine months ang init ang mga kabaw mag lisud na syag kaon kay ang mga sagbot
nangamatay na karon okay ra sya kay wala ray pila ka semana unsa ka semana or duha ka
semana duna napoy ulan.

Translation

The change of the climate from now and then, right now has a beautiful impact
because it’s not that kind of hot. Before they can predict the weather by March and April has
a long period of dry season so the farmers will not try to plant but by now, the farmers kay
continuously plant some crops because it is not dry season at all but the are worried on if the
drought season might appear and that is the means of climate change. By now it has a hood
impact because of the consistent rain and the crops of the farmer will always be alive so
even anytime the farmer has anything to harvest and you can plant crops as well but, we
don’t have a ability to predict on when the drought season comes and when that comes it
might be the revenge of the heat and that’s the time the farmers will be affected. It has a
good impact to animals, because back to the days when it come to a drought season the
animals will be having a hard time even the carabaos because the plant they usually
consumed are dead, and back then the drought season lasted nine months that is why the
carabaos will having a hard time to eat because the plant are dead because of long period of
heat but now, so far so good because every one to two weeks the rain will come out.
 Thematic Analysis on the Impact of Climate Change on Earth’s Ecology as Observed by
Local Farmers of the Municipality of Don Carlos and Kadingilan, Bukidnon

According to the findings that we have gathered on the interview of each of the
participants, the common themes that we have gathered are:

Theme 1: Highly Erosive Soil

Participant 2 , 3, 4 and 5 stated that plants and crops also experienced the impacts of
climate change because of the extreme heat that causes them to die. The intense heat
because of climate change cause the soil to be eroded which takes out the nutrients of the
soil and causes plants and crops to die. They also stated that plants now needs medicines
and fertilizers in order for them to successfully grow unlike before that plants can grow
without medicine and fertilizers. They also stated that farmers find a hard time in getting an
income because all of their crops are affected by the extreme weather.

Theme 2: Forest Degradation

Participants 1 and 2 stated that the forest before has been degraded. They stated
that before many trees are present in the surroundings but now all of it are gone. Human
activities have been a large factor in the forest degradation because they replace forest with
cemented roads and other industrialization buildings. The participants also stated that now
that the forest are gone the impacts of climate change are intensified causing high level of
temperature to the surroundings. Also many living organisms that lives in the forest will lose
their habitat.

Theme 3: Hot Atmospheric Air

Participant 2 and 4 stated that nowadays, the air are different than before because
the air is much more hotter and unsafety. This is a very big threat to all the living organisms
specifically humans. All the living organisms might be suffocated by the hot and unsafety air
which causes them to die.
 INSIGHT GAINED

When we first discuss on who will be our research participant, we realized that we
should ask on the local farmers that observed the impacts of climate change on Earth’s
ecology which is the main focus of our research. Throughout the process of acquiring the
needed data we have heard a lot of things about the impacts of climate change on Earth’s
ecology that each of the participants have been observed. We heard from them that there
has been a lot of changes in the climate throughout the years. The climates intensity are
also increasing causing a lot of impacts to living organisms.

Furthermore, we heard from the participants how hard was the impact of climate
change that they have observed. We heard that change in climate causes unpredictable
climate pattern that we can’t predict as an effect many farmers are getting confused about
the situation of their crops, animal and their own. Climate change also causes a lot of
diseases such as heatstroke that may risk our life. It also causes death of plants and animals
which is a primary need of each human.

Climate change has also been a threat to plants and animals. Plants dies when there
is a intense heat and improper rain. Without plants human and animals will have a shorter
amount of food that may causes them hunger. Animals also experienced a lot of impacts of
climate change. With extreme weather exposure of animals, they will have a heat stroke and
without the plant that they eat they might die because of hunger.

In general, climate change have a very huge impacts to humans, plants and animals.
Bit by bit, climate change and worsening climate extremes are taking away at the resilience
ecological systems, putting living organisms in danger. As the planet continues to warm, we
will be increasingly confronted with intolerable impacts of climate change to which people
and ecosystems are not able to adapt. As climate threats intensify, so will threats to human
and many ecosystems.

Indeed that we can agree that climate change have a great impacts on humans,
plants and animals. As each of the participants have witnessed, we can tell that it is a very
hard issue that we are facing. As we live in this planet, we should think on how we will going
to stop climate change and find solutions to save the generations that will come. As this
problem grow, all of this impacts might be more stronger in the next period of time.
 CHAPTER 5
SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.

Summary

The study explore the impacts of climate change on Earth’s Ecology and how the
climate change really affect the earth.

Specifically, the study sought to assess the different impacts of climate change on
Earth’s ecology that each of the participants have observed. The study also include how
climate change shift the earth: knowing, mitigating, and reducing climate change: ascertain
the level of incredible increase on climate change: taking the responsibility to reduce climate
change: climate change, greenhouse gases, ozone layer, earth’s ecology and atmosphere:
evaluate the value, giving more attention and focus on climate change: determine the level
of rate of climate change: assess the level of occurrence of climate change in earth’s
ecology.

Data were gathered using phenomenological research design among the five(5) local
farmers/participants that has observed the impacts of climate change in Bukidnon,
specifically in the municipality of Kadingilan and municipality of Don Carlos. Using this
design, the researcher’s will be able to accomplish their expected results in this study. The
results were analyzed using thematic analysis, classifying the common themes that each of
the participant’s have responded.

The major findings of the study were the following:

 Conclusion

In the findings that the researchers have obtained, the following conclusions were
derived:

From the findings that we have gathered we have concluded that climate change
have a huge impacts plants and crops by causing extreme heat, soil erosion, and nutrient
depletion. Plants now require medicines and fertilizers for successful growth, while farmers
struggle to earn income due to the extreme weather.

As to what we found with our interviews, climate change causes forests degradation.
Also due to human activities forest are degraded, replacing them with cemented roads and
industrial buildings. The loss of forests intensifies climate change impacts, causing high
temperatures and habitat loss for living organisms.

From the observations of the participant, we have concluded that climate change
causes the increasing hotter and unsafe air, posing a significant threat to living organisms,
particularly humans, causing suffocation and potential death.

Recommendation

Based on the findings and the conclusions of the researchers, the following
recommendations is drawn:

Farmers should use organic fertilizer instead of using inorganic fertilizers. By this
activity the soil will became healthier than before. We individuals should also be in control of
our deed in order to decrease the difficulties that climate change is causing. Humans must
be responsible on their action, as a very fundamental and most capable group in the
ecosystem, humans should take actions in order to stop climate change and to save the
Earth and its ecosystems.

The researchers recommended that by planting trees, we gained a massive benefits

of it like planting trees in the forest so that we can lessen the occurrence of landslide and
floods. We can also use the living tree like, we can stay under the tree and take a test on it’s
shady spot if we feel terrible hotness from the sun. We should avoid deforestation so that we
can breathe healthy air as a matter of fact trees has a big contribution on giving as a healthy
oxygen that we breathe.

The researcher's find out that the main factors of hot atmospheric air is humans.
Humans uses factories and do such thing like burning some trash and coals and carbon
emissions. Researcher’s recommend that we can avoid this by using solar panels and
windmills as the contributor for our electricity. By using these we can lessen our uses on
carbon emissions and to slow down any smoke we made. By trying these activities we can
be able to lessen the appearance of hot atmospheric air and we can breathe some healthy
air.
 Finally, future research may be conducted on the impacts of climate change on
Earth’s ecology. Future researchers should seek new impacts of climate change on Earth’s
ecology and fulfill the knowledge that this study might not included. Although, this study is at
a small scale, future research may do this study at larger scales in order to find more
information about the impacts of climate change on Earth’s ecology.

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