Biodiversity and

Healthy Society

Lesson Objectives
At the end of this lesson, the students should be able to:
 Formulate personal definition of biodiversity;
 Explain the importance of biodiversity;
 Identify the threats faced by biodiversity and the major causes of these
threats in their localities; and
 Express the need for action to conserve biodiversity in the Philippines.

Reminder: Honestly assess your understanding about biodiversity by

SELF answering the following questions without reading the content of the lesson.
Just answer what you know. Return to it after you studied the lesson and check
ASSESSMENT if you got it right.

Lesson: It’s okay to have mistakes. The important thing is that you’ve learned
from it.

I. Based on your understanding, define biodiversity in one (1) sentence.

______________________________________________________________________

II. Matching Type: Match Column A with Column. Write your answer on the blank
provided. Write the letter only.

Column A
Column B
1. ________ are species found only in a
particular area. A. Biodiversity
2. The existence of different kinds of B. Endemic species
organisms in an environment is known C. Global Warming
as ______. D. Over-exploitation
3. The excessive collecting of natural
E. Greenhouse Effect
resources is referred as ______.
F. Exotic species
4. _____are species introduced from other
place.
5. ______is the rise in the world’s
temperature due to the increase of
greenhouse gases.

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Introduction

Our planet, Earth, is a home to trillion different species of organisms. It includes

all microorganisms, plants and animals that adhere and intertwine like threads in the net
(Prieto, Vega, Felipe, & Meneses, 2019). It gives us all our needs like food to eat, clear
drinking water, fresh air, medicines, and materials for building our houses.

Unfortunately, due to the increase in human population which has doubled in

number since 1960 to 7.4 billion (World Wide Fund Global, n.d.), people have been
disregarding the safety and help of the net for decades. Forests were set on fire to give
way for farming. Fishes were netted even during breeding season. Trees were cut for
buildings and housing units causing floods and landslides. Human have industrialized
the natural habitat of wildlife, leaving these creatures with no place to live and putting
their lives in danger which might cause their extinction. In 2020, it is projected that
wildlife will decline to 67% of its present number as it decreases 2% annually (World
Wide Fund Global, n.d.). Furthermore, the disappearance of organisms in a certain
environment causes an imbalance, more chaotic changes that harm the entire
ecosystem (Inquirer.net, 2016).

To mend the affected net, people need to know more about the importance of
biodiversity, and how human activities either contribute to its growth and destruction.

Biodiversity and Its Importance

Biodiversity was derived from two words. The first is from the Latin word bios,
which refers to all kind of living things. Diversity means variety or differences. Therefore,
biodiversity literally means as the variety and extent of differences among living and
non-living organisms (Sinha and Heaney, 2006).

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In its structural and functional perspective, it is defined as the vast variety of life
forms in the entire Earth from the single-celled to the largest multi-celled organisms
(Serafica, Pawilen, Caslib & Alata, 2018).

Globale (2009) defined biodiversity as “the variability among living organisms from
all sources, including terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the
ecological complexes of which they are part; this includes diversity within species,
between species, and of ecosystems. Biodiversity is the source of the essential goods
and ecological services that constitute the source of life for all and it has direct
consumptive value in food, agriculture, medicine, and in industry.”

According to Haribon (2006), the importance of biodiversity can be divided into three
categories. These are as follows:

1. Economic Importance
A. Food. All organisms living in this planet obtain their food from biodiversity. Cows eat
grasses, birds eat fruits, cats eat rats, frogs eat mosquitoes and fishes eats
planktons. Even humans are dependent on biodiversity for their nutritional need.
According to World Health Organization (2007), biodiversity is a vital element of
human being’s nutrition because it influences and contributes to sustainable food
production. Without biodiversity, what would sustain us and the other living
organisms?
B. Medicine. Eighty percent (80%) of the world
population uses plants as source of medicine.
 Activity 1: Look for medicinal
plants in your backyard and take a
The roots, leaves, and bark are often use for photo of each plant. Post them in
your timeline with your own
this purpose. Thirty percent (30%) of written story about the importance
of biodiversity/plant as medicine.
pharmaceuticals use plants and animals as
Each photo posted must have a
source of medicine rather than synthetic or scientific name, local name and
uses. Tag your instructor with a
chemical sources (Haribon Foundation, hashtag #BiodiversityAsMedicine.
2006). The use of native medicinal plants like

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ginger, malunggay, oregano and mayana as alternative treatment is practice by

Filipinos especially in rural areas.
Below is an abstract from a research paper on ethnomedicinal uses of gingers in
Antique by Dalisay, Bangcaya and Naive (2018).
C.

Fuel, timber, and other resources. Biodiversity is a major source of raw materials in
the world. Wood and biogas for fuel, buildings, houses, clothes, bags and other
products that we are using everyday come from biodiversity.
D. Recreational and aesthetic values. Economic value doesn’t only mean gathering,
selling and making a profit. Economic value is also present in the natural beautiful
state of the environment. It is also derived from enjoying the ecological services of
nature because its integrity has remained intact. In keeping the healthy environment

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literally pristine, economic value in the form of money can be brought in, through
ecotourism.

2. Ecological Importance
A. Air and water purification. Biodiversity does this for us through plants and trees in
the forest. Animals including human, exhale carbon dioxide. Factories, vehicles and
machines also release large amount of carbon dioxide that pollutes our atmosphere.
All these are absorbed by plants and transformed into oxygen through
photosynthesis.
Plants absorb water from the roots to the leaves, purify, and release in the
environment as clean water.
B. Climate stabilizer. Forests keep the world cooler because they absorb massive
amounts of solar radiation for photosynthesis. Forests with canopy trees keep
shaded areas cool, the soil moist and trap clouds for cooler general temperature.
With the rapid loss of the forest around the world, the capacity of the environment
to absorb solar radiation has decreased. Without trees to absorb it, solar radiation
gets dispersed. Moreover, accumulation of carbon
WHY ENDEMIC TREES?
dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the
Endemic trees to the
atmosphere will increase that heat up the world’s Philippines are the ones that
climate leading to a phenomenon known as Global give us water. The
mahogany we have imported
Warming. Unstable climate causes disruptive in the eighties for our
reforestation projects do not
weather phenomena such as El Niño and La Niña. give us water, because it is
C. Drought, erosion and flood control. Biodiversity aggressive in water
absorption for survival.
through our endemic (native species and could not Exotic species (species not
native in the country) of trees
be found elsewhere) forest trees ensures a supply
make the land severely dry,
of water especially during the dry months. Forest turn the soil acidic and kill
other Filipino trees.
trees, like the dipterocarps have massive root
systems that hold and absorb great amount of
water. They act as giant tanks of water that assure people a definite source when it
doesn’t rain.

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Think about this:

The indigenous people of

Cordilleras perform a ritual
called cañao when they Our forests also serve as umbrellas and
celebrate special occasions.
In performing the ritual, they shock absorbers during heavy rains. The
butcher pigs as an offering complicated root system of trees like the
for good fortune. The
“mambunong” (tribal priest) mangroves, prevent soil from eroding. Mangroves
reads the fortune by
also act as natural barriers by breaking down
interpreting the pig’s liver. If
the pigs in the Cordilleras waves and slowing down wave action as it
get afflicted with foot and
mouth disease, what do you reaches the coastline.
think will happen to this 3. Social and Cultural Values of Biodiversity
cultural tradition?
Biodiversity is used by people in their customs
and traditions. For indigenous peoples, it is a
foundation for their religious beliefs and practices.
The loss of biodiversity may result in the loss of these religious beliefs and practices.
Biodiversity of the Philippines
The Philippines is one of the richest countries in terms of biodiversity and is
considered as a mega-diverse country not only in terms of species richness but also in
terms of endemicity. It houses approximately of 52, 177 described flora (plants) and
fauna (animals), of which half is found nowhere
else in the world (Haribon Foundation, 2006).

Described plant species account is about

14,000 – 15,000, of which orchids, oaks, ferns,
mosses and conifers are most diverse in
montane rainforest and many specific groups in
the lowland tropical rainforest (Haribon
Foundation, 2006). In Antique, many plant
species were identified and described as endemic

From top left (clockwise):

6 Paphiopedilum hennisianum, Robiquetia
ormerodii, Alpinia apoensis, and
Rafflesia speciosa. Photos 1-3 by JAG
Dalisay and Photo 4 by J Barcelona.
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such as the biggest flower Rafflesia speciosa and Raffesia lobata; a newly discovered
orchid Robiquetia ormerodii; a rediscovered wild ginger after a lapse of over a century
Alpinia apoensis, and an endangered orchid species Paphiopedilum hennisianum. An
estimated of 38,000 animal species were described including the endangered
Philippine-monkey-eating eagle (Pitthecophaga jeferyi), the smallest frog (Platymantis
cagayanensis), and a giant clam (Tridacna gigas). The lower forms of organisms such
as bacteria, protest, and unicellular algae are extremely numerous but largely unknown
with only 1 % described (Sinha and Heaney, 2006; and Haribon Foundation, 2006).
Threats to Biodiversity
Though our country is a mega-diverse in terms of biological diversity, it is also
considered a biological-hotspot due to the rapid loss of natural resources. It ranks third
in the world in terms of the number of threatened species and has the highest number
of endangered species (Haribon Foundation, 2006). Let us take a look at the major
threats to biodiversity identified by United Nations’ Environmental Programme (WHO,
n.d.) and (Haribon Foundation, 2006). These are the following:

1. Habitat loss and destruction/Encroachment on habitats (e.g. logging,kaingin, real

and estate development).
2. Overexploitation (e.g. over-hunting, overfishing, and wildlife trade).
3. Pollution and contamination (e.g. chemicals from pesticides and fertilizers,
carbon monoxide from vehicles and non-biodegradable materials like plastic).
4. Global climate change (e.g. El Niño and La Niña).
5. Introduction of exotic/invasive species (e.g. golden kuhol, janitor fishes, and bull
frogs).
6. Use of illegal fishing methods (e.g. dynamite, cyanide and muro-ami).

Consequences of Biodiversity Loss

A change in biodiversity could have an erratic effect on wildlife and in human

beings. For example, trading elephants for their tusks, birds for pet, orchids for
ornamental purposes threatened these species to extinction. The removal of trees from

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the forest negatively impacted the ecosystem by decreasing biodiversity in the area,
allowing fragile soil to wash away, causing erosion, flooding, and increasing global
temperature. Exploiting exotic animals for food led to the emerging of new diseases
(e.g. the pandemic COVIC-19).

Rapid increase in human population and technology that support its growth has
put extreme pressures on the natural environment, threatening the survival of different
species and their habitats. In many less developed areas, population grows faster than
food supply, causing famine that threatens to eliminate large portions of the populations.
Poverty and hunger led to resurgence of diseases. These same conditions have forced
some people to abandon their homes in search of food and be exposed to elements,
further reducing their ability to survive (Prieto et al, 2019).

Significant decline in biodiversity has direct human impact when ecosystem in its
insufficiency can no longer provide the physical and social needs of human beings.
Indirectly, changes in the ecosystem affect livelihood, income, and on occasion, may
even cause political conflict (WHO, n.d.). Thus, if we fail to take care of the ecosystem
and continue to fulfill our greediness, we are actually putting our lives and the future
generation at risk. Therefore, as inhabitants and major beneficiaries of the ecosystem,
we
Activity 2. Advocacy Writing

Come up with an advocacy that you think is timely, knowing that

in our emerging needs to endure in this world, biodiversity
collapses and suffers just to provide our necessities for survival.

must conserve and preserve the biodiversity of all creatures.

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Summary

The most important function of biodiversity is to sustain life. Its

interconnectedness ensures that life is passed on from one organism to another. To
break this interconnectedness is to break the cycle of life. To quote the Indian Chief
Seattle when he spoke to a white man, “All things are connected…this we know. The
earth does not belong to man, man belongs to the earth. This we know. All things are
connected like blood, which unite one family. All things are connected. Whatever befalls
the earth befalls the sons of the earth. Man did not weave the web of life. He is merely a
strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself…”

Think about these questions

Direction: Choose two (2) questions and elaborately answer.

1. What do you think is the most common human activity that greatly harms
biodiversity? What alternative way/s can you suggest to avoid or limit the activity
to prevent its harmful effects?
2. How would you reconcile the emerging needs of human being and the need to
protect the growth of biodiversity?

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3. What are the three (3) small ways that you think would promote the safekeeping
of our biodiversity? Explain.
4. Do you think Earth can exist without human beings taking care of it? Or
biodiversity really needs human beings for it to be in a continuous growing
process? Explain.

References

Dalisay, J.A.G.P., Bangcaya, P.S., & Naive, M.A.K. (2018). Taxonomic Studies and
Ethnomedicinal uses of Zingiberaceae in the Mountain Ranges of Northern Antique,
Philippines. Biological Forum – An International Journal, 10(2): 68-73.

Globale, Villaggio. (2009).”Biodiversity is the Life Insurance of Life Itself.”Accessed April

2020. http://vglole.it/complementari/8913-biodiversity-is-the-life-insurance-of-lie-
itself.html.

Haribon Foundation. (2006). Philippine Biodiversity for Beginners.

Inquirer.net. (2006). “Living Planet report: WWF paints dire picture for survival of the
species.” Accessed April 9, 2020. http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/841255/living -planet-
report-wwf-paints-dire-picture-for-survival-of-the-species.

Prieto, N. G., Vega, V. A., Felipe, Elizabeth, F. F., & Meneses, J. L. (2019). Specific
Issues in STS: Biodiversity and Healthy Society. Science, Technology, and Society.
Lorimar Publishing, Inc. Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines. pp 73-78.

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Serafica, J. P. J., Pawilen, G. T., Caslib, B. N., Alata, E. J. P. (2018). Specific Issues in
Science, Technology, and Society. Science, Technology, and Society. Rex Book Store,
Inc. Manila, Philippines. pp 122-132

Sinha & Heany. (2006). Philippine Biodiversity: Principles and Practice.

World Health Organization. (2007). “Safer Future: Global and Public Health Security in
the 21st Century.” In World Health Report. Accessed April 12, 2020.
http://www.who.int/whr/2007/en/.

World Wide Fund Global. (n.d.). “How does Biodiversity loss affect me and
everyone.”Accessed April 2020. https://wwf.panda.org/ about_our_earth/
biodiversity/biodiversity_and_you/.

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