BIODIVERSITY

Mariano / Rodriguez
Amarilla / Caballero
Barquin / Ricarrro

Biodiversity
Refers to a variety of
life on Earth today that
consists of many
millions of distinct
biological species.

The diversity of genes in

the species, together
with the places where
they found, such as
deserts, forests, and
coral reefs.

Species Diversity
According to scientists,
there are more that 117
million species of
plants, animals, and
other microorganisms
as of 2010 that have
been discovered and
named.

They also believed that

there are millions
more that unknown.
There are many more
species, especially in
the worlds rainforests
and oceans that have
been discovered yet.

Current Number of Species in the World

Category

Species

Vertebrate Animals
*Mammals
*Birds
*Reptiles
*Amphibians
*Fishes

5, 490
9,998
9,084
6,433
31, 300

Invertebrate Animals
*Insects
*Spiders and Scorpions
*Mollusks
*Crustaceans
*Corals
*Others

1, 000, 000
102, 248
85,000
47,000
2,175
68,827

Plants
*Flowering Plants
(angiosperms)

281, 821

Total

62, 305

1,305,250

Current Number of Species in the World

Category

Species

*Conifers
(gymnosperms)
*Ferns and horsetails
*Mosses
*Red and Green Algae

1,021
12,000
16,236
10,134

Other
*Lichens
*Mushrooms
*Brown Algae

Total Species:

17,000
31,496
3,067

Total

321, 212

51, 563

1,740,330

Biodiversity is very
commonly used as
synonym of Species
Diversity, which is the
number of species in a
site or habitat.
Many species of plants
and animals have
evolved depending on
one another, so when
one species becomes
extinct, the others could
be extinct, too.

The relationship that

are more complex
between species are
often disturbed when
organism are
transported to new
place or a new element
is introduced such as
chemicals from
pesticides.

Importance of
Biodiversity
According to The Convention
about Life on Earth,
Convention on Biodiversity
website, at least 40% of the
world economy and 80% of the
needs of the poor are derived
from biological resources.

The said Convention

summarizes what a healthy
biodiversity provides, a
number of natural services
for everyone:

1. Ecosystem
services, such as
Protection of the different
resources of water.
Protection and soil formation
Storage and recycling of
materials
Absorption and breakdown of
pollution
Contribution to climate stability
Maintenance of ecosystem

Recovery from unpredictable

events

2. Biological
resources, such as:
Food
Medical resources and
pharmaceutical drugs
Wood products
Ornamental plants
Breeding stocks, population
reservoirs
Future resources
Diversity of genes, species, and
ecosystem

3. Social
benefits, such as:
Research, education,
and monitoring

Recreation and
tourism
Cultural values

Biodiversity boosts
ecosystem
productivity where
each species, no
matter how small, all
have an important role
to play.

The Philippine
Biodiversity
According to Dr.
Terrence Gosliner, the
leader of the 2011
Philippines Biodiversity
Expedition, the
Philippines was
regarded as one of the
biodiversity hotspots
in the world.

This means that the

country is one of the
worlds biologically
richest but has the most
threatened ecosystems.

Philippines has very high

level of Endemism.
Endemic species is a
species which is only
found in a given region
or location and nowhere
else in the world.

Diversity and Endemism

Taxonomical
Group

Species

Endemic
Species

Percentage
Endemism

Plants

9,253

6,091

65.8

Mammals

167

102

61.1

Birds

535

186

34.8

Reptiles

237

160

67.5

Amphibians

89

76

85.4

Fresh Water Fishes

281

67

23.8

1. Plants
1/3 of more than 9,250
vascular plant species
native to the
Philippines are
endemic.
Ginger, Begonias,
Gesneriads, Orchids,
Pandans, are high in
endemic species.

Ginger

Begonias

Gesneriads

Orchids

Pandan

2. Mammals
At least 165 mammal
species are found in the
Philippine Hotspot, and
over 100 of these are
endemic.
The largest and most
impressive of the
mammals in the
Philippines is the
tamaraw, a dwarf
water buffalo that lives
only in Mindoro Island.

Endemic Mammals:
-Dugong/Sea Cows
-Visayan and Philippine
Warty Pigs
-Calamianes Hog-deer
-Visayan Spotted Deer
-Golden-capped fruit bat
(Worlds Largest Bat)

Dugong

Visayan Warty Pig

Calamian Hog
Deer

Visayan Spotted
Deer

Goldencapped fruit
Bat

Other Endemic Species

of Mammals:
Philippine Tarsier
-measures only
about 12 centimeters
long, and found in
islands of Samar,
Leyte, Bohol, and
Mindanao.

Other Endemic Species

of Mammals:
Pilandok/Mouse Deer
-stands only 40
centimeters at the
shoulder level and
considered as the
Worlds smallest
hoofed mammal.

Other Endemic Species

of Mammals:
Kagwang/Flying Lemur
-used to abound in
the wilderness of
Basilan, Leyte, Samar,
Bohol, and Mindanao.

3. Birds
There are over 530 bird
species found in the
philippines hotspot; about
185 of these are endemic
and over 60 are
threatened.
Birdlife International has
identified seven Endemic
Bird Areas in this hotspot:
Mindoro, Luzon, Negros
and Panay, Cebu,
Mindanao and the Eastern
Visayas, the Sulu
archipelago, and Palawan.

Perhaps the best-known

bird species in the
Philippines is the
Philippine eagle, the
second largest eagle in the
world.
The Philippine eagle
breeds only in primary low
land rainforest. Philippine
eagle is endagered.
Their habitat has been
destroyed especially
lowland virgin forest.

Philippine Eagle

Palawan Peacock

Sulu Hornbill

4. Reptiles
Reptiles are
represented by about
235 species, some 160
of which are endemic.
An endemic freshwater
crocodile is considered
the most threatened
crocodile in the world.

The recent discovery of

a population of this
species in the Sierra
Madre of Luzon brings
new hope for its
conservation, as does
the implementation of
projects aimed at
raising awareness and
protecting the
crocodiles habitat.

CROC (Crocodile
Rehabilitation,
Observance and
Conservation) is active
in carrying out such
project.

Philippine Crocodile

Varanus Mabitang / Monitor Lizard

-came from Panay, is only the second

monitor species known in the world
that specialize on the fruit diet.

5. Amphibians
Nearly 90 amphibians
in the hotspot.

85% are endemic, these

numbers continue to
increase.

Panther Flying Frog

-has special
adaptations for
gliding, including
extra flaps of skin
and webbing
between fingers and
toes to generate lift
during glides.

Philippine Flatheaded Frog

-one of the Worlds
Most Primitive frog
species.
-can be found in
Busuanga and Culion
in Palawan.

6. Freshwater Fishes
Consist more than 280
inland fish, including
nine endemic genera
and more than 65
species, many of which
are confined to single
lakes

Whale sharks are

considered as the
largest fish in the
world.

Pandaka Pygmea is one

of the worlds smallest
fresh water fish.

Sardenilla Tawilis

Whale Shark

Pandaka Pygmea

Philippine Anchovy