BIODIVERSITY
And a Healthful Ecology
Biodiversity
◦ The vast variety of life forms in the entire Earth, and how
all living things are related to each other.
◦ The United Nations declared the year 2010 as the
International Year of Biodiversity.
1. Genetic Diversity
◦The variations among organisms of the same
species. These variations are passed down
from parent to offspring.
1. Genetic Diversity (continued)
◦ Factors to Consider for Genetic Diversity:
Environment – the climate, weather patterns,
etc.
Diet – the amount and quality of food received.
Culture*
2. Species Diversity
◦The variety of species within a region, as
influenced by the environmental conditions in
said region.
Endemic vs. Introduced Species
2. Species Diversity (continued)
◦Taxonomy – a hierarchical system of
classifying and naming organisms. This is
devised by Carl Linnaeus.
Homo sapiens - Humans
2. Species
Diversity
(continued)
Example:
Species – Homo sapiens
Genus – Homo
Family – Hominidae
Order – Primates
Class – Mammalia
Phylum – Chordata
Kingdom - Animalia
3. Ecological Diversity
◦The network of different species in an
ecosystem and the interaction of these
species.
◦Can be better understood through food
chains and food webs.
3. Ecological
Diversity
(continued)
Food Chain – lateral
link of predators and
prey
Food Web – the
interconnection of
multiple food chains.
1. Health and Medicine
◦ Since 2600 BC, people have been using plants to
treat illnesses leading to the practice of herbal
medicine.
◦ With a richer biodiversity, we can have access to
more herbal medicine.
2. Food
◦ During the Stone Age, humans relied only on hunting and
foraging for food.
◦ As demand for food increased due to the growth of human
population, people discovered that some crops can be
grown and cultivated and animals were domesticated, this
led to the birth of agriculture.
2. Food
(continued)
Of the 57 global food crops, 39
need birds and insects as
pollinators.
This indicates the reliance of
man to biodiversity.
3. Energy
◦ Humans rely on energy provided by ecosystems to
do the necessary activities in order to survive.
4. Water Storage and Flood Control
◦The earliest recorded civilizations were
situated near rivers or lakes which made their
livelihoods dependent of water.
4. Water Storage and
Flood Control
(continued)
Biodiversity in
forests, or
watersheds, play an
important role in
securing water
resources.
1. Habitat Loss and Destruction
◦A major factor is the inhabitation of humans in
the natural habitat of species, and the use of
land for economic gains.
1. Habitat Loss and Destruction (continued)
Natural Causes Man-Made Causes
2. Alterations in Ecosystem Composition
◦ Sudden changes, either within species groups or
within the environment, could bring to change entire
ecosystems.
◦ Introduction of Invasive Species (e.g. golden snail or
kuhol, janitor fish, Asian carp, etc.)
3. Over-Exploitation
◦Over-hunting, over fishing, or over-collecting
of species quickly lead to its decline.
4. Pollution and Contamination
◦ Biological systems respond slowly to changes in
their surrounding environment. Pollution and
contamination cause irreversible damage to species.
4. Pollution and
Contamination
(continued)
As of 2018, the Pacific Garbage
Patch is already the size of the
State of New South Wales
(NSW) in Australia, or around
1.6 million square kilometers.
That is 5.33 times the size of
the Philippines!
5. Global Climate Change
◦ The increase in the Earth’s average temperature could
cause loss in biodiversity loss and habitat damage.
◦ Can lead to the melting of polar ice caps, hotter
temperatures, increase in sea levels, etc.
5. Global Climate
Change
(continued)
Snow melt in Eagle Island near
Antarctica.
Left – Taken on February 6, 2020
(hottest day on record at 18.3°C)
Right – Taken on February 11,
2020 (measured a 10 centimeter,
or roughly 4 inches ice melt)
