Chapter IV - Biodiversity and Healthy Society

BIODIVERSITY AND HEALTHY SOCIETY
Biodiversity and Ecosystem

Biodiversity
Defined as:
-the total number of different species within an ecosystem and the re
sulting complexity of interactions among them.
-the vast variety of life forms in the entire earth.
-The variability among living organisms from all sources, including terrestrial, marine
and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part.
Ecosystem
Defined as:
-The assemblage of living and non-living elements contained within a b
oundary such that these elements have functional relationships with ea
ch other and can maintain the flow of energy and complete chemical/ma
terial cycle.
Biodiversity and Ecosystem
ECOLOGY - study of interrelations/interactions of organisms to their biotic (livi
ng) environment and abiotic (physical) environment.
Freshwater Terrestrial
Ecology Ecology
Marine
Ecology
Laws of Ecology
1. Everything is connected to everything else.

2. Everything must go somewhere.
3. Nature knows best.
4. There is no such thing as free lunch.
Components of the Ecosystem
Structural Components
Non-Living Components
a. Inorganic Substances- material cycles

b. Organic Compounds- carbohydrates, proteins, lipids
(N, H2O, C)
c. Physical Factors- rainfall, temperature, humidity, climate
Living Components
Producers
 mostly green plants
 manufacture food from
simple inorganic substa
nces such as CO2, O2
and water
Consumers
 chiefly animals
 ingest other organisms particulate
organic matter, plants or other animals
 types:
Herbivores
- eat plants only
Carnivores
- eat animals only
Omnivores
- plants & animals
Detritivores
- eat dead organic matter
Decomposers
bacteria and fungi

breakdown the complex compounds of dead tissues of plants and a
nimals
absorb some of the decomposition products
release simple substances or inorganic nutrients which are used by
producers
Functional Components
Food Chain
 transfer of food energy from the source in plants through a serie
s of organisms with repeated stages of eating and being eaten
 linear in form
RICE RAT SNAKE HAWK
Producer Herbivore Carnivore Carnivore

1st order consumer 2nd order consumer 3rd order consumer
Food Web
series of interconnected fo
od chain
series of feeding relations
hip because the majority of
animals consume a wide var
iety of food
Food Pyramid
feed on the same number of steps on a food chain or web from the
autotroph level
Green plants - occupy the first trophic level
Herbivore - occupy the second trophic level
Carnivore - occupy the third trophic level and so on
Tertiary consumer Carnivore 4th trophic level
Secondary consumer 3rd trophic level

Carnivore
Primary consumer Herbivore 2nd trophic level
Producers 1st trophic level

THE EARTH’S BIOMES
TUNDRA
 Treeless, lichens, mosses, low shrubs, per
ennial herbs and grasses are dominant.
 growing season for these plants is very s
hort (about 2 months).
 Extremely low temperature and soil belo
w the surface is permanently frozen (per
mafrost).
TAIGA (Coniferous Forest)
 plants found here are the evergreens like

pine trees, spruces, firs and birch trees.
 growing season is 3 to 5 months long, an
d the temperatures above 30 °C are occa
sionally reached.
 Bears, birds and wolves are inhabitants of
taiga.
DECIDUOUS FOREST
 Supports a diversity of plant life and is vibrant w
ith animal activity.
 moderate climate and relative high rainfall
 Moderate temperature with distinct seasonal pat
tern (winter, spring, summer and autumn/fall)
 Deciduous angiosperm trees, oak, beech and ma
ple dominate communities of this forest.
 Herbs and shrubs are well developed.
 Bears, squirrels, foxes, woodpecker abound this a
rea.
TROPICAL RAINFOREST
 Richest biome in terms of number and abundance of
species.
 annual temperature remains fairly constant.
 complex structure, with many levels of life, from simplest bryoph
ytes and epiphytes to woody vines and giant trees abound mostl
y hardwoods and evergreens.
 exotic lianas, bromeliads, orchids and anthuriums.
 Rainfall is high, often over 250 cm a year, but it is evenly distribu
ted throughout the year.
 Primary consumers like bugs, butterflies and ants are common
 Secondary consumers include the frogs, small birds and monitor
lizards.
DISTRIBUTION OF TROPICAL RAINFOREST IN THE WORLD
GRASSLAND (Savanna)
 located in regions where a relatively cool dry se

ason is followed by a hot, rainy one.
 Dominated by grasses that can adapt to changi
ng temperature and can tolerate high degree of
grazing, flooding, drought and sometimes fire.
 Scattered shrubs may occur where water is avail
able.
 Hoofed animals are common.
DESERT
Support organisms adapted to arid conditions.
Temperature is variable. Very high at day time and l
ow at night time is common.
The amount of rainfall is very low but the evaporati
on rate is high, so the surrounding is always dry.
Plants have evolved structures to adjust to these
extremes. They have waxy leaves or none at all.
Plants are succulent- stems for storing water, or shr
ubs with woody stems and small leaves.
Rats, insects, kangaroos, and variety of reptiles thriv
e in this area.
Homeostasis
tendency of biological systems to maintain a state of equili
brium.
ranges from systems of internal balance in individual orga
nisms to ecological patterns of balance in a community of or
ganisms.
as between numbers of predators and prey.

“The basic concept about biodiversity loss is that “intact ecosystems
function best since the organisms composing them are specialize
to function in that ecosystem to capture, transfer, utilize and ulti
mately, lose both energy and nutrients.
The particular species making up an ecosystem determine its produ
ctivity, affects nutrient cycles and soil contents and influence environ
mental conditions such as water cycles, weather patterns, climate a
nd other non-biotic aspects.”
Biodiversity
- defines the “richness” of an ecological community.
conservation and proper management is essential for

the stability and survival of the ecosystem
Changes in Biodiversity
• Decrease in biodiversity is eminent worldwide. Humans have industrialized th
e natural habitat of wildlife as well as marine life. Leaving these creatures wit
h no place to live would eventually cause their deaths.
• The disappearance of wildlife is at an unprecedented rate. Earth might enter
the sixth mass extinction event according to experts. Mass extinction is descr
ibed as the disappearance of species at a rate of 1, faster than usual.
• The disappearance of species producing more chaotic changes that harm th
e entire ecosystem.
• There is growing importance of studying how society, environment, and healt
h is interrelated to each other, that if human beings fail to recognize the need
s of one of those components, the other remaining components can be affect
ed and compromised.
Threats to Biodiversity
1. Habitat loss and destruction
Major contributing factor is the inhabitation of human beings and the use of land for econ
omic gains.
2. Alterations in the ecosystem composition
Alterations and sudden changes, either within species groups or within the environment,
could begin to change entire ecosystem. Alterations in ecosystem are a critical factor con
tributing to species and habitat loss.
3. Over-exploitation
Over-hunting, overfishing, or over-collecting of species can quickly lead to its decline. Ch
anging consumption patterns of humans is often cited as the key reason for this unsustai
nable exploitation of natural resources.
4. Pollution and Contamination

Biological systems respond slowly to changes in their surrounding environment. Pollution and to chan
ges in their surrounding environment. Pollution and contamination cause irreversible damage to speci
es and varieties.
A major cause is human population which has doubled in number since
1960 to 7.4 billion…
Pollution - is the introduction of contaminants into a natural environment that c

auses instability, disorder, harm or discomfort to the ecosystem.
i.e. physical systems or living organisms
- Can take the form of chemical substances or energy, such as noise,
heat, or light.
5. Global Climate Change
Climate change refers to the significant, long-term changes in the global climate.
Global climate is the connected system of sun, earth and oceans, wind, rain, snow, forests deserts and sa
vannas and everything people do, too.
Both climate variability and climate change cause biodiversity loss. Species and populations may be lost
permanently if they are not provided with enough time to adapt to changing climatic conditions.
The Depleting Ozone Layer

Greenhouse Gases

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BIODIVERSITY AND HEALTHY SOCIETY

Biodiversity and Ecosystem

1. Everything is connected to everything else.

a. Inorganic Substances- material cycles

bacteria and fungi

RICE RAT SNAKE HAWK

Producer Herbivore Carnivore Carnivore

Tertiary consumer Carnivore 4th trophic level

Secondary consumer 3rd trophic level

Primary consumer Herbivore 2nd trophic level

Producers 1st trophic level

 plants found here are the evergreens like

 located in regions where a relatively cool dry se

as between numbers of predators and prey.

conservation and proper management is essential for

2. Alterations in the ecosystem composition

4. Pollution and Contamination

Pollution - is the introduction of contaminants into a natural environment that c

The Depleting Ozone Layer

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