MODULE 3: Biodiversity and Evolution

LEARNING COMPETENCY:
Relate species extinction to the failure of populations of organisms to adapt to abrupt
changes in the environment.

After going through this module, you are expected to:

1. Relate species extinction to the failure of populations of organisms to adapt to abrupt changes in the
environment.
2. Explain the importance of biological diversity.
3. Find out how changes in the environment can affect species extinction.
4. Distinguish environmental changes that may result in the loss of the species
5. Make a multimedia presentation of a timeline of extinction of representative microorganisms, plants and
animals

What I Know

A. Photo Quiz
Directions: The words in the box are some of the causes of species extinction. Look at the pictures
below and identify which cause of extinction matches each group of pictures.
Taking Animals for Profit Introduced species
Hunting and Trapping Destruction of Habitat
Overharvesting Pollution

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 B. Crossword Puzzle
Directions: Answer the crossword puzzle below.

Across:
2. It causes excessive growth of algae and results in algal bloom
3. The clearing or thinning of forests by human activities
5. When a species population is so low and is nearly extinct
6. The trapping of heat by gases in earth's atmosphere

Down:
1. Occurs when the last member of a species dies
4. Pertains to the number of organisms of the same species
7. Refers to the variety of life in an area

C. Picture Analysis
Directions: Study the two pictures and answer the following questions.

1. Describe the two pictures.

_______________________________________________
2. Which picture do you like? Why?
_______________________________________________
3. What do you think are the factors why the picture
in the left transformed into the image in the right?
________________________________________________

Image Source: cagle.com

Lesson 1 Biodiversity and Evolution

What’s In
Before you begin exploring and understanding the concept of biodiversity, work on the activity to
find out the amount of biodiversity and species distribution in your backyard.
Directions:
1. Find the organisms in the surroundings at home as shown in the card.
2. Mark the picture in the box whenever you see that organism.

Biodiversity CHECK!

This activity is an indication of how

diverse some of the plants and animal
species are in your surroundings. If you
saw all of the organisms in the Bingo card,
then your place has quite high level of
species diversity.

Photo credits to: www.pinterest.com

-pbskids.org/plumlanding
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 What’s New

Different parts of the ecosystem interact with one another. Changes to one part affect
other parts. When all members of certain species die, that species’ place in the ecosystem is gone
forever. In this module you will study the various threats that are considered causes of the loss of
biodiversity.

Activity 1: Biodiversity: What is it?

Objectives:
• Explain what is meant by biodiversity and population.
• Appreciate the importance of biodiversity
Materials: Paper and pen
Task 1-A
1. Study Figures 1 and 2.

Figure 1. Reef Figure 2. Corn Plantation

2. Answer the following questions on your paper.
A. Imagine yourself scuba diving in Tubbataha Reef Marine Park, where very high densities of
marine species are found. What organisms are in Figure 1? How many kinds of organism do you
see in the picture?
B. Now, imagine yourself standing in a corn plantation. Which species do you think dominates this
area?
Task 1-B. The map below shows the population distribution of Bermuda, Clover, and Lily plants
in a pond. Answer the following questions.

1. Which species has the largest population in the community?

2. What species has the lowest population?
3. What factors might influence a change in the population?

Figure 3. Distribution of Bermuda, Clover and Lilies

Task 1-C. Answer the following questions briefly.
1. How do you define biodiversity and population?
2. How do you depend on biodiversity in your daily life?
3. What would happen if we didn’t have biological diversity?
4. What does biodiversity do for us?
What is It

Biodiversity is the amount of variety of life on Earth. It is the number of different species of plants,
animals, and microorganisms. Healthy ecosystems and rich biodiversity is important because it
increases ecosystem productivity, each species in an ecosystem has a specific niche role to play. The
Tubbataha Reef Marine Park has many populations. You can see hundreds of different species of
organisms, whereas in a coconut plantation, only one species dominates. A population is a group of
living things within a certain area that are all of the same species. Several different populations may be
found in a community. A population of one kind may affect a population of another kind within the
community. A jungle has greater amount of biological diversity, biodiversity, than a cornfield. In a jungle
community, some populations, such as ants, fungi, and ferns, can be very large in number. Other
populations such as tigers and snakes have fewer members. Why do you think population sizes vary
among organisms?

Now, work on the next activity to find out the amount of biodiversity and species
distribution in a community.

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 What’s More

Activity 2: Index of Biodiversity

Objective:
• Measure species distribution using mathematical way of expressing the amount of
biodiversity and species distribution in a community.
Materials: Paper and pen
Task 2-A: Word Parts. Below are the words that have been divided into halves. Find the pieces
that fit together and write the complete statement on a piece of paper.
Pop ry si

mong orga ulation

zes va nisms a
Answer: ________________________________________________________
Task 2-B: This is an outdoor activity. Find out and record the amount of biodiversity and
species distribution within your home yard. Perform the activity - “My Backyard Biodiversity”.

Photo credits : Pinterest.com

Task 2-C. Based on the result of the Activity “My Backyard Biodiversity”, calculate the Index of
Diversity using the following formula:
Example:
Species of Tree Number of Trees Observed
Mango Tree 2
Talisay Tree 1
Coconut Tree 3
Avocado Tree 1
Total Number of Species = 4 Total Items = 7
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Biodiversity Index (Tree) = Total number of Tree species
Total number of trees
= 4/7
= 0.571
1. Biodiversity Index (Tree) = Total number of trees species
Total number of trees
________________________________________________________________________
2.Biodiversity Index (Plant) = Total number of plant species
Total number of plants
________________________________________________________________________
3. Biodiversity Index (Animals) = Total number of animal species
Total number of animals
________________________________________________________________________
4. Biodiversity Index (Insects) = Total number of insect species
Total number of insects
________________________________________________________________________
Key Concepts

➢ Population is a group of individuals belonging to the same species that live in the same region at the
same time. Population density is a measure of the number of organisms that make up a population
in a defined area.
➢ Communities with many different species (a high index of diversity) will be able to withstand
environmental changes better than communities with only a few species (a low index of diversity).

What I Have Learned

Making yourself aware of the things happening in your environment is definitely a wise way
of spending time these days. Now, here is another task that will heighten your awareness.

Activity 3: Extinction: Is it natural?

Task 3-A: Word Jumble Game
Directions: Rearrange the jumbled letters to form the magic word.
SSIPEEC

NTENIXTCOI

Task 3-B. Write the first word that comes to your mind when you see the words “species
extinction’’.
__________________________________________________________________________________

Task 3-C: Making Predictions

Objective:
• Determine differences between two hypothetical islands
Materials: Paper and pen
Procedure:
1. Imagine that you and your friends are being sent to explore two islands. The islands are very similar
in size, age, and location. But one has human population and the other does not have.
2. Predict what you will see in each island.
3. Tabulate your predictions as shown below.

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 Island A Island B
(Without Human Population) (With Human Population)

1. 1.
2. 2.
3. 3.
Guide Questions:
1. What did you predict in each island?
__________________________________________________________________________________
2. How would you explain the differences that you will see in each island?
__________________________________________________________________________________
Read! Read! Read!

Here are some of the local and global environmental issues/ problems that are also
affecting your community.
1. Deforestation - the clearing or thinning of forests by humans.
Causes:
 Kaingin farming (slash and burn)
 Illegal farming.
 Conversion of agricultural lands to housing projects
 Forest fires
 Typhoons
Effects:
 Soil erosion
 Floods
https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=N
WrZi6xP&id=98A3
B  Decrease in wildlife resources that will eventually lead to
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extinction
2. Wildlife Depletion
As human population gets bigger,
huge space is needed for shelter, for
growing, and for industries which results to
deforestation, one of the major causes of the
disappearances of wildlife species.

What happens to animal

populations that are driven away from
their natural habitat? If they cannot
find enough space, many will die or
become extinct. Some species may
become endangered, or in the verge of
becoming extinct. In other cases, some
animals may be threatened, referring to
species that are close to being https:// www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=xuIKJCtm&id=097CEA5186F
EFF9CBE3267C50182BCBD8C4DD145&thid=OIP.xuIKJCtmXlSBzomtKun W
endangered.

3. Water Pollution

A major problem in lakes, rivers, and ponds is

eutrophication, one of the effects of water pollution. In
Eutrophication, nutrients are washed away from the land to
enrich bodies of water. It causes excessive growth of aquatic
plants and algae and results to algal bloom, which eventually
die and decompose. The process depletes the oxygen
dissolved in water causing fish and other aquatic organisms
to die. https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=R
XlIRKHG&id=7
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4. Air Pollution

It occurs when harmful or excessive quantities of

substances are introduced into Earth's atmosphere.
Sources of air pollution include gases (such as ammonia,
carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrous oxides, methane
and chlorofluorocarbons), particulates (both organic and
inorganic), and biological molecules.
Carbon dioxide acts like a blanket over the Earth,
holding in the heat that would otherwise radiate back into
space. The trapping of heat by gases in the Earth’s
atmosphere is called Greenhouse Effect. The
greenhouse effect is a natural process. But as carbon
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_pollutio
n
dioxide in the atmosphere increases, greenhouse effect
also intensifies- this will lead to global warming. Global warming is an increase in the Earth’s
temperature from the rapid build-up of carbon dioxide and other gases.

5. Destruction of Coastal Resources

Coral reefs and coastal mangrove forests in the
Philippines serve as breeding grounds and nurseries of
marine fishes. But due to human activities, coastal
areas are getting destroyed through the years.

Some of these activities include the following:

 Deforestation, agricultural activities, and mining
activities
 Dynamite fishing and muro-ami
 Coastal areas conversion to beach resorts, or
https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2
&ccid=K6UVHgeF
residential areas &id=8FA87763506007548C23963731B58614495DBEFB&thid=OI P.
 Overharvesting

6. Acid Precipitation

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Activity 4: Action-Reaction!

Task 4-A. Create a concept map about the effects of overpopulation on pollution and talk about it with
your parents, older siblings, grandparents or guardian.

a a

Overpopulation

a a

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Task 4-B. Fill out the table below.

Activities of human that cause pollution Prevention of pollution

1. 1.

2. 2.

3. 3.

4. 4.

Task 4-C. In your province or municipality, give at least five (5) of the reported threatened and/or
endangered species. Cite the causes why these species are threatened or endangered. What are some of
ways that your local government do in protecting wildlife in your area?
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Key Concepts
 The principal causes of deforestation are illegal logging, kaingin farming, forest fires,
typhoons, and conversion of agricultural lands to housing projects.
 The effects of deforestation include soil erosion, flood and depletion of wildlife resources.
 The major cause of wildlife extinction is the loss of habitat.
 Coral reef destruction is caused by dynamite fishing and muro ami while mangrove
destruction is caused by overharvesting and conversion of the area into other uses.
 In eutrophication, nutrients are washed away from the land to enrich bodies of water. It
causes excessive growth of aquatic plants and algae and results to algal bloom, which
eventually dies and decomposes. The process depletes the oxygen dissolved in water
causing fish and other aquatic organisms to die.
 Acid rain is a result of air pollution mostly from factories and motor vehicles.
 Sustainable development means that a society should live under
the carrying capacity of the environment.

Activity 5: My growing family…

Objective:
• Find out how changes in population can affect species extinction.
Materials: Paper and pen
Task 5-A. Fill in the box using the clue.
1. Anything that limits the size of a population like certain environmental conditions.

Task 5-B: Picture Study

Directions: Study the picture below.

The herd of giraffe are assumed to be healthy and begin to

multiply faster than expected. Predict what will happen if giraffe
population continue to increase in the park area.

Prediction:
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________
_________________________________________________

Figure 1. P ark reserve in Calauit,

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Task 5-C: Basic Needs in a Growing Population

Our country is an agricultural country and has a tropical climate that allows a variety of
plants to grow. The rivers, lakes and open seas provide a good supply of fish.

However, some people are not able to benefit from all of these bounty. Likewise, while
there are still wide tracts of land, some do not have decent places to live in.

Key Concepts
 Population sizes vary among organisms. They change with the number of births.
They also change when members die or move in and out of an ecosystem.
 Limiting factors are environmental conditions that keep a population from
increasing in size and help balance ecosystems.
 The carrying capacity is affected by changes in the environment.

Assessment

A. Fill in the missing letters to complete each words in the sentence.

1. P _ _ _ _ T _ _ N is the presence of undesirable things in the environment.
2. Too many people or O _ _ R P _ _ _ L _ _ _ _ N make it difficult to meet the basic needs of man
which are W _ _ _ _, F _ _ _, and S _ _ _ _ _ R.
3. Pollutants dumped into the rivers and streams eventually find their way to the O _ _ _ _.
4. The average temperature of the earth’s atmosphere may rise as a result of G _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
E_____.
5. Destruction of habitat, pollution, hunting and poaching are the causes of E _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _.

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 B. Read the selection about Sonia of Manila who is having a vacation with friends in
Southern Tagalog. (Source: Excel in Science)
BOOM!!
“What was that?”
“That must be Tatang Ambo fishing with dynamite.”
“He had been at it for a couple of years now.”
“But why?”
“Well, he makes a good catch with dynamite and makes quite a good sum. You see, people
need to eat so they buy the fish. If there were fewer people needing to eat fish he would not risk
his life with dynamite.”
“Now I see what overpopulation can do. It does have far reaching effects like: Mang Ambo
risks his life. All organisms in the area are destroyed including the corals. I read somewhere
that fish find sanctuary in corals. They breed there,too. I’m fraid someday there will no longer
be any fish in this area.” “What can we do?”

Answer the following questions.

1. What is the selection all about?
2. Who is Mang Ambo?
3. Why do you think he catches fish using dynamite?
4. How overpopulation affects the environment and the quality of life?
5. Write your suggestion to solve the problem:

C. Answer briefly the following questions in your answer sheet.

1. If the population species of a given area is doubled, what effect would this have on the
resources of the community?
2. Suppose 80 ants live in a 2 sq. m plot of grass. What would be the population density of
the ants?
3. In a farm, corn plants were the only crop that was planted on several hectares of land. A
farmer noticed that a fungus was growing all over the corn fields. Predict what might
eventually happen to the corn plants and the fungus.
4. How is forest ecosystem affected when trees are cut down?
5. What is the main cause of extinction in plant and animal species?

Additional Activities

Let us reinforce the skills/knowledge that you have gained from this lesson by doing the
activity below.
Task A. Read and analyze the question below. Write the answer on the space provided.

Life depends on life. Animals cannot exist without green plants. Predict what would
happen to other organisms in an ecosystem in which all the decomposers went extinct.
________________
References
Alvarez, L., et.al. Biodiversity and Evolution. Science Learners Module 9. Department of Education:
Bureau of Learning Resources (DepEd-BLR), 2015
Martinez, J., et al. Excel in Science. First Edition. Reach Out Educational Resources, 2004
Smith, C., Our World- Code Red: List of Threatened Species Updated. Nations University, 2011

Online Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_pollution https://traveltriangle.com
https://www.alamy.com
https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=U6eGB8Zn&id=B8E9D
286FEAFE9ACF6F1E4785B21B070AA7DF30A&thid=OIP.U6eGB8Znsvrg4Ed
ZR9 https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=K6UVHgeF&id=8FA87
763506007548C23963731B58614495DBEFB&thid=OIP.
https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=RXlIRKHG&id=7
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11
 Answer Key

What I Know
What’s New
A. Photo Quiz
1. hunting and trapping ACTIVITY 1 Task
2. taking animals for profit 1-A.
3. destruction of habitat A. Figure 1 - Several kinds of fishes, corals
4. pollution and other marine animals
5. overharvesting B. Figure 2 - Corn plants only
Corn plant Task
C.Picture Analysis 1-B.
1. Bermuda
1. The first picture shows different species of 2. Clover
plants and animals. The place has more diverse 3. Varied answers: loss of habitat, lack of
organisms compared to the place on the second food, disease, environmental factors
picture in which plants and animals were already
dead/extinct.

2. First picture. The place has plenty of

organisms that can support and sustain man’s
need such as food, shelter etc.

3. Due to human intervention such as

destruction of habitat, pollution, hunting and
killing, plant and animal species started to
disappear and eventually extinct.

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What’s More

ACTIVITY 2
Task 2-A
Answer: POPULATION SIZES VARY AMONG ORGANISMS
Task 2-B ANSWERS MAY VARY (sample only)
MY BACKYARD BIODIVERSITY
Trees Number Observed
1. Mango Tree 2
2. Talisay Tree 1
3. Coconut Tree 3
4. Avocado Tree 1
Total Species =4 Total Items = 7
Plants Number Observed
1. Snake plant 2
2. San Francisco 5
3. Rubber plant 2
4. Corn Plant 10
5. Flowers 10
Total Species = 5 Total Items = 29
Animals Number Observed
1. Dog 1
2. Squirrel 1
3. Birds 3
4. Chicken 3
Total Species = 4 Total Items = 8
Insects Number Observed
1. Spider 2
2. Butterfly 1
3. Bees 5
Total Species = 4 Total Items = 9

Biodiversity Index = total # of different species = 17/53 = 0.320

total # of living items

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 What I Have Learned

ACTIVITY 3

Task 3-A

1. Species
2. Extinction

Task 3-B

1. Answers may vary (ex. Termination of

organism, death of the last individual of
species)

Task 3-C
1. Answers may vary

Task 3-C

Guide questions:
1. Answers may vary
(ex. Island A without human population
will be clean, peaceful, abundant in flora
and fauna while Island B with human
population will have pollution and has
much lesser species population.)
2. Answers may vary (human population will
be the main reason of the changes in
island.)

What I Have Learned

Task 4-B. Answers may vary
Activities of man that
Prevention of pollution
cause pollution
1. Dumping wastes to rivers practice 3Rs- reuse, reduce and recycle; use of
and seas segregation method
2. Too much emission of carpool, take a walk or ride bicycle instead; use of ebikes,
gases from vehicles e-jeepneys
3. Burning of plastics and use segregation method, biodegradable products can be
wastes used as fertilizer and fuel, plastics can be recycled and
turn into useful products
4. Using too much of plastic Use recyclable/reusable bags, refrain from using plastic
products as containers. Use paper products instead, such as
paper bags, paper plates, cups, etc.

14
What I Have Learned

ACTIVITY 5

Task 5-B
Giraffe is an herbivore that feed on plants. The plants which they fed on are the
limiting factors. If giraffe population continues to increase rapidly, there may not be
enough food for each of them.

Task 5-C
1. In rural areas, houses are far apart and have enough space for agriculture; while in urban areas,
building are so close and mostly subdivisions.
2. Population is much bigger in urban areas compared to rural areas.
3. Shanties are a small crudely built dwelling or shelter usually of wood. In Manila
for example, millions of people from the province move and build their houses
(squatters) in slums or under the bridge or jammed in a small lot. And since
houses are made of light materials and very close to each other, these houses
are burned when fire flare up.

Additional Activities

Task A- ANSWERS MAY VARY

Since producers are the green plants and animals depend on it for food, life on earth
would eventually extinct, too.

Task B- ANSWERS MAY VARY

There is nothing more important on Earth than life, be it an animal, a plant or a man’s
life. Once it is dead, it cannot be brought to life again. Plants and animals can live without
human intervention. But a man without it cannot live, for he depends on it for survival. It
is very frustrating to realize that despite the achievements of man in technological
advancement, the ecological nature that he first needed to survive, is now taken for
granted.

15
Assessment

A. 1. Pollution
2. Overpopulation, Water, Food, Shelter
3. Ocean
4. Greenhouse Effect
5. Extinction

B. 1. Mang Ambo’s dynamite fishing.

2. Mang Ambo is a fisherman who uses
dynamite in catching fish.
3. He makes a plenty of catch and makes
quite a good earning from it
4. Overpopulation means the condition of
having a population so dense as to cause
environmental deterioration, an impaired
quality of life. Overpopulation causes
problems such as pollutants or diseases.

C. 1. Competition for resources would increase

as resources decline.
2. 40 ants per sq. m.
3. The soybeans might be killed by the fungus
which would most likely to die, too.
4. Plants and animals living in the forest will
lose their habitats and will decrease in
number. Soil erosion increases.
5. Destruction of habitat is the main cause of
extinction.

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References
Alvarez, L., et.al. Biodiversity and Evolution. Science Learners Module 9.
Department of Education: Bureau of Learning Resources (DepEd-BLR), 2015

Martinez, J., et al. Excel in Science. First Edition. Reach Out Educational Resources,
2004

Smith, C., Our World- Code Red: List of Threatened Species Updated. Nations
University, 2011

Online Sources

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Air_pollution
https://traveltriangle.com https://www.alamy.com
https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=U6eGB8Zn&id=B8E9D
286FEAFE9ACF6F1E4785B21B070AA7DF30A&thid=OIP.U6eGB8Znsvrg4Ed
ZR9
https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=K6UVHgeF&id=8FA87
763506007548C23963731B58614495DBEFB&thid=OIP.
https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=RXlIRKHG&id=7
https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=xuIKJCtm&id=097CEA518
6FEFF9CBE3267C50182BCBD8C4DD145&thid=OIP.xuIKJCtmXlSBzomtKunW
https://www.bing.com/images/search?view=detailV2&ccid=NWrZi6xP&id=98A3B5
BD19EA96033DAABD30AFA11768863BB711&thid=OIP.NWrZi6xP1_RjopbXv crg
https://www.google.com/search?q=shanty+town+manila+philippines&tbm=isch&v
ed=2ahUKEwinw
https://www.google.com/search?q=urban+condominium+manila&rlz=1C1CHBH_e
nIN801IN801&sxsrhttps://www.ibtimes.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HA3xNMJnFuo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bU1QPtOZQZU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8Ij9xboreA
https://www.cagle.com
https://www.pinterest.com-pbskids.org/plumlanding
www.abrenian.com
www.blog.files.wordpress.com www.history.com
www.medicalnestoday.com www.slideshare.net

17
s

For inquiries or feedback, please write or call:

Department of Education – SDO Palawan

Curriculum Implementation Division Office

2nd Floor Deped Palawan Building
Telephone no. (048) 433 -3292

Learning Resources Management Section

LRMS Building, PEO Compound
Telephone No . (048) 434-0099

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