Capiz State University-Main Campus

GE 108; Science Technology and Society

Prepared by: Rochelle Mae S. Equipado

Lesson 2: Biodiversity and the Healthy Society

Lesson Objectives:
At the end of this lesson, the students should be able to:
● determine the interrelatedness of society, environment, and health;
● create a diagram that would show the relatedness of species in forming a diverse
and healthy society without compromising one another; and
● identify everyday tasks and evaluate whether they contribute to the wellness and
health of biodiversity and society or not.

Introduction

● The Vertebrate population has decreased to 60% since the 1970s due to human causes.
● Projected wildlife decline by 2020 is expected to be 67% of the present number.
● Annual decrease in wildlife reported at 2% by WWF and Zoological Society of London.
● The human population doubled since 1960 to 7.4 billion, impacting wildlife habitats.
● Industrialization has further encroached upon natural habitats and marine environments.
● Marco Lambertini of WWF International warns of unprecedented wildlife disappearance
rates.
● Experts suggest Earth might be entering the sixth mass extinction event.
● Mass extinction is described as species disappearance at a rate 1,000 times faster than
usual.
● Disappearance of species leads to ecosystem imbalances and chaotic changes.
● Understanding the interconnectedness of society, environment, and health is crucial.
● Recognition of the pressing effects of species extinction and ecosystem imbalances is
necessary.

Biodiversity and Ecosystem

Biodiversity is defined as the vast variety of life forms in the entire Earth. It
encompasses all kinds of life forms, from single-celled organisms to the largest multi-celled
organisms. Its definition is in the structural and functional perspective and not as individual
species.

➔ Another definition of biodiversity is “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 industry.” (Villagio Global, 2009)

What is Ecosystem?

● Everything that exists in a particular environment (Merriam-Webster Dictionary)

● Contains biotic (living things) and abiotic (non-living things):
○ Biotic Factors - plants, animals, and other living organisms
○ Abiotic Factors - rocks, temperature and humidity

Understanding biodiversity within the concept of ecosystem needs a thorough study of

the relationship of the biotic, the living organisms, and the abiotic, nonliving organisms.

● An interdisciplinary approach is needed to study the ecosystem.

● Biodiversity plays a major role in this natural dynamic.
● We as human inhabitants of the ecosystem, must preserve and conserve the biodiversity
of all creatures.

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 ● People will always depend on biodiversity for the wholeness of our being and in our
everyday lives.
● More so, our health will ultimately depend upon the products and services that we
acquire from the ecosystem.
● Significant decline in biodiversity has a direct human impact when the ecosystem in its
insufficiency can no longer provide the physical as well as social needs of human beings.
Indirectly, changes in the ecosystem affect livelihood and income, and on occasion, may
even cause political conflict (WHO, n.d.).

Changes in Biodiversity

● Alterations in biodiversity can have unpredictable effects on both wildlife and humans.
● Human inhabitation of natural habitats disrupts the natural order of life.
● Land-clearing operations for human settlements lead to the destruction of vegetation and
displacement or death of animals and insects.
● Loss of life forms in cleared areas can disrupt the entire ecosystem and food chain.
● Neglecting ecosystem health can lead to changes in biodiversity that impact human health
on various levels.

Threats to Biodiversity

There are major threats to biodiversity that were identified by the United Nations
Environment Programme (WHO, n.d.).

These are the following:

1. Habitat loss and destruction. Major contributing factors are the gains, inhabitation of
human beings 6, and the use of land for economic gains.

Example: The Amazon Rainforest, one of the world's most biodiverse

ecosystems, is experiencing significant habitat loss due to deforestation for
agricultural purposes, urban expansion, and logging activities.

2. Alterations in ecosystem composition. Alterations and sudden changes, either within

species groups or within the environment, could begin to change entire ecosystems.
Alterations in ecosystems are a critical factor contributing to species and habitat loss.

Example: Coral reef ecosystems worldwide are facing disruptions due to factors like
ocean acidification, pollution, and overfishing, leading to coral bleaching events and
a decline in biodiversity within these vital marine habitats.

3. Over-exploitation. Over-hunting, overfishing, or over-collecting of species can quickly

lead to its decline. Changing consumption patterns of humans is often cited as the key
reason for this unsustainable exploitation of natural resources.

Example: The overhunting of large mammal species, such as elephants and

rhinoceroses, for their tusks and horns respectively, has led to dramatic population
declines and even local extinctions in some regions.

4. Pollution and contamination. Biological systems respond slowly to changes in their

surrounding environment. Pollution and contamination cause irreversible damage to
species and varieties.

Example: The pollution of water bodies, such as rivers and oceans, with industrial
waste, plastics, and chemicals, has resulted in significant harm to aquatic species,
including fish, marine mammals, and seabirds.

5. Global climate change. 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.

Example: Rising temperatures and changing weather patterns are disrupting

ecosystems worldwide, impacting species like polar bears in the Arctic, whose sea ice

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habitats are melting, leading to reduced hunting grounds and declining populations.