CHAPTER 9:

BIODIVERSITY AND
THE HEALTHY
SOCIETY
PREPARED BY: BRYAN A. PICART, RM, RN, IVT, MM-PM,
NT
 INTRODUCTION
 Decrease in biodiversity is imminent worldwide.
Vertebrates fell 60% from 1970s due to human
causes. It is projected that by 2020, wildlife decline
will be 67% of the present number.
 Humans have industrialized the natural habitat of
wildlife as well as marine life. Leaving these
creatures with no place to live would eventually
cause deaths.
 INTRODUCTION
 Marco Lambertini, the director of World Wide Fund
(WWF) International, described that the disappearance
of wildlife is at an unprecedented rate. Earth might enter
the sixth mass extinction event.
 Mass Extinction – it is described as the disappearance of
species in a certain environment causes an imbalance in
the ecosystem, producing more chaotic changes that
harm the entire ecosystem.
 INTRODUCTION
 There is a pressing statement for people to know more about
the importance of our diverse environment and how human
activities can either contribute to its growth or destruction.
 There is a growing importance of studying how society,
environment and health is interrelated to each other that if
human beings fail to recognize the needs of one of those
components, the other remaining components can be affected
and compromised. Thus, it is timely to know about the
pressing effects of species being extinct and that of our
ecosystem being imbalanced.
 BIODIVERSITY &
 BIODIVERSITY –ECOSYSTEM
it is the vast variety of life forms in the
entire Earth. It encompasses all kinds of life forms from the
singe-celled organisms to the largest multi-celled organism.
 It is the variability among the 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 &
ECOSYSTEM
 Biodiversity plays a major role in natural dynamics.
For ex., a large number of golden snails in a certain
area of rice field can predict a low production of rice
harvest, since eggs of the golden snail are considered
pest for rice plant. On a positive view, the larger
number of different species in a certain are can be a
predictor of sustainable life in that area.
 BIODIVERSITY &
ECOSYSTEM
 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 in industry.
 Understanding biodiversity within the concept of
ecosystem needs a thorough study of the relationship
of BIOTIC and ABIOTIC organisms.
 BIODIVERSITY &
 ECOSYSTEM –ECOSYSTEM
it is a unit of the biosphere in which
living organism and non-living organism interacts.
 It includes the relationship in a habitat between the
living organisms as well as the non-living things that
interact with each area in a green environment area.
 It is the relationship in a habitat between living and
non-living organism that interact with each other in a
given environment or area.
 BIODIVERSITY &
 HABITAT – the ECOSYSTEM
place where an organism live.
 BIOSPHERE – it is a thin layer on the crust of the
earth where life exists. It is a gigantic system with
numerous physical and biotic factors interacting within
it. It provides organisms with the substance required
for LIFE, GROWTH & REPRODUCTION.
 BIODIVERSITY &
ECOSYSTEM
 COMPONENTS OF ECOSYSTEM:
 BIOTIC FACTORS – these are the living organisms in the
ecosystem. These are obtained from the biosphere and are
capable of reproduction. Ex. Plants, animals & fungi.
 ABIOTIC FACTORS – these are the non-living organisms,
physical and chemical elements in the ecosystem. These
are resources that are usually obtained from the
lithosphere, atmosphere & hydrosphere. Ex. Water, soil,
sunlight and minerals.
 BIODIVERSITY &
ECOSYSTEM
 People will depend on biodiversity on the wholeness of
our being and in our everyday lives. Our health will
ultimately depend upon the products and services that
acquire from the ecosystem.
 The need to drink clean and fresh water, the need to eat
healthy vegetables and food, or the need of man o
transport which makes rely on fuel. All of these are
human needs that are answered and provided by our
ecosystem.
 BIODIVERSITY &
 Significant ECOSYSTEM
decline in biodiversity has direct human
impact when 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,
income and on occasion, may even cause political
conflict.
 CHANGES IN
BIODIVERSITY
 Alteration in any system could bring varied effects. A
change in biodiversity could have erratic effects not
only in wildlife or marine life but also in human
beings.
 For ex., humans inhabiting the forest would disturb the
natural order of life. Trees and plants would be
affected in the land-clearing operations where the
houses would be built.
 CHANGES IN
BIODIVERSITY
 The animals, insects and all types of life forms in the
cleared area would either be displaced or most likely
be killed. The loss of these life forms could affect the
entire ecosystem governing that environment. The
food chain might be damaged.
 When our ecosystem is not well take care of,
biodiversity encounters changes that may impact
human health on such different levels.
 THREATS TO
 1. Habitat BIODIVERSITY
loss and destruction. Major contributing
factor is the inhabitation of human beings and the use of
land for economic purposes.
 2.Alterations in ecosystem composition. Alterations and
sudden changes, either within species groups or within
the environment, could begin t change entire
ecosystems. These are critical factor contributing to
species and habitat loss.
 THREATS TO
BIODIVERSITY
 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.
 4. Pollution and contamination. Biological systems
respond slowly to changes in their surrounding
environment. Pollution and contamination cause
irreversible damage to species and varieties.
 THREATS TO
 5. Global BIODIVERSITY
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 condition.
 6. Disease. A special case of the threats to biodiversity caused
by species introductions is the expansion of pathogens or
parasites resulting from human activity. Disease can result
from genetic disorders, pathogens such as viruses or bacteria
or parasites.
 THREATS TO
BIODIVERSITY
 7. Introduced species. Introduced species are those that
are found in areas outside of their native range due to
direct or indirect human activity. The anthropogenic
mechanisms for introduction are direct transport, removal
of competitors, habitat alteration and human-induced
climate change. Only some species introduced into new
areas become established and only some of the
established species cause large changes in native
biodiversity.
 CONSEQUENCES OF BIODIVERSITY
LOSS
 Intact ecosystems function best since the organisms
composing them are specialized to function in that
ecosystem to capture, transfer, utilize and ultimately lose
both energy and nutrients. The particular species making
up an ecosystem determine its productivity, affect
nutrient cycles and soil contents and influence
environmental conditions such as water cycles, weather
patterns, climate and other non-biotic aspects.
 CONSEQUENCES OF BIODIVERSITY
LOSS
 Tilman says, “The Earth will retain its most striking
feature, its biodiversity, only if humans have the
prescience (insight, intuition) to do so. This will occur, it
seems, only if we realize the extent to which we use
biodiversity.
 1. Nutritional Impact
 2. Biology Impact
 3. Health Impact
 4. Environment-related Illnesses
 Nutritional Impact
 According to WHO, biodiversity is a vital element of
human being’s nutrition because of its influence to
food production. It is a major factor that contributes to
sustainable food production for human beings.
 A society or a population must have access to a
sufficient variety of nutritious food as it is a
determinant of their health as human beings.
 Nutritional Impact
 Nutrition and biodiversity are linked at many levels:
the ecosystem, with food production as an ecosystem
service; the species in the ecosystem; and the genetic
diversity within species.
 Nutritional composition between foods and among
varieties/cultivars/breeds of the same food can differ
dramatically, affecting micronutrient availability in the
diet.
 Nutritional Impact
 Healthy local diets, with adequate average levels of
nutrients intake, necessitates maintenance of high
biodiversity levels.
 Intensified and enhanced food production through
irrigation, use of fertilizer, plant protection
(pesticides), or the introduction of crop varieties and
cropping patterns affect biodiversity and thus impact
global nutritional status and human health.
 Nutritional Impact
 Habitat simplification, species loss and species
succession often enhance communities, vulnerabilities
as a function of environmental receptivity to ill health
(WHO, 2007).
 Biology Impact
 Almost all living organisms are dependent to their
environment to live and reproduce.Basic needs of
living organisms such as air, water, food and habitat
are provided by its environment.
 The evolution of human beings was due to the
improved access to the basic needs. Advances in
agriculture, sanitation, water treatment and hygiene
have had a far greater impact human biodiversity and
health.
 Health Impact
 Although the environment sustains life, it can also
cause diseases. Lack of basic necessities is a
significant cause of human mortality.
 Environmental hazards increase the risk of cancer,
heart disease, asthma and many other illnesses. These
hazards an be:
 1. Physical such as pollution, toxic chemicals &
food contaminants.
 Health Impact
 2. Social – such as dangerous work, poor housing
conditions, urban sprawl (spread) & poverty.
 Unsafe drinking water and poor sanitation and hygiene
are responsible for a variety of infectious diseases such
as schistosomiasis, diarrhea, cholera, meningitis and
gastritis.
 Health Impact
 In 2015, approximately 350,000 children under the age
of five (mostly in the developing world) died from
diarrheal diseases related to unsafe drinking water.
 Approximately 1.8 Billion people used drinking water
contaminated with feces.
 More than 2 Billion people lacked access to basic
sanitation.
 Environment-Related Illnesses
 Some human illnesses that are found to be related with
its environment include Parkinson’s disease, heart
disease, cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease, asthma, diabetes, obesity, occupational
injuries, dysentery, arthritis, malaria and depression.
 Activities that promote health and extend human life
could also have adverse environmental effects. Some
of these are:
 Environment-Related Illnesses
 1. Food production causes environmental damage from
pesticides and fertilizers.
 2. Soil sanitation and waste produce produced by livestock.
 3. Carbon emissions from food manufacturing and
transportation.
 4. Deforestation and overfishing.
 5. Hospital use large quantities of electricity and fossil fuels
and produce medical waste.
 Environment-Related Illnesses
 To prevent some diseases, it may be necessary to alter
the environment. Ex. Altering the habitat of
mosquitoes that can cause malaria and dengue.
 A reduction in mortality from starvation or disease can
lead to overpopulation, which stresses the environment
in many different ways – increasing use of fossil fuels,
clearing of land, generating pollution and waste and so
on.
 Environment-Related Illnesses
 Climate change can also have a serious impact on human
health and could deteriorate farming systems and reduce
nutrients in some foods. In this case, biodiversity
increases resilience (flexibility), thus helping adjust to
new environmental conditions. Ex. Safeguarding of coral
reefs is essential to reduce the risk of floods, as this
extraordinary ecosystems can reduce wave energy by
97%, thus protecting over 100 million people all over the
world.
 Health & Environment-Related Issues
 1. The use of pesticides to increase crop yield
productions.
 It can harm the environment and poses threats to
human health but also can cause food shortages and
can increase food prices if pesticides are banned by
the public authorities.
 Health & Environment-Related Issues
 2. Global warming due to climate change because of
human production of greenhouse gases.
 Reducing the production of greenhouse gases
through increasing taxes on fossil fuels would
encourage fuel efficiency and lower carbon emission
but it would also increase the price of transportation
and widespread inflation and reduced consumer
spending power.
 Health & Environment-Related Issues
 3. People with lower socio-economic status have
greater exposure to certain harmful environment
conditions in their homes or at work, such as lead,
mercury, pesticides, toxic chemicals or air and water
pollution.
 4. Communities and nations should wisely choose a
site for a factory, a power plant, or waste dump, or
regulating safety in the workplace to minimize impact
to the society.
 Health & Environment-Related Issues
 Vulnerable Subpopulation – is a group with an
increased susceptibility to the adverse effects of an
environmental risk factor, due to their age, genetics,
health status or some other condition.
 5. Public health strategies pit the rights of individuals
against the good society, such as mandatory treatment,
vaccination, or diagnostic testing; isolation and
quarantine; and disease surveillance.
 Health & Environment-Related Issues
 6. Restrictions on property rights are justified to
protect human health and the environment.
 7. Human rights issues also come up with research on
environmental health that involves human subjects.
For such research to be ethical, human subjects must
give consent and great care must be taken to ensure
that they understand that they can opt out of the
research project.