Biodiversity And The Healthy Society PDF

## LESSON 2: BIODIVERSITY AND THE HEALTHY SOCIETY ### LESSON OBJECTIVES - Determine the interrelatedness of society, environment, and health. - Create a diagram that shows the relatedness of species in forming up a diverse and healthy society. - Identify everyday tasks and evaluate whether they co...

## LESSON 2: BIODIVERSITY AND THE HEALTHY SOCIETY ### LESSON OBJECTIVES - Determine the interrelatedness of society, environment, and health. - Create a diagram that shows the relatedness of species in forming up a diverse and healthy society. - Identify everyday tasks and evaluate whether they contribute to the wellness and health of biodiversity and society. ### INTRODUCTION - Biodiversity loss is eminent worldwide. - Vertebrates have decreased 60% since the 1970s due to human causes. - Wildlife decline will be 67% of the present number by 2020. - The World Wide Fund for Nature and Zoological Society of London reported an annual decrease in wildlife by 2%. - Human population has doubled since 1960, reaching 7.4 billion. - Humans have industrialized the natural habitat of wildlife and marine life, leaving them with no place to live. - Marco Lambertini, the General Director of WWF International, described that the disappearance of wildlife is at an unprecedented rate. - Experts predict that Earth might enter the sixth mass extinction event. - The disappearance of species in a certain environment causes an imbalance in the ecosystem, producing more chaotic changes that harm the entire ecosystem. ### BIODIVERSITY AND THE ECOSYSTEM - Biodiversity is defined as the vast variety of life forms in the entire Earth. - It encompasses all kinds of life forms, from the single-celled organisms to the largest multi-celled organisms. - Biodiversity can be defined by structural and functional perspectives. - Another definition of biodiversity is "the variability among living organisms from all sources, including terrestrial, marine, and other aquatic ecosystems." - Biodiversity constitutes the source of life for all and provides essential goods and ecological services. - It has a direct consumptive value in food, agriculture, medicine, and industry. ### UNDERSTANDING BIODIVERSITY - Understanding biodiversity within the concept of ecosystem needs a thorough study on the relationship of the biotic and abiotic. - Interdisciplinary approaches are needed to study the ecosystem. - Biodiversity plays a major role in the natural dynamics of the ecosystem. - A large number of golden snails in a rice field can predict a low rice harvest since their eggs are considered pests for rice plants. - A larger number of different species in a certain area can be a predictor of sustainable life. - Sustainability of the ecosystem ensures better survival rates against natural disasters. - As human inhabitants, we should preserve and conserve the biodiversity of all creatures. ### CHANGES IN BIODIVERSITY - Alteration in any system could bring varied effects. - A change in biodiversity could have erratic effects not only on wildlife or marine life but also on humans. - Humans inhabiting the forest would disrupt the natural order of life. - Land-clearing operations could affect trees and plants while displacing animals. - The loss of life forms affects the entire ecosystem governing that environment. - The food chain might be damaged. - When the ecosystem is not well taken care of, biodiversity encounters changes that may impact human health. ### THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY - The United Nations' Environment Programme identified the following major threats to biodiversity: **1. Habitat Loss And Destruction** * The major contributing factor is the inhabitation of human beings and the use of land for economic gains. **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. **3. Over-exploitation** * Over-hunting, overfishing, or over-collecting 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 can cause irreversible damage to species and varieties. **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.. ### CONSEQUENCES OF BIODIVERSITY LOSS - We still have much more to learn about biodiversity, especially the consequences of biodiversity loss. - Intact ecosystems function best since the organisms composing them are specialized to function in that ecosystem. - The particular species making up an ecosystem determine its productivity, affect nutrient cycles and soil contents, and influence environmental conditions. - The loss of biodiversity has numerous consequences, many of which we don’t fully understand. ### NUTRITIONAL IMPACT OF BIODIVERSITY - According to the World Health Organization, biodiversity is a vital element of a human being's nutrition because of its influence to food production. - Biodiversity 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. - Nutrition and biodiversity are linked at many levels: the ecosystem, the species in the ecosystem, and genetically within species. - Nutritional composition between foods and among varieties/cultivars/breeds of the same food can differ dramatically, affecting micronutrient availability in the diet. - Healthy local diets with adequate average levels of nutrients necessitate maintenance of high biodiversity levels. - Intensified and enhanced food production through irrigation, use of fertilizer, plant protection (pesticides), or introduction of crop varieties and cropping patterns affect biodiversity. ### HEALTH, BIOLOGY, AND BIODIVERSITY - Almost all living organisms are dependent on their environment to live and reproduce. - Basic needs (air, water, food, and habitat) are provided by the environment. - Advances in agriculture, sanitation, water treatment, and hygiene have had a far greater impact on human health than medical technology. - Although the environment sustains human life, it can also cause diseases. - Lack of basic necessities is a significant cause of human mortality. ### ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS - Environmental hazards increase the risk of cancer, heart disease, asthma, and many other illnesses. - Unsafe drinking water and poor sanitation and hygiene are responsible for a variety of infectious diseases. ### ENVIRONMENT-RELATED ILLNESSES - Some human illnesses related to the environment include Parkinson's disease, heart disease, cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, diabetes, obesity, occupational injuries, dysentery, arthritis, malaria, and depression. - By contrast, activities that promote health and extend human life could have adverse environmental effects. - Health care facilities also have adverse environmental impacts. ### THE INTERRELATION BETWEEN BIODIVERSITY AND HUMAN HEALTH - The interrelation between human health and biological diversity is complex. - With the current biodiversity loss, the delicate balance between human health and biological diversity is at risk.