Importance of Biodiversity.pdf

Importance of Biodiversity Why is it important to study and conserve biodiversity? Morton and Hill (2014) identified 5 core and interacting values associated with biodiversity: Economic Ecological Life Support Recreation Cultural Scientific Four categories of ecosystem...

Importance of Biodiversity Why is it important to study and conserve biodiversity? Morton and Hill (2014) identified 5 core and interacting values associated with biodiversity: Economic Ecological Life Support Recreation Cultural Scientific Four categories of ecosystem services Provisioning services - production of materials and resources Regulating services - control of climate, diseases, infestations Supporting services - maintenance of ecosystem functions and physico-chemical conditions of the habitat Cultural services – providing socio-cultural benefits to humans TEEB – The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity Report for Business - Executive Summary 2010 Source: Aarhus University, Department of Environmental Science. Economic Value Providing raw materials for consumption and production. Food Timber Non-timber products Medicine Many livelihood relies on biodiversity as sources of income. Economic contribution of biodiversity Estimates by Aquino-Gayao et al. (2014) place the total economic value of ecosystem services in the Philippines at P2.3 trillion ($52.02). Forest products contributed to 0.02% (P 17,527,234) of the Philippine GDP in 2020 (Philippine Forest Statistics, FMB-DENR, 2020)  Fisheries contributed to P 223.3 billion to the GDP. Source: Philippine Statistics Authority, 2022 Economic valuation of Las Piñas – Parañaque Critical Habitat and Ecotourism Area and Ecosystems of Manila Bay (Source: The Economics of Ecology and Biodiversity, 2017) Ecological Value Providing ecological services such as production of oxygen and carbon dioxide, water, pollination, nutrient cycling, climate, pest and disease control, change mitigation, and hazard risk reduction A study by Vergara and Badano (2017) revealed that higher pollinator diversity increases coffee fruit production. Source: Khater et al., (2017) Left: Extent of Sierra Madre Mountain Range. Right: Models showing the effect of SMMR on the distribution of precipitation for selected tropical typhoons (Source: Racoma et al., 2016). Interconnectivity between coastal ecosystem (Source: Blankespoor et al., 2017). The ecological value of biodiversity relates to resiliency and sustainability for free. Recreational Value Tourism and outdoor activities rely on biodiversity. Tourism contributes 13% to the GDP in 2020 (PSA, DoT). Humans associate nature with relaxation and as a form of stress relief. How biodiversity contributes to quality of life? Stress-reduction benefits Improving physical and mental health Encourages the use of outdoor spaces Increases social integration and interaction Provides inspiration Cultural Value Many cultures associate nature with spirituality. Indigenous people often incorporate flora and fauna with their identity and traditions. Indigenous knowledge, systems, and practices are often associated with nature  Some representation of flora and fauna associated with ethnic Filipino groups: (A) Kalaw head dress of the Ifugaos; (B) Sarimanok, a legendary bird of the Maranao culture; (C) Traditional Buscalan tattoo design Traditional beliefs associated with biodiversity Belief in the presence of spirits associated with plants and animals. The presence or absence of particular animals signifies something Examples: ants, crows, animal stranding  Animal and plant motifs are also incorporated in other aspects: Dance – tinikling, itik-itik Dialects – tarat (madaldal), balimbing (palipat-lipat), buwaya (gahaman), mabulaklak ang dila (magaling humikayat) Philippine Fairy-bluebird (Irena cyanogastra) – an omen bird (Photo from ebird) Scientific Value Biodiverse areas provides a wealth of scientific knowledge and discoveries that are crucial in understanding the natural world. Many domesticated crops and animals trace their origin from wild populations. Many model organisms used in science are derived from nature. Citizen Science – observations of the natural leads to significant scientific discoveries Genetic diversity among traditional rice varieties allows for the creation of improved varieties. Mushrooms are studied for their toxicity and potential for medical application (Image source: Nowakowski et al., 2020) Studying and conserving biodiversity provides avenue for future research in many fields of biology. Summary Biodiversity influences many aspect of human life. Conserving biodiversity is an important goal for sustainable development, human well-being, and improving our understanding of the world around us. Earth’s biodiversity can persist even without humans, but humans will certainly not exist without biodiversity. Seatwork #1 On a more personal level, why is biodiversity or conserving biodiversity important to you?