Biodiversity Loss: An Environmental Crisis PDF

BIODIVERSITY HEADLINES BIODIVERSITY LOSS—MORE THAN AN ENVIRONMENTAL EMERGENCY Humans are driving one million species to extinction BIODIVERSITY TOUCHES EVERY ASPECT OF OUR LIVES – SO WHY HAS ITS LOSS BEEN IGNORED? HUMAN SOCIETY UNDER URGENT THREAT FROM L...

BIODIVERSITY HEADLINES BIODIVERSITY LOSS—MORE THAN AN ENVIRONMENTAL EMERGENCY Humans are driving one million species to extinction BIODIVERSITY TOUCHES EVERY ASPECT OF OUR LIVES – SO WHY HAS ITS LOSS BEEN IGNORED? HUMAN SOCIETY UNDER URGENT THREAT FROM LOSS OF EARTH'S ’Unprecedented’ loss of NATURAL LIFE biodiversity threatens LOSS OF BIODIVERSITY:humanity, THE report finds BURGEONING THREAT TO HUMAN HEALTH To Tell the Story of Biodiversity Loss, Make It  One of the greatest attributes of the Earth is the biodiversity of her ecosystem. The Convention on Biological Diversity (Article 2) defined biological diversity or biodiversity" as the variability among living organisms from all sources including, inter alia, 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". This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA - This is a reflection of the more than 9 million types of living thing which include fungi, bacteria, plants, animals, protists that co-inhabit the Earth with human beings and serves as the bases of the diverse array of organismal, genetic and ecological diversity obtainable on Earth. - The complex interplay between this rich array of Earth's inhabitants underpins the proper functioning of the Earth's ecosystem. However, the last few decades, have witnessed a rapid disruption and loss of this rich biodiversity in terms of numbers and variability. Human beings are relentless than ever in eliminating genes, species, and biological traits that constitute the biodiversity via her disruptive activities on the Earth ecosystem. by Oladimeji Adebayo BIODIVERS ITY  WHAT IS BIODIVERSITY? 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. forms the foundation of the vast array of ecosystem services that critically contribute to human well-being. is important in human-managed as well as natural ecosystems. decisions humans make that influence biodiversity affect the well-being of themselves and others.  UNDERSTANDING BIODIVERSITY WITHIN THE CONCEPT OF ECOSYSTEM Biodiversity plays an important role in ecosystem: functions that provide support, provisions, regulation, and cultural services. These services are essential for human well- being. Needs a thorough study on the relationship of the biotic, the living organisms and the abiotic, nonliving organisms. Biodiversity plays a major role in this natural dynamics (relationship between biotic and abiotic). Example: a large number of golden snails in the certain area of a rice field can help predict a low production of rice harvest  On a positive view, the larger number of different species in a certain area can be a predictor of sustainable life in the area. Sustainability of the ecosystem ensures a better  ORIGIN OF BIODIVERSITY The term "biodiversity" is quite a recent term, that was coined in the USA during the "National Forum on Biodiversity," which took place in September 1986 under the patronage of the National Academy of Science and the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC. Originally the term was derived from "biological diversity". The word BIODIVERSITY originates from the Greek word BIOS = LIFE and Latin word DIVERSITAS = VARIETY or DIFFERENCE. The whole word BIODIVERSITY generally therefore means: VARIETY OF LIFE. Biodiversity should serve as a keyword, which connects impartial scientific realizations and conceptions of moral values, in order to clarify the  NUTRITIONAL IMPACT OF BIODIVERSITY Biodiversity plays a crucial role in human nutrition through its influence on world food production, as it ensures the sustainable productivity of soils and provides the genetic resources for all crops, livestock, and marine species harvested for food. Access to a sufficiency of a nutritious variety of food is a fundamental determinant of health. Nutritional composition between foods and among varieties/cultivars/breeds of the same food can differ dramatically, affecting micronutrient availability in the diet. Habitat simplification, species loss and species  Health, Biology, AND BIODIVERSITY  Environmental hazards increase the risk of cancer, heart disease, asthma and etc.  These hazards can be physical, such as pollution, toxic chemicals, and food contaminants, or they can be social, such as dangerous work, poor housing conditions, urban sprawl, and poverty.  Unsafe drinking water and poor sanitation and hygiene are responsible for variety of infectious disease such as schistosomiasis, diarrhea, cholera, meningitis, and gastritis.  What Are the Benefits of Biodiversity in ___?  SOIL  WATER QUALITY  WASTE REMOVAL  POLLINATION AND SEED DISPERSAL  MEDICINE  ECOTOURISM  Soil  Biodiversity includes not only the large plants and animals we see, but also microscopic bacteria, fungi, algae, and a host of tiny insects and invertebrates.  These smaller organisms are the ones responsible for creating soil and maintaining the quality of soil.  Worms are well known for conditioning soil by digging through and aerating it and providing nutrients from their castings or waste.  Bacteria and fungi degrade organic material, which then further breaks down in the soil, where plants can use the nutrients.  Water Quality  The benefits of biodiversity include keeping water quality pure.  In wetlands, plants will take up contaminants in water and process and purify the water.  Shellfish such as mollusks take in nutrients from the water, thereby preventing a condition called eutrophication, which can cause a huge increase in organisms in the water that leads to oxygen depletion and mass die-offs.  If any species is removed from the food webs of an ecosystem, the ecosystem can crash, and in the case of water quality, contaminants can remain and cause  Waste Removal  The biodiversity of microbes, fungi, and other smaller organisms is important in decomposing waste matter.  Organic material in nature, such as leaves, logs and twigs, and dead animals and insects, is all degraded and decomposed by the biodiversity of organisms in the ecosystem.  It is a delicate balance, in which certain insects or microbes perform a vital function in removing waste from the environment, making it cleaner and less ripe for the spread of disease  Pollination and Seed Dispersal  Bees are not the only organisms responsible for pollinating plants and crops. In fact, birds, bats, and butterflies play a vital role in spreading pollen and in dispersing seeds.  Butterflies and hummingbirds, for instance, feed on nectar and can transport pollen from flower to flower. Birds and fruit bats eat the fruit and nuts from plants, then disperse the seeds inside through their fecal matter.  Medicine  There is a huge number of plant species used in modern medicine, somewhere around 50,000 to 70,000.  Examples of plants used in modern medicine include quinine from the cinchona tree in South America, used to treat malaria, cortisone from Central American yams, which is a main ingredient in birth control pills, and novacaine, which is derived from the coca plant and used as an anesthetic in dentistry.  Ecotourism  Awareness of biodiversity has recently led to a boom in ecotourism. Travel companies promote tours into off-the-beaten-path locations, such as forests and jungles, where tourists can go on river cruises, hike, and observe and enjoy nature without disturbing the ecosystem.  Money from ecotourism goes back into the region and helps to preserve the diversity of plants and animals. THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY  HABITAT LOSS AND DESTRUCTION  ALTERATIONS IN ECOSYSTEM COMPOSITION  OVER-EXPLOITATION  POLLUTION AND CONTAMINATION  GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE  HABITAT LOSS AND DESTRUCTION Major contributing factor is the inhabitation of human beings and the use of land for economic gains or conversion of land use.  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.  OVER-EXPLOITATION Over-hunting, over-fishing, or over-collecting of a 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 POLLUTION AND CONTAMINATION Biological systems respond slowly to changes in their surrounding environment. Pollution and contamination cause irreversible damage to species and varieties.  GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE Both climate variability and climate change cause biodiversity loss. Species and population may be lost permanently if they are not provided with enough time to adapt to changing climatic conditions.  STATUS OF BIODIVERSITY  The world has lost 87 per cent of its wetlands in the past 300 years, says the global study on land degradation.  The estimated economic cost of biodiversity and ecosystem services lost because of land degradation is more than 10 per cent of annual global gross product. “The negative impacts are affecting at least 3.2 billion people,” says Robert Scholes, co-chair from South Africa.  “By 2050, land degradation and climate change will together reduce global crop yields by an average of 10% and in some regions by up to 50%. In the future, most degradation will occur in Central and South America, sub-Saharan Africa  Status of biodiversity in Asia  60 per cent of its grasslands are degraded due to overgrazing by livestock, invasion by alien species, or conversion to agriculture, resulting in a rapid decline of native flora and fauna. Eight of the top 10 most plastic-polluted rivers in the world are in Asia; nearly 25 per cent of the region’s endemic species are threatened.  The report also notes some important biodiversity successes, including increases in protected areas. Over the past 25 years, marine protected areas in the region increased by almost 14 per cent and terrestrial protected areas by 0.3 per cent.  Status of biodiversity in the Philippines  The Philippines is one of 18 mega-biodiverse countries of the world, containing two-thirds of the earth’s biodiversity and between 70% and 80% of the world’s plant and animal species.  The Philippines ranks fifth in the number of plant species and maintains 5% of the world’s flora. Species endemism is very high, covering at least 25 genera of plants and 49% of terrestrial wildlife, while the country ranks fourth in bird endemism.  The Philippines is also one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots with at least 700 threatened species, thus making it one of the top global conservation areas. The national list of threatened faunal species was established in 2004 and includes 42 species of land  In terms of fishes, the Philippines counts at least 3,214 species, of which about 121 are endemic and 76 threatened.  In 2007, an administrative order issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources established a national list of threatened plant species, indicating that 99 species were critically endangered, 187 were endangered, 176 vulnerable as well as 64 other threatened species.  According to the FAO definition, the Philippines has 7.2 million of forest ecosystems, comprising approximately 24% of the total land area. It is however estimated that, between 2000 and 2005, the Philippines lost 2.1% of its forest cover annually, representing the second fastest rate of deforestation in Southeast Asia (second to Myanmar) and seventh in the world.  CRITICALLY ENDANGERED SPECIES IN THE PHILIPPINES  CRITICALLY ENDANGERED PLANTS IN THE PHILIPPINES