Module 8 Biodiversity

• Biodiversity


  The variation and richness of life at a particular scale
• Humans are part of a complex system and interdependent web of life and we are trying to understand our place in it
• Most of us have realized how dependent we are on biodiversity for most, if not all, our needs, and that a significant loss of biodiversity could seriously undermine our long-term well-being, be it intellectual, physical, emotional, and economic
• Species become extinct even before they are discovered and named
• People became keen to know how biodiversity loss affects the supply of goods and services
• Biodiversity loss


  Reduction in biodiversity brought about by extinction or displacement of species
• Natural causes and changes in environmental conditions brought about by human activities have been attributed to as the drivers of biodiversity loss
• Genetic diversity


  The sum total of information contained in the genes of species of plants, animals, and microorganisms
• Species diversity


  The variety of species, including their abundance, distribution and functions or interactions within a given spatial context
• Ecosystem diversity


  The distribution and abundance of habitats, biotic communities, and ecological processes in the biosphere
• Compositional biodiversity


  The type of elements and the number of representatives present at each level (genes, species and habitat) in an area
• Structural biodiversity


  The variety of arrangement of these components, i.e. variety of ways in which different habitats, species or genes are arranged over space or time
• Functional biodiversity


  The variety of biological processes, functions or characteristics of a particular ecosystem/area
• Biodiversity at all forms, levels, structure, and function provides many anthropocentric, as well as, ecocentric benefits to humankind
• Anthropocentric benefits


  Benefits from biodiversity that include the many potentials for different lifeforms to provide information necessary for science, materials that are useful to humans, and all other recreational, medical, or consumptive benefits
• Ecocentric benefits


  Benefits based on the intrinsic value of biodiversity which is beyond any potential human uses
• Keystone species


  Species that play essential community roles and their impact on the community or ecosystem are much larger relative to its abundance, and more influential than expected
• Umbrella species


  Species that require such large areas of habitat that their protection might automatically protect a large number of naturally co-occurring species in several ecosystems and habitats
• Indicator species


  Species that are sensitive to certain changes in the environmental factors hence are only found in environments where these factors are optimal
• Flagship species


  Popular, charismatic species that serve as symbols and rallying points to stimulate conservation awareness and action
• Flagship species


  Species that serve to act as an ambassador, icon or symbol for a defined habitat, issue, campaign or environmental cause
• Flagship species may or may not be keystone species and may or may not be good indicators of ecosystem health
• Flagship species


  • Mindoro' Tariktik (Philippines)
  • Philippine Eagle (Philippines)
• Biodiversity hotspot


  A place on Earth that is biologically rich and deeply threatened due to habitat loss by human activity
• To qualify as a biodiversity hotspot, a region must have a high percentage of plant life found nowhere else in the world, which amounts to at least 1,500 endemic vascular plants, and have 30% or less of its original natural vegetation
• Top 10 biodiversity hotspots in the world

  • Atlantic Forest of tropical South America
  • Cape Floristic Region, South Africa
  • Cerrado, Brazil
  • Coastal Forests of Eastern Africa
  • Himalaya
  • Indo-Burma
  • Madrean Pine-Oak Woodlands, Mexico and Southern US
  • Mesoamerica
  • Polynesia-Micronesia
  • Philippines
• The biodiversity hotspot concept highlights the close link between biodiversity and conservation
• The hotspot concept has become a tool in setting conservation priorities by helping stakeholders decide on cost-effective strategies to preserve biodiversity
• Endemism means that a gene, a species, or an ecosystem is only found or only lives in a particular region of the world; hence the loss of its kind means that it is lost forever
• The complex pattern of biodiversity distribution is determined by climate, geology, and the planet's evolutionary history
• The global authority on the conservation status of the natural world is the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
• IUCN Red List Categories

  • Extinct (EX)
  • Extinct in the wild (EW)
  • Critically endangered (CR)
  • Endangered (EN)
  • Vulnerable (VU)
  • Near threatened (NT)
  • Least concern (LC)
  • Data deficient (DD)
  • Not evaluated (NE)
• The Philippines is considered one of the 17 mega-diverse countries globally when it comes to the variety of ecosystems, species, and genetic resources
• The Philippines is home to more than 52,177 described species, more than half of which are found nowhere else in the world
• The Philippines is considered a biodiversity hotspot because we are continually destroying our important resources, which has magnified the effects of natural disasters such as earthquakes and typhoons
• Status of wild flora in the Philippines

  • Critically Endangered (CR)
  • Endangered (EN)
  • Vulnerable (VU)
  • Other Threatened Species (OTS)
• Status of wild fauna/animals in the Philippines

  • Critically Endangered (CR)
  • Endangered (EN)
  • Vulnerable (VU)
  • Other Threatened Species (OTS)
• Human population density


  Critical threat to bird and mammal species
• Regulating human population growth is a vital component of biodiversity management and conservation
• Agriculture is a significant cause of deforestation when farmers clear pristine forests to make room for crops