STS biodiversity

• Biodiversity

  The variety of all living things and their interactions
• Biodiversity encompasses

  • All kinds of life forms, from the single-celled organisms to the largest multi-celled organisms
• Biodiversity

  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
• 3 Levels of Biodiversity

  • Genetic
  • Species
  • Ecosystem
• Genetic Diversity


  Variations in the different genes present in individual organisms
• Genetic Diversity


  • [No examples provided]
• Species Diversity


  Variations within and among populations in a species, as well as the differences between and among species
• Species


  A group of organisms, which have common genetic ecological evolutionary characteristics, that can interbreed and produce variable offspring
• Species Diversity


  • [No examples provided]
• Ecosystem Diversity


  All ecosystems, ecological processes and biological communities
• Ecosystem Diversity


  • Terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems
• Mega Diverse


  Countries that have an exceptionally high number of different species, particularly endemic species, which are not found anywhere else in the world
• Endemism


  The state of a species only being found in a single defined geographic location such as island, state, nation, country or other defined zone
• The Philippines is one of the seventeen mega diverse countries in the world
• Biodiversity improves the stability and resilience of an ecosystem
• Biodiversity supports everything in nature that we need to survive: food, clean water, medicine, and shelter
• Food production relies on biodiversity for a variety of food plants, pollination, pest control, nutrient provision, genetic diversity, and disease prevention and control. Both medicinal plants and manufactured pharmaceuticals rely on biodiversity
• The loss of biodiversity threatens food supplies, opportunities for recreation and tourism, and sources of wood, medicines and energy. It also interferes with ecological functions
• The Philippines is also considered a biodiversity hotspot
• The Philippines continues to experience an alarming rate of destruction of these important resources brought about by overexploitation, deforestation, land degradation, climate change, and pollution (including biological pollution), among others
• Biodiversity hotspots are regions or areas in the world with rich biodiversity but are currently facing threats of depletion and loss
• Threats to Biodiversity identified by the United Nations' Environmental Program


  • Habitat loss and destruction due to inhabitation of human beings and the use of land for economic gains
  • Alterations in the ecosystem composition like sudden decrease or increase of population density can contribute to species loss
  • Over-exploitation like over hunting, overfishing, over collecting of species can lead to species density fluctuations
  • Pollution and contamination of the biological systems that can damage the health of species
  • Global climate change can also lead to diversity loss
• Biodiversity is a vital element of human's nutrition because it entails food production
• Almost all organisms depend on the environment and lack of basic necessities can cause mortality
• Increase prevalence of cancer, heart diseases, asthma and many other illnesses has arisen due to habitat alteration. Environmental hazards can be physical like pollution, toxic chemicals, and food contaminants; social such as work, poor housing conditions, urban sprawl and poverty
• Increase diseases like amoebiasis, diarrhea, cholera, gastritis and meningitis are related to unsafe food and drinks. Most of the population also lacked basic access to basic sanitation
• Alterations in Biodiversity Changes in any system could bring varied effects, and a change in biodiversity could have various effects on the entire ecosystem
• Ecosystem


  The geographic area where plants, animals and other organisms as well as the weather and landscapes, work/interact together to form a bubble of life
• Ecosystem


  Dynamic interactions between plants, animals, microorganisms, and their environment working as a unit
• Ecosystems will fail if they do not maintain balance. No community can handle more organisms than its food, water, and shelter can accommodate. Each organism has its role in the whole system to play its part to show its importance
• Ecosystem Factors


  • Biotic (living things)
  • Abiotic (non-living things)
• Biotic Factors


  The living components (organisms) that shape up the environment
• Abiotic Factors


  The non-living chemical and physical parts of the environment that affect living organisms and the functioning of ecosystems
• Health


  A state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity
• Environmental Health


  A branch of public health that addresses all aspects of a broader environment that can affect human health and is defined by the WHO as aspects of human health and diseases determined by environmental factors
• Environmental Health


  • Air pollution: Living near factories or heavy traffic worsens air quality and can lead to health impacts on the lungs and heart
  • Water contamination: Drinking water contaminated with lead can cause IQ loss, behavioral issues, and learning disabilities
• Ecological Health


  Describes the environment as it focuses on exposures of synthetic chemicals, such as pesticides or food packaging residues released into the atmosphere
• Ecosystem Health


  A metaphor used to describe the state of an ecosystem and, according to Aldo Leopold, the "health of the earth as he was sick of the violent practices and thus presented preservation as the medicine for the earth"