Diversity in Ecosystem

Introduction
• Biodiversity was first coined by Walter G. Rosen in
1986.

• Biosphere is consists of a complex collection of

various organisms, which constitutes in the vital life
support for the survival of human race.

• Biological diversity, or abbreviated as Biodiversity,

represents the total sum of all organisms, starting
from unicellular organisms to multicellular
organisms such as plants and animals at various
biological levels including habitats and ecosystem.
Biodiversity has 3
units: eg.

This rice belongs t o

1. GENETIC DIVERSITY species Oryza
is the sum total of genetic sativa which shows
information, contained in the different varieties,
genes of individual organisms such as in their
that inhabit in the earth. shape, size, aroma,
and aroma due to
variation at the
genetic level.
It refers to the variation of
genes within a species
2. SPECIES DIVERSITY Differences in a
population within
a species is due to
different genetic
combination.
It is the variety of living
organisms on earth which is
estimated to be between
five and fifty million or more

refers to the variety of

species within
a region
3. ECOLOGICAL DIVERSITY

relates to the variety of habitats, biotic communities, and

ecological processes in the biosphere as well as the
tremendous biodiversity within ecosystems in terms of
habitat differences and the variety of ecological processes

Two different phenomena are frequently referred to under the

term ecosystem diversity: i) the varieties of species within
different ecosystems: the more diverse the ecosystems
contain more species; and ii) the variety of ecosystems found
within a certain biogcographical or political boundary.

e.g: a pond possess different sets of

flora and fauna as compared to the
river ecosystem.
VALUE OF BIODIVERSITY
1. Consumptive use value
• Where the biodiversity production can be
harvested and consumed directly:

Examples: fuels, medicine, food, proteins.

2. Productive use value

• These are commercially usable values where the
products is marketed and sold. It may be lumber,
wild gene resources.
• Animal products such as tusks of elephants, musk
from musk deer, wool from sheep.
• 3. Social value
• Values associated with the social life, customs, religion are
psychospiritual aspects of people.
• Many of the plants are considered holy and sacred in
different country.
• Many animals like cows, snakes, bulls, peacock also have
significant place in our psycho-spiritual arena and thus hold
special social importance.

5. Aesthetic value
• Great aesthetic value is attached to biodiversity.
• Stretches of barren lands with no signs of visible life is not a
pleasant sight.
• Eco-tourism is based on the aesthetic value of biodiversity.
• Ecotourism is estimated to generate about 12 billion dollars
of revenue annually.
4. Ethical value
• Ethical values is also sometimes known as existence
value.
• It involves ethical issues like “all life must be preserved”
and the concept “Live and let live”.
• The ethical value means we may or may not use a
species, but we feel the existence of the species is
necessary.

6. Optional values
• These include the potential of biodiversity that are presently
unknown and need to be explored.
• For eg, there is a possibility that we may have potential cure
for AIDS or cancer existing within the depths of marine
ecosystem or tropical ecosystem.
7. Ecosystem service value: It refers to the services
provided by ecosystem like
1. Atmospheric Regulation
2. Climate Regulation
3. Soil and Water Conservation
- Example: Coastal wetlands and mangroves
4. Nutrient cycling
5. Pollination

SUMMARY
Biodiversity at Global Scale
Globally, the earth consists 10-50
million species, but about 2.1 million have
been recorded and discovered.

Philippines as a Megadiverse Country

• The Philippines is one of the
megadiverse country which holds 52,
177 described species, half of which
are endemic found nowhere else in the
world.
• The Philippines is also one of the 35
hotspots in the world.
 On a per unit area basis, the
Philippines is the top megadiversity
country and the hottest of the
hotspots.
• Invertebrate animals and plants make-up
most of the species.
• About 70% of all known species are
invertebrates (animals without backbones
such as insects, sponges, worms, etc.); while,
about 15% are plants.
• Mammals, the animal group to which man
belong, comprise a comparatively small
number of species.
• Of all the world’s species, only 10 to 15%
live in North America and Europe. By
contrast, the centers of greatest biodiversity
tend to be in the tropics.
Acerodon jubatus
- It is considered to be
the largest bat in the
world.
- This bat has a face that
looks very similar to
that of a fox.
- The only home is in the
Philippines (Maitum and
Mindanao)
- danger of becoming
extinct (poaching)
Diceaum quadricolor
- Endemic to Cebu
- global population is
estimated at just 85-
105 individuals
- feared to have
become extinct
during the 20th
century
- it was rediscovered
in 1992
- one of the most
endangered bird
species in the World
Cacatua haematuropygia
- 1,000 individuals live in
the Philippines
Aceros waldeni
Pithecophaga jefferyi
Patterns in Biodiversity
• Species are not uniformly distributed over the
Earth
• Diversity varies greatly from place to place
• Biodiversity has varied markedly through
geological time
• biodiversity varies greatly between one part of
the earth and another
• species richness tends to vary geographically
according to a series of fairly well defined rules.
For example, in case of terrestrial environments
• Warmer areas hold more species than
the colder areas;
• Wetter areas hold more species than the
drier ones;
• Larger areas hold more species than the
smaller areas;
• Areas of varied climate and topography
hold more species than the areas of
uniform climate and topography;
• Areas at lower altitude (elevation) hold
more species than the high altitude
areas; and
• Less seasonal areas hold more species
than the highly seasonal areas.
• Similarly, in case of pelagic marine
species, there tends to be more species
in warmer and less seasonal waters, i.e.
at lower latitudes.
The Reasons for Greater
Biodiversity in the Tropics
1. Tropical areas receive more solar energy over
the year. Therefore, tropical communities are
more productive resulting in a greater resource
base that can support a wider range of species.

2.Warm temperatures and high humidity of

tropical areas provide favourable environmental
conditions for many species that are unable to
survive in the temperate areas
3. Over geological times, the tropics have had a more
stable climate than the temperate areas. In tropics,
therefore, local species continued to thrive and live
there itself; whereas, in temperate zones, they tend
to disperse to other areas.
4.There has been more time for tropical communities
to evolve as they are older than temperate ones. This
could have allowed tropical communities greater
degree of specialization and local adaptation to
occur.
5.In tropics, the greater pressure from pests,
parasites and diseases does not allow any
single species to dominate. Thus, there is
opportunity for many species to coexist. In
temperate areas, on the other hand, there is
reduced pressure from pests, parasites and
diseases due to cold, and there is one or a few
dominating species that exclude many other
species.
6.In tropics, higher rates of out crossing among
plants may lead to higher levels of genetic
variability.
 THREATS TO
BIODIVERSITY
 Current Major Threats to
Biodiversity
Habitat destruction and loss.
- Anthropogenic activities
• destructive and unsustainable practices
such
as logging, induced fires, land conversion,
siltation, destructive fishing methods
- Natural calamities
• volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, natural
fires, typhoons, and pests and diseases.
HABITAT LOSS, DEGRADATION
AND FRAGMENTATION
- Overexploitation.
• Population pressure, poverty and
paucity of livelihood opportunities,
changes of values, and the “open
access” nature of many bio-resources
all contribute to the overexploitation
and non-sustainable use of the
country’s biodiversity.
- Chemical or environmental pollution.
• The wetlands ecosystems in particular,
take much toll from chemical wastes
from mine tailings, hazardous wastes
from industrial plants, factory
discharge, agricultural fertilizer and
pesticide run-offs, and even household
wastes.
- Biological pollution.
• The introduction of exotic species (biological
pollution), has occurred by and large in
wetland ecosystems, particularly in lakes and
rivers, and has been at the expense of the
local endemic and indigenous species either
directly through predation, competition, and
hybridization or indirectly through parasites
and habitat alteration.
Bioaccumulation
Synergistic Effects (1 + 1 = 3+ ?)

• Coral reefs
–Climate
change
– Acidity
– Fungi
– Pollution
 Flora and Fauna Species Richness in
the Philippines There are about 3, •

000 kinds of trees

that are found in the
country include
lumber, tanguile,
A B. C. D.
yakal, tindalo, and
kamagong.
F. H.

• Trees of these
E. G. I. kinds abound in the
• Figure 1: A. lumber B. Tanguile C. Yakal D. Tindalo E. Kamagong F. Guava forests found in the
leaf G Rattan. H. Charcoal I Nippa Palms.
Cordilleras,
Aside from timber, forests yield lumber Quezon, Palawan,
and its by-products, medicinal plants, Agusan, Bukidnon,
rattan, charcoal, resins, dyewoods, and Davao, Cotabato,
nippa palms. and Lanao.
 • There are about 8, 500 kinds of
flowering plants:
• 1000 varieties of ferns, and 8,000
species of orchids known, 800 of
which are found in our
forests.
• There is a large flower growing in the
forests of MINDANAO- the
pungapong. It is look like rafflesia.
Which is said to be the largest flower
in the world.
• The waling-waling a rare kind of
orchid, is regarded as the “Queen
of the Philippine Orchid”.

• Trees thrive in the riverbanks and

• Other flowers that commonly grow in seashores of the country: Palm trees,
tropical countries like the Philippines talisay, agoho, mangrove, cogon trees,
are sampaguita, rosal, gumamela, and lemon grass (tanglad) are commonly
champaca, santan, and ilang -ilang. seen there.
 FAUNA
• Different kinds of animals are also
found in the country.
• One of the most famous in the water
buffalo called carabao. This beast of
burden is the best friend of farmers.
It can withstand with the hotness and
coldness of climate.

• Various kinds of birds are also found in

the country
• Of almost 900 species of birds found in
the country: eagle, kalaw, pipit, kulasisi,
pigeon, and maya-maya are commonly
known.
• Eagle is considered the king of the birds.
• Eagle are found in the forests of
Marinduque, Bohol, Leyte, Samar, and
Mindanao.
 • About 2, 000 species of fish are found in
the seas surrounding the Philippine
archipelago.
• Tuna, lapu-lapu, milkfish, tamban, biya,
asuhos, galunggong, sapsap, tilapia,
ayungin, hito, and bulig are some of
species of fish that are common in the
Philippine seas.

• Both the largest and the smallest fish

in the world are found in the
Philippines.

• The largest fish is the whale shark,

which measures 50 feet more in
length.
• One of the smallest fish in the world
is tabios, which is found in Lake Buhi
in Camarines Sur.
 One of the world's rarest
Animals that can only •

mammals lives in the dwindling

found in the Philippines forest of Panay Island: Philippine
and these are: spotted deer (Cervus alfredi),
considered by many as the most
1. Philippine spotted endangered deer in the planet
deer
• Deer that cannot be found
(Cervus alfredi) elsewhere: the Calamian hog
deer or Calamian deer have
longer and darker legs,
compared with other hog deer.

• By 1996, its population further

declined to only about
900, prompting conservationists
to declare it as an endangered
species.
2. Pygmy Water Buffalos (Bubalus mindorensis)

• Unique pygmy water buffalos

(Bubalus mindorensis) endemic to
Mindoro listed as one of the ten
most endangered species in the
world.

• From 10,000 heads in the 1900's,

population went down to 369
heads in the late 1980's to as few
as 20 heads roaming in the wild
today.
3. Philippine tarsier (Tarsius syrichta)
• Philippine tarsier (Tarsius syrichta)
measures only about twelve
centimeters in length.

• Its two big eyes cannot move and do

not have a tapetum - the upper
protective tissue; can turn its head 180
degrees. • Found in the islands of
Samar, Leyte, Bohol and Mindanao, the
Philippine tarsier got its name from its
elongated tarsus bone.

• Today, there are only about 1,000

tarsiers inhabiting the wilds of Corella
town in Bohol province where the
biggest concentration of these rare
animals was once reported.

• Ensuring the continued existence of the

Philippine tarsiers is the Philippine
Tarsier Foundation Inc.
4. Pilandok (Tragalus nigricans)
• South of Palawan, lies the
Balabac Island, home of the
world's smallest hoofed mammal -
the Philippine mouse deer.

• Locally known as
Pilandok
(Tragalus nigricans), this ruminant
stands only about 40 centimeters
at the shoulder level.

• While the mouse deer are widely

distributed across Asia, their
dwindling population has alarmed
the World Conservation Union,
which declared them as
endangered in 1996.
5. Philippine Eagle: (Pithecophaga jefferyi )

• Lives in the rainforests of Isabela,

Samar, Leyte and Mindanao.

• It has similarities with Papua New

Guinea's Harpy Eagle
(Harpyopsis novaeguinea).

• It lives on large snakes, hornbills,

civet cats, flying lemurs and
monkeys - the reason why it is
also called monkey-eating eagle.

• With an estimated population of

It is one of the 400 exotic bird species
100 to 300 today, the Philippine
in the Philippines, which, if not
protected, would disappear from the eagle is in danger of extinction.
face of the Earth.
 6. Gray’s monitor- (Varanus olivaceus)

• Southern Luzon and

Catanduanes Island in
the Philippines, where it
inhabits the forested slopes
of low mountains

7. Philippine Salt Water Crocodile- (Crocodylus porosus)

• There were tales that a 27-foot
saltwater crocodile was killed near
Lake Taal in Batangas in 1823.

• It reportedly took 40 men to bring

the body ashore.
Philippine flat-headed frog (Barbourula busuangensis)

• Found in Busuanga,
Culion, and Palawan, it
inhabits clear, unpolluted
swiftflowing mountain
streams and rivers in
lowland rainforests where
it usually floats near the
surface of the water
unless disturbed, when it
will hide under
submerged rocks
 10. Largest Shells Smallest Shells The Most Expensive
Shell

• Tridacna gigas, one of the • Pisidum, the world's • A shell called

world's largest shells can tiniest shell, can be glory of the sea
be found under Philippine found under (Connus
waters. Philippine waters. gloriamaris) is
also found in the
• Tridacna gigas grows as • Pisidum is less than Philippines and
large as one meter in 1 millimeter long considered as one
length and weighs 600 of the most
pounds expensive shells
in the world.
• We have various agencies (DENR, LGUs, PNP,
etc) commission to ensure that continued
destruction of our remaining natural resources,
if not stopped, it is regulated. (a) Why do
threats to biodiversity still persist? (b) If you
will have the power to revive our environment,
what would be your strategies (be realistic)?