SCIENCE 9

Name:___________________________________ Ms. LORIELYN P. VILLANUEVA

Grade and Section:________________________ Science Teacher
Week 5

Biodiversity and Evolution

“You think you own whatever land you land on
The earth is just a dead thing you can claim
But I know every rock and tree and creature
Has a life, has a spirit, has a name.”
- from “Colors of the Wind”, Pocahontas

Our world is beautiful because of the variety of life that exists within it. Every living creature is different but
must live in harmony. Each one has an important purpose and must rely on each other to survive.

In the previous lesson you learned about chromosomes and patterns of inheritance. From one generation to
the next, the chemical structure of the gene undergoes changes which lead to variation. Genetic variation is important
because it influences the survival of a population. When a species fails to survive, it goes extinct.

Many scientists believe that we are currently experiencing mass extinction. What are the conditions and
situations that led them to this conclusion? Why do species go extinct? Can extinction be linked with genetic variation?
What can be done to prevent extinction? These are questions that you will try to answer as you take this module.

NEWS CLIP ANALYSIS

The Philippine Eagle (Pithecophaga jefferyi), also known as monkey-eating eagle, is considered to be one of the
largest, rarest, and powerful birds in the world. The eagle is endemic to the Philippines, and can be found on four major
islands: eastern Luzon, Samar, Leyte, and Mindanao. Its existence is said to be the “perfect barometer” of the state of the
Philippine forests. Sadly, the Philippine eagle is now critically endangered, a status that when taken for granted may lead
to extinction.

Read the following news clips.

Near-extinct Philippine eagle shot dead

MANILA, Philippines—An endangered Philippine eagle, one of only a

few hundred left in the world, has been shot dead, a conservation group that
had previously rescued the bird said Friday.
The two-year-old female raptor was found last month with a bullet
Binay, a seven-year-old Philippine Eagle, embedded in its carcass in a forest in the southern island of Mindanao,
displays according to Dennis Salvador, head of the Philippine Eagle Foundation.
its feathers at the Philippine Eagle Center Villagers who found the carcass — which had been tagged with a radio
in Davao transmitter by the foundation — turned it over to Salvador’s group this week,
City. AFP File Photo
he told Agence France-Presse.
The bird of prey, also popularly known as “monkey-eating eagle”, is a one-meter (3.3-foot) raptor found only in the
Philippines and whose numbers have declined due to hunting and deforestation.
“Even with all our hard work, if there is just one guy with a gun who decides to shoot the bird, he can undo everything,”
Salvador said.
He warned that the species, one of the world’s largest and most powerful eagles, could become extinct within 20 years
unless stronger measures are taken to protect the eagle and its habitat.
A farmer had captured the eagle in May 2010 when it tried to prey on his puppy.
He handed the bruised bird over to the foundation, which nursed it back to health and released it back into the wild
tagged with the transmitter, Salvador said.
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature lists the animal as “critically endangered” and estimates that
there may be only 670 birds left.

The Philippine Eagle Foundation has released six eagles — either bred in captivity or rehabilitated after injuries — but
four of them have since died, at least three of them after being shot.
The eagle is the country’s national bird and harming or capturing it is against the law, but people still hunt the creature
for food or sport, Salvador said.

Endangered Philippine eagle killed by falling branch

A rare Philippine eagle, whose species is on the brink of extinction, was killed inside a conservation group's breeding
centre when a branch fell on its cage, the centre said Saturday.

The 15-year-old male bird, named 'Arakan', was one of about 250 adult Philippine eagles remaining according to the
Swiss-based International Union for the Conservation of Nature, which lists the species as "critically endangered".

Days of non-stop rain caused the huge branch of a tree to fall on Arakan's cage at the Philippine Eagle Foundation's
centre in the southern island of Mindanao, crushing the raptor on January 18, the foundation said.

Numerous large trees are planted inside the centre because the conservation group is "trying to simulate the natural
environment of the eagles," said the foundation's communications officer Beauxy Auxtero.

The eagle, also known as the 'Monkey-eating Eagle', is one of the largest birds of prey in the world and is the most
critically endangered of all the world's raptors, the IUCN says on its website.

Famed for its elongated nape feathers that form into a shaggy crest, the Philippine eagle is found only on four of the
Philippines' largest islands but mostly on Mindanao and grows to a metre (3.3 feet) with a two-metre wingspan.

The Philippine Eagle Foundation rescues stricken birds in the wild including Arakan who was turned over to the
foundation in 1999. It also has a captive breeding programme.

The eagle, which is the country's national bird, is protected by law but authorities say the biggest threat is the loss of its
habitat as humans encroach on the country's dwindling forest ranges.

Efforts to release rehabilitated birds into the wild have had mixed success.
In October last year, a juvenile male eagle was found apparently shot to death just two months after it was freed by the
foundation.

Process Questions:
1. What problem may be brought by the events reported in the news clip?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________

2. How can this contribute to the extinction crisis?

______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
3. How do you think can species be saved from the threat of extinction?
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
The Physical Environment and Population in an Ecosystem

In Grade 8, you have learned about the concept of species, classification of organisms using the hierarchical taxonomic
system, and the advantage of high biodiversity in maintaining the stability of an ecosystem. At present, more than a
million organisms have been identified and named while many more are being discovered every year. Just recently,
foreign and local researchers have found that the diversity of reptiles and amphibians in the Northern Philippines is even
greater than what has been known and identified.
What happens to a community when its species diversity is reduced? Species diversity refers to the different kinds
of organisms. It consists of a large number and all different kinds, shapes, colors, and sizes of organisms that inhabit the
Earth. It includes the smallest and the simplest bacterium (pl. bacteria) to the complex, bigger, brightly colored flower or
fish.
In any ecosystem, organisms need a balanced environment. A balanced ecosystem is one in which all living and
non-living things are interacting successfully. If any part of the ecosystem is disturbed, other part will also be disturbed.
Does the loss of biodiversity affect an ecosystem’s ability to sustain the species that remain or to perform specific
functions that may contribute to the needs of that ecosystem?

Are we lucky in the Philippines? Why do you think so?

Based on the geographical location of the Philippines, it has a high number of different flora (plants) and fauna
(animals). Because of our ideal location in the tropics, our country is rich in different species in which some are
considered endemic. The presence of varied life forms makes the Philippines one of the countries in the world which has
biologically diverse ecosystems. But due to the continuous exploitation of our natural resources brought about by the
demands of increasing human population, some of the plants and animal species are already in their endangered state.
There are also several environmental problems - both natural and man-made activities become a threat to biodiversity.

An ecosystem is a community of organisms interacting with the physical environment. It has two (2)
components which include biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) components. To continuously survive, organisms
depend on their surroundings. In an ecosystem, organisms need a balanced environment. In a balanced ecosystem, all
organisms interact successfully in a place where there is enough supply of non-living components to sustain life.

What will happen to the organisms in an ecosystem, if there are not enough non-living components like water,
soil, sunlight, and air present? What will happen to the ecosystem if the organisms are not in their state of balance or
equilibrium? Limiting factors are usually expressed as a lack of a particular resource. The factors can be biotic or abiotic
that affect an ecosystem and the organisms in it. In activity 1, you will find out the different classification of limiting
factors in our ecosystem.

Activity 1: Build Me Up Before You Go

Classify the limiting factors in an environment.

Procedure:
1. Given inside the box are the limiting factors in our environment. Your task is to write down the limiting factors
and determine its classification on the space provided on its respective columns. The first item was done as an
example.

COMPETITION FOOD SHELTER SPACE ORGANISM

PREY WATER TEMPERATURE ALTITUDE SUNLIGHT

LIMITING FACTOR CLASSIFICATION

(ABIOTIC FACTOR/BIOTIC FACTOR)

1. SUNLIGHT ABIOTIC FACTOR

2. _________ _______________
 3. _________ _______________
4. _________ _______________
5. _________ _______________
6. _________ _______________
7. _________ _______________
8. _________ _______________
9. _________ _______________
10. _________ _______________
1. Choose three (3) abiotic limiting factors and briefly explain its importance in the environment. Provide examples
for each.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Photo adapted from the Science 9-Learner’s Module Photo courtesy of Honey Grace T. Engresial taken last May 28, 2020
__________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Choose two (2) biotic limiting factors and briefly explain its importance in the environment. Provide examples
for each.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________________

What is It
The various portions of the ecosystem interact with each other. Changes to one part are impacting other parts.
When all the individuals of the same species die, the place of that species in the area is lost forever. This is due to the
limiting factors present in the environment.
A limiting factor is a resource or environmental condition which limits the growth, distribution, or abundance of
organisms within an ecosystem. These factors can either be biotic or abiotic. Biotic limiting factors include food, mates,
and competition with other organisms for resources. Space, temperature, shelter, altitude, and amount of sunlight
available in an environment are considered abiotic limiting factors. For instance, if there are not enough food to feed a
large population of consumers, then food becomes a limiting factor. Moreover, if there is not enough space in a lake for
a large number of fishes, then space becomes a limiting factor. The limiting factors determine the carrying capacity of a
habitat. Carrying capacity refers to the maximum size of the population it can support. If an organism, group, or
population does not have enough resources to sustain it, individuals will die through starvation, or they will fail to
produce offspring. Does it affect the biodiversity in an ecosystem? 
Biodiversity is a compound word derived from ‘biological diversity’. It refers to the variety of life in the area.
Look at the pictures shown below (figure 1 and 2). Which of the following figures represent an ecosystem with high
biodiversity? What made you say that it has high biodiversity? What are the different species of organisms present? How
does an abiotic factor like water help the organism in that ecosystem? Which figure represents low biodiversity? How
can you tell that it has low biodiversity? What species dominates in the area? What will happen to the population of
organisms if a certain plant disease will strike? 

Figure 1. Tubbataha Reef Figure 2. Banana Plantation

 Is high biodiversity more advantageous than low biodiversity? What are the various threats that are considered
causes of the loss of biodiversity?

In Grade 8, you have learned that population refers to the number of organisms of the same species living in a
certain area. Groups of different populations consist of a community. Communities with many different species (high
biodiversity) will be able to withstand environmental changes better than communities with only a few species (low
biodiversity). An increase in biodiversity also increases the adaptability of the ecosystem to changing environmental
conditions; thus, increasing the population density (number of individuals in an area). This means that high biodiversity
also increases the survival of organisms in an ecosystem. 
Many factors affect the loss of biodiversity. Low biodiversity can lead to species extinction. This includes habitat
destruction, overexploitation, environmental conditions like global warming and climate change, pollution, and
competition due to limited resources. When the population of a species decreases rapidly, the species is
considered threatened. A species is considered endangered when its population is very low.  Extinction occurs when the
last members of that species die. How about endangered species? Below are examples of endangered and threatened
species in the Philippines.

Photo adapted from the Science 9 Photo courtesy of Honey Grace T. Engresial Photo adapted from the Science 9
taken last December 15, 2019
Learner’s Module Learner’s Module
Figure 3. Tarsier Figure 4. Philippine Eagle Figure 5. Dugong

Do you know a species that is already extinct nowadays aside from dinosaurs? Have you heard this idiomatic expression,
“You’re dead as a dodo!”? If your answer is yes, do you have an idea what does it mean? This expression means “no
longer alive or existing”. Do you know what a dodo is? Let me tell you a short story of species extinction where a dodo is
the main character.

The Dodo Bird – A Lesson in Extinction

The dodo bird was first sighted around 1600 on Mauritius, an island in the Indian Ocean. It was extinct
eighty years later. The Dodo’s stubby wings and heavy, ungainly body tell us that the bird could not fly. Moreover, its
breastbone was too small to support the huge pectoral muscles a bird this size would need to fly. Yet scientists
believe that the Dodo evolved from a bird capable of flight. When an ancestor of the Dodo landed on Mauritius, it
found a habitat with plenty of food and no predators. Because there was no reason for Dodos to leave the ground,
they eventually lost their ability to fly. Other factors also contributed to the Dodo birds’ extinction.

For example, many birds were eaten by the Dutch sailors who discovered them. However, the two most
influential factors in terms of the Dodo birds’ extinction were the destruction of the forest (which cut off the Dodo’s
food supply), and the animals that the sailors brought with them, including cats, rats, and pigs. These animals
destroyed Dodo nests.

Scientists at the American Museum of Natural History and other

institutions around the world have learned from the Dodo bird. They hope
that the lesson of the Dodo can help prevent the extinction of other forms
of animal life and aid us in preserving the diversity of life on Earth.

Retrieved from
http://www.davidreilly.com/dodo/gallery.html on
May 28, 2020 at 7:00 pm

Process Question:
1. What are the reasons why the dodo went extinct?
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________

Retrieved from http://www.davidreilly.com/dodo/gallery.html

on May 28, 2020 at 7:00 pm
 ___________________________________________________________________________________

What do you understand upon reading the story? Who do you think is to be blamed for the extinction of dodo birds?
What is the factor that greatly affects its extinction? Why? To address these questions, work on the next activity. You
will understand how organism responds in local conditions by estimating their population distribution.

What’s More
Activity 2. Measuring Population Density

Bermuda grass Cogon grass Makahiya plant

Figure 6. Population Distribution of Plants

Procedure:
1. Study the three (3) patterns of population distribution (Bermuda, Cogon and Makahiya) as shown in the Figure
above. Solve for the area (A= L x W) given that the Length is 20cm and Width is 20cm.
2. Count the number of organisms in each population and record it on the table given below.
3. Using the given formula below, compute for the density of each population.

DENSITY= number of individuals

size of the area

Table 1. Population Density

Population Name Number of Organisms Population Density
Bermuda Grass
Cogon Grass
Makahiya Plant

Guide Questions:
Q1. Compare the distribution patterns of the three (3) populations.
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
Q2. Which population has the greatest density?
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
Q3. What are the possible causes for the difference in population density?
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
Q4. What are the factors that could change the density of each population?
____________________________________________________________________________________
 ____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
Q5. Describe how a population’s density can be used to learn about the needs and characteristics of that population.
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________________________

You have learned already the varied factors that may affects biodiversity resulting to the increase or decrease rate of
population in a certain community. To estimate the amount of species abundance in your community, you will work on
the next activity. You are tasked to examine a Quadrat Sampling. It is a basic method which organisms in a certain
sample of the habitat are counted directly.

What I Can Do
Activity 3: Quadrat Sampling
Your quadrat has a total of 25 quadrants. Each quadrant has a length of 50cm and its width is 50 cm. The area of
each quadrant is A= L X W (50cm x 50 cm)= 2500 cm2

Figure 7. Grassland Quadrat

Compute the density of each population by filling out the table below. The first quadrant was done as an example.
Density
Number of Total Number of
Name of Species D=Total number of individuals per
Quadrant Individual per Individuals per
Present quadrant
Species Quadrant
Size of an area
D= 5
Carabao Grass 4
1 5 2500cm2
Ant 1
D=0.002/cm2
2

6
7

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

Guide Questions:

Q6. Which species dominates in your entire quadrat?

__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

Q7. Which species had least number in your entire quadrat?

__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

Q8. What are the limiting factors that could affect the distribution of each population in your quadrat?
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________

Q9. Choose one limiting factor and explain how this factor greatly affects the population of species in your quadrat.
__________________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________________