BIODIVERSITY AND THE HEALTHY SOCIETY

BIODIVERSITY AND ECOSYSTEM

 are Is defined as the vast variety of life forms in the entire earth. It encompasses all kinds
of life forms from the single-celled organism to the largest multi-celled organism
 Its definition s in the structural and functional perspective and not as individual.
 Biodiversity is the source of the essential goods and ecological services that constitute the
source of life for all and it has direct consumptive value in food, agriculture, medicine, and
in industry. [ Villaggio Global, 2009]
 Understanding biodiversity within the concept of ecosystem need a through study on the
relationship of the biotic, the living organism and the biotic, the non-living organism
 Interdisciplinary approach is needed to study the ecosystem.
 Biodiversity plays a major role in this natural dynamic.
 Therefore, we, as human inhabitant of the ecosystem, must preserve and conserve the
biodiversity of all creatures.
 In simple terms, it is true that people will always depend on biodiversity on the wholeness
of our being and in our everyday lives.
 Somehow, there are ways and processes in the ecosystem that are not apparent nor
appreciated by us, human beings.
 Think about the need to drink clean and fresh water, the need to eat healthy vegetables
and food, or need of man to transport which makes him rely on fuel.
 All of these are human needs that answer and provided by our.
 Thus, if we fail to keep the process of taking care of the ecosystem, it is us who are
actually putting our lives at risk.
 Significant decline in biodiversity has direct human impact when ecosystem in its
insufficiency can no longer provide the physical as well as social need of human beings.
 Indirectly, changes in the ecosystem affect livelihood, income, and on occasion, may even
cause political conflict.

THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY
1. Habitat loss and destruction
2. Alterations in ecosystem composition
3. Over-exploitation
4. Pollution and contamination
5. Global climate change
CHANGES IN BIODIVERSITY
• Alteration in any system could bring varied effect.
• A changes in biodiversity could have erratic effect not only in wildlife or marine but also
in human being.
• We can clearly infer that when our ecosystem is not well taken care of, biodiversity
encounters changes that may impact human health on such different levels.

CONSEQUENCES OF BIODIVERSITY LOSS

 Even with the improvement of technology and science at present, we still have a lot to
learn about biodiversity, more so about the consequences of biodiversity loss. However,
the basic concept about biodiversity loss was from Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel
Wallace.
 The particular species making up an ecosystem determine its productivity, effect
nutrient cycles and soil content, and influence environment condition such as water,
cycles, weather patterns, climate other non-biotic aspects.

 The loss biodiversity has many consequences that we understand and many that we do
not.
 As stated by Tillman, “The earth will retain its most striking feature, its biodiversity, only
if human have the prescience to do so. This will occur, it seems, only if we realize the
extent to which we use biodiversity [Rainforest of conservation fund 2017]”

NUTRITIONAL IMPACT OF BIODIVERSITY

 According to the world health organization biodiversity is a vital element of a human
being’s nutrition because of its influence to food production.
 Biodiversity as a major factor that contributes to sustainable food production for human
beings.
 A society or a population must have access to a sufficient variety of nutritions food as it
is a determinant of their as human beings.
 Nutrition and biodiversity are linked at many levels; the ecosystem, with food
production as an ecosystem service
 Nutritional composition between foods and among varieties/ cultivars/ breeds of the
same food can differ dramatically in the diet.
  Intensified and enhanced food production through (pesticides), or the introduction of crop
varieties and cropping patterns affect biodiversity and thus impact global nutritional status and
human health.

Health, biology, and biodiversity

 Almost all living organism are dependent to their environment to live and
reproduce. Basic needs of living organism such as air, water, food, and
habitat are provided by its environment.
 The evolution of human beings was due to the improved access to these
basic needs. Advances in agriculture, sanitation, water treatment, and
hygiene have had a far greater impact on human health than medical
technology.
 The interrelation between human health and biological diversity
considerable an complex. with the current biodiversity loss at
unprecedented rates, the delicate balance between human health and
biological diversity is at risk.

Environment-related illnesses
o Some human illnesses that are found to be related with its
environment include Parkinson’s disease, heart disease, cancer,
chronic obstructive, pulmonary disease, asthma, diabetes,
malaria, and depression.
o According to experts, climate change could also have a serious
impact on human health and could deteriorate farming systems
and reduce nutrients in some foods,
o Relationship between human health and the environment raise
many ethical, social, and legal dilemmas by forcing people to
choose among competing value,
o For example pesticides play important role in increasing crop
yield, but they can also pose hazard to human health and
environment.