GROUP 2 (Outline)

BIODIVERSITY AND HEALTHY SOCIETY

DIAGNOSTICS
Instructions: Visit your school garden or the nearest one outside your school. Observe the
Components of the biodiversity that you can find in the garden and identify some of their
benefits. Use the table below.
Components of Biodiversity Benefits
pepper elder/sinaw -sinaw plant Health and medicines (used for treating
abdominal pain, abscesses, acne, boils, colic,
fatigue, gout, headache, renal disorders, and
rheumatic joint pain)

Fishpond/ aquarium and its fishes Fishes- Food

Fishpond- Habitat

Red button Ginger Health and medicines (blood pressure,

bladder disorder, ear infection and the plant
juice are acidic and used to relieve fever and
cough.)

INTRODUCTION
Biological diversity, also known as biodiversity, refers to the variety and variability of
life on Earth. It encompasses the world's diversity of genes, species, and ecosystems. Its
conservation and sustainability are critical because different organisms, no matter how small,
play an important role in maintaining a healthy and balanced ecosystem for the survival of all life
forms, including humans.
 TYPES OF BIODIVERSITY
1. Genetic Diversity- differences in the genetic composition of individuals belonging to
the same species
Example: human diversity is observed even in closely related individuals due to genetic
difference

2. Species Diversity
- different types of species in a
community
- the extent of species diversity
in different areas is referred to as
species richness, which is
dependent on the varied
environmental conditions
- example: species diversity
beside large bodies of water would
be richer as compared to areas
far from bodies of water
2. Species Diversity
- different types of species in a
community
- the extent of species diversity
in different areas is referred to as
species richness, which is
dependent on the varied
environmental conditions
- example: species diversity
beside large bodies of water would
be richer as compared to areas
far from bodies of water
2. Species Diversity- different types of species in a community-
-the extent of species diversity in different areas is referred to as species richness,
which is dependent on the varied environmental conditions
Example: species diversity beside large bodies of water would be richer as compared to
areas far from bodies of water
3. Ecosystem Diversity-different types of ecosystems, including both terrestrial and
aquatic ecosystems, within a geographical location
example: forests, grasslands, mangroves, freshwater, marine
 BENEFITS OF BIODIVERSITY
Throughout history, humans have relied on ecosystems for survival, with little
regard for the direct or indirect effects on biodiversity. Today, humans must be responsible for
optimizing the benefits of biodiversity through the proper application of science and technology.

1. Health and Medicine

For thousands of years, civilizations have been using plants to treat illnesses, thus the
practice of herbal medicine, which was dependent on the biodiversity present in their respective
environments.

. Some medicinal plants used in

ancient times include the ff:
o Cypress: cough, colds, and
inflammation
o California sage: aid in childbirth
and for boosting the immune
system
o Camel thorn: diuretic and
expectorant
o Scottish lovage: uterine
disorders
o Willow tree: anti-inflammatory
o Opium poppy: pain killer
o Foxglove: heart conditions
b. Some Philippine medicinal
plants include the ff:
o Peppermint: relieve body aches
o Sambong: diuretic
o Lagundi: cough and asthma
o Malunggay: different ailment
A. Some medicinal plants used in ancient times include the ff:
 Cypress: cough, colds, and inflammation
 California sage: aid in childbirth and for boosting the immune system
 Camel thorn: diuretic and expectorant
 Scottish lovage: uterine disorders
 Willow tree: anti-inflammatory
 Opium poppy: pain killer
 Foxglove: heart conditions
B. Some Philippine medicinal plants include the ff:
 Peppermint: relieve body aches
 Sambong: diuretic
 Lagundi: cough and asthma
 Malunggay: different ailment

2. Foods

 The basic need for survival was initially met by hunting and foraging.

 As the population grew, so did the demand for food; as a result, cultivation and
agriculture evolved, as did animal domestication and breeding.
  Farming, fishing, and herding became important methods of meeting the population's
food demands, resulting in the evolution of agrobiodiversity.

Agrobiodiversity

 the result of careful selection and innovative developments of farmers, fishers, and
herders over a long period of time

 refers to the diversity and variability of organisms that produce both food and non-
food agricultural products.

3. Energy
for centuries, humans relied on different sources of energy provided by the ecosystem
 
a. heat energy from fire
- used during the stone age mainly for survival against the cold environment, for cooking, ang
using the smoke to communicate with nearby tribes

b. coal (1000 BC)

- used by ancient Northeast Chinese civilization for heating and cooking

c. hydropower or water energy (400 BC)

- used by ancient Greeks and Romans for irrigation

d. windmills or wind energy (1300)

- by the Persians to power grain mills and water pumps

e. coke (1700 – 1800)

- a grey, hard, and porous fuel with high carbon content
- discovered by the British by burning coal

f. natural gas (1820)

- was first drilled in Fredonia, NY
- used as a source of light

g. electromagnetism (1830)
- its discovery paved the way for the development of an electric generator by Michael Faraday

h. Kerosene (1850)
- first distilled from petroleum / crude oil by the Persian scholar Rāzi

i. solar powered generator (1860)

- developed by Augustine Mouchot for industrial machineries

j. Geothermal energy (1892)

- used to heat buildings

k. Nuclear Fission Reactor (1942)

- discovered by Otto Hahn and his assistant Fritz Strassmann

4. Water Storage and Flood Control

early civilizations shifted from hunting and foraging to agriculture and fishing as they
established, their settlements beside large bodies of water as populations grew, settlements
established far from bodies of water relied on inventions and innovations for their water supply

a. rivers and lakes

- rivers and lakes were major contributors to the flourishing of early civilizations
- agriculture relied much on these bodies of water for irrigation

b. ground water
- the discovery if ground water provided civilizations with potable and drinking water
- wells were built to access ground water

c. floodways
- channels built to prevent flooding in nearby communities

d. aqueducts
- first built by Romans and Greeks
- an artificial channel for conveying water to communities far from bodies of water

e. dams
- large reservoir of water to maintain water supply of communities

5. Air and Water Treatment

moderate amounts of NOx (nitrates, nitrites) and O3 (ozone) can contribute healthy
ecosystem and balance biodiversity, however, if amounts are excessive, the capacity of the
environment to clean itself is diminished.

a. reduces soil quality

- excessive NOx in soil promotes growth of nitrogen-loving plants but hinders the growth of
plants that thrive in low nitrogen soil
- air pollutants stored in soil affect water retention and purification
- affects soil organisms

b. reduces crop quality and yield

- ground level ozone called “bad ozone” damages plant leaves reducing not only the quality of
the plant but the overall photosynthetic process

c. reduces resilience of forests to environmental stress

- decreases he ability of the forest to combat drought, frost, pests, and diseases

d. reduces carbon sequestration

- decreases the ability of plants to absorb carbon dioxide that leads to global warming

e. affects natural water cycles

 6. Protocols on Biodiversity
A. Montreal Protocol
- Phasing out of ozone-depleting gases (hydrofluorocarbons)

B. Cartagena Protocol
- An international agreement which aims to protect biodiversity from potential risks posed by
living modified organisms resulting from modern biotechnology

C. Kyoto Protocol
- Fight global warming and address climate change by reducing greenhouse gases

D. Philippine Environmental Jurisprudence

- Locally implemented environmental laws