Republic of the Philippines

Department of Education
SCHOOLS DIVISION OF ORIENTAL MINDORO

8 SCIENCE
Quarter IV – Module 5
Week 5

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 Republic of the Philippines
Department of Education
SCHOOLS DIVISION OF ORIENTAL MINDORO

Science 8
Fourth Quarter
Week 5

Lesson: Biodiversity And Transfer Of Energy Through The Trophic

Level
MELCs: Explain the advantage of high biodiversity in maintaining the
stability of an ecosystem.
Describe the transfer of energy through the trophic levels.
Key Concept:

The variety of life on earth, its biological diversity is commonly referred to as

biodiversity.
The number of species of plants, animals and microorganisms, the enormous
diversity of genes in these species, the different ecosystems on the planet, such as
dessert, rainforests and coral reefs are all part of a biologically diverse Earth.
Appropriate conservation and sustainable development strategies attempt to
recognize this as being integral to any approach to preserving biodiversity. Almost all
cultures have their roots in our biological diversity in some way or form.
Biodiversity boosts ecosystem productivity where each species, no matter how
small, all have an important role to play.
For example,
 a large number of plant species means a greater variety of crops.
 Greater species diversity ensures natural sustainability for all life forms.
 Healthy ecosystems can better withstand and recover from a variety of
disasters.
Biodiversity provides functioning ecosystems that supply oxygen, clean air and
water, pollination of plants, pest control, wastewater treatment and many ecosystem
services.

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 Republic of the Philippines
Department of Education
SCHOOLS DIVISION OF ORIENTAL MINDORO

Biodiversity is important not only for the variety of beautiful and interesting species it
offers us, but it is also very important and vital to the stability of an ecosystem and entire
planet. Ecosystem stability is the ability of an ecosystem to maintain a steady state, even
after a stress or disturbance has occurred. In order for an ecosystem to be considered stable,
it needs to have mechanisms in place that help it return to its original state after a
disturbance occurs.
All living things require energy in one form or another since energy is required by most,
complex, metabolic pathways; life itself is an energy-driven process.
Trophic transfer refers to the phenomenon by which elements, including contaminants
are transferred from on trophic level to another. The stored energy is transferred to other
organisms for their survival. When people and other organisms eat plants, chemical energy
from food substances is transferred to their bodies. Energy moves from one trophic level to
another. This means that energy flows from one organism to another in the ecosystem.
Organisms that consume food for their energy supply are called consumers.
Energy decreases as it moves up trophic level because energy is lost as metabolic heat
when the organism from one trophic level is consumed by organism from the next level.

Activity 1:
What is the importance of biodiversity to ecosystem

Identify the following ecosystem. Write HB if it is belong to high

biodiversity and LB if it is low biodiversity. Write your answer in a
separate paper.
____________1. Coral Reef
____________2. Rice field
____________3. North pole
____________4. Dessert
____________5. Forest

Guide questions:
1. Which ecosystems have high biodiversity? Low biodiversity?
2. In coral reef ecosystem, what biotic components are present and
describe some relationships and interactions that occur among these
biotic components.
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 Republic of the Philippines
Department of Education
SCHOOLS DIVISION OF ORIENTAL MINDORO
3. Why is high biodiversity advantageous over low biodiversity?
4. What is the importance of biodiversity to ecosystems?
Activity 2:
Activity 2: My Backyard Biodiversity
How many different types (species) can you find in your yard?
TREES: hint: look for different types of leaves or bark on your trees

TREES: total species=_______ total items=__________

PLANTS: hint: look for flower, bushes, grass and weds

PLANTS: total species=_______ total items=__________

ANIMALS: hint: what animals visit your yard or live there

ANIMALS: total species=_______ total items=__________

INSECTS AND BUGS: hint: look for flying, crawling and burrowing insects and spiders.

INSECTS AND BUGS: total species=_______ total

items=__________
Biodiversity index = total # of different species = ___________________ =
total # of living items

Activity 3
How do you identify the components of a food chain in an
ecosystem?
Objectives:
After performing this activity, you should be able to:
 Distinguish between producers and consumers
 Analyze the transfer of energy from one organism to another.
 Construct a food chain in a given ecosystem.

Procedure:
1. Read an article about “Monfort Bat Cave”
2. Read and answer the following questions and write your answer on
the space provided.

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 Republic of the Philippines
Department of Education
SCHOOLS DIVISION OF ORIENTAL MINDORO

Monfort Bat Cave

The Island of Samal, part of Davao del Norte Province, is off the coast of Mindanao. In this
island is the Monfort Bat Cave which is approximately 245 feet(75 meters) long and has five
entrances. Bats cover 75 percent of its ceilings and walls. An estimated 1.8 million bats, the largest
known population of Geoffrey’s rousette fruit bats in the world, are overloading Monfort Bat Cave on
the Philippines’ Samal Island.

Geoffrey’s rousette fruit bats feed on fruit and nectar. Their role as pollinators and seed
dispersers is essential in sustaining Philippine forests, including such important commercial fruits as
durian. Each bat consumes 11/2 to 3 times its body weight nightly in fruit and nectar. This colony
could consume 550tons (500,000 kilograms) of nectar from durian and other trees, pollinating an
incredible number of flowers.

Worldwide, cave-dwelling bats are in alarming decline due to human disturbance and destruction of
their cave roots. In some areas, including Samal Island, bats are captured and eaten by humans.
Colonies like the one in Monfort Bat Cave are now rare and in urgent need of protection. Their loss
would endanger the health of forests and human economies.

The bat’s colony should be able to survive natural predators-crows, rat, 10 foot(3meters)
pythons, and occasional monitor lizards- just as bat populations do elsewhere. Unfamed dogs and
cats, however, also seem to do bat hunting at Monfort Bat Cave

@Bat Conservation Internationl,www.batcon.org

Questions:
1. What are the organisms found in the surrounding area of Monfort
Bat Cave?
List them down in the table below.
Table 1: Organisms found in Monfort Bat Cave
Plants Animals

2. What group/s of organisms are considered as producers?

3. What part of the durian trees and other trees served as food for the
bats?
4. The population of cave-dwelling bats is declining because they are
being eaten by other organisms. What are these organisms that feed
on bats?

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 Republic of the Philippines
Department of Education
SCHOOLS DIVISION OF ORIENTAL MINDORO
5. Among the organisms that feed on bats, are there organisms that
possibly feed on the predators of bats? ______Yes__________No
Divide the organism into the following categories as shown in the table
below.
Table 2
Producers 1st Order Consumer 2nd Order Consumer

Based on Table 2, construct a food chain with at least 3 organisms

representing the producer, 1st order consumer and 2nd order
consumer.
Energy from the Sun

Producer 1st order Consumer 2nd order consumer

Activity 3: Find me
Answer the following questions. You may choose your answer from the
word inside the box.
Biodiversity flooding climate change gases

Community habitats equator resources

__________1. Some places have more of a variety of living things

than others- this is called____.
__________2. Examples of ____________ are rainforests, deserts,
grasslands, wetlands, tundra, salt marshes, coral reefs etc.
__________3. The most biodiversity is found in habitats in warm, wet
places- closer to the _____________.
__________4. A diverse ___________ which is many different
populations of living things, helps keep an ecosystem healthy with
stable food webs.
__________5. Biodiversity also helps ecosystems survive changing

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 Republic of the Philippines
Department of Education
SCHOOLS DIVISION OF ORIENTAL MINDORO
temperatures and rainfall resulting from ____________.
__________6. Healthy, diverse forests absorb greenhouse
____________ created by human industry.
__________7. Human get _______ from wild habitats.
__________8. Healthy coastal habitats protect us from storm surges
and ________.
Activity 4

Food Chains, Food Webs, and Energy Pyramid

worksheet
Using the following food chain, answer the questions below.
Grass  Rabbit  Fox

1. What type of organism is the grass?

2. Which animal is an herbivore or primary consumer?
3. What would happen to the population of rabbits, if the population of
foxes increased ? Why?
4. What trophic level does the fox represent?
5. Construct a food chain in the correct order using the information in
the chart. Then label the producer, primary consumer, secondary
consumer, and tertiary consumer.
Organism Food Source
owl snake
snake squirrel
Oak Tree NA
Squirrel nuts

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 Republic of the Philippines
Department of Education
SCHOOLS DIVISION OF ORIENTAL MINDORO
Key to Correction

Activity 1 What is the importance of biodiversity to ecosystem

1.HB
2.LB
3.LB
4.LB
5.HB

References
Book
Science 8 Learner’s Module , Department of Education
Electronic Resources
www.globalissues.org
Study.com
Prepared by: JESSANIE C. BILLONES
Teacher III
MORENTE NHS

Validated by:
Checked by:

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Department of Education: MIMAROPA Region

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Telephone No. (02) 863-14070

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