Activity Sheet

Name: Kirstine Denise N. Sanchez Score:

Yr. & Sec.: BSA – 2B Group no.: IV Date: 12 /19 /2022

THREATS TO BIODIVERSITY
Rank the following threats to biodiversity from the threat that requires most immediate action to the
least.

Rank 1: ___Pollution_______________________
Rank 2: ___Climate Change_________________
Rank 3: ___ Invasive Alien Species ____________
Rank 4: ___Habitat Loss____________________
Rank 5: ___Over Exploitation________________

Processing of the Activity

Explain your basis on the result of ranking of threats to biodiversity.
Rank 1: Pollution
All types of pollution are a substantial danger to biodiversity, but nutrient loading, especially of
nitrogen and phosphorus, is particularly harmful since it contributes significantly to the loss of
biodiversity and the dysfunction of ecosystems. Pollution happens when a system's natural defenses
against the infiltration of chemicals are overwhelmed, leading to a buildup of those compounds that
impairs the system's ability to operate. Many contaminants have the potential to harm biodiversity,
causing long-lasting changes and the extinction of numerous species.
Loss of vegetation, decreased biological variety, high concentrations of hazardous chemicals in
the air and in food grains, rising dangers from environmental catastrophes, and threats to life support
systems are all signs of the deterioration in the quality of the environment as a result of pollution.

Rank 2: Climate Change

 Climate change refers to long-term shifts in temperatures and weather patterns. These shifts may
be natural, such as through variations in the solar cycle. It can cause more frequent and intense drought,
storms, heat waves, rising sea levels, melting glaciers and warming oceans can directly harm animals,
destroy the places they live, and wreak havoc on people's livelihoods and communities.
Pollution helps in making the climate change as fast as it can that’s why climate change comes
after the pollution in requiring immediate action. If we happen to not find a solution or do an immediate
action for this, it will greatly impact human lives and health in many ways. We may not have clean air,
safe drinking water, nutritious food supply and safe shelter for everyone.

Rank 3: Invasive Alien Species

Invasive alien species are plants, animals, pathogens and other organisms that are non-native to
an ecosystem, and which may cause economic or environmental harm or adversely affect human
health. This affects our biodiversity adversely. These invasive alien species have affected biodiversity in
almost every ecosystem type on Earth.
Having this as rank 3 in requiring most immediate action as we don’t want it to affect our
biodiversity more. It exacerbate poverty and threaten development through their impact on agriculture,
forestry, fisheries and natural systems, which are important to people’s livelihoods in developing
countries.

Rank 4: Habitat Loss

The term "habitat loss" describes the reduction of the area where a given species, or group of
species, may live and reproduce. Habitat loss happens when the natural habitat in which a species lives is
destroyed, damaged, or altered to the degree where it can no longer sustain the species. This can occur
through a number of processes, such as deforestation, urbanization, and the transformation of natural
ecosystems into agricultural or industrial land.
The capacity of species to live and grow in their native surroundings is directly impacted by
habitat loss, which poses a serious danger to biodiversity. As a result of habitat loss and other types of
human activity, numerous species are in danger of going extinct, which is another key factor contributing
to the present extinction catastrophe. In order to solve this issue, conservation initiatives must prioritize
preserving and restoring natural habitats as well as supporting sustainable development that takes into
account the needs of the species that inhabit those areas.

Rank 5: Over Exploitation

The overexploitation of natural resources, which happens when harvesting of wild plant and
animal species exceeds reproduction, and unsustainable resource usage continue to pose serious threats to
biodiversity. Habitat loss may result from the exploitation of natural resources like trees. The
displacement of organisms that once inhabited the area around such natural resources leads to a decline in
biodiversity.
This can occur when people or businesses harvest or extract natural resources at a rate that is
quicker than the population can repopulate itself. This can have a detrimental effect on the health of
ecosystems and contribute to the extinction of some species. Overfishing, overhunting, overlogging, and
other forms of overexploitation are only a few examples. To guarantee that natural resources are
accessible to future generations, it is critical to use them sustainably.