Unit 04: Planetary Networks

Lesson 4.1
The Concept of Planetary Networks

Contents
Introduction

Learning Objectives

Discover
The Concept of Planetary Networks
The Earth’s Ecosystem as a Planetary Network
The Importance of Maintaining a Healthy Planetary Network
The Earth as a Source of Basic Needs
Negative Changes to the Earth’s Planetary Networks
Maintaining Planetary Networks: Sustainable Living

Wrap-Up
Unit 4: Planetary Networks

Lesson 4.1

The Concept of Planetary Networks

Introduction
The Earth, as the planet of life, is a shelter for different living species and other elements.
Did you know that every living thing is connected to one another? Plants need sunlight to
live; animals need plants to eat; and humans need animals for food and clothing. It is all an
interconnected system.

Every action we do as human beings on the planet also has consequences. For instance,
simply burning waste at home contributes to the heating of earth. Through the years,
massive changes on our planet have been observed: the melting of glaciers, disruptive
weather patterns, and the depletion of forests. These changes started with small actions
done by a great number of people.

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Unit 4: Planetary Networks

In this lesson, we will learn about the concept of planetary networks. We will explore the
concept to understand how living organisms and natural resources are interconnected.
Lastly, we will discover other key concepts related to planetary networks that can help
provide the best solutions to conserve the resources of our planet.

Learning Objectives DepEd Learning Competencies

This lesson serves as an enrichment lesson for the
In this lesson, you should be able to do the following DepEd competencies:
following: ● List activities that exemplify care for the
environment (HUMSS_MCT12- Ih-i-1).
● Define the meaning of planetary
● Explain the effects of consumption and
networks. production patterns that contribute to the
● Explain the benefits of problem of climate change (HUMSS_MCT12-
maintaining the Earth’s planetary Ih-i-2).
● Explain and illustrate personal contributions
networks.
that can actually solve the problem of climate
● Discuss the concept of change (HUMSS_MCT12- Ih-i-3).
sustainable living in relation to
planetary networks.

Let’s Connect

Dangers of Climate Change 10 minutes

Instructions
Read the following article. With a partner, answer the guide questions that follow.

“Climate Change May Bring Big Ecosystem Changes”

Alan Buis, "Climate Change May Bring Big Ecosystem Changes,"
NASA, accessed December 6, 2020,
https://climate.nasa.gov/news/645/climate-change-may-bring-bi
g-ecosystem-changes/.

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Guide Questions
1. How do human actions affect the lives of other living things on Earth?

2. How do plants and animals adapt to environmental changes caused by human

actions?

3. What can you do to help ensure a healthy environment for all living things on Earth?

Discover
Planetary networks refer to the connections between living species and their environment
on Earth. For example, trees in the forest are important as sources of food and shelter for
birds and other animals, as means to retain water to prevent floods, and as elements to
balance an ecosystem. Due to the importance of trees in these aspects, environmental
issues that affect trees also affect a whole range of other living creatures. For this reason,
human beings must be aware of these interconnections and have greater awareness about
planetary networks. We are not the only species living on the planet. Do you ever wonder
how plants, animals, and even bacteria thrive on Earth?

How do planetary networks affect living species and the

natural environment of the Earth?

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The Concept of Planetary Networks

Planetary networks refer to the interrelation and interconnection of the different

elements and living creatures in the natural environment on and beyond the planet Earth.
The web of life is complex and constantly changing. The effects of these environmental
dynamics are evidently felt by humans on a daily basis, most especially during natural
calamities. Every part of the planet—from its surface, to the highest landforms, and to the
deepest layers of the Earth—plays an important role in helping maintain the existence of
life.

Fig 1. The view of skies and landforms on Earth

Knowing more about the interconnection among living creatures and the Earth’s elements
will help us human beings have a deeper understanding of the processes and changes
occurring on our planet. The more we know about the Earth, the better we can help our
planet.

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The Earth’s Ecosystem as a Planetary Network

Fig 2. Egret catching fish for food.

The Earth’s ecosystem is the best example of a planetary network. All the elements of an
ecosystem coexist and affect each other. An ecosystem is a geographic area that has both
biotic and abiotic features. The biotic aspects of an ecosystem are the living creatures such
as plants, animals, and other organisms, while the abiotic aspects are the non-living things
in the ecosystem such as rocks, the temperature, and humidity.

Every factor depends on and affects one other. For instance, the ecosystem in a tide pool
shows this intricate interconnection. Tide pools are small areas, usually found on the rocky
side of oceans, where water accumulates when the tide goes in. These pools contain
seaweed that use photosynthesis to create their food. In turn, a herbivore mussel, called an
abalone, eats the seaweed. Lastly, humans collect the abalone to make fresh seafood.

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Fig 3. The rainforest has a variety of plant species.

A part and parcel of ecosystems is its biodiversity. Biodiversity is the variety of life species,
such as animals, plants, fungi and other microorganisms, in an area. The common measure
of the variety of life species is called species richness or the count of species in an area.
Each of these species and organisms work together in an intricate web to maintain balance
and to support life on the planet. Biodiversity supports everything in nature and provides
humans with different means to survive such as food, clean water, medicine, and shelter.

Check Your Progress

How do you observe planetary networks in your daily life?

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The Importance of Maintaining a Healthy Planetary Network

We depend heavily on the Earth to keep us alive. This dependence on the Earth is evident
from the food we eat, the water we drink, the air we breathe, the spaces we live in, the
resources we use to create, and even to the medicine we must take when we are ill. The
maintenance of a healthy planetary network on Earth is essential for the survival of
humanity.

The Earth as a Source of Basic Needs

Fig 4. The Earth provides us with various foods.

Damaging the Earth leads to the damaging of human lives. We rely on the health of the
planet for our sustenance. One of the resources that the Earth provides for our survival is
food. Landscapes and seascapes serve as sources of the food that we eat. The ways by
which we manage them has an effect on the variation and quality of food that human
communities consume. It is thus greatly important to effectively manage Earth’s resources.

Other than food and sustenance, the Earth supplies us with the other basic resources we
need to survive such as spaces for shelter, materials for clothing, sunlight for warmth, and

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air to breathe. In other words, the Earth provides us with resources for our physiological
needs or biological necessities for the survival of humanity.

The Earth’s environment and its resources are the keys to the survival of all living things
found in the planet. It is only when we get these basic needs that we can start working
toward our higher order needs, such as education, political participation, and art
appreciation.

Fig 5. Planning the use of natural resources

In order to ensure that all our basic needs are provided for, there is a need to properly
manage the Earth’s natural resources. Natural Resource Management (NRM) is an
interdisciplinary field of study that focuses on the effective utilization of natural resources.
Other than land and water, NRM covers other resources as well, such as air, minerals,
forests, marine life, flora, and fauna. Natural resources provide essential life support,
especially for consumption and construction of needed products for living beings on the
planet. Maintaining balanced ecological processes is encouraged to sustain the supply of a
variety of basic needs.

The Earth as a Source of Other Human Needs

Without having our physiological needs met, it is nearly impossible to think of our other
needs, such as economic security through employment and other means. Keeping the Earth
healthy thus allows humans to have our physiological needs met, and when those needs are

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met, it allows us to think of ways to meet our other needs. The Earth and humanity are
interlocked in a planetary network of interdependence that when the Earth is taken care of,
so is humanity.

Other than our basic needs, Earth supplies humanity with many other needs. The planetary
network between plant biodiversity and humans has provided humankind with medicine.
This ever-evolving interaction between the Earth and our scientists has advanced the field of
medicine to the extent that previously incurable diseases are now easily cured. A healthy
planet makes for a healthy people. When we get sick, one of the first things that we think of
doing is to take medicine. From the Earth, we find different resources used to produce the
pharmaceutical medicines that we see in drug stores and herbal medicines that are
natural concoctions for different ailments. Varieties of plants are used in the development
of medicines that keep humans healthy. By caring for the Earth and its plant species, we
take care of ourselves and our communities.

Fig 6. A variety of medicines have their bases in different plant species.

Another human necessity that the Earth provides is input for the economy. The Earth’s
natural resources are used as raw materials to create goods and services that fuel the
economy. The silicone that is used in cellphones is dug up from mines; the paper we use in
school comes from trees; and the oil that we use to power up automobiles comes from
fossils deep under the ocean. In other words, the Earth’s resources make it possible for
economies to function. All of the things we use and see in our daily lives originate from

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Earth’s resources. The economy is thus reliant on the planetary network between humans
and the Earth. This is because humans need to make use of the Earth’s resources in order to
create goods and services that keep the economy running.

Lastly, the Earth is also the source of culture. Culture, simply defined, is the way of life of a
group of people. Culture is seen everywhere, and the Earth is the setting for many different
cultural realities. The environment shapes the culture of communities of people. For
instance, people who live near the seaside have different cultural practices from people who
live inland. They have different sources of food and livelihood, thus resulting in different
ways of life. The Earth also provides a setting for cultural events to take place. From political
movements to the flourishing of religions and belief systems, a cultural planetary network is
evident on Earth. The Earth is, in simple terms, where everything in our lives takes place. To
take care of Earth is to ensure that culture has a space to be experienced and enjoyed.

Fig 7. Landscapes shape the culture of people.

Medicine, raw materials, and culture are only some of the human needs that the Earth’s
resources provide. The more we know about the Earth, the more we can see what it can
offer to humankind and other living species.

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Negative Changes to the Earth’s Planetary Networks

With human populations rising around the globe, the need for the Earth’s resources is
getting greater. More and more people are needing access to clean air, water, and food. To
provide these needs, multinational companies are producing goods at a global-scale,
oftentimes causing great damage to the Earth. All these actions come at a steep price. This
section discusses the negative changes occurring to the Earth’s planetary networks.

One of the most apparent and wide-reaching effects of mismanagement of the Earth’s
planetary networks is global warming. According to NASA, global warming refers to “the
long-term heating of Earth’s climate system due to human activities.” For hundreds of years,
human activities have been causing the Earth’s global temperature to gradually increase. In
the documentary The Inconvenient Truth, Al Gore presents a compelling case on global
warming. He explained how global warming is, in fact, man-made and its effects will be
drastic if we do not act fast.

Fig 8. The Philippine Eagle

Other effects of destructive activities on the Earth’s planetary networks include the
endangerment of animals and the scarcity of resources. An example of an endangered
species is the Philippine eagle. The Philippine eagle is now found only in very selected areas

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around the country. The main reason why the Philippine eagle is endangered is habitat loss
due to massive deforestation. Approximately 70 percent of Philippine forests have been
destroyed since the 1970s, in order to create space for economic projects such as urban
living developments and agricultural projects. Forests have been logged also for building or
construction resources. Thus, the once vast habitat of the Philippine eagle has continually
gotten smaller and fragmented.

Aside from loss of habitat, deforestation also means fewer forest resources, leading to
resource scarcity. Beyond this, fewer forests also lead to less fresh air and more landslides
and floods. As we can see, a single human activity has widespread effects on the Earth’s
ecosystem.

The situation of the Philippine eagle and the effects of deforestation are only a few
examples of how man-made destruction to the planet contributes negatively to the Earth’s
planetary networks.

Maintaining Planetary Networks: Sustainable Living

Fig 9. Hands holding a seedling

According to Ralph Bicknese, “sustainability is about ecology, economy, and equity.” The
concept of a sustainable lifestyle describes the aim to reduce the demand for using natural

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resources. Using eco-friendly and biodegradable materials is the best example of following
a sustainable lifestyle.

Increased awareness about planetary networks and resource depletion can lead more
people to take action. Sustainable living contributes to a positive change in reducing our
carbon footprint or the amount of greenhouse gases an individual releases to the
atmosphere. Simple human actions can cause widespread destruction to planetary
networks, but just the same, small steps can be taken to help maintain these same
networks.

Check Your Progress

How can you adapt a more sustainable lifestyle?

In Philippine Context

The richness of biodiversity must be properly conserved, because it is a treasure of the

country. It also affects the balance of life and sustains our country’s natural resources. The
Biodiversity Management Bureau (BMB) stated that in terms of ecosystem, species and
genetic resource variety, the Philippines is considered a mega diversity country.
Maintaining the development and conservation of the country’s natural resources is the
duty of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and other
environmentalist organizations. As Filipinos, we also have to take part in taking care of our
natural resources.

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Wrap-Up
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
● Planetary networks are the interrelations of different elements and living creatures
in the natural environment on and beyond Earth.
● An ecosystem is a geographic area that has both biotic and abiotic features.
Biodiversity is the variety of living species in a given area. Biodiversity is measured
via species richness or the count of species in a specific area.
● The Earth provides for our physiological needs or biological necessities for survival
such as food, water, and air.
● Natural Resource Management (NRM) is a field of study that focuses on the
effective utilization of natural resources.
● Global warming is the gradual heating of the Earth’s climate system due to human
activities over time. Added to this, the Earth’s planetary networks are negatively
affected by the endangerment of animals and the scarcity of resources.
Sustainability is about reducing the demand for the use of natural resources.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________

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