Herianne Isabel R.

Montalla
1-BSA-BBA
RO2
Biodiversity across the Globe

NORTH POLE
Unique and irreplaceable Arctic wildlife and landscapes are crucially at risk due to global warming caused by
human activities according to the Arctic Biodiversity Assessment (ABA), a new report prepared by 253 scientists from
15 countries under the auspices of the Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF), the biodiversity working group
of the Arctic Council. "An entire bio-climatic zone, the high Arctic, may disappear. Polar bears and the other highly
adapted organisms cannot move further north, so they may go extinct. We risk losing several species forever," says
Hans Meltofte of Aarhus University, chief scientist of the report. From the iconic polar bear and elusive narwhal to the
tiny Arctic flowers and lichens that paint the tundra in the summer months, the Arctic is home to a diversity of highly
adapted animal, plant, fungal and microbial species. All told, there are more than 21,000 species. Maintaining
biodiversity in the Arctic is important for many reasons. For Arctic peoples, biodiversity is a vital part of their material
and spiritual existence. Arctic fisheries and tourism have global importance and represent immense economic value.
Millions of Arctic birds and mammals that migrate and connect the Arctic to virtually all parts of the globe are also at
risk from climate change in the Arctic as well as from development and hunting in temperate and tropical areas. Marine
and terrestrial ecosystems such as vast areas of lowland tundra, wetlands, mountains, extensive shallow ocean
shelves, millennia-old ice shelves and huge seabird cliffs are characteristic to the Arctic. These are now at stake,
according to the report. "Climate change is by far the worst threat to Arctic biodiversity. Temperatures are expected to
increase more in the Arctic compared to the global average, resulting in severe disruptions to Arctic biodiversity some
of which are already visible," warns Meltofte. A planetary increase of 2 °C, the worldwide agreed upon acceptable limit
of warming, is projected to result in vastly more heating in the Arctic with anticipated temperature increases of 2.8-7.8
°C this century. Such dramatic changes will likely result in severe damage to Arctic biodiversity. Climate change
impacts are already visible in several parts of the Arctic. These include northward range expansions of many species,
earlier snow melt, earlier sea ice break-up and melting permafrost together with development of new oceanic current
patterns. It is expected that climate change could shrink Arctic ecosystems on land, as northward moving changes are
pressed against the boundary of the Arctic Ocean: the so called "Arctic squeeze." As a result, Arctic terrestrial
ecosystems may disappear in many places, or only survive in alpine or island refuges. Disappearing sea ice is affecting
marine species, changing dynamics in the marine food web and productivities of the sea. Many unique species found
only in the Arctic rely on this ice to hunt, rest, breed and/or escape predators.

EQUATOR

Biologists have long noted that life's majesty grows grander and grander the closer you are to the equator.
"Nearly all groups of organisms, from foraminifera to frogs, are most diverse in the tropics. And that gradient has great
implications," Robb Dunn wrote in Seed Magazine. "There are not only more species in the tropics, but there are also
more potential medicines (and conversely, more diseases), fruits, cultures, and languages. The gradient in diversity
that Humboldt detected shapes human life, from our economies to our well-being." There are a variety of competing
hypotheses to explain the pattern. One attribute it to random chance. Another argues that more solar energy is received
around the equator, allowing for greater species richness. A third points out that equatorial tropics are the largest
biome, so it makes sense that there would be more species. A fourth contends that competition, predation, mutualism,
and parasitism are more prevalent in the tropics, and these interactions lead to greater speciation. Basically, when
species mingle, they try to set themselves apart from the crowd.
SOUTH POLE

Antarctica is the only one of the Earth's continents not to have a long-term history of human contact and
inhabitation. The continent itself was first landed on approximately two centuries ago (the northern Antarctic Peninsula),
and East Antarctica only a little over a century ago, while the sub-Antarctic islands were mostly discovered and their
marine-based living resources rapidly over-exploited over the last two to three centuries. Antarctica is an ice-bound
continent, only 0.34% of its area is currently ever free of snow or ice in the form of terrestrial ecosystems including
exposed nunataks, cliffs and seasonally snow and ice-free areas. Even then, most of these appear biologically barren,
with the majority in a real terms being at higher altitude inland locations. Visibly developed terrestrial ecosystems are
best represented in coastal areas, particularly along the Antarctic Peninsula, and the ‘oases’ of the East Antarctic
coastline. Most ice-free areas are small and ‘island-like’, isolated by hostile ice and sea across a range of physical
scales. The McMurdo Dry Valleys of southern Victoria Land provide the major exception to this generalisation, forming
an area of ∼40,000 km2. Large parts of the continent can be described as frigid desert (Sømme, 1995). Biological
diversity means “the variability among living organisms from all sources including, inter alia, terrestrial, marine and
other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part; this includes diversity within species,
between species, and of ecosystems” (Anon., 2009). However, it is considered, Antarctic terrestrial biodiversity is
depauperate. At species level (species ‘richness’) diversity is low, at higher taxonomic levels many groups are missing
altogether, and in functional terms, many functions or services are poorly or not represented (Convey, 2007a). The
fauna consists entirely of invertebrates, and then with only two higher insect species present (both Diptera) (Block,
1984), while plant communities are predominantly cryptogamic (lower plants - mosses, liverworts, lichens) (Ochyra
et al., 2008, Øvstedal and Smith, 2001). Only two higher plants are present on the Antarctic continent, both restricted
to coastal regions of the Antarctic Peninsula, although a larger diversity of both higher plants and insects are found on
the sub-Antarctic islands (Convey, 2007b). For most groups of biota, survey data and up-to-date taxonomic treatments
are lacking and large gaps remain in knowledge of their biology and biogeography (e.g. Adams et al., 2006, Chown
and Convey, 2007, Peat et al., 2007). This is particularly true for the microbiota, which some recent studies are
indicating may be considerably more diverse than previously thought (e.g. Cowan et al., 2002, Pearce et al., 2009).

PHILLIPINES

The Philippines is one of 18 mega-biodiverse countries of the world, containing two-thirds of the earth’s
biodiversity and between 70% and 80% of the world’s plant and animal species. The Philippines ranks fifth in the
number of plant species and maintains 5% of the world’s flora. Species endemism is very high, covering at least 25
genera of plants and 49% of terrestrial wildlife, while the country ranks fourth in bird endemism. The Philippines is also
one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots with at least 700 threatened species, thus making it one of the top global
conservation areas. The national list of threatened faunal species was established in 2004 and includes 42 species of
land mammals, 127 species of birds, 24 species of reptiles and 14 species of amphibians. In terms of fishes, the
Philippines counts at least 3,214 species, of which about 121 are endemic and 76 threatened. In 2007, an
administrative order issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources established a national list of
threatened plant species, indicating that 99 species were critically endangered, 187 were endangered, 176 vulnerable
as well as 64 other threatened species.This unique biodiversity is supported by a large variety of ecosystems,
landscapes and habitats, most of which are also greatly threatened by human activities. According to the FAO
definition, the Philippines has 7.2 million ha of forest ecosystems, comprising approximately 24% of the total land area.
It is however estimated that, between 2000 and 2005, the Philippines lost 2.1% of its forest cover annually, representing
the second fastest rate of deforestation in Southeast Asia (second to Myanmar) and seventh in the world. The country’s
agricultural ecosystem is also noteworthy. The Philippines is part of the center of diversity of rice, coconut, mung bean,
taro and yam, as well as the center of origin and diversity of bananas in Southeast Asia. Yet this agricultural biodiversity
is nowadays experiencing general decline, as is the land area devoted to these activities. The trend is similar for inland
water biodiversity, with findings indicating a decreasing trend in water quality, fish, biodiversity and cultural value in the
country’s largest lake (Laguna de Bay) and its tributary rivers. The Philippines presents unique coastal, marine and
island biodiversity. It is indeed located within the Coral Triangle, at the center of highest marine biodiversity. A study
conducted in 2005 noted that there is a higher concentration of species per unit area in the country than anywhere in
Indonesia and Wallacea. Yet this ecosystem is also greatly at risk. While the 2005 review of the state of the marine
and coastal environment indicated an increase in the mangrove cover, reef cover, seagrass cover and fishery
production are nowadays decreasing substantially. The Philippines derives large benefits from ecosystems. In
particular, the country recognizes the important role played by watersheds, river basins and coastal areas in the
environment and in society as a source of livelihood (supporting fisheries, recreation and tourism and many other
activities). For instance, a watershed with adequate forest cover provides water that supports lowland agriculture,
prevents soil erosion and siltation of coasts and water bodies, and sustains the supply of surface and groundwater for
domestic use. Likewise, the forest ecosystem provides ecological services that benefit agriculture, industries, water
and power needs. Production forest areas for tree plantations and agroforestry activities are sources of jobs and
revenues, with agriculture having represented 18.4% of the country’s GDP in 2007.

AFRICA

Africa is home to a rich and diverse animal, plant, and marine biodiversity that provide critical ecosystem
services, driving the continent’s economy and serving as buffers to climate change. However, the continent is
experiencing a dramatic loss of biodiversity. It is estimated that by 2100, climate change alone could cause the loss of
over half of African bird and mammal species, as well as trigger a 20%–30% decline in lake productivity (the plant and
animal life produced by a lake), and a significant loss of plant species. Even more immediate are the ongoing threats
to African biodiversity from natural habitat loss and degradation (especially from agricultural expansion), direct
overexploitation of wildlife and fishery species (including from illegal hunting and trade), and the spread of certain non-
native invasive species. This loss of biodiversity affects livelihoods, water supply, food security and lessens resilience
to extreme events, particularly for people living in rural areas who are often the poorest.

AUSTRALIA

All levels of Australian government have enacted legislation to protect biodiversity, and Australia has made
good progress in increasing the extent of the National Reserve System since 2011, driven by growth in Indigenous
Protected Areas. We now have more than 17 per cent of our terrestrial land and 36 per cent of our marine area under
some form of protection. Some individual measures to conserve biodiversity are having success, and many local and
regional examples show successful recovery of threatened species, eradication or control of invasive species, or
improvements in habitat quality or extent. However, many species and communities suffer from the cumulative impacts
of multiple pressures. Most jurisdictions consider the status of threatened species to be poor and the trend to be
declining. Invasive species, particularly feral animals, are unequivocally increasing the pressure they exert on
Australia’s biodiversity, and habitat fragmentation and degradation continue in many areas. The impacts of climate
change are increasing. Key reports on the state and trends of mammals in 2014 and birds in 2015, supported by citizen-
science efforts, have vastly improved our understanding of these 2 taxa. However, even for these relatively well-known
Australian animals, monitoring data are often inadequate to robustly assess state and trends. The lack of data is more
pronounced for plants, amphibians and reptiles, and even more so for cryptic taxa such as freshwater fish,
invertebrates and fungi, for which very little information is available to assess state and trends. Australia is unable to
measure the effectiveness of most of our investments in biodiversity management or management of pressures. The
outcomes of management actions are rarely monitored and reported for long enough to clearly demonstrate
effectiveness. The outlook for Australian biodiversity is generally poor, given the current overall poor status,
deteriorating trends and increasing pressures. Our current investments in biodiversity management are not keeping
pace with the scale and magnitude of current pressures. Resources for managing biodiversity and for limiting the
impact of key pressures mostly appear inadequate to arrest the declining status of many species. Biodiversity and
broader conservation management will require major reinvestments across long timeframes to reverse deteriorating
trends.
Sources:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/02/140214075511.htm
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1873965210000113
https://www.realclearscience.com/lists/unsolved_problems_in_biology/life_near_equator.html
https://www.cbd.int/countries/profile/default.shtml?country=ph
https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2019/02/14/biodiversity
https://soe.environment.gov.au/theme/biodiversity