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Introduction

Decrease in biodiversity is eminent worldwide. Due to human causes, vertebrates fell to 60%
from the 1970s. Vertebrate is an animal of a large group distinguished by the possession of a
backbone or spinal column, including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fishes.
According to the report of World Wide Fund for Nature and Zoological Society of London,
2% is the annual decrease in wildlife and it is because of the human population.

WWF is one of the world’s largest and most experienced independent conservation
organizations, with over 5 million supporters and a global network active in more than 100
countries. WWF’s mission is to stop the degradation of the planet’s natural environment and
to build a future in which humans live in harmony with nature, by conserving the world’s
biological diversity, ensuring that the use of renewable natural resources is sustainable, and
promoting the reduction of pollution and wasteful consumption.

The Zoological Society of London (ZSL) is ainternational scientific, conservation and


educational organization. Its mission is to achieve and promote the worldwide conservation
of animals and their habitats.

Humans have industrialized the natural habitat of wildlife as well as marine life and in that
case those creatures who leave there has no place to live which cause them to die. According
to Marco Lambertini the General Director of WWF International, described that the
disappearance of wildlife is at an unprecedented rate.

And according to the experts, our Earth might enter the sixth mass extinction.The Holocene
extinction, otherwise referred to as the sixth mass extinction or Anthropocene extinction, is
an ongoing extinction event of species during the present Holocene epoch as a result of
human activity. This large number of extinctions spans numerous families of plants and
animals, including mammals, birds, amphibians, reptiles and arthropods. With widespread
degradation of highly biodiverse habitats such as coral reefs and rainforests, as well as other
areas, the vast majority of these extinctions are thought to be undocumented, as the species
are undiscovered at the time of their extinction, or no one has yet discovered their extinction.
Mass extinction is described as the disappearance of species at a rate of 1000 faster than usual
and this cause an imbalance in the ecosystem.

BIODIVERSITY AND ECOSYSTEM


Biodiversity is defined as the vast variety of life forms in the entire Earth. It encompasses all
kinds of life forms from the single -celled organisms to the largest multi celled organisms. A
unicellular organism, also known as a single-celled organism, is an organism that consists of
only one cell, unlike a multicellular organism that consists of more than one cell. Biodiversity
is the variability among living organisms from all sources, including 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. Interdisciplinary approach is
needed to study the ecosystem. An approach to curriculum integration that generates an
understanding of themes and ideas that cut across disciplines and of the connections between
different disciplines and their relationship to the real world. Biodiversity is the source of the
essential goods and ecological services that constitute the source of life for all. Biodiversity
forms the foundation of the vast array of ecosystem services that critically contribute to
human well-being. Biodiversity is important in human-managed as well as natural
ecosystems. Decisions humans make that influence biodiversity affect the well-being of
themselves and others. Sustainability of the ecosystem ensures a better survival rate against
any natural disaster. Therefore, we, as human inhabitants of the ecosystem, must preserve and
conserve the biodiversity of all creatures and we all know that we will always depend on
biodiversity on the wholeness of our being and in our everyday lives. Thus, if we fail to keep
the process of taking care of the ecosystem, it is us who are actually putting our lives at risk.

Changes in Biodiversity
A change in biodiversity could have erratic effects not only in wild life or marine life
but also in human beings. For example, human inhabiting the forest would disturb the natural
order of life. Trees and plants would be affected in land- clearing operations where the houses
would be built. The animals, insets and all types of life forms in the cleared area would either
be displaced or most likely killed. The loss of these life forms could affect the entire
ecosystem governing the environment. The food chain might damage. When our ecosystem is
not well taken care of, biodiversity encounter changes that may impact human health on such
different levels.

Threats to Biodiversity
There are major threats to biodiversity that were identified by United Nations’ Major
Programme (WHO, n.d.). These are the following:

1. Habitat loss and destruction. Major contributing factor is inhabiting of human beings
and use of land for economic gains.
2. Alternations in ecosystem composition. Alterations and sudden changes, either within
species groups or within the environment, could begin to change entire ecosystems.
Alterations in ecosystems are critical factor contributing to species and habitat loss.
3. Over- exploitation. Over hunting, overfishing or over- collecting of species can
quickly lead to its decline. Changing consumption patterns of humans if often cited as
the key reason for this unsustainable exploitation of natural resources.
4. Pollution and contamination. Biological systems respond slowly to change their
surrounding environment. Pollution and contamination cause irreversible damage to
species and varieties.
5. Global climate change. Both climate variability and climate change cause biodiversity
loss. Species and populations may be lost permanently if they are not provided with
enough time to adapt to changing climatic conditions.
Consequences of Biodiversity Loss
The most unique feature of Earth is the existence of life, and the most extraordinary feature
of life is its diversity. Approximately 9 million types of plants, animals, protists and fungi
inhabit the Earth. So, too, do 7 billion people. Two decades ago, at the first Earth Summit, the
vast majority of the world’s nations declared that human actions were dismantling the Earth’s
ecosystems, eliminating genes, species and biological traits at an alarming rate. This
observation led to the question of how such loss of biological diversity will alter the
functioning of ecosystems and their ability to provide society with the goods and services
needed to prosper.

Though there are already a lot of enhancements on the field of science and technology during
this age, there is still much to learn about our surroundings, especially on the consequences of
biodiversity loss since many individuals at present seem to be oblivious of the changes that
have been happening on our planet. The very fate of the Earth lies within our understanding
of how it works, of how it brings about life. The basic concept about biodiversity loss was
introduced to us by Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace.

Complete ecosystems work in a perfect unison of different species, all of them unique, all of
them designated to a role, a role that if they do accomplish leads to the preservation of said
ecosystem. A lion stands atop the food chain in order to maintain balance. Think of it like
this, say an ecosystem has an absence of an apex predator, (e.g. the lion) the so called “prey”
would then be living in peace, without chaos, without anyone or anything to feed on it. Do
you think that this would be a prosperous ecosystem? The answer is simply no. Indeed, a
gazelle without a lion may live in peace, nothing would control it. And that is where the
problem lies, without a predator the numbers of the gazelle would skyrocket, their numbers
would simply be too much in order for the ecosystem to accommodate them. That is why the
predator is needed, to maintain balance, to maintain the so called “cycle of life”.

Effects of Loss of Biodiversity:

 Extinction of species
 Declining biodiversity lowers an ecosystem’s productivity
 Threatens global food security
 Loss of natural resources
 Hampers the development of pharmaceutical research

Nutritional Impact of Biodiversity


According to World Health Organization (WHO), Biodiversity is a vital element of a human
being’s nutrition because of its influence to food production. Biodiversity is a major factor
that contributes to sustainable food production for human beings. As a human being we eat
everyday throughout our lives, the food we intake is came from agricultural biodiversity, and
also agricultural biodiversity provide humans raw materials for goods such as: cotton and
wool for clothing; wood for shelter and fuel; plants and roots for medicine; and materials for
biofuels.

Biodiversity is the basis of agricultural and our food systems, it includes all component of
biological diversity of relevance to food and agriculture. It includes plant’s genetic resources:
crops, wild plant harvested and managed for food, trees on farm, pastures and rangeland
species, medicinal plants and ornamental plants of aesthetic value.

Nutrition and Biodiversity linked at many level:

1. The species in the Ecosystem, with food production as an ecosystem service


a. Species of plants
b. Species of Animals
This species help us a lot as a human being because it provide us what we need especially the
food.

c. Performs ecosystem services such as soil and water conservation,


maintenance of soil fertility which are essential for food production and
for human survival.
2. The genetic diversity within species
a. Plants genetic resources
b. Animal genetic resources
3. Nutritional composition between food and among varities/cultivars/breeds of the same
food can differ dramatically, affecting micronutrient availability in the diet.

Homogenous diets and poor food access mean that one in three people in the world suffers
from micronutrient deficiencies, while nearby 2 billion people are overweight or obese. Food
production and diets are further interlinked with heightened concerns over farmer livelihood
resilience and environmental sustainability.

Healthy local diets, with adequate average levels of nutrients intake, necessities maintenance
of high biodiversity levels. Intensified and enhanced food production through irrigation, use
of fertilizer, plant protection, or the introduction of plant crop varieties and cropping patterns
affect biodiversity and thus impact global nutritional status and human health. Habitat
simplification, species loss, and species succession often enhance communities,
vulnerabilities as a function of environmental receptivity to ill health.

HEALTH, BIOLOGY AND BIODIVERSITY


Almost all living organisms are dependent to their environment to live and reproduce. Basic
needs are provided by the environment. The evolution of human beings was due to the
improved access of basic needs.

Although the environment can sustain life, it can also cause diseases. Lack of badic
necessities is a signiicant cause of human mortality. Environmental hazards increase the risk
of cancer, heart disease, asthma and many other illnesses. These hazards can be physical,
such as pollution, food contaminants and toxic chemicals, or they can be social such as
dangerous work, poor housing, uban sprawl and poverty. In 2015, approximately 350,000
children under the age of five suffer from diarrheal diseases because of unsafe drinking water
amd approximately 1.8 billion people use drinking water contaminated with feces.

The interrelation between human health and biological diversity is considerable and complex.
With the current biodiversity loss at unprecedented rates , the current balance of biological
diversity and human health is at risk.

Environmental-Related Illnesses
Examples of diseases that you can get when you exposed yourself to the outside world:
Parkinson's disease, Heart disease, Cancer, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Asthma,
Diabetes, Obesity, Occupational injuries, Dysentery, Arthritis, Malaria, and Depression.
Some of our activities to extend our lives and to live comfortable have the effects in our
environment.

Examples:

Food production can have negative effects our environment by using chemicals, by
deforestation, and by over fishing. The other example is in the health care facilities because
they produces medical waste. To prevent some diseases can also damage to our environment
by alterations of natural resources we have. And lastly the reduction in mortality from
starvation and diseases can have negative impact to the environment because it is the cause of
overpopulation.

According to experts, climate change could also have a serious impact on human health and
could deteriorate farming system because of the unpredictable weather we are facing now and
reduce nutrients in some foods. Many of the issues at the intersection of health and the
environment have to do with managing benefits and risk. Many arguments are created
because of the negative and positive effects of some products we are using now.

An example of this is using pesticides. We all know that this product has the important role to
increase crop yields but there are also negative effects in using this like it can damage to the
soil and can effect the human health. Climate change is cause by human production of
greenhouse gases. This problem of human kind is not easy to resolve. There will always
negative and positive impact in the process of lessening greenhouse gases in the human
production. Example this is the greatly increasing taxes on fossil fuels would courage greater
fuel efficiency and lower carbon dioxide emission but it may lead in inflation.

Managing benefits and risks also raises social justice concerns, because poor have the higher
exposure to the environmental conditions. To resolve this problem the government need to do
some action because they are the one who is responsible in protecting its nation and its
citizens.

Vulnerable subpopulation- is a group with an increased susceptibility to the adverse effects of an


environmental risk factor due to their age, genetics, health status or some other conditions.
Population can be deemed vulnerable due to having a high level of physical, psychological and/or
social risk, examples are; children, pregnant woman and homeless people.

Justice demand that we should take care of people who are vulnerable. But the environmental risk
factor must be defined clearly to those populations who are vulnerable before adding protection to
everyone.

Public health strategies that pit the rights of individuals against the good of society:

 Mandatory treatment - A Mandatory Treatment Order (MTO) is targeted at non-habitual


offenders who, as a result of suffering from certain mental/psychiatric conditions, committed
the criminal offence in question.
 Vaccination - is the administration of a vaccine to help the immune system develop
protection from a disease.
 Diagnostic testing - information for the purpose of making a clinical decision. Some
examples of diagnostic tests include X-rays, biopsies, pregnancy tests, medical histories, and
results from physical examinations.
 Isolation and quarantine - are public health practices used to stop or limit the spread of
disease. Isolation is used to separate ill persons who have a communicable disease from those
who are healthy. Isolation restricts the movement of ill persons to help stop the spread of
certain diseases.
 Disease surveillance - an information-based activity involving the collection, analysis and
interpretation of large volumes of data originating from a variety of sources.

Summary
“Value of biodiversity is the value of everything”

Biodiversity has a fundamental value to humans because we are so dependent on it for our culture,
economic and environmental well-being. It helps and provide us in everything we need.

Why we need to value biodiversity?

We need to value biodiversity because it boosts ecosystem productivity where each species, no matter
how small, all have important play to role. And it is important for human lives because human being
along with the biodiversity, form a complete ecological system in which we are apart and dependent
on this system for our own existence.

We must begin to give the natural capital stock that produces these services adequate weight in the
decision-making process, otherwise, current and continued future human welfare may drastically
suffer, many ecosystem services are literally irreplaceable. We cannot ever evaluate such services
adequately, but we can value the ecosystems of the world appropriately.
Republic of the Philippines
Don Honorio Ventura State University
Villa de Bacolor, Pampanga
College of Business Studies

Written Report in Biodiversity and Healthy Society

Submitted by:

Aquino, Marlou Yangco


Aquino, Portia Celyn Tolentino
Nuqui, Christine Grace C.
Regalado, Monaliza Aira Colis
Tambo, Jean Jean Pineda
Vitug, Luis Pocholo Miguel Vitug

Submitted to:

Mrs. Danilyn A. Arrozal

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