BIODIVERSITY

Thelma DC Arrieta
Biodiversity
Biodiversity
the total number of species on Earth is about 8.7
million, of which 2.1 million were estimated to live in
the ocean
Biodiversity
• terrestrial biodiversity is up to 25 times greater
than ocean biodiversity
 Biodiversity defined..
• the degree of variation of life forms within a
given species, ecosystem, biome, or planet

• "totality of genes, species, and ecosystems

of a region”.
 Biodiversity defined..
• "Biological diversity is the variety of life forms...at all levels of
biological systems (i.e., molecular, organismic, population, species
and ecosystem)
• Bruce A. Wilcox commissioned by the (IUCN) for the 1982
World National Parks Conference

• "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".
• The 1992 United Nations Earth Summit (Convention on Biological
Diversity)
 ETYMOLOGY
1968 - Raymond F. Dasmann’s “biological diversity”;
book A Different Kind of Country

Thomas Lovejoy; book Conservation Biology; the term

"natural diversity" was common1975 study, "The
Preservation of Natural Diversity.

Early 1980s - Robert E. Jenkins, Lovejoy et.al.,

conservation scientists (American) advocated the use of
the term "biological diversity"

1985 - contracted form biodiversity ; W.G. Rosen in

planning the 1986 National Forum on Biological Diversity

1988 – “biodiversity” first appeared in a publication ;

sociobiologist E. O. Wilson
 Biodiversity is not
evenly distributed, rather it
varies greatly across the
globe as well as within
regions.
 BIODIVERSITY

Diversity of biota depends on:

❖ Temperature
❖ Precipitation
❖ Altitude
❖ Soils
❖ Geography
❖ Presence of other species
Biogeography
 The study of the spatial
distribution of organisms,
species, and ecosystems is called
biogeography.
 Biogeography

Alfred Wallace divided the Earth’s

land areas into six major
biogeographic realms
Wallace’s biogeographic realms
 BIODIVERSITY
Nearctic: near Arctic; relating to or located in
the region of plant and animal life in the
Arctic and temperate areas of Greenland and
North America

Neotropical: of biogeographic region; relating

to a geographic area of plant and animal
distribution east, south, and west of Mexico's
central plateau that includes Central and
South America and the Caribbean
 BIODIVERSITY
Palearctic: of Arctic and surrounding
regions; relating or native to the
biogeographic region of the Arctic and
immediately adjacent temperate regions of
Europe, Asia, and Africa
Oriental: relating to East Asia; relating to
the countries and peoples of East Asia,
especially China, Japan, and neighboring
countries including Philippines
Kinds of Biodiversity
1. Genetic diversity

2. Species diversity

3. Ecological diversity
How many organisms are there?
Category Species Totals
Vertebrates
Mammals 5,490
Birds 9,998
Reptiles 9,084
Amphibians 6,433
Fishes 31,300
Total Vertebrates 62,305
Invertebrate Animals
Insects 1,000,000
Spiders and scorpions 102,248
Molluscs 85,000
Crustaceans 47,000
Corals 2,175
Others 68,827
How many organisms are there?
Total Invertebrates 1,305,250
Plants
Flowering plants (angiosperms) 281,821
Conifers (gymnosperms) 1,021
Ferns and horsetails 12,000
Mosses 16,236
Red and green algae 10,134

Total Plants 321,212

Others
Lichens 17,000
Mushrooms 31,496
Brown algae 3,067
Total Others 51,563
How many organisms
are there in the
Phillipines?
 How many organisms are there in the Philippines?

Percent
Taxonomic Group Species Endemic Species
Endemism

Plants 9,253 6,091 65.8

Mammals 167 102 61.1

Birds 535 186 34.8

Reptiles 237 160 67.5

Amphibians 89 76 85.4

Freshwater Fishes 281 67 23.8

Current estimate of Known living species in the PHILIPPINES by taxonomic group Conservation International (2007)
What is the value of
BIODIVERSITY?
 Biodiversity Values
❑Food
❑Medicines
❑Clothing
❑ Shelter
❑Aesthetic and cultural value
❑supports ecosystem stability
 BIODIVERSITY

What are
BIODIVERSITY
HOT SPOTS?
 BIODIVERSITY
Hotspots are the world's
biologically richest but
have the most threatened
ecosystems
• 1988 – “hotspot”
ointroduced Dr. Sabina
Virk.
ohotspots are spread all
over the world, majority is
forest areas; most are
located in the tropics.
Brazil’s
Atlantic
Forest
Madagascar dry
deciduous forests
 MADAGASCAR
❑The island of Madagascar,
particularly the unique Madagascar
dry deciduous forests and lowland
rainforests, possess a high ratio of
endemism.
❑ Since the island separated from
mainland Africa 65 million years ago,
many species and ecosystems have
evolved independently.
 INDONESIA
• Indonesia's 17,000 islands cover
735,355 square miles
(1,904,560 km2) contain 10% of the
world's flowering plants, 12% of
mammals and 17% of reptiles,
amphibians and birds—along with
nearly 240 million people.
 Hot spot:
PHILIPPINES
❑considered as one of the
megadiverse country in the
world
❑7,100 islands, has many
endemic species of plants,
birds, mammals, reptiles,
amphibians, freshwater, and
invertebrates.
 BIODIVERSITY HOT SPOTS

Critically endangered
• IUCN Red List 2011
o 38 species of fauna
o 55 flora species
 Source: IUCN Red list

BIODIVERSITY HOT
(2011). Search
database. Accessed
from 2011.

SPOTS
http://www.iucnredlist
.org/apps/redlist/searc
h/link/4eaa46f4-
087a0212 last October
28, 2011.
 Critically endangered
❑Population reduction of at
least 50% over the last 10
years or 3 generations

❑Population estimated to
number less than 2500 mature
individuals
 BIODIVERSITY HOT SPOTS

Endangered
• IUCN Red List (2011)
o81 fauna
o35 flora
• very high risk of extinction
in the wild in the near
future
Source: IUCN Red List (2011).
Search database.Accessed from
http://www.iucnredlist.org/apps/redli
st/search/link/4eaa4b68-364268ed
last October 28, 2011
 BIODIVERSITY HOT SPOTS

Vulnerable species

❑has very high risk of

extinction in the wild in the
medium term future
❑347 fauna species
❑132 flora species
 Vulnerable species
❑Population reduction of
at least 20% over the last
10 years or 3 generations

❑Population estimated to
number less than 10,000
mature individuals
 Threats To Global Biodiversity
The worst thing that can happen during the
1980s is not energy depletion, economic collapse,
limited nuclear war, or conquest by a totalitarian
government. As terrible as these catastrophes would be
for us, they can be repaired within a few generations.
The one process ongoing in the 1980s that will take
millions of years to correct is the loss of genetic and
species diversity by the destruction of natural habitats.
This is the folly that our descendents
are least likely to forgive us.
- E.O. Wilson, 1985
What threatens biodiversity?

extinction…
 Extinction
The elimination of species; a
normal process in the natural
world.
 Mass Extinction
HISTORIC TIME PERCENT OF
PERIOD (y/a) SPECIES
EXTINCT
Ordovician 444 M 85

Devonian 370 M 83

Permian 250 M 95

Triassic 210 M 80

Cretaceous 65 M 76

Quaternary Present 33-66

W. W. Gibbs, 2001. “On the Termination of Species,” Scientific American 285(5)

 Human activities have sharply increased
extinctions over the past 150 years…

• A.D. 1600 & 1850 – 2 to 3 per decade

• Recent 150 years – thousands per
decade
“…we are losing 15,000 to 80,000 species
or subspecies per year..”
- Ahmed Djoghlaf,
Executive Secretary
Convention on Biological Diversity

→ 100-150 species per day!

 THREATS
2006
→many species were formally classified as rare or
endangered or threatened;

→About 40 percent of the 40,177 (16,119) species

assessed using the IUCN Red List criteria are
now listed as threatened with extinction
• “if present trends continue,
somewhere between 1/3 to 2/3 of
current species could be extinct by
the middle of twenty first
century..”
• Paul Ehrlich
 THREATS

• IUCN's Classification of Direct Threats adopted by

Nature Conservancy, the World Wildlife Fund
(WWF), Conservation International (CI), and
Birdlife International.
THREATS
• HIPPO
a. Habitat destruction
b. Invasive species
c. Pollution
d. Population
e. Over-harvesting
--- Edward O. Wilson
THREATS
1. Habitat Destruction
a. Clearing of forests
b. Conversion (cropland, roads, cities)
c. Side effects of resource extraction
– Mining
– Dam-building
– Indiscriminate fishing methods
Irresponsible Mining
Dam building
Indiscriminate Fishing
Illegal Logging
THREATS

1. Habitat destruction
• Fragmentation – the reduction of
habitat into small, isolated patches
 THREATS
2. Invasive Species
→ Accidentally or deliberately introduced
→ Aliens, exotic, non-native, unwanted, disruptive, pests

– Eurasian milfoil (Europe, Asia, Africa- US)

– Kudzu vine (Japan - US)
– Leidy’s comb jelly (Western Atlantic Coast – Black Sea)
Eurasian milfoil
Kudzu vine
Chestnut blight fungus
Buyo-buyo
The buyo-buyo
(scientific name: Piper
aduncum), an invasive
alien plant specie has
been spreading across
the country. The 'buyo-
buyo' is a highly
aggressive plant linked
to degradation of
natural forests,
according to the DENR.
 Jaguar Guapote
This fish in Taal Lake reduced
availability of commercial fishery
species there, jeopardizing their
catch and income.

Guapote sightings were initially

reported in 2003, noted DENR.
 THREATS
3. Pollution
→1970s
→Death of thousand seals of on both side of
the Atlantic ; linked to accumulation of
chlorinated hydrocarbons (DDT, dioxins etc.)
→Pacific Sea lions, beluga whales, of St.
lawrence estuary
→Stripped dolphins of Mediterranean
→Lead poisoning of bottom-dwelling water
fowls
 Beluga whales,
of St. Lawrence estuary
Stripped dolphins of
Mediterranean
3. Population THREATS
• Timber
• Fish
• Agriculture
• Mining
• Fossil fuels
• House
• Water
 THREATS

5. Overharvesting
–taking more than reproduction can
replaced
5. Overharvesting

American Bison or
Buffalo
(Bison bison)
 Philippine Eagle

Because of their position at top of the food chain, raptors are

particularly vulnerable to toxins, such as pesticides, which build up
in their prey species. Peregrine falcons and bald eagles in North
America were nearly eliminated by the widespread use of the
pesticide DDT.
First described in 1894 in the Philippines, the total wild population
of the Philippine eagle is now estimated to be under 200
American passenger pigeon
(Ectopistes migratorus)
5. Overharvesting
Commercial collection serves medicinal
and pet trades
→ Developing countries with richest biodiversity are the
main sources of animal products while wealthy
countries are the principal importers.
→ Profits on wildlife smuggling are enormous.
Tiger/leopard fur coats → $100,000
African black rhinos (powdered horn fetches → $28,000
per kg
Rhino horn dagger handle → $1,000

Rhinos from 100,000 species dropped to about 3,000 in 1980s

5. Overharvesting

Commercial collection serves medicinal

and pet trades
• Trade for wild species for pets is enormous business
• Worldwide, some 5 million live birds sold per year
in Europe and N. America

Currently, U.S. imports

→ 2 M reptiles
→ 1 M amphibians and mammals
→ 500,000 birds
→ 128 million tropical fish
http://www.mhhe.com/cunningham4e
..of the 128 million saltwater tropical
aquarium fish sold...

→75% come from coral reefs of

Philippines and Indonesia
Habitat destruction
Invasive species
Pollution
Population
Over harvesting
Causes and off-shoots of biodiversity
threats sum up to...
climate change.
What shall we do to
address the problem of
biodiversity loss?
CONSERVE!
Conservation conservation

Ex situ In situ

Colony Legislated
Human effort
relocation sanctuary

Zoological Botanic
parks garden
B.1. Ex situ conservation
methods
1. Colony relocation

2. Human care methods

 Actions taken?
→ National & local legislations
→ treatises
LOCAL SETTING : PHILIPPINES
Volunteers paint Biodiversity Wall of Nature
 Some 700 volunteers –  Led by environmental activist and artist
including representatives AG Sano, the event was organized by the
of environmental Department of Environment and Natural
organizations, Resources-Protected Areas and Wildlife
universities, police, army, Bureau in collaboration with Marine
and neighboring Wildlife Watch of the Philippines,
barangays – trooped to
the Ninoy Aquino Parks Dolphins Love Freedom, and Save
and Wildlife Center in Philippine Seas.
Quezon City, Metro
Manila, Philippines on
May 25 to paint the
perimeter wall with
various forms of marine
life. The mural painting
was part of the
celebration of National
Oceans Month.
Wildlife
refugees
Nature preserves
Zoos
Botanical parks
 Actions taken?
→ International Treatise on Biodiversity
Conservation
 InternationalUnion for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
 Climate Change and Biodiversity-related Convention
 Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)
 The United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification
(UNCCD)
 Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species
(CMS)
 Ramsar Convention on Wetlands
 1975 Convention on International Trade in Endangered
Species (CITES)
Strategic Plan for Biodiversity 2011-2020,
including Aichi Biodiversity Targets
Aichi Biodiversity Targets - Fliers

 Aichi Biodiversity Convention

 held from 18 to 29 October 2010, in Nagoya,
Aichi Prefecture, Japan, adopted a revised
and updated Strategic Plan for Biodiversity,
including the Aichi Biodiversity Targets, for the
2011-2020 period
THANK YOU !!!