LESSON: Biodiversity and Healthy Society

The term “Biodiversity” was first coined by Walter G. Rosen in 1986. According to International
Union of Conservation of Nature and Natural Sciences (IUCN-NR) in 1998, biodiversity is “the
variety and variability of species of their population, the variety of species of their life forms,
the diversity of the complex association with species with their interaction and their ecological
process which influences perform.”
Decrease in biodiversity is well-known worldwide. Vertebrates fell to 60% from the 1970s due
to human causes. It is anticipated that by 2020, wildlife decline will be 67% of the present
number.

The World Wide Fund for Nature and Zoological Society of London reported an annual decrease
in wildlife by 2%. A major cause is human population which has doubled in number since 1960
to 7.4 billion.
Humans have industrialized the natural habitat of wildlife as well marine life. Leaving these
creatures with no place to live would eventually cause their deaths. Marco Lambertini, the
General Director of WWF International, described that the disappearance of wildlife is at an
unprecedented rate.
Earth might enter the sixth mass extinction event according to experts. Mass extinction is
described as the disappearance of species at a rate 1,000 faster than usual.
Moreover, the disappearance of species in a certain environment causes an imbalance in the
ecosystem, producing more chaotic changes that harm the entire ecosystem
([Link],2016).
There is a growing importance studying how society, environment, and health is interrelated to
each other, that if human beings fail to recognize the needs of one of those components, the
other remaining components can be affected and compromised.
Thus, it is timely to know about the pressing effects of species being extinct and that of our
ecosystem being imbalanced.
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 single-celled organisms to the largest multi-celled organisms. Its
definition is in the structural and functional perspective and not as individual species.
Another definition of 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.

Biodiversity is the source of the essential goods and ecological services that constitute the
source of life for all and it has direct consumptive value in food, agriculture, medicine, and in
industry.” (Villaggio Globale, 2009)
Understanding biodiversity within the concept of ecosystem need thorough study on the
relationship of the biotic, the living organisms and the abiotic, nonliving organisms.
Interdisciplinary approach is needed to study the ecosystem biodiversity plays a major role in
this natural dynamics. For example, a large number of golden snails in a certain area of rice field
can help predict a low production of rice harvest, since eggs of the golden snails are considered
pest for rice plant.
Changes in Biodiversity
 Alteration in any system could bring varied effects. A change in biodiversity could have
unpredictable effects not only in wildlife or marine life but also in human beings.
o For example, humans living the forest would disturb the natural order of life. Trees and
plants would be affected in the land-clearing operations where the houses would be
built.
 The animals, insects, and all types of life forms in the cleared area would either be
displaced or most likely be killed.
 The loss of these life forms could affect the entire ecosystem governing that
environment. The food chain might be damaged.
 From this, we can clearly infer that when our ecosystem is not well taken care of,
biodiversity encounters changes that may impact human health on such different levels.
Threats to Biodiversity
There are major threats to biodiversity that were identified by the United Nations'Environment
Program (WHO, n.d.). These are the following:
1. Habitat loss and destruction. Major contributing factor is the inhabitation of human
beings and the use of land for economic gains.
2. Alterations in ecosystem composition. Alterations and sudden changes, either within
species groups or within the environment, could begin to damage the entire
ecosystems. Alterations in ecosystems are a 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 is often cited as the key
reason for this unsustainable exploitation of natural resources.
4. Pollution and contamination. Biological systems respond slowly to changes in 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
 Even with the development of technology and science at present, we still have a lot to
learn about biodiversity, more so about the consequences of biodiversity loss. However,
the basic concept about biodiversity loss was from Charles Darwin and Alfred Russel
Wallace.
 Every species in the ecosystems has significant roles, functions, or niches that are
specialized to capture, transfer, utilize and, ultimately, lose both energy and nutrients.
Disturbing their distributions will surely affect its nutrient cycles and soil contents, and
influence environmental conditions such as water cycles, weather patterns, climate, and
other abiotic aspects.

 The loss of biodiversity has many consequences that we understand and many that we
do not. It is apparent that humankind is willing to sustain a great deal at biodiversity loss
if there are concomitant benefits to society; we hope they are net benefits.
 In many cases, the benefits seem to accrue to a few individuals only, with net societal
loss. However, it is extremely difficult to estimate the future costs of losses in
biodiversity or of environmental damage (Rainforest Conservation Fund, 2017).
 As stated by Tilman. "The Earth will retain its most striking feature, its biodiversity. only
if humans have the foresight to do so. This will occur, it seems, only if we realize the
extent to which we use biodiversity (Rainforest Conservation Fund, 2017)."
Nutritional Impact of Biodiversity
 According to the World Health Organization, 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. A society or a
population must have access to a sufficient variety of nutritious food as it is a
determinant of their health as human beings.

 Nutrition and biodiversity are linked at many levels:

o the ecosystem, with food production as an ecosystem service;
o the species in the ecosystem; and,
o the genetic diversity within species.
 Nutritional composition between foods and among varieties/cultivars/breeds of the
same food can differ dramatically, affecting micronutrient availability in the diet.
 Healthy local diets, with adequate average levels of nutrients intake, necessitates
maintenance of high biodiversity levels. Intensified and enhanced food production
through irrigation, use of fertilizer, plant protection (pesticides), or the introduction of
crop varieties and cropping patterns affect biodiversity and thus impact global
nutritional status and human health (WHO, 2007).
Health, Biology, and Biodiversity
 Almost all living organisms are dependent to their environment to live and reproduce.
Basic needs of living organisms such as air, water, food, and habitat is provided by its
environment.
 The evolution of human beings was due to the improved access to these basic needs.
Advances in agriculture, sanitation, water treatment, and hygiene have had a far greater
impact on human health than medical technology.

 Although the environment sustains human life, it can also cause diseases. Lack of basic
necessities are a significant 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, chemicals and
contaminants or they can be social, such as dangerous work, poor housing conditions
urban sprawl, and poverty. Unsafe drinking water and poor sanitation and hygiene are
responsible for a variety of infectious diseases, such as schistosomiasis, diarrhea,
cholera, meningitis, and gastritis. In 2015, approximately 350,000 children under the age
of live (mostly in the developing world) died from diarrheal diseases related to unsafe
drinking water, and approximately 1.8 billion people used drinking water contaminated
with feces. More than two billion people lacked access to basic sanitation.
 The interrelation between human health and biological diversity in considerable and
complex. With the current biodiversity loss at unprecedented rates, the delicate balance
between human health and biological diversity is at risk.
 Interestingly, according to experts, climate change could also have a serious impact on
human health and could deteriorate farming systems and reduce nutrients in some
foods. In this case, biodiversity increases resilience, thus helping adjust to new
environmental conditions.
 Safeguarding of coral reefs, for instance, is essential to reduce the risk of floods, as this
extraordinary ecosystem can reduce wave energy by 97%, thus protecting over 100
million people all over the world.

 Relationships between human health and the environment raise many ethical, social,
and legal dilemmas by forcing people to choose among competing values. Many of the
issues at the intersection of health and the environment have to do with managing
benefits and risks.
 For example, pesticides play an important role in increasing crop yields, but they can
also pose hazards to human health and the environment. Alternatives to pesticide use
create trade-offs in health.
 The extreme action of stopping all pesticide uses could significantly reduce agricultural
productivity. leading to food shortages and increased food prices which would, in turn,
increase starvation in some parts of the world.
 Public health authorities have opted to regulate the use of pesticides to enhance food
production while minimizing damage to the environment and human health. Energy
production and use help sustain human life, but it can also pose hazards to human
health and the environment, such as air and water pollution, oil spills, and destruction
of habitats (Rensik & Portier, 2017).

 Human rights issues also come up with research on environmental health that involves
human subjects. For such research to be ethical, human subjects must give consent, and
great care must be taken to ensure that they understand that they can opt out of the
research project.
o Since the late 1990s, some pesticide companies have tested their products on human
subjects to gather data to submit to the government for regulatory purposes.
o Some commentators charge that these experiments are unethical because they place
people at unacceptably high risk without a clear benefit to society.
o Others have argued that the experiments, if properly designed and implemented, could
produce important benefits to society by providing useful knowledge about the effects
of pesticides that lead to stronger regulations (Rensik & Portier, 2017).