Name: Erica Mae L. Coquilla
Yr&Sec.: BSCE 2B
MODULE 1: ENVIRONMENT, ECOSYSTEM AND BIODIVERISTY
Activity 1:
1. Discuss about Environmental Science.
Earth itself and life are part of natural processes. Human systems are mainly earth
populations. It also merges the physical, biological and information sciences in the study of
environment and environmental problems (e.g. ecology, biology, physics, chemistry,
physicians, plants, zoologies, minerals, oceanography, limnology, soil, geology, physical
geography and atmospheric studies). A field that deals with the study of the interaction
between human systems and natural systems is environmental science.
2. What are the important components of Environment?
Ecosystems comprise iotic and abiotic components. Biotic variables include live elements
within an ecosystem, such as plants, animals, and microorganisms, while abiots, such as
water, soil and the air, are non-living components. The interaction of these components in an
ecosystem is crucial.
3. What are the functions of producers, consumers and decomposers in ecology?
A manufacturer selects energy and stores that energy as chemical energy in food. Producers
such as plants are known as chloroplasts which take energy from the sun. Example: The
autotrophs are producers who use a photosynthetic mechanism to manufacture their own
food. Consumers get energy from producers and nutrients because they do not generate food
for themselves .Example: Heterotroph is the consumer, such as a.)herbivore are the principal
consumer that eats solely plants, such as cows, deer or some insects b.) carnivores are the
secondary consumer that eats only other consumers such as cats, spiders, wolves, hawks
etc. c.) Tertiary users eating both plants and animals such bears, monkeys and turtles are
omnivores. Finally, decomposers are organisms that break down dead animals and plants to
form simple molecules. Example: scavenging is decomposer. They feed dead bodies such as
goats, hyans, and so forth.
4. Discuss about ecological succession and it's benefits
The continued and progressive change in a species in a given area in relation to the changing
environment is the ecological succession. It's a predicted shift and a process of nature that is
unavoidable because all the biotic elements have to cope with the environmental changes.
This method' ultimate objective is to achieve ecosystem balance. A peak community is the
community that achieves this. Some species are increasing, while others are decreasing, in
an attempt to achieve this equilibrium.
5. Make a comparative discussion on threats to biodiversity and how can we contribute to
control them.
Habitat loss and fragmentation, wasteful use of resources, invasive species, contamination
and global climate change are major direct threats to biodiversity. There are typically a variety
of inter-related aspects to the underlying causes of loss of biodiversity such as expanding
population and overcrowding. The good news is that our efforts to affect the survival of species
and the health and integrity of ecological systems are within our power. We are best prepared
to tackle conservation concerns by recognizing and acting on biodiversity threats. In the last
century, people have dominated the planet and have caused rapid changes in the ecosystems
and a massive loss of biodiversity throughout the planet. Some people have been referred to
as the "anthropocene," the time we now live in. While the Earth has always seen changes and
disappearances, today they are unprecedented.
6. What are the ways a human can make contributions to conserve biodiversity and spread
awareness on it?
Conservation of biodiversity preserves and manages biodiversity in order to achieve
sustainable development resources. It is possible to preserve biodiversity by: preventing the
cutting of trees and prohibiting animal hunting, efficient use of natural resources and
protected spaces for wildlife without human activity.
7. What factors affect an area's biodiversity? Explain how these factors affect biodiversity.
There are various elements affecting and affecting the variety of a place; Climate change
refers to the Earth's climate's long-term, irreversible alteration. This rise in atmospheric
temperature has substantial environmental impacts such as seasons, sea levels and glacier
retreats. The loss of habitat refers to environmental changes that make a particular habitat of
functional value. The habitat can no longer tolerate and sustain the lives of the existing
organisms and their populations will decline. Be it water, air, or land pollution, all forms of
pollution appear to be a hazard to all life forms on Earth. However, it plays a serious danger
to biodiversity when it comes to the nutritional loading of the elements nitrogen and
phosphorus. Any creature that has been brought into a foreign habitat may be exotic or
unnatural species. This import can pose substantial hazards to indigenous species since they
typically compete for resources, illnesses and predation. If these species have colonized the
area successfully, they are already considered "invasive." Over-exploitation refers to animals
and natural resources being overhosted at rates faster than in the wild. This is why the
population of animals is placed in tremendous danger of decreasing.
8. Discuss how an expanded ecological awareness might impact social work theory and
practice.
Ecological social work knows from the environmental point of view that there is no individual
in a vacuum. We belong to complex physical, mental and spiritual systems. While traditional
methods of social work assist customers to better adapt themselves to their environment, they
can focus on environmental impacts through an ecological approach to their social work. Not
only for customers but also their society, political and spiritual communities, this holistic
technique might offer superior results.
9. Briefly describe some of the major global environmental challenges that are contributing to
ecological disaster and decline.
There is no doubt about the basic science of the "greenhouse effect," which leads to heating.
Further details are based on numerical climate models integrating the fundamental physical
and dynamic equations that describe the entire climactic system. Many of the potential climate
change characteristics can be recognized (such as higher heat waves, rainfall increases,
frequency increases and the intensity of many extreme climate events). Global environmental
issues are a phrase about how vast quantities of carbon dioxide, the most important of which
is carbon dioxide, emits to the air from large amounts of greenhouse gases, in particular fossil
fuels (carbons, oil and gas) and large-scale deforestation, affect the environment. These
gasses absorb infrarot radiation from the surface of the Earth and serve as cloths over the
surface to maintain the surface hotter than otherwise. Climate changes are linked to this
warming. Some of the feedback within the climate system (in which the quantity of change
overall is affected) and much of the details of predicted regional change remain substantially
unclear. Great global warming is a major environmental challenge facing the world because
of their severe impacts on human communities (including significant sea-level growth for
example) and on ecosystems. It is both required to adjust to the unavoidable effects and
reduce their magnitude. The world's scientific and political communities are taking
international action. The biggest difficulty, given the need for urgent measures, is to transition
quickly to significantly higher energy efficiency and energy supplies from non-fossil fuels. This
report gives the first wide study on the influence on historical structures, funeral archeology,
parks and gardens of climate change. Research coincided with the release of climate change
and other research examining the influence on the protection of the environment and the
gardens.
10. Discuss how the loss of biodiversity contribute to global environmental decline.
Biodiversity loss refers to human, plant or animal extinction around the planet. The decline in
the number of species within a particular habitat is also included. Either reversible or effective
permanent environmental degradation leading to the loss may occur. However, the global
extinction has been noted to date to be irreversible. Let us take a look at the rate of biodiversity
loss in order to understand the seriousness of the problem. The current rate of loss of
biodiversity is projected to be between 100 and 1000 times the rate of natural extinction and
is still predicted to increase in the future. This biodiversity loss has several effects on human
as well as animal lives. Sadly, the loss of biodiversity is greatly due to human activity. Human
beings are indiscriminately harnessing natural resources such as land and water. Direct or
indirect human actions have a deleterious influence on biodiversity, according to the
Convention on Biological Diversity. Direct factors include changes of local land use,
introduction or removal of species, harvesting, pollution of air and water and climate change.
Demographic, economic, technical, cultural and religious elements include indirect human
forces.
Activity 2:
__C_ ___1. A 'habitat' is:
a) A place to buy furniture and furnishings
b) The same as an ecosystem
c) A particular area inhabited by plants and animals
d) The number of different organisms living in a specific area
__B_
___2. How an organism is suited to live in a particular place is called:
a) Competition
b) Adaptation
c) Addition
d) Participation
__A_
___3. ‘Biodiversity’ is described as:
a) A. The range of different species in an environment
b) B. The seasonal and daily changes in an environment
c) C. The way species differ from one another
d) D. The influence of physical factors on an environment
__B_
___4. Which of these is a correct food chain?
a) A. Fish< fries< ketchup
b) B. Man <cow <grass
c) C. Cow >slaughterhouse >supermarket
d) D. Cow <Milk< Man
__C_
___5. The arrows in a food chain show:
a) A. Who eats who
b) B. The route of food to the shops
c) C. The movement of energy between organisms
d) D. Heat energy being lost
__B_ ___6.
Rabbits are
important
grazers, maintaining
some
important grassland
habitats. If another catastrophe were to reduce rabbit populations what would happen?
a) Important grassland butterflies would be lost
b) There would be more grass for the surviving rabbits
c) The grassland would be invaded by trees and shrubs
d) All of the above
__B_
___ 7. A food web:
a) A. Is made by a food spider
b) B. Shows how feeding relationships are interlinked
c) C. Shows the number of organisms in a habitat
d) D. Only shows important animals
__C_
___8. Which of these are not competed for by plants?
a) A. Light
b) B. Minerals
c) C. Warmth
d) D. Water
__A_ ___9. Many pesticides are stored in an animal’s body fat. If a pesticide got into a lake, which
organism would have the highest level?
a) Eagle
b) Fish
c) Microscopic animals
d) Microscopic plants
__C_
___10. The biggest impacts are made on the environment by:
a) A. The migration of organisms
b) B. Predation
c) C. Human interference
d) D. Competition
__D_
___11. Which of the following would represent an ecosystem?
a) A lake
b) A fish tank
c) A prairie
d) all of these.
__C_
___12. All the nonliving parts of an ecosystem are referred to as:
a) the community
b) biotic factors
c) abiotic factors
d) biomes
__A_
___13. Which of the following would be a biotic factor in an ecosystem?
a) bacteria
b) soil
c) temperature
d) rainfall
__A_ ___14. The types and numbers of species in a given area is most greatly determined by the area's:
a) biotic factors
b) precipitation
c) climate
d) biodiversity
__B_ ___15. Abiotic factors affect an ecosystem and include all of these except the
a) quantity and quality of water
b) nitrogen-fixing bacteria
c) amount of light available
d) quantity of minerals
__C_ ___16. Collectively, physical factors such as light, temperature, and moisture that affect an
organism's life and survival are called the
a) biotic environment
b) ecosystem
c) abiotic environment
d) niche
__B_ ___17. The rate of photosynthesis carried on by plants living in a body of water depends upon the
a) oxygen content of the water
b) amount of light that penetrates the water
c) nitrogen content of the water
d) elevation of the body of water
__C_
___18. Ecology is the study of the interaction of living organisms
a) with each other and their habitat.
b) and their communities.
c) with each other and their physical environment.
d) and the food they eat.
__D_
___19. Ecological models are useful for
a) making predictions about future ecological changes.
b) testing predictions about future ecological changes.
c) evaluating proposed solutions to environmental problems.
d) All of the above
__D_ ___20. Which of the following would not be included in a description of an organism’s niche?
a) its trophic level
b) the humidity and temperature it prefers
c) when it reproduces
d) its number of chromosomes