Republic of the Philippines Northwest Samar State University ISO 9001:2015 Certified Rueda St., Calbayog City 6710 Website: http//www.nwssu.edu.ph Email: main@nwssu.edu.ph Telefax: (055) 2093657 Doc. Code: HRO-QF-09B Revision No.: 02 Eff.: 05/21/2020 NAME: Rona Mae M. Amoguez YEAR & SECTION: BSED- Values Education 2 Let’s Do This! 1. Discuss biodiversity with inhabitants and local people from your marine sites and/or your families and friends: What do they think biodiversity is? Why do you and they think it is important? • These are the thoughts I gained from them when discussing biodiversity issues with them. They believe that biodiversity plays an important role in the preservation of each species' ecosystems and the people who live in them, as well as in the preservation of the environmental cycle, which is normal and should not be disturbed by humans because it is the only way for our environment to remain stable by allowing species or organisms to adapt to changes in their environment. As a result, it is considered that because no one can stop it, humans should not interfere with it. It will be beneficial to everyone in the long run. We are all aware of the importance of biodiversity to us because living things such as ourselves rely on our environment for both essential and luxury needs. The animals that produce the meat we like eating (chickens, pigs, cows, fish, and other seafood) offer us with the vitamins our bodies require to stay healthy and disease-free. Plants and trees produce fruits and vegetables, which we consume. Everything we use and consume in our lives is a product of our environment, particularly with the help of biodiversity, which is in charge of sustaining the life cycles of many species that work together to keep the ecosystem healthy and balanced. 2. Which examples of your local environment (coastal & marine) come to your mind that clearly show the relevance of concepts presented in this module? Are there examples around us, where we can clearly see the relevance of concepts presented in this module? • Yes, there is a local example, both coastal and marine, that is related to the biodiversity concerns we are discussing and that is it causes a lot of pollution. I live near the seashore and one of the examples I've seen in our barangay are garbage being dumped in the near shore of our sea, which may cause diseases in children who play in the near shore on a regular basis, and fishes and other sea creatures contaminating the chemicals made from those trashes, which may also cause disease. Moreover, the pig farm in our barangay, which significantly pollutes our river particularly the Naga Bridge because pig waste is dumped there, affecting both the cleanliness and smell of the water, both of which are bad for those of us who use the water as well as the environment, particularly the fishes and other sea creatures that live in the nearby river. 3. What is the importance of biodiversity? What are the threats to biodiversity that needs to be addressed? • Ecosystems and species provide a variety of goods and services that are vital to human well-being in the short and long term, on both practical and spiritual and psychological levels. That is why biodiversity is important. It can be direct values such as production and consumption, as well as effective applications such as the use of food resources (from plants or animals) and other resources (Medicine, fuel, timber, household, etc.). Republic of the Philippines Northwest Samar State University ISO 9001:2015 Certified Rueda St., Calbayog City 6710 Website: http//www.nwssu.edu.ph Email: main@nwssu.edu.ph Telefax: (055) 2093657 Doc. Code: HRO-QF-09B Revision No.: 02 Eff.: 05/21/2020 In a nutshell, biodiversity is important for the following reasons: consumption, productivity, medical, ecological benefits, aesthetic purposes, cultural advantages, and option values. The present extinction rate is mostly due to habitat loss. Thousands, if not millions, of species may become extinct as a result of the degradation of tropical forests, coral reefs, coastlines, and other ecologically diverse environments. Due to irresponsible agricultural, livestock, and forestry practices, once-fertile landscapes have become deserts. However, the following biodiversity challenges must be addressed: ▪ The greatest dangers to species pollution and poaching are habitat destruction, hunting, and other human activities. ▪ Wildlife and human conflict despite being considered a social species, man is a negative and selfish entity by nature. Rules and regulations are meaningless unless they acknowledge the value of time. If these issues are not addressed while they are still present, biodiversity and other forms of life will become extinct. It worsens by the day, thus in order to keep it going, the treatments or conditions that were causing it must be addressed correctly.
