People and Earth’s Ecosystem A Module VIRGIE P. TAN, Ph.D. Course Facilitator NOTES TO STUDENTS “The Earth will not continue to offer its harvest, except with faithful stewardship. We cannot say we love the land and then take steps to destroy it for use by future generations.’ -John Paul II This module People and Earth’s Ecosystem deals with the impact of human activities on the environment, as well as the consequences of environmental modification on human activity (CMO No. 20 s. 2013). It talks about the People and the Earth where the people live. It also talks about how the people living in it utilized and managed what Earth has to offer. It comprises four units: Unit 1: The Human Population which focuses on how the students could explain the human population growth using graphs, tables or charts, design human population growth and distribution chart and gather, organize, and interpret human population dynamics data; Unit 2: Ecosystems: What are they and how do they Work?’. It discusses about the characteristics of life as to how would it meant to be alive, likewise discuss the major components of the ecosystem, the transformation of energy in the ecosystem and explain the various nutrient cycles in the ecosystem; Unit 3: Anthropogenic Impact to Environment which focuses on describing the human impact to the environment in terms of pollution, land degradation, biodiversity loss, global warming and human health as well as developing awareness on the anthropogenic impact to the environment; and Unit 4: Environmental Sustainability which focuses on describing an environmental sustainable society, Philippine Environmental Laws, and mitigating environmental issues in a community. You can also see in this module that activities are provided to supplement your learning. Go over with each of the activity provided and come up with a scholarly output. As you go along with this module, may you be enlightened of what was happening around us and thus how humans contributed to its devastation. Remember that Earth is what WE ALL have in common, this is OUR Home and this is OUR Life! Conserve it, protect it and nurture it for our use and for the use of future generations. LEARNING TIPS To help you cope with this new normal, below is the list of some tips that that would be of benefit to you as you go along with this module. • Discipline yourself. Set aside some time each day to work on this module. If possible, study at the same time and in the same place so you are comfortable with your study surroundings. Learning at a distance requires discipline and motivation. • Go through the module unit by unit. • Note any words you do not understand. Look them up in a dictionary or other reference source or discuss them with your colleagues. You may look through internet if you have internet connections. • Underline or highlight important passages. Make summary notes in the margins of long passages. Writing will help you to remember the material. • Read the assignment instructions carefully. Then, do all the self-assessment activities. • It may be difficult, but try to meet occasionally with your course facilitator to discuss the content and application of suggestions provided in this module. • If you experience difficulty in understanding some aspect of the module, do not despair! You are meant to be challenged. Do not give up! Just remember that your goal is to be the best teacher that you can be. TABLE OF CONTENTS Unit I: The Human Population Lesson 1: Human Population Growth 1 2 a. Philippines Population 2 b. Philippines Demographics 4 b.1. Life Expectancy Lesson 2: Human Population Dynamics 4 6 a. Age Structure 6 b. Population Density 6 c. Population Distribution 8 d. Birth Rate 8 e. Death Rate 8 Unit 2: Ecosystems: What are they and how do they Work? 11 Lesson 1: What keeps us and other Organisms Alive? 11 Lesson 2: Ecosystem Structure 13 a. Abiotic Components 13 b. Biotic Components 14 Lesson 3: Energy Flow in Ecosystems 14 a. Food Chain 15 b. Food Web 15 Lesson 4: What happens to Matter in an Ecosystem? 16 a. Nutrient Cycles in the Ecosystem 17 a.1. Water Cycle 17 a.2. Carbon Cycle 18 a.3. Nitrogen Cycle 18 ***MIDTERM EXAMINATIONS***
