Philippines Biodiversity Hotspots the wild, critical, or

endangered.
The Philippines hold the distinction  174 mammalian species (111
as the only country in the region as are endemic), the archipelago
a biodiversity hotspot because of has the greatest concentration
geological movement, tropical of terrestrial mammalian
weather and once extensive forest diversity in the world and the
cover or the country have combined greatest concentration of
to develop high species diversity in endemic mammals in the
some groups of organisms and very world on a per unit basis.
high level of Some features of the
Philippines 'rich biodiversity In the last 15 years, field
include: researchers, mostly at high
elevation areas have found new
 It has more than 52,177 species in particular of murid
described species, half of rodents, in Luzon, Mindanao, and
which are endemic or found Mindoro. Several new species have
nowhere else on earth. There been discovered in small islands
are more than 1,130 such as Sibuyan (five new species)
terrestrial wildlife species and Camiguin (two new species),
recorded for the Philippines catapulting these islands to a new
(49 percent or half are status as centers of mammal
endemic); 157 are threatened endemism. Source: Protected Areas
(128 are threatened endemic). and Wildlife Bureau of the
 Floral diversity is in between Department of Environment and
10,000 and 14,000 species of Natural Resources (DENR) released
vascular and non-vascular the New Conservation Areas in
plants, more than half of
which are endemic. the Philippines Project
Altogether, the country is host (NewCAPP),2011
to some 5 percent of the
world's species of flora and is Threats to Biodiversity: Loss and
ranked 5th in the world in Extinction
terms of number of plant
species. Biodiversity is lost when
 An estimated total of 359 populations are great greatly
species of amphibians (101 reduced in size, when a species
species) and reptiles (258 becomes extinct or when extinct, or
species) are now known in the when ecosystems are destroyed or
country. Of the 359 species, greatly modified.
246 are endemic - currently
the highest known percentage Currently, the most rapid changes
endemism among vertebrates. affecting biodiversity are taking
576 species of birds (195 are place in developing countries. This
endemic). This record makes means that the harmful effects of
the Philippines the 4th biodiversity loss and the
country in the world terms of degradation of ecosystem services
bird endemism. About 45 are borne disproportionately by the
species are either extinct in poor.
1. Climate change and excessive Environment and Natural Resources-
nutrient loading are two major Forest Management Bureau) 2011
factors affecting biodiversity that Philippine Forest Statistics establish
are expected to become more severe that only about 24% remains of the
in the future. Better protection of country’s forest cover, with lows
biodiversity and natural assets will falling as badly as 20% in the late
require coordinated efforts across 1990s. Regardless of the slight
all levels of government, business, improvement over the past decade,
and international institutions. The these numbers still illustrate a
productivity of ecosystems depends severe drop from 70% at the start of
on policy choices in investment, the 20th century.
trade, subsidy, taxation, and
regulation, among others. Through the years, conversion of
land for residential and commercial
use has also contributed the same
effects in lower-lying habitats.

In like manner, marine habitats such

as coral reefs are being destroyed
by way of irresponsible and
unsustainable fishing and
aquaculture is harming marine
2. Habitat loss occurs when human habitats ecosystems all over the
activities result in the conversion of country. Notable examples of these
natural ecosystems to human- are dynamite and poison-dependent
dominated systems. The resulting fishing practices that are still being
changes eliminate or reduce practiced to this day, as well as
numbers of species that were a part more recent developments such as
of the original ecosystem. black sand mining in the northern
Philippines. As a result, the
The primary activities that result in Philippine coral reef system is down
habitat loss are farming, forestry, to 5% in terms of being in excellent
grazing by livestock, modification of condition, as over 32% are already
aquatic habitats, and conversion to severely damaged. The World
urban and industrial landscapes. Resources Institute more recently
(July 2013) reports that 85% of the
In the Philippines, deforestation reefs in the Coral Triangle (the
(forest denudation and region covering countries such as
fragmentation) is a leading cause of the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia,
habitat destruction that negatively et al.) are threatened, shadowing the
impacts biodiversity on an global average which stands at 60%.
exponential scale. Poorly controlled
logging and mining activities have
created mostly irreparable damage
to forest cover, affecting the diverse
assemblages of flora and fauna that
inhabit those primary forest
territories. Findings stated in the
DENR-FMB’s (Department of
3. Pollution easily dominate a certain area.
Because many natural species
Be it water, air, or land pollution, all survive only in a particular
forms of pollution appear to be a environment, they tend to be
threat to all life forms on Earth. displaced, or worse, perish.
However, it plays a major threat to
biodiversity when it comes to the Some places have very low
nutrient loading of the elements possibilities for the invasion of
nitrogen and phosphorus. species. Usually, these places
include those with harsh
environmental conditions like
extreme temperatures and high
salinity.

5. Overexploitation

Overexploitation refers to the act of

overharvesting species and natural
4. Invasive Species resources at rates faster than they
can actually sustain themselves in
An exotic or unnatural species can the wild. Because of this, species
be any kind of organism that has population is put into great risk of
been introduced to a foreign habitat. reduction.
This introduction can cause major
threats to the native species as they Overharvesting, overfishing, and
often become subjected to great overhunting are some examples of
competition for resources, disease, overexploitation.
and predation. When these species
have successfully colonized the Additionally, some species of living
area, they are already called organisms find it hard to reproduce
“invasive” ones. when their number is too small.

So as a population or ecosystem
continues to suffer from low species
diversity, the probability of getting
wiped out completely when a
natural disaster or other forces
increases.

If the act of overexploitation

 Next to habitat loss, invasive continues, it can ultimately bring
species are ranked as the extinction to many species, even if
second biggest threat to they still exist in the wild.
biodiversity.
 The greatest threat that
invasive species can bring is
their capability to change an
entire habitat. These species
are highly adaptable and can
 their current plight. It’s important
to note “misguided” in this
argument, because much of wildlife
trade today is driven by demand for
certain animal parts that are used
for by products that promise
unproven or non-scientific benefits.
Take, for instance, rhinoceros horns
and shark fins.
Exploitation of Natural Resources
and Wildlife Beyond such inappropriate hunting
practices, unsustainable means of
One more horrifyingly deliberate natural resource gathering are also
cause of biodiversity loss is the a legitimate concern. The state of
participation in the extraction and aquatic resources illustrates this
exploitation of natural resources, effect very well, as over-fishing and
including wildlife itself, for use of unsound fishing equipment
economic purposes. What started (trawl nets, dynamite, cyanide, et
out as mere “subsistence hunting al.) have contributed to a
and gathering” among traditional widespread fish stock depletion in
societies have been exacerbated into many areas around the world. Coral
far less sustainable practices upon mining is likewise an unsustainable
the advancement of international resource-gathering practice, and
economic relationships. equates with habitat destruction for
numerous marine species.
Perhaps even more worrying is the
fact that this happens both within Whether sold directly or used as
legal bounds as well as beyond food, raw materials for various
them. types of manufactured products,
and captive exhibition, the unsound
Mining and forestry – leading exploitation of natural resources
contributors to habitat destruction, and wildlife unequivocally
as described above – is also an irresponsible and unsustainable.
example of exploitative utilization of Unfortunately, a large fraction of
resources. Meanwhile, when it the public is unaware of the
comes to wildlife, the demand for ecological impact of this line of
“exotic” plants and animals, for trade, and are thus still drawn to
example, perpetuates the species their unique appeal.
decline crisis.
Extinction is the death of a species-
Many critically endangered species the elimination of all the individuals
today, both on land and at sea, have of a particular kind. Extinction is a
over-exploitative and misguided natural and common event in the
hunting and practices to blame for long history of biological evolution.