C3 - Biodiversity at The Species Level

Biodiversity at
the Species
Level
Chapter 3
Introduction
O The diversity of life at the species level
refers to the numbers of genetically and
evolutionarily independent groups of
organisms on earth.
O A defined geographic area supporting a

large number and wide variety of
organisms is said to be “biodiversity – rich
“’.
How many species are there?
Global estimates of species diversity range from as
low 5 to as high as 30 million species (Wilson 1988 et
al.).
But today the Global Species Assessment reports a

total of more than 1.5 million described species of
plants and animals ( Baillie et al. 2004).
Plants
O Species endemism in the Philippine plants is
about 45% - 60% of known native species.
O Species diversity in the Philippines is highest in
the lowland tropical rainforest found at low to
medium altitudes.
O Most diverse at 1000 – 2000 meters elevation, in
montane forest.
O Lowland forests covered more than 70% of the
country in the early 1900s, supporting at least
200 – 360 species of trees.
Animals
The global estimate of described animals
(invertebrates and vertebrates) is more than
1.2 million species representing
approximately 80% of the 1.5 million
currently known species. In general small
organisms such as insects represent the most
numerous species for any given taxonomic
grouping.
Animals
The most diverse animals in the world are the arthropods of which
some 95,000 are insects and 40,000 are crustaceans. Molluscs are
represented by 70,000 described species.
Vulnerable Species
Animals
O
Invertebrates and lesser known species of the Philippines
Insects – 21,000 species and 70% endemic

Molluscs – approximately 22,000 species and
endemism of 2-4%
Coral reefs - 430 species and only 12 species are known
to be endemic
Animals
O Vertebrates
Fishes – 28,500- 28,900 species

Birds – 9,917 species
Mammals – 5,416 species
Animals
a. Mammals of the Philippines
Listing of Philippine terrestrial mammals 172
native species (1998)
Marine mammals
O Dugong
O Spinner dolphin
O Spotted dolphin
Birds of the Philippines
Listing of Philippine birds in the year 1986
consisted of 940-975 species, representing 28
genera and 17 families, which is 195-396 species
are endemic.
In the year 2000 Philippine birds consisted of
577 species and 195 out of 396 species are
endemic.
O Flightless rail or Calayan rail and locally

known as PIDING
Reptiles of the Philippines
c. Current estimate of Philippine reptiles is about
258 species, of which 170 species are endemic.
O Turtles
O Crocodiles
O Snakes
O Lizards
Amphibians of the
Philippines
A total of 101 species (3 caecilians and 98
frogs) of the Philippine amphibians are
currently recognized and 78 species are
endemic.
Fishes of the Philippines
More than 3,000 fish species 2,819

marine and 308 fresh water and 70-80
are endemic.
Nearly 80 species are endemic, most of
which live in freshwater. Examples in
Taal Lake, Lanao Lake. The Sardinella
tawilis (Cyprinidae) endemic in Taal
lake.
Classification of Freshwater
Fishes
Primary fresh water fishes – exclusively found in
fresh water.
Black Crappie Channel catfish

Critically Endangered
Fishes
Mekong Giant Fish (Paedocypris prognetica) – the
world’s smallest vertebrate in the Indonesian peat Silver arowana (Osteoglossum bicirrhosum) of
swamps; the amazing archer fish of mangroves. tropical rainforest habitats.
Classification of
Freshwater Fishes
Secondary fresh water fishes – predominantly marine origin but now
confined to freshwater and usually tolerant in brackish water (salt –
tolerant fish).
Salmon Eel
Classification of
Freshwater Fishes
Freshwater representatives of marine families – predominantly marine in
origin and permanently inhabiting freshwater habitats.
O Example: Catadromous fish, on the other hand, generally live in freshwater bodies of
water and only enter saltwater to spawn.
Classification of
Freshwater Fishes
Migratory Fishes
O Anadromous species live and feed mostly in the sea and
migrate to fresh water to breed, whereas catadromous species
live mostly in lakes or rivers and migrate to sea to breed.
Classification of
Freshwater Fishes
O Sporadic visitors – irregular but periodic visitors of freshwater
habitats.
Striped Red Mullet

Why are species counts/estimates
not consistent?
1. The species debate
2. Limitations of museum database
3. Biological surveys and inventory techniques
4. New discoveries and rapid loss
5. Knowledge gap and dynamic nature of
research
Endemicity
Endemism pertains to the restricted distributions of biota at any taxonomic level.
Thus a given species may be endemic to a single mountain range

(e.g. the Kitanglad Range)
Diversity and endemicity of living forms are influenced by the size of islands, the topography of the
landscape , and the extent of island isolation .
The areas or regions with long geographical isolation and which

have diverse topographic relief (such as the Philippines) usually
support many endemic populations.
Philippines is lies in Philippines is an archipelago of more than
tropical region – the 7,100 islands . These islands , with a wide
range of land areas, geological origins, and
center of world’s remoteness, have numerous types of habitats
biodiversity. and niches suitable for enormous varieties of
species of plants and animals.
Why the Philippines

is species-rich
Philippines consists of different forest

types at different elevations, and many
other forms of ecosystems of unique
geological origin and characteristics.
Implications of Pleistocene history to the distribution
pattern of Philippine endemics
The current distribution pattern of biodiversity in

the Philippines has been greatly influenced by
Ice-Age history of the country.
1. Pleistocene islands/faunal regions – Centers of

biodiversity
2. Faunal similarities within faunal regions
3. Speciation and colonization – isolated islands
Rarity in species
Rarity in species may be defined by a number of different traits
or by a combination of traits, such as narrow or restricted
geographical range, highly specialized habitat/niche, and small
population size. A rare species may also have associated life
history traits.
Jade vine Waling – waling Rafflesia

Where is biodiversity
concentrated?
Biodiversity is everywhere in the biosphere (which is
define as the living layer in the earth).
Organisms are distributed into 8 biogeographical regions,

namely;
Afrotropical
Antartic
Australasian
Indo-Malayan
Neartic
Neotropical
Oceania
Palearctic
General Trends n Species
Diversity and Distribution
O Tropical conditions usually support high diversity
O Within a given latitude, elevation has an influence
on biodiversity.
O There is a correlation between area and species
diversity.
O Ecosystems with more structural complexity
harbor more species.
The End

C3 - Biodiversity at The Species Level

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Biodiversity at

O A defined geographic area supporting a

But today the Global Species Assessment reports a

Insects – 21,000 species and 70% endemic

Fishes – 28,500- 28,900 species

O Flightless rail or Calayan rail and locally

More than 3,000 fish species 2,819

Black Crappie Channel catfish

Striped Red Mullet

Thus a given species may be endemic to a single mountain range

The areas or regions with long geographical isolation and which

Why the Philippines

Philippines consists of different forest

The current distribution pattern of biodiversity in

1. Pleistocene islands/faunal regions – Centers of

Jade vine Waling – waling Rafflesia

Organisms are distributed into 8 biogeographical regions,

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