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ASIAN DEVELOPMENT FOUNADTION COLLEGE

P. BURGOS STREET
TACLOBAN CITY
S.Y. 2020-2021

MODULE 1

ENVIRONMENTAL
SCIENCE
(NAT SCI 4)
DISTANCE LEARNING FOR AN INDIVIDUALIZED LEARNING INSTRUCTIONS

FREDERICK NORADA LIPON

 ASIAN DEVELOPMENT FOUNDATION COLLEGE
P. BURGOS STREET
TACLOBAN CITY
S.Y. 2020-2021

Program Title:
Subject: ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE NAT.SCI 4
Topic/s: INTRODUCTION TO ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
Module: 1

LEARNING TARGETS:
a. Define ecology
b. Discuss the impact of science in society
c. Discuss the historical aspects of ecology, the relevance and relationships of ecology with
other fields and the application of law of ecology to human society.

SCIENCE AND ITS IMPACT ON SOCIETY

Science has transformed the world profoundly. The most visible change is the rapid
development of technology, not only in industry but also in agricultural and medicine. The current
material affluence of technologically developed societies, exemplified by abundant food supply,
adequate medical service and the variety of useful inventions can largely be traced to the
advancement of science.
In all developments, science has been regarded as a productive factor contributing to the
progress of society. Throughout history, mankind has been plagued by poverty, famine, and
pestilence. In the struggle for subsistence and survival, science and technology were the main
allies. In the past century, many of these problems were adequately dealt with and the developed
nations entered a new era of affluence. The preoccupation with subsistence has conditioned
social thought and ideology. Progress, expansion, higher standards of living, better health care
and so on, were considered undisputed social goals by everybody. Personal relations, ethics, law,
religions, were all oriented accordingly.
However, a drastic change has taken place in the past decade. The rapid industrial
development that accompanies the improving standard of living has created new problems. These
problems include the degradation of the environment which impoverishes our life and endangers
our health, and the depletion of our natural resources which disrupts and may eventually bring to
a halt our economic activities. The current energy crisis signals the beginning of one of our
resource problems.
As these new problems began to claim our attention, attitudes towards science and
technology changed. Suddenly, in the environmental movement, science and technology were
seen as villains because of the harm done to the environment. One case in point is the nuclear
power plant operation in Bataan which was questioned, delayed, then ultimately shut down
because of its possible environmental effects.

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 SCOPE AND MEANING OF ECOLOGY

Ecology is a scientific discipline interrelated with a wide variety of fields of study. Its primary focus
is on the individual’s relationships with the environment.
Now, we can also ask: Where is ecology found in the spectrum of life?
The biological spectrum contains the levels of the organization of life, namely: The protoplasm,
cell, tissue, organ, organ system, organism, population, community, ecosystem and biosphere.
(Figure 1.) Life starts with protoplasm which makes up a cell; a group of cells carrying out a
specific function forms a tissue; a group of tissues, an organ; a group of organs, an organ system.
An organism is made up an organ system. The levels form the protoplasm to the organ system
are within the organism. Ecology deals not with what is within the organism but with what is
outside the organism. The levels of organization that make up the outside the organism are
population, community, ecosystem and biosphere. A population is a group of organisms of the
same kind while community is a group of populations living together in a given place. The
ecosystem, the basic unit of ecology, refers to the interaction between the organism and its
environment. It includes population, community habitat, and the environment. The biosphere is
the world of life. It is part of the earth where life operates. It is a system capable of capturing,
converting, storing, and utilizing the energy of the sun to support life.

Ecology, therefore focuses on the relations of living organisms with each other and with their
environment. However, one who is interested in ecology will not comprehend the organism in
relation to his environment without understanding what is inside the organism. The nature of
individual’s behavior and responses to some factors in the environment is also dependent on the
biological make-up of the organism. This leads us to the implications of the biological spectrum.

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 1. Life begins with a mass of protoplasm and operates within the biosphere. It follows a
continuous pattern.
2. There is an increasing complexity as one proceeds from one level to another.
3. The levels of organization are interrelated with one another. One cannot exist without the
other, there cannot be a cell without a protoplasm, a tissue, without a cell etc.
4. The interrelationships of these different levels show that organism lives alone.

Indeed, life is to be lived not by one alone, but by and for all, so that homeostasis (equilibrium)
can be maintained. In its simplest essence, therefore, ecology is the harmonious partnership of
an organism with nature.

HISTORICAL ASPECTS OF ECOLOGY

Early in the 4th century, Theophrastus, an associate of Aristotle, first described the interrelation
between organism and their environment. It was only in 1866 however, that Ernest Haeckel, a
German zoologist, coined the word “OECOLOGIE” for this relationship.
It should be noted though that the very roots of ecology started way before this.

A. Early man as Hunter

Early man knew how to make us of his environment. He developed a detailed knowledge of
where to find food and water since his very survival depended on this. (Figure 2.)

However, this knowledge did not include knowing how to conserved hos natural resources. Due
to his nomadic ways, he would stay in one place and use up the food and water that could be
found there. As soon as he exhausted these resources, he would move on to another place and
repeat the same cycle.

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 B. The Rise of Agriculture
As man's knowledge of farming techniques and tools improved, he was able to cultivate larger
areas. In many places, cultivation of larger areas involved the burning of forests (Figure 3). On
these cleared lands, man planted the same crops year after year. Little effort was exerted to
restore the fertility of the soil by treating the land with organic matter such as chicken or cow dung.
The soil, then slowly lost its natural fertility. Unfortunately, destructive land use practices have not
been confined to ancient people. In the Philippines, numerous areas of virgin forest and land have
been denuded under the guise of economic and cultural development. Infrastructure which aims
to enhance the economic and cultural life of the people have been constructed at the expense of
the environment.

C. Ecology Prior to the Seventeenth Century

Ecological knowledge began with the development of biology and medicine as scientific
disciplines. Aristotle, the father of biology, classified animals according to their habitats and habits.
Theophrastus systematically studied plant types and forms in relations to altitude, moisture, and
light expo- sure. Hippocrates, the father of medicine, emphasized environmental factors in his
“On Airs, Waters and Places”
The “Parable of the Sower" which illustrates the de- pendence of seed germination on the soil
shows that the early Hebrews had ecological awareness.
During the twelfth century, Albertus Magnus, a naturalist, devoted his work on plants and their
environment.

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 In the late sixteenth century, Robert Boyle, some- times known as the first modern chemist,
related chemistry to vital processes in plants and animals. An evidence of this is his experiments
on the effects of low air pressure on various animals.
From the seventeenth century to the nineteenth century, certain field of study contributed to the
development of ecology as an independent discipline in the twentieth century. Let's look into the
distinctive contributions of these fields of study to ecological thought.

ECOLOGY: ITS RELEVANCE AND RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER FIELDS

Have you ever experienced walking through a flood? What did you feel? What can you say about
the smell and color of the water? If you examine this water under the microscope, what do you
think will you see?
Have you also observed garbage lying around the streets? It is a common sight to see people
scavenging among piles of garbage for things they can use or sell. We know that garbage that is
not properly disposed of is a desirable breeding place for mosquitoes, flies, and other pests as
well as bacteria that cause disease. Because the rate of infection among these people particularly
children is quite high.
These are just few examples of the environmental problem we have.
Studying ecology makes us aware of the problems that affect our environment. It gives us
information about the effects of fertilizers and pesticides on our health and the ecosystem, effects
of detergents on bodies of water as well as the dangers and risks of exposure to radiation, it
makes us understand the greenhouse effect, ozone depletion and red tide poisoning. It impresses
on us to impact the growing population has on our natural resources.
The principles that govern nature are also learned in ecology. An understanding of these
principles will make us appreciate the functions of nature. Appreciation of nature leads to caring
for nature. In ecology we do not only deal with plants and animals and their relationships. We also
deal with people their economics, politics, culture, and social life.

LAWS OF ECOLOGY: APPLICATION TO HUMAN SOCIETY

We have defined ecology as the study that deals with the interactions and relationships existing
in nature. Nature includes the living and non-living factors. The living component consists of the
plants and animals. Nonliving factors include water, light, air, soil, gases and other abiotic factors.
Plants carry out process of photosynthesis which require energy from the sun, water and carbon
dioxide to produce food and oxygen which in turn are needed by the animals for the process of
respiration.

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From this very simple interaction of the components, there are number of generalizations we can
formulate about the ecosphere which can be organized into a kind of informal set of “Laws of
Ecology”
These “Laws” can serve as guiding principle on how we should shape a society in harmony with
nature.
1. EVERYTHING IS CONNECTED TO EVERYTHING ELSE.
The food chain and food web have always been used to illustrate the relationship of the different
living components of the ecosystem. Being connected is seen not only in the relationship among
organisms but also in the relationship of organisms with physical factors. The type and distribution
of soil, for example affects the distribution of organisms.

2. THERE IS STRENGHT AND STABILITY IN THE UNITY OF DIFFERENCES

The ecosystem has different components, and each is needed for the ecosystem to function. The
producers (Plants), through the process of photosynthesis, produce oxygen (O 2) which is needed
by the consumers (animals) which, in turn, release carbon dioxide (CO 2) needed by the producers.
This concept also explains what occurs when a divers tropical forest is converted into a
monoculture plantation forest or an agricultural farm. The destruction of the forest kills birds of
prey such as owl, hawk, and eagle. The deaths of these predators result in an increase in the rat
population which destroy crops.

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 3. CONSUMPTION MUST NOT EXCEED PRODUCTION
Any ecosystem has the capacity to sustain life. This is called its carrying capacity. For an
ecosystem to exist, ability to provide for the necessities of life (carrying capacity) should not be
exceeded by consumption. In this ways, homeostasis or balance of nature is maintained.

4. EVERYTHING HAS A PURPOSE

Why are flowers colorful? So that the birds can be attracted to pollinate them. Why are cactuses
succulent? So they can store water in their bodies to enable then to survive in the dessert.
Fishes have scales for protection; plants grow tall so then it simply. It stresses that each of us has
a role to perform and responsibility to protect the environment. Ecological problems are not only
for ecologies but for all us to solve.

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WORKSHEET
Answer the following questions. Your answer for each questions should be 1-4 sentences.
Encode your answers and convert it into PDF. Send your answer in google classroom on or before
the deadline. (5 pts each)
Note: Copying of your answers with your classmates are not allowed. FYI. I am willing to read all
of your answers 1 by 1.
1. Discuss the impact of science on society.
2. Using the biological spectrum, explain the scope and meaning of ecology.
3. Trace the history of ecology and discuss how industrial revolution affected the conditions
of the environment.
4. How is ecology related to other disciplines?
5. How do you apply the laws of ecology to human society?

“Everything in the universe has a purpose. Indeed, the invisible intelligence that flows through
everything in a purposeful fashion is also flowing to you”

-KEEPSAFE-
-GODBLESS

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