This document provides definitions and concepts related to environment, natural resources, ecology, and ecosystems. It discusses key terms like ecology, environment, ecosystem, resource, and carrying capacity. It also outlines different types of resources like physical, biological, human, and cultural resources. Finally, it discusses ecosystems, biodiversity, and ecosystem services like provisioning, regulating, and cultural services.

1. ENVIRONMENT AND
NATURAL RESOURCES
For. Jose M. Regunay, PhD
Assistant Professor 3, SURP
09 March 2016
SCURP 2016
A BASIC COURSE IN URBAN AND REGIONAL PLANNING (ABC in URP)
Training and Extension Services Division
3/F Cariño Hall, School of Urban and Regional Planning
University of the Philippines - Diliman, Quezon City
7-11 March 2016

2. KEY DEFINITIONS AND
CONCEPTS

3. • Defined as the study of the relation of organisms or group
of organisms and their environment or the science of the
inter-relations between the living organisms and their
environment.
• Study of the structure and function of nature that includes
mankind.
• The totality or pattern of relations between organisms and
their environment.
• Derived from the Greek word “oikos” (house or place to
live)
ECOLOGY

4.  Environment
 Refers to our surroundings.
 Refers to the physical and biological systems which
provide our basic life support, and which contribute to our
psychological well-being.
 Closely related to ecology which involves the study of
reciprocal relationships of all organisms to each other and
to other biological and physical environment.

5. • The plant and animal communities and physical
environment in a particular area
• An arrangement of living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic)
things and the forces that move among them. Living
things include plants and animals including humans. Non-
living parts of ecosystems may be soil, rocks and
minerals. Weather and wildfire are two of the forces that
act within ecosystems.
• Ecological system
• System – regularly interacting and interdependent
components forming a unified whole.
ECOSYSTEM

6. • If resource is scarce relative to demand, then it is referred
to as limited resource.
• Non-renewable resources occur in fixed amounts and can
be fully utilized (such as space) or depleted (such as
mineral resources).
• Renewable resources (such as food) are produced at a
fixed rate with which the rate of exploitation attains an
equilibrium.
• A substance or object required by an organism for normal
maintenance, growth and reproduction.
RESOURCE

7. • Socio-cultural resources
• Natural resources
 Physical resources
 Biological resources
TYPES OF RESOURCES

8. • Soil
• Water
• Atmosphere
• Geologic and mineral resources
• Energy resources
PHYSICAL RESOURCES

9. • Terrestrial flora (plants) and fauna (animals)
• Aquatic flora and fauna (freshwater, coastal,
marine)
• Micro-organisms
BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES

10. • Population structure
• Human activities
• Societal groupings
• Culture
• Built environment
HUMAN RESOURCES

11. • Transition zone between the lithosphere and the
atmosphere
• Properties result from the integrated effect of
climate and living matter acting upon parent
material over periods of time.
• Characteristics and classifications (soil series,
permeability, texture, profiles, erosion potential,
drainage potential, catenas or associations
Soils

12. • Groundwater – water that fills all unblocked
pores of materials lying beneath the surface.
• Surface water – water that flows above the
ground (rivers, streams, lakes).
• Estuary – semi-enclosed coastal body of water
which has free connection with the open sea
(swamps, brackish water).
• Coastal and marine
Water

13. • Climate – encompasses the elements of
temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, wind,
rainfall and other meteorological elements in given
large area over long periods of time.
• Micro-climate – climates found within small space
grouped together as a result of variations in
meteorological conditions due differences in slope,
ground orientation, soil type and moisture, vegetation
and height.
• Ventilation – circulation of fresh air across the
landscape due to variation in landforms and wind
direction.
Atmosphere

14. • Rocks units
 Igneous rocks which cool form molten liquid.
 Sedimentary rocks which are derived form pre-
existing rock or tock minerals by surficial geological
processes of weathering, transportation, and
deposition or as a result of chemical and biological
processes.
 Metamorphic rocks which form from existing
rocks as a result of heat or pressure changes in the
crust of the earth.
• Metallic and non-metallic mineral resources
Geologic and Mineral Resources

15. • Geothermal energy
• Solar power
• Wind power
Energy resources

16. • Habitats and plant types (ferns, gymnosperms or
conifers, and angiosperms or flowering plants)
• Variables include: percent vegetation cover,
species richness and abundance, relative
frequency, relative density, ecological dominance,
importance value, spatial distribution, rarity,
endemicity.
BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES
Terrestrial Flora

17. • Habitats include lakes, rivers, and streams
• Limited studies of freshwater fauna
• Part of limnology
Aquatic Flora (freshwater)

18. • Habitats and plant types (seagrasses, seeweeds,
phytoplanktons, algae)
• Variable include: percent vegetation cover,
species composition, species richness and
abundance, relative frequency, relative density,
biomass volume.
Aquatic Flora (coastal/marine)

19. • Habitats and animal types (mammals, birds,
reptiles, amphibians)
• Variables include: species totals, species relative
abundance, species richness or diversity,
endemism, threatened and endangered species,
trophic relations)
Terrestrial Fauna

20. • Habitats and animal types (fishes, crustaceans,
other invertebrates)
• Variables include: species totals, species
composition, species relative abundance, species
richness or diversity, frequency, density, endemism,
threatened and endangered species, trophic
relations)
Aquatic Fauna (freshwater)

21. • Habitats and animal types (fishes, coral reefs,
marine mammals, crustaceans, other
invertebrates)
• Variables include: species totals, species
composition, species relative richness and
abundance, frequency, density, endemism,
threatened and endangered species)
Aquatic Fauna (marine)

22. • Biologists define carrying capacity as the maximum
population of a given species that can survive indefinitely
in a given environment.
• It was originally applied to relatively simple population-
environments such as the number of sheep or cattle that
could be maintained on grazing land without degrading
the land so that it could no longer support the animals.
• Depends on the conditions and resources available in
the specific area, and the consumption habits of the
species, both of which change over time.
• Carrying capacity is a measure of sustainability within
these changing conditions
CARRYING CAPACITY

23. Carrying capacity refers to
the number of individuals
who can be supported in a
given area within natural
resource limits, and without
degrading the natural social,
cultural and economic
environment for present and
future generations.
Source: The Carrying
Capacity Network
• Human Application

24. • Habits of humans are much more variable than those
of other animal species, making it considerably more
difficult to predict the carrying capacity of the earth for
human beings.
• Gave rise to IPAT Equation which pointed out that
carrying capacity for humans was a function not only of
population size, but also of differing levels of
consumption, which in turn are affected by the
technologies involved in production and consumption
I = P X A X T
I = environmental impact
P = population
A = affluence
T = technology

25. • The carrying capacity for any given area is not fixed. It
can be altered by improved technology, but mostly it
is changed for the worse by pressures which
accompany a population increase.
• Therefore, carrying capacity
 Not an absolute number
 Depends on available resources and per capita
consumption .

26. Ecological foot print is the
measure of the load imposed by
a given population on the
Earth‘s ecosystem. It represents
the land area necessary to
sustain current levels of
resource consumption and
waste discharge by that
population.
ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT
Wackernagel, M., Rees, W. (1996), Our Ecological Footprint: Reducing Human Impact on the Earth, New
Society Publishers, Gabriola Island.

27. • It represents the amount of biologically productive land
and sea area needed to regenerate the resources a
human population consumes and to absorb and render
harmless the corresponding waste.
• It is possible to estimate how much of the Earth (or
how many planet Earths) it would take to support
humanity if everybody lived a given lifestyle.
• For 2006, humanity's total ecological footprint was
estimated at 1.4 planet Earths – in other words,
humanity uses ecological services 1.4 times as fast as
Earth can renew them

28. • Footprint is measured in units. Each unit corresponds
to one global hectare of biologically productive space.
• In 2003, the average biologically productive area per
person worldwide was approximately 1.8 global
hectares (gha) per capita. The U.S. footprint per
capita was 9.6 gha, and that of Switzerland was 5.1
gha per person, while China's was 1.6 gha per
person.

29. • Where we are now?

30.  Life-support Systems
• Hydrologic/Water Cycle – describes the continuous
movement of water on, above and below the surface of the earth.

31. • Nutrient Cycle – is a pathway by which a chemical element or molecule
moves through both biotic (biosphere) and abiotic (litosphere, atmosphere,
and hydrosphere) compartments of earth.

32. • Energy Cycle – describes the flow of energy in
ecosystems.

33.  The Foodweb Model
• Food webs provide a scientific framework for
comprehensively determining the interrelationship among
the major animal and plant communities in a given
ecosystem
• Food web is a map of feeding interactions within the
ecosystem, and because these feeding interactions
provide essential ecological organization, knowledge of
these relationships is vital in managing ecological
resources on a sustainable basis

36. ECOSYSTEMS,
BIODIVERSITY, AND
ECOSYSTEM SERVICES

37.  Ecosystem categories under
Philippine Agenda 21
Forest/upland/mountain
 Lowland/agricultural
 Freshwater
Urban/built-up
Coastal and marine

38. Forest Ecosystem
1) Protected forest
primary growth, closed canopy
second growth with >50% slope or >1000m elevation
protected forests under NIPAS
2) Production forest
residual dipterocarp
rangelands or grazing lands
integrated forest management areas
community-based forest management areas
multiple use zones and buffer zones in NIPAS areas

39. Lowland/Agricultural Ecosystem
1) Croplands
cereals (food and feed crops)
other food crops
industrial or cash crops
2) Livestock
beef, cattle and dairy
poultry and piggery
3) Fisheries
fishponds
fishpens
catch fisheries

40. Freshwater Ecosystem
1) Surface waters
rivers
lakes
reservoirs
other impoundments
2) Groundwater

41. Urban Ecosystem
1) Built up areas
residential
commercial
industrial
institutional
utilities and infrastructures
2) Urban wastes
solid
liquid
hazardous
3) Air pollution
mobile sources
stationary sources

42. Coastal/Marine Ecosystem
1) Mangroves
2) Marshes, swamps and wetlands
3) Sand dunes
4) Seagrass beds
5) Small islands, coral atolls
6) Coral reefs

43. BIODIVERSITY
• Biological diversity
• Variety of life on Earth
• It comprises all living things, from
the microscopic viruses, big and
small creatures, plants, animals and
people.
• Biodiversity includes expansive
landscapes embracing a variety of
ecosystems such as forests, rivers,
lakes, farmlands, urban areas, and
the coastal and marine areas, that
host these living things.

44. • Biodiversity also concerns the
relationships between and among
these living creatures and their
communities.
• They co-exist in a network of
relationships and their conditions
and survival regulated by
cooperation, competition,
predation, symbiosis or
parasitism.

45. • This delicately balanced inter-
relationship, referred to as the web
of life, is the source of food, fresh
water, wood, fibre, genetic
resources, medicines, and
ornamental and cultural products,
and fuel such as firewood, security
from natural and human-made
disasters, and other life supporting
and enhancing systems and
processes.
• Every member of this community
plays an essential role in keeping
this web in balance.

46. • People, as part of the ecosystem,
are integral component of
biodiversity.
• Even within the urban life of people
which may appear as detached from
the “natural” environment, human
communities remain intimately
connected with ecosystems and
their processes through their diets,
recreational activities, use of
materials, water and a lot other
services and benefits obtained from
biodiversity resources and
ecosystems.

47. Levels of Biodiversity
• Genetic diversity - Variability within the species (genes)
• Species diversity - Total number of species occurring in a particular area
• Ecosystems diversity - Variety of ecosystems within a geographical
boundary

48. Figure 1. Biodiversity exists within and across ecosystems
Source: Regunay, 2015

50. Provisioning Services
• Food and fiber. This includes the vast range of food
products derived from plants, animals, and microbes, as
well as materials such as wood, jute, hemp, silk, and
many other products derived from ecosystems.
• Fuel. Wood, dung, and other biological materials serve as
sources of energy.
• Genetic resources. This includes the genes and genetic
information used for animal and plant breeding and
biotechnology.
• Biochemicals, natural medicines, and pharmaceuticals.
Many medicines, biocides, food additives such as
alginates, and biological materials are derived from
ecosystems.

51. • Ornamental resources. Animal products, such as skins
and shells, and flowers are used as ornaments, although
the value of these resources is often culturally
determined. This is an example of linkages between the
categories of ecosystem services.
• Fresh water. Fresh water is another example of linkages
between categories—in this case, between provisioning
and regulating services.

52. Regulating Services
• Air quality maintenance. Ecosystems both contribute
chemicals to and extract chemicals from the atmosphere,
influencing many aspects of air quality.
• Climate regulation. Ecosystems influence climate both locally
and globally. For example, at a local scale, changes in land
cover can affect both temperature and precipitation. At the
global scale, ecosystems play an important role in climate by
either sequestering or emitting greenhouse gases.
• Water regulation. The timing and magnitude of runoff, flooding,
and aquifer recharge can be strongly influenced by changes in
land cover, including, in particular, alterations that change the
water storage potential of the system, such as the conversion
of wetlands or the replacement of forests with croplands or
croplands with urban areas.

53. • Erosion control. Vegetative cover plays an important role in
soil retention and the prevention of landslides.
• Water purification and waste treatment. Ecosystems can be a
source of impurities in fresh water but also can help to filter
out and decompose organic wastes introduced into inland
waters and coastal and marine ecosystems.
• Regulation of human diseases. Changes in ecosystems can
directly change the abundance of human pathogens, such as
cholera, and can alter the abundance of disease vectors,
such as mosquitoes.
• Biological control. Ecosystem changes affect the prevalence
of crop and livestock pests and diseases.

54. • Pollination. Ecosystem changes affect the distribution,
abundance, and effectiveness of pollinators.
• Storm protection. The presence of coastal ecosystems such
as mangroves and coral reefs can dramatically reduce the
damage caused by hurricanes or large waves.

55. Cultural Services
• Cultural diversity. The diversity of ecosystems is one
factor influencing the diversity of cultures.
• Spiritual and religious values. Many religions attach
spiritual and religious values to ecosystems or their
components.
• Knowledge systems (traditional and formal). Ecosystems
influence the types of knowledge systems developed by
different cultures.
• Educational values. Ecosystems and their components
and processes provide the basis for both formal and
informal education in many societies.
• Inspiration. Ecosystems provide a rich source of
inspiration for art, folklore, national symbols, architecture,
and advertising.

56. • Aesthetic values. Many people find beauty or aesthetic
value in various aspects of ecosystems, as reflected in
the support for parks, “scenic drives,” and the selection of
housing locations.
• Social relations. Ecosystems influence the types of social
relations that are established in particular cultures.
Fishing societies, for example, differ in many respects in
their social relations from nomadic herding or agricultural
societies.
• Sense of place. Many people value the “sense of place”
that is associated with recognized features of their
environment, including aspects of the ecosystem.

57. • Cultural heritage values. Many societies place high value
on the maintenance of either historically important
landscapes (“cultural landscapes”) or culturally
significant species.
• Recreation and ecotourism. People often choose where
to spend their leisure time based in part on the
characteristics of the natural or cultivated landscapes in
a particular area.

58. Supporting Services
• Supporting services are those that are necessary for the
production of all other ecosystem services. They differ
from provisioning, regulating, and cultural services in that
their impacts on people are either indirect or occur over
a very long time, whereas changes in the other
categories have relatively direct and short-term impacts
on people. Some other examples of supporting services
are primary production, production of atmospheric
oxygen, soil formation and retention, nutrient cycling,
water cycling, and provisioning of habitat.

59. THE ECOSYSTEM SITUATION IN THE
PHILIPPINES
Ecosystem Key Issues
Urban/built-up Pollution, rapid urban growth
and expansion, informal
settlements, solid waste
disposal
Coastal/Marine Use conflicts, pollution,
declining productivity, poverty,
absence of integrated planning
framework, overlapping
jurisdiction

60. Ecosystem Key Issues
Lowland Agricultural Land conversion, land degradation,
declining productivity, lack of
technical, financial, infrastructure and
marketing support, pollution
Forest Degradation, low production,
encroachment, illegal occupancy,
loss of biodiversity, unsustainable
management, erosion,
underutilization of non-timber
resources, weak institutional capacity

61. Ecosystem Key Issues
Freshwater Lack of national policy and
management framework,
pollution, siltation, excessive
groundwater abstraction,
conflicting uses, overlapping
jurisdiction, inadequate data

62. LOCAL ENVIRONMENT
AND NATURAL
RESOURCES PLANNING

63. Local Planning and Development Model
LONG TERM FRAMEWORK
PLAN
MEDIUM TERM
DEVELOPMENT PLAN
IMPLEMENTATION
INSTRUMENTS
OUTPUTS
OUTCOMES

64. ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT PLAN
 The ENRMP is a component plan of the medium term
Municipal Comprehensive Development Plan
 The ENRMP will contain the proposed environmental
measures/ strategies, programs and projects in the medium
term.
 The programs and projects identified in the ENRMP will
have to be incorporated in the LDIP of the LGU.
 The proposed policies will have to be part of the Legislative
Agenda of the LGU.

65. SOCIO-ECONOMIC
PROFILE
ADDITIONAL SURVEYS
CLUP
PA 21, OTHER NATIONAL
LAWS
ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
AND CONCERN
ENVIRONMENTAL
SCENARIO
ENVIRONMENTAL
STRATEGIES
POLICIES, PROGRAM,
PROJECTS
ENRMP
LDIP
ECOSYSTEM
DELINEATION
NATIONAL,
REGIONAL , PROVINCIAL
AREA PLANS
LGU MANDATES
and thrusts
LGU MANDATES
and thrusts
GOALS, MISSION
and OBJECTIVES
INPUT LINE
ACTIVITY
SEQUENCE
ECOLOGICAL
PROFILE
ENVIROMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLANNING PROCESS

66. Thank you for your
attention!