Biological diversity refers to the millions of plants, animals, and micro-organisms, the genes they contain and the intricate ecosystem they help build into the living environment.

Their total number is not known. However, experts estimate that worldwide they number about five million to 30 million. According to a report from World Wide Fund for Nature, scientists have identified and named about 1.4 million species of living organisms.

Of these, around 1.03 million are animals and 248,000 are higher plants. About 80 percent or more of the total species of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and fishes have been named while of the total plant species worldwide, at least 15 percent have yet to be named.

The value of biodiversity in terms of economic benefits is immeasurable. Experts claim that about 40 percent of the world's economy is based on biological products and processes.

In industrialized countries, WWF said, some 40 percent of all prescription durgs are derived from natural sources or have been synthesized from natural products. Yet only 5,000 of the 250,000 flowering plants in the world have been analyzed for their potential pharmacological values.

People in developing countries on the other hand, rely more on nature. The World Health Organization estimates that 80 percent of such people rely on traditional medicine -- generally based on wild plants and animals -- for their primary health care.

In Southeast Asia alone, about 6,500 plant species are used by traditional healers. Indian healers use around 2,500 plant species while China has catalogued over 5,000 medicinal plants of which 17,000 are in common use.

One example of a modern medicine derived from natural sources is the tubocurarine, a muscle relaxant used in surgery. Its source, the plant curare, is used by South American Indians to stun their prey by lacing the tips of their blowpipe darts.

Another pretty plant, the rosy periwinkle, found in Madagascar, yields a drug which increases the success rate to 4 in 5 for treatment of childhood leukemia.

Although plants have contributed the most to medicine and are therefore best documented, animals are also utilized, specially for research.

Some examples are the armadillo used in the production of anti-leprosy vaccines and the American bison, for its defense mechanism against cancer.

Marine resources are likewise studied. According to WWF, more than 500 marine organisms yield chemicals with anticancer potentials.

Didemnin, derived from sea squirts, is active against a broad range of viruses, ranging from colds and influenza to herpes and meningitis.

The contribution of biodiversity to industry is just as wide-ranged. Most natural starches are used in fabrics, glue, soaps, cosmetics, medicines, photographic film, explosives, car tyres, plastics and several industrial processes.

Natural fats and oil contribute to chemical manufacture, cosmetics, adhesives, inks, rust preventors, foods, beverages, lubricants, polishes, suncreens and adhesives.

LOSS OF DIVERSITY

Tropical forests, which originally covered 16 million kilometers, cover only 14 percent of the earth's land surface. By the mid 1970s, this was reduced to 10 million km of intact primary forest.

Experts blame population pressure or the human need for fuel, food, housing, land, minerals, industrial products and leisure for the disruption of ecosystems.

By one estimate, humanity has already used, directly or indirectly, almost 40 percent of the net primary production of the earth.

In the Philippines, the Environmental Management Bureau reported natural forest at 19 percent or 5.686 million hectares (has) of the country's total land area of 30 million has. in 1994. The figure represents a 2 percent decrease from 6.307 million has recorded in 1989.

The biggest tract of forest land is located in Region IV, closely followed by Region II. On the other hand, Region XI has the largest concentration of established forest reserves and timberland.

However, EMB reported an alarming rate of deforestation. A study conducted by EMB showed that while deforestation was about 10,000 has per annum in 1934, it has accelerated rapidly above 150,000 has in 1940s and 1950s as country experienced a post war boom in population and peaked at 300,000 has per annum in the late 1960s.

In the 1980s, when the government started stricter implementation of forest protection programs, deforestation rate dropped below 100,000 but again picked up from 1989 up to 1995 with an annual average rate of 130,000 has.

According to the 1990-95 Philippine Environmental Quality Report, forest fires rank as the most destructive cause of forest degradation, worsening during the El Nino, an extremely dry season phenomenon which recurs every seven to 10 years.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, Atmospheric Services Administration announced that the El Nino would hit the country by October,1997. So far, the Philippines has felt the devastating effects of El Nino in 1981-82, 1986-87 and 1991-92.

The report said that destruction of plantations and natural forests, including grasslands, due to wildfire average about 17,072.45 has annually from 1990 to 1994.

All of the forest fires recorded were the result of negligence, carelessness or misuse.

Logging is the second cause of deforestation. Although majority of the Timber License Agreements issued since 1930s were not renewed, the report said that the remaining 34 TLA holders control about 1.5 million has of forest land in 1995.

"The line between legal and illegal logging is not well-drawn, particularly as there ae reports of registered logging enterprises cutting down trees in areas outside their concession, or without performing the required reforestation, or in excess of their annual allowable cuts, among other. In these cases, they are operating illegally," the study said.

"It is estimated that only about 10 TLA holders strictly follow forestry regulations," it added.

Another cause of forest destruction is kaingin or the slash and burn system. In this scheme, upland farmers migrate to marginal forest areas, cut the growing young trees and other plants, burn these places and convert them into arable agricultural lands.

After five years (at the most), the forest lands become infertile and so the kaingineros would have to move to a different location and employ the same system.

Forest destruction under the kainging system had increased from 720 has in 1990 to 1,528.56 has in 1994 but declined to 408.95 has in 1995.

Other causes of deforestation include mining operations, volcanic eruptions, typhoons, plant diseases and chemical pollution which destroy the trees.

While deforestation has been blamed for the rapid decrease of biodiversity, in the case of the Philippines, Dr. William Dar, executive director of the Philippine Council for Agriculture, Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development (PCARRD), said the lack of qualified experts like taxonomists, who can conduct a complete biodiversity assessment, is a problem.

"Bioprospecting is very important. If we have good knowledge of our biodiversity then we can transform or enhance its transformation to industrial and agricultural uses. You can just imagine the benefits derived if we can convert them into other uses such as food, medicines and other products," Dar said.

"But the problem is, hindi pa natin halos na identify or characterize all our genetic resources so this is one big area of concern particularly with biodiversity erosion," he continued.

While biodiversity inventory is being done in Palawan, Mt. Kitanglad in Bukidnon, Subic forests, Sierra Madre, Aurora and Mt. Makiling in Laguna, he said it is still too general.

"The bidodiversity there has yet to be fully accounted for. Very general pa yon knowledge natin. Sa Mt. Makiling na lang where there is a good concentration of our taxonomists hindi pa natin lahat na explore," Dar said.

Likewise, he said, biodiversity assessment in Subic is only up to the taxonomy level. Despite investing almost P10 million yearly for the 5-year project, he said PCARDD has not advanced to the stage of gene mapping.

"Yon gene mapping kasi pinaka advance stage na because may characterization visual. Pagnacharecterize yon chemistry then we can work out the application of this -- whether it can be used for medicines or for other purposes. But kulang kasi ang tao kahit taxonomists na lang kasi marami na rin tayong biotechnologists," Dar pointed out.

"If we identify all the important flora and fauna and their application for agricultural, industrial and medicinal uses, then we can concentrate our investments there," he explained.

But to make these feasible, Dar said, at least P50 million to P60 million will be needed yearly for biotechnology research in agriculture and forestry. At the moment, he said, PCARRD receives less than P10 million annually.

With a bigger budget, he continued, scientists can concentrate on biotechnology projects in addition to other areas that need agricultural research.

"We cannot be as competitive as the rest of the world if we do not invest in technological development (research and development) and human resources.

According to Dar, government only invests about 0.21 percent of the Gross National Product to research. In other Asian countries such as Malaysia and Korea, R&D investment is at least 2 percent of the GNP. On the other hand, Japan invest almost 5 percent of the GNP to research.

"It's a battle of prioritization, a battle of political will. We can do a lot of these things if the government will only invest 1 percent of the GNP to research," he stressed.

At the same time, the National Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology is proposing the establishment of microbial genebanks to ensure the preservation and maintenance of invaluable bioresources.

Dr. Lourdes Tapay and Dr. Reynaldo dela Cruz, during the Regional Workshop on Sustainable Utilization of Genetic Resources in Southeast Asia and the Pacific held in Davao City in July last year, said a preliminary survey conducted by BIOTECH revealed that the Philippines has several microbial culture collections located mostly in Luzon.

However, they said quite a number of the collections are offshoots of research projects and are often lost once the project is terminated.

According to the experts, five of the culture collections in the country are registered with the World Data Center and are members of the World Federation for Culture Collections. They said WDC reported about 481 member collections holding approximately 786,000 microbial strains. This number represents only 10 percent to 15 percent of the known microbial species.

"BIOTECH through its Microbial Culture Collection and Services Laboratory has over 1,400 strains of bacteria, yeast, molds and algae. A few of these accessions are now being used in the production of organic fertilizers, vaccines, as biocontrol agents against insect pests, enzyme production and alcohol production on a smei and fully commerical scale. Others have been genetically manipulated to further improve their desirable characteristics," the researchers said.

EMERGING AND RE-EMERGING DISEASES

The continuing lost of biodiversity would be at a great cost to humankind. As one expert puts it:"As we face the uncertain future of changing environment (e.g. global warmng), and increases in population, food and other needs, acess and use of biological diversity will be the most important factors for our survival."

This is particularly true with the emergence and re-emergence of infectious diseases observed by medical experts in the last 20 years.

According to the WHO, previously known infectious diseases are emerging at an unprecedented rate.

Major disease such as malaria and tuberculosis are also making a deadly comback in many parts of the world. Diseases such as plague, diphtheria, dengue, meningococcal meningitis, yellow fever and cholera have reappeared as public health threats in many countries, after many years of decline.

Some of the emerging disease WHO identified include: a highly fatal respiratory diseased cause by a virus called sin nombre; a disease of the central nervous system which is suspected (though not proven) to be associated with a similar disease in cattle called bovine spongiform encephalophaty; HIV infection which causes AIDS, Ebola hemorrhagic fever with potential for international spread, a new form of cholera, a haemolytic uraemic syndrome, hepatitis C and E, Legionnaires' disease and Lyme disease.

Compounding the problem, WHO said, is the antibiotic resistance. Many well-known antibiotics are no longer effective to treat common infections such as otitis, pneumonia, gonorrhoea and tuberculosis.

The development of new and more potent drugs has become crucial, experts noted.

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JOURNAL Group reporter Jenny S. Macrohon won the third prize in the Jaime V. Ongpin Awards for Investigative Journalism for this series on Biopirates.