3.1.1

Question 1

P.I.I

Answer 1

perceptions
interactions
impacts

Question 2

prior to humans

Answer 2

200 mill years ago
100 mill years ago
50-40 mill years ago

Question 3

200 million years ago

Answer 3

Australia was apart of a larger land mass, this was called Pangea

Question 4

100 million years ago

Answer 4

Pangea was split into two, theses in which were called Gondwana and Laurasia

Question 5

40-50 million years ago

Answer 5

Australia broke off and started to move north
- all of Australia’s climate changing meant that biodiversity changed and flora and fauna had to adapt.

Question 6

biological isolation

Answer 6

species lost their ability to interact with others, due to the the seperation of Australia and Antarctica , this meant they were forced to adapt to their new climate and had to find other ways to survive.

Question 7

biological isolation example

Answer 7

The Koala :
is endemic to Australia, as it is believed to have evolved from the wombat. a significant factor enabling species like the koala to adapt was the lack of significant competition to the uniqueness of Australia.

Question 8

Geological Stability

Answer 8

there are no major fault lines in Australia meaning its away from tectonic plate boundaries, so volcanoes don’t erupt, and mountain ranges don’t rise. this can be good and bad, new fertile soils aren’t developed, and flat land means prone to floods fires and wind.

Question 9

geological stability example

Answer 9

The Banksia plant :
developed cluster root systems that act to enhance the availability of nutrients as a result of the conditions they evolve under.

Question 10

climatic variations

Answer 10

Australia is regarded as the driest continent , as the landscape has endured ice ages, high sea levels, intense rainfall (La Nina ) and hot dry periods (El Nino)

Question 11

climatic variations example

Answer 11

Eucalyptus Trees :
have adapted to hot dry periods (El Nino) by having leaves which face down away from sunlight to reduce moisture loss.

Question 12

Mega Fauna

Answer 12

prior to human habitation mega fauna was present. (‘large animals’) and they roamed the earth around 2.5 million years ago. when the continent dried out and sea levels dropped they adapted.

Question 13

three reasons for extinction

Answer 13

• the young got hunted by aboriginals, meaning the couldn’t regenerate
• fire-stick farming, changed the landscape, although it regenerated it increased fire adapted plants, and reduces their food source