Unit 3: Outcome 1 Flashcards
Australias pre history
Geological stability, climactic variation and biological isolation
Biological isolation
Australia is possibly the most isolated continent on earth for 50 million years once it split from Gondwana.
Nothing could arrive or leave easily meaning species were left alone to evolve.
There was no way that species could mix, compete or relate with any other
Geological stability
Australia has been without volcanic activity for many years due to being located relatively in the middle of tectonics plates.
This has lead to Australia having soil poor in nutrients which influenced flora and fauna
Climactic variations
Australia is considered the driest inhabited continent.
Plants and animals have evolved and adapted to the variation of Australia’s climate over time.
Australia’s weather is unpredictable. We are subject to El Niño southern oscillation
Climatic variations
La Niña
Body of warm water that drifts between Australia and South America. When warm water is near us we experience rain due to evaporation
Climactic variations
El Niño
When the warm body of water drifts over southern America there is less rain due to less evaporation and we experience drought
Plant adaptions
Hanging leaves
Leaves that hang down- keeps them out of the sun at midday and in the sun at morning and evening so they still receive light but don’t lose too much energy
Plant adaptions
Toxins
Eucalyptus leaves are poisonous and only koalas have evolved to eat them
Plant adaptions
Leave colour
Grey/dull leaves means plants have less chlorophyll and require less energy
Animal adaptions
Koala
The koala has evolved to eat gum leaves which are poisonous to all other animals.
Animal adaptions
Wombats
Live underground in burrows to conserve energy required to keep cool.
Animal adaptions
Kangaroos
Their hopping is extremely energy efficient, approximately 95% of the energy from the first jump is retained for subsequent jumps
Relationships with natural environments
Perceptions, interactions, impacts
Perceptions
What we think
Interactions
What we do
Impacts
The effects
Before settlement perceptions
Bunting people were Custodians of the land, equal to the land, they had a spiritual connection, the dreaming made strong links with the people, the land and all living things, they had a kinship with the land by either blood, marriage, family or adaptions.
Before settlement interactions
Nomadic/semi nomadic lifestyles
They moved with the seasons so that they wouldn’t exhaust supplies
Before settlement interactions
Fire stick farming
The use of fire to clear the land, and for regeneration to occur. Led to less bushfires and moved animals which made hunter gathering easier
Before settlement interactions
Sacred sites
Burial sites, sites of worship
Before settlement interactions
Hunter gathering
To hunt food sources.
They didn’t farm due to climactic variations
Before settlement interactions
Transport
Made canoes from bark of gum trees
Before settlement interactions
Shelter
Stacked sheets of bark against a tree
Before settlement impacts
Nomadic lifestyles meant impacts were minimal.
Very low middens, rock art, scarred trees that remain.
Introduction of the dingo.
Firestick farming may have changed forest environments
After settlement perceptions
Still the same as before European settlement, still custodians of the land. The stolen generations perceptions were changed
After settlement interactions
Hunter gathering
Indigenous risked stealing cattle to survive because they couldn’t hunter gather
After settlement interactions
Nomadic lifestyle
Restricted due to new boundaries imposed by farmers and the fact that food sources were in on particular area
After settlement interactions
Firestick farming
Banned meaning there was an increase in big bush fires
After settlement impacts
Ask
Evidence of aboriginal occupations
Shell middens, mound/ rock quarries, scarred trees
She’ll middens
Leftovers of feasts usually close to rivers, beaches etc. found at Forrest caves beach at Phillip island
Scarred trees
Gum trees that have sections of bark removed to create canoes, shields and shelter. Found at corinella Phillip island
Mounds/ Rock quarries
Mounds of earth containing charcoal from fires remnants of clay ovens, shells and bones. Found at the Grampians
Contemporary aboriginals
Upon European settlement life was turned on its head for indigenous Australians. Their lands were taken from them, it was legal to kill the, if they caused trouble and disease was rifle. The removal of aboriginal peoples from their own lands was similar to removing part of their own bodies and their identity
Contemporary aboriginals today
Today, contemporary aboriginals are involved in preserving their language, art, culture and spirituality. Today indigenous Australians are politicians, teachers, singers, environmentalists, etc.
increasing opportunities enable all aboriginals to enter the spotlight in all walks of life, becoming the valuable members in society that they are.
Megafauna
Animals that lived in Australia before human settlement. Large animals
Extinction of megafauna
Probably due to environmental and ecological factors.
Almost completed by the end of the last ice age
Bunurong people
We hunter gatherers, they didn’t farm because it was too risky and instead they lived off what was available
Introduction of native species (Phillip island)
The mchaffies settlers that came from the uk wanted Phillip island to feel like home so they introduced animals such as rabbits and foxes onto the land
Clearing of the land (Phillip island)
The first non indigenous settlers, the mchaffies, cleared Phillip island to farm animals such as sheep and cattle and to provide areas for infrastructure and housing to be built
Fire stick farming
Was used as a protective measure and to flush out animals so they could be hunted
Safe zone
Designated areas for fauna to repopulate. Not allowed to hunt in these areas
Nomadic lifestyles
Ensured that areas of tribal land could regenerate and weren’t completely exhausted meaning that when next needed there was plenty of food available
