unit two content

Question 1

biotic

Answer 1

a living organsim, such as plants, animals, fungi, bacteria.

Question 2

abiotic

Answer 2

a non living feature of the environment such as water, sunlight, soil, air.

Question 3

lithosphere

Answer 3

the soil and rock crust of the earth and its core of molten rock (earth)

Question 4

atmosphere

Answer 4

the gases that surround the earth

Question 5

hydrosphere

Answer 5

all water on earth makes up the hydrosphere (it is found in the atmosphere as rain, oceans, rivers and lakes)

Question 6

biosphere

Answer 6

a shell that surrounds the earth which is approximately 20km from the deepest oceans to the highest mountains
this shell includes all life on earth and humans can only exist (without assistance) within 4km from this shell
humans have the most impact on the atmosphere (fossil fuels)

Question 7

producers *

Answer 7

plants

Question 8

consumers *

Answer 8

animals

Question 9

food chain

Answer 9

follows a simple path as animals eat each other

Question 10

food web

Answer 10

shows how plants and animals are interconnected by different paths (many connections)

Question 11

list a simple food chain

Answer 11

sun
producers (plants)
primary consumers (rabbit)
secondary consumers (owl)
decomposers (fungi)

Question 12

role of a decomposer

Answer 12

breakdown organic material and use the decomposition products to supply themselves with energy e.g; fungi

Question 13

why are decomposers important

Answer 13

without decomposers, important elements would remain permanently in dead organisms and therefore remain unavailable for use by new generations of organisms

Question 14

what would be the consequence of removing a component of the ecosystem

Answer 14

disrupts flow of energy
limits food sources for predators
reduces biodiversity 
habitat disruption
can lead to an imbalance in the ecosystem by increasing the population of an organisms prey

Question 15

direct impact

Answer 15

are those caused by the action and occur at the same time and place, usually observable

Question 16

indirect impact

Answer 16

are those that are caused by the action but not immediately. the happen before an event or later in time but are still reasonably foreseeable

Question 17

snow making machine indirect

Answer 17

1. snowmaking machines are large and costly, manufacturing can alter ecosystems / landscapes
2. snow making occurs when water levels re low meaning water needs to be transported up the mountain. transportation uses energy burning fuel which pollutes the environment

Question 18

snow making machine direct

Answer 18

1. depletion of water sources in order to make fake snow. negative impacts flora and fauna which rely heavily on the water source
2. snow season is extended which places extra strain on the environment leaving it little time to regenerate

Question 19

what are three effects of natural changes

Answer 19

fire
flood
succession -primary and secondary

Question 20

primary succession

Answer 20

the change to an area where no soil has existed before (first time)

Question 21

secondary succession

Answer 21

when a developed ecosystem (soil already exists) gets interrupted by natural distasters (fire, fuels, human destruction e.g. logging farming)
secondary succession occurs faster than primary as the environment has already been developed.

Question 22

fire

Answer 22

indigenous Australians used to use fire stick farming
controlled burn which rejuvenated the land controlled where the animas moved (for hunting purposes), reduced fuel load
europeans came and stopped fire stick farming. this increased fires and fuel load

Question 23

flood

Answer 23

leads to finical loss, loss of lives, significant loss around farming (livestock crops)

Question 24

indigenous interactions

Answer 24

nomadic lifestyle - indigenous australians moved around depending on the seasoning weather
hunter gatherer - the practise of collecting food sources through hunting and collecting
firestick farming

Question 25

impacts of indigenous interactions

Answer 25

moving around didn’t use up all the resources in one area and allowed time for areas to regenerate and grow
fire stick farming enhanced the regrowth of vegetation
hunter gather lifestyle is sustainable because they only collected what they need
does no require land to be cleared like farming which keeps biodiversity

Question 26

what are some safe interactions

Answer 26

good planning and preperation
access to evacuation points and emergency plans
access to medical help
complete risk assessment
access to drinking water
codes of conduct
expected range of weather conditions and planning for it

Question 27

what are some sustainable interactions

Answer 27

facilities available at your locations 
minimal impact strategies 
camping and fire restrictions 
sensitivities to flora and fauna
sights of cultural significance

Question 28

artistic representations

Answer 28

refers to how artists have depicted the outdoor environments overtime
painters, musicians, sculptures etc
artistic depictions of the environment can be different from whats really true
early white settlers did this

Question 29

artistic representations Nicolas chevalier

Answer 29

a european painter who lived during the late colionial period
Visited and painted Mount Arapiles
he manipulated the painting to make it look more ascetically pleasing.
he made grasses more lush, water more abundant, and more cattle present

Question 30

what is urbanisation

Answer 30

urbanisation refers to the development and physical growth of towns and cities. the process of urbanisation means that nature; environments are impacted due to the need of extra lan, for the construction of houses, and industry
e.g. edithvale community wetlands centre

Question 31

negative impacts of urban

Answer 31

land clearing 
removal of habitats and ecosystems 
decrease biodiversity levels 
disruption of ecosystem 
erosion of creeks and water courses 
water pollution from litter, soap petrol etc.....

Question 32

positive impacts of urbanisation

Answer 32

recognition of parks and reserves
provides community education on bird and native species, environments and protection strategies
importance

Question 33

impacts of urbanisation of waterways (3)

Answer 33

disruption of ecosystems
erosion of creeks/watercourses
loss of stream side vegetation

Question 34

impacts of urbanisation land

Answer 34

decrease biodiversity levels
introduction of weeds
habitat loss though timber harvesting, mining and clearing of vegetation