Yr 10 Environmental Change and Management

Question 1

What factors determine environments

Answer 1

A mix of biophysical features (biosphere, etc.)

Question 2

What is the source function?

Answer 2

The source function of environments relates to the raw materials and natural resources it produces for us to utilise.
Raw materials such as: air, water, coal, iron and timber.
Natural resources relate to animal and plant life and ecosystems we use.

Question 3

What is the sink function?

Answer 3

The ecosystem’s ability to absorb and process pollution and waste. This waste can be natural or produced by people.
Examples include: plants converting carbon dioxide into oxygen through respiration.

Question 4

What is the service function?

Answer 4

Service functions support life on earth by creating and maintaining an environment that we can survive in. The atmosphere regulates our planet’s temperature, provides us with weather and protects us from harmful solar radiation. Other services maintain biodiversity.

Question 5

What is the spiritual function?

Answer 5

Encompasses psychological, recreational and aesthetical values placed on environments by different people.

Aboriginals have strong spiritual connection to the land, landforms and wildlife, believing that they are one with the landscape.
Non-Aboriginals tend to look at how they could make money from an environment.

Question 6

How do the spheres interact with one another?

Answer 6

For example, the biosphere controls/mediates the other spheres, so if any biospherical damage occurs such as deforestation, the others are severely impacted.
Biosphere to atmosphere = photosynthesis
Biosphere to hydrosphere = roots absorbing water
biosphere to lithosphere = draws out and replenishes nutrients in the earth.

Question 7

Examples in lithosphere

Answer 7

• mountains

- boulders

Question 8

Examples in biosphere

Answer 8

• trees

- animals

Question 9

Examples in atmosphere

Answer 9

• nitrogen

- Oxygen

Question 10

Examples in hydrosphere

Answer 10

• lakes

- oceans

Question 11

What is the biosphere?

Answer 11

the regions of the surface and atmosphere of the earth or another planet occupied by living organisms

Question 12

What is the lithosphere?

Answer 12

the rigid outer part of the earth, consisting of the crust and upper mantle.

Question 13

What is the hydrosphere?

Answer 13

all the waters on the earth’s surface, such as lakes and seas

Question 14

What is the atmosphere?

Answer 14

An atmosphere is a layer of gas or layers of gases that envelope a planet, and is held in place by the gravity of the planetary body

Question 15

What is biodiversity?

Answer 15

The variety of life on Earth.

Question 16

Why is biodiversity important?

Answer 16

It boosts ecosystem productivity where each species, no matter how small, all have an important role to play.

Such as

• greater variety of crops
• natural sustainability of life forms
• ecosystems can better withstand and recover from a variety of disasters.

Question 17

What is sustainability?

Answer 17

meeting the needs of today without limiting future generations from meeting their needs.

Question 18

Human impacts on the biosphere

Answer 18

• species extinction
• rainforest clearing
• agriculture and livestock

Question 19

Human impacts on the lithosphere

Answer 19

• salination
• desertification
• industrial contamination

Question 20

Human impacts on the Hydrosphere

Answer 20

• industrial contamination
• overfishing
• dams
• microplastics in the ocean

Question 21

Human impacts on the atmosphere

Answer 21

• climate change

- air pollution

Question 22

Different scales of environmental change

Answer 22

Local effects can have a cumulative effect and impact at a global level. This can be measured as:

• local (erosion from land clearing)
• regional (coal mining)
• national (deforestation)
• global (urbanisation)

Question 23

What is an aquifer?

Answer 23

A pocket of underground storage for water.

Question 24

Have humans caused species extinction?

Answer 24

Yes, such as the Tasmanian tiger and Dodo bird.

Question 25

What is the goal of modern sustainability?

Answer 25

To support the capacity of the Earth to support people as well as the 4 functions of ecosystems.

Question 26

How have Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples managed the environment?

Answer 26

They used fire to stimulate new growth and regenerate new plant life and wildlife. By burning the natives, it reduced their fuel load for natural fires.

Question 27

Natural processes in coastal environments

Answer 27

• erosion
• waves
• deposition
• longshore drift

Question 28

How long have humans lived on the coast

Answer 28

65,000 years, however it is only in recent times that this human habitation has significantly altered the natural processes.

Question 29

How long is Australia’s coastline?

Answer 29

Australia’s coastline is over 59000km including offshore islands like Tasmania and smaller ones.

Question 30

What are some features coastlines include?

Answer 30

rocky headlands, rainforests, beaches, tropical reefs, lagoons, bays and inlets.

Question 31

Are coasts dynamic?

Answer 31

Coast environments are dynamic ecosystems, as they are constantly undergoing change due to the actions of wind and waves.

Question 32

Constructive vs destructive waves

Answer 32

Constructive: deposit sediments to form beaches and sand dunes and are associated with calm weather.
Destructive: cause erosion of coastal landforms and are often associated with storm conditions.

Question 33

How does longshore drift move?

Answer 33

It occurs when waves move sideways along a coastline, depositing and eroding sand with each wave.

Question 34

Erosion

Answer 34

wearing away of rock and sediment (sand) by the action of waves and wind

Question 35

Deposition

Answer 35

laying down of sediment onto the surface of the earth including underwater.

Question 36

Erosion landforms

Answer 36

• headlands
• rock platforms
• bays

Question 37

Deposition landforms

Answer 37

• beach
• sand dunes
• sand banks

Question 38

What is the coastal zone?

Answer 38

The coastal zone includes any part of the coast that is affected by natural processes including the actions of waves and wind-blown sediment.