3- Investigating outdoor environments Flashcards
(27 cards)
biodiversity definition
the number and variety of organisms found within a specified area
factors affecting outdoor environments list and explain (3)
Geology- the type of rocks and soil, topography. the study of the history, origin and structure of the land.
Climate- weather, rain, daylight hours, wind, evaporation etc. affects the flora and fauna in the environment.
Position and aspect- shade, moisture, the temperature on different sides of slopes.
types of ecosystems in Victoria (9)
pick one and explain distribution, elevation/climate, biodiversity and human influence/threats
alpine, coastal, marine, wetlands, grassland, dry forest, wet forest/rain forest, aird and heathland.
recreational users understanding of specific outdoor environments define and example
recreational users must have knowledge and understanding of unique features of the environment and how their recreational activity my be influenced, to safely and sustainable participate.
cross country skiing- snow conditions
kayaker- flat lake vs river current
essential knowledge for recreation list a few
- planning and prep
- acess and evacuation
- facilities available
- sites of significance
- sensitivities of flora and fauna
- appropriate equipment
- drinking water
- weather
- fire restrictions
- mobile coverage
- medical help
- local knowledge
- codes of conduct
- ## minimal impact strategies
what is the biosphere
a shell all around the earth that includes all forms of life and their interactions, includes the atmosphere (gasses), hydrosphere (water) and lithosphere (land).
components of an ecosystem
organism- individual living things
species- a group of organisms of the same type
population- same species living together
community- populations of different species living togeather
outdoor environment definition
environments that have had minimal human influences but may also include those that have had human infuence
biotic definition
a living thing
abiotic definition
non living feature
biogeochemical definition and 3 examples
the cycle in with simple substances and chemicals are transferred between living things and the environment. carbon-oxygen, nitrogen and water cycles
carbon-oxygen cycle explain
photosynthesis- plants absorb CO2 from the atmosphere, and release oxygen. CO2 is passed through the food chain.
respiration- animals breathing in O and releasing CO2
combustion- burning fossil fuels and volcanic eruptions.
decomposition- elements are released back into the environment from dead stuff.
Nitrogen cycle explain
nitrogen passes successively from air to soil to organisms and back to air or soil. plants get nitrogen from the soil, animals eat plants, animal waste and die bacteria put nitrogen back in the soil.
water cycle explain
transpiration- moisture from plant leaves condensation- gas to liquid in clouds precipitation- rain, snow, hail etc. infiltration- absorbed into the soil runoff- lakes, rivers, puddles evaporation- liquid to gas in the air powered by the sun
food chains and webs explain
transfer of food and energy from the sun- producers - herbivores - carnivores. each component obtains energy from the previous link. trophic levels- decomposer, producer, primary, secondary and tertiary consumers.
interrelationships between biotic and abiotic
complex interrelationships between living plants and animals and non-living structures in order for ecosystems to function. any change will impact all other parts. plants need water nutrients and light while animals need food and habitat.
effects of natural changes to environments 3 levels of chage
individual organisms- grow, develop and reproduce, die and decompose constantly
community- succeed one another, climax vegetation and natural changes
large-scale- climate change, natural disasters, sudden or over long time
short term changes
day to night- weather, flora and fauna activity, sun/moon
seasons- breeding, weather, migration
tides- high/low tides
flood/drought- natural and essential for some plants, humans have impacted this.
long term changes
migration- species moving from one place to another in response to change in habitat
succession- the process of change in the species structure of an ecological community over time. primary succession when a community is established where it has never been and secondary succession when a community develops similar to the original.
climate change- increase in global temperatures due to increased greenhouse gasses in atmosphere. higher temp, less rainfall, sea level rise, more fire danger days etc.
land managers responsibilities
for ensuring long-term health and sustainability of outdoor environments, including protection of water, pest control, soil conservation. must have knowledge of land - their decisions can have huge impacts on the enviroenment.
who are land managers
public land- DELWP and parks victoria
private land- landowners such as farmers
different management strategies…
can lead to habitat fragmentation and the ‘edge’ effect at borders of different land types. examples are surrounding fences, roads, paddocks and forests.
ways of defining areas of land list and explain (5)
landform and catchment areas- landforms such as mountains determine boundaries between catchments
vegetation types- climate, geology and position can affect the type of environment
public and private land- privately owned by individuals, families or companies and public/crown land.
parks and reserves- Parks victoria manages land that is classified into different types of reserves (nation, state, marine etc.)
management zones- land managers use zones to separate public land to minimise conflicts
types of management zones (5)
recreation development (high rec use), recreation and conservation (protect and small scale rec), conservation (protect and minimal impact), reference area (protect samples of land for comparison) and education zone (provide education).
