STAGE ONE OUTDOOR EDUCATION

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STAGE ONE OUTDOOR EDUCATION

• Environment
• and
• Conservation

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Environment

• Area of concern in recent years - as recreational
  time has increased so has the participation in
  recreational activities and thus the impact on
  the environment has greatly increased.
• We need to educate individuals and groups.

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NATURAL ENVIRONMENTS

• BIOSPHERE
• Is a place where biomes are found and include all
  parts of the earth where living things are able
  to survive. The biosphere is made up of many
  different biomes, which contain many large and
  small ecosystems.
• BIOMES
• A large community of related plants and animals
  in the biosphere. For example, deserts, forests
  and grasslands are named according to their
  dominant vegetation.
• ECOSYSTEMS
• Is a place where a community or group of plants
  and animals interact together with their
  non-living environment. For example, a coral
  reef, a pond, a stringy bark forest.

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Community Habitat

• Community
• A group of organisms which live in a particular
  place, such as a forest, sea shore or pond.

• Habitat
• The actual place which a community occupies.

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POPULATION and DENSITY

• POPULATION
• The members of each species in a community make
  up the population.
• DENSITY
• The density of a population is the number of
  individuals living in a particular habitat.

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Ecosystem

• An ecosystem is a community of organisms together
  with the habitat in which it lives.
• This means that an ecosystem is made up of all
  the producers and consumers in a community the
• parasites, scavengers, and decomposers
• rocks, soil, water, and air of the physical
  environment
• and the circulation between this environment and
  the community of materials such as nitrogen,
  carbon, water, and oxygen.
• Terrestrial ecosystems include grasslands,
  forests, tundra.
• Aquatic ecosystems include seas, sea shores,
  estuaries, rivers, lakes

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Environments

• To live in a particular habitat, an organism must
  have access to its basic requirements, which are
  necessary for growth and reproduction.
• The non-living surroundings of an organism,
  called collectively the environment, provide
  these requirements.

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Environments cont.

• A sparrow, for example, needs food shelter and a
  place to nest.
• A eucalypt tree needs light, water, soil
  nutrients, oxygen and carbon dioxide, as well as
  insects and birds to pollinate its flowers.
• If any one of these environmental factors is in a
  limited supply, it may affect the survival of an
  organism.

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Ecological Factors

• CLIMATE
• Affecting terrestrial - rainfall, humidity,
  temperature, wind and light.
• Affecting aquatic - dissolved salts (salinity),
  suspended particles (cloudiness), depth of light
  penetration, temperature and water movement.
• GEOLOGY
• Include features of the landscape such as
  coastlines, lakes, rivers, valleys, hills and
  mountains.
• A deep valley has a different climate from a
  nearby mountain top and a coastline has a
  different climate from adjoining inland area.
• i.e. landscape has a profound effect on
  living things mainly because it produces local
  changes in the overall climate of the region.

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Ecological Factors - Cont.

• SOIL
• Those factors associated with the soil. The type
  and fertility of the soil have a great influence
  on the plants which will grow in any habitat, and
  the plants in turn influence animal populations.
• BIOTIC FACTORS (Interaction with other organisms)
• Include all the ways in which the organisms of a
  community affect each other.

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TYPES OF ENVIRONMENTS

• DRY FORESTS and WOODLANDS
• ARID and SEMI ARID AREAS
• GRASSLANDS
• HEATHLANDS
• WET FORESTS and RAINFORESTS
• ALPINE
• WETLANDS
• COASTS
• Note It is often difficult to describe a place
  as one type of environment it is often easier
  to think in terms of different ecosystems.

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The Diversity of Organisms

• Life on earth has adapted to existence in an
  extraordinary variety of habitats.
• This biological diversity ,or biodiversity, is
  our most valuable resource.
• Biodiversity is a recent term used in a general
  sense to mean the total of all life forms on
  earth. Biodiversity comprises not only species
  diversity, but also ecosystem diversity and
  genetic diversity.

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Biodiversity

• WHAT IS BIODIVERSITY?
• Biological Diversity or Biodiversity refers to
  the variety of life forms the different plants,
  animals and microorganisms, the genes they
  contain, and the ecosystems they form.
• Biodiversity exists everywhere in forests,
  mountains, deserts, lakes, rivers and oceans. It
  is present in cities, houses and backyards, on
  farms and in human modified environment, as well
  as around our bodies, on our skin and in our
  internal organs.

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Biodiversity - cont

• Biodiversity includes not only the plants and
  animals that we see around us (including
  ourselves), but also the myriad of microscopic
  organisms that inhabit our environment, such as
  fungi, algae, bacteria and viruses.
• Most of the Earths biodiversity consists of a
  large number of invertebrates, fungi, bacteria
  and non-flowering plants. Vertebrate animals and
  flowering plants represent only a small fraction
  of the total biodiversity, probably less than 1
  in number of all species on Earth.

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3 Levels of Biodiversity

• Biodiversity is usually considered at three
  different levels
• Genetic Diversity
• Species Diversity
• Ecosystem Diversity

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Genetic Diversity

• Refers to the variety of genetic information
  contained in all the individual plants, animals
  and microorganisms.
• Genetic diversity occurs within and between
  populations of species as well as between species.

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Species Diversity

• Refers to the variety of living species

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Why is Biodiversity Important?

• Today, as ever, human beings are dependent for
  their sustenance, health, wellbeing and enjoyment
  of life on fundamental biological systems and
  processes. (Foods, medicines, resources etc.)
• Biotic resources also serve recreation, tourism
  and underpin the ecosystem which provide us with
  many services.
• The enormous diversity of life in itself is of
  crucial value, giving greater resilience to
  ecosystems and organisms.

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Food Chains Webs

• Food Chains - Illustrate that the materials and
  energy needed for life pass from one organism to
  another.
• Food chains begin with producer organisms, which
  are always green plants producing food via
  photosynthesis. Then these are followed by
  consumer organisms.
• Trophic levels - the position the organism
  occupies on the food chain
• First trophic level producers
• Second trophic level primary consumer
  (herbivores)
• Third trophic level secondary consumer
  (carnivore - eats herbivore)
• Fourth trophic level tertiary consumers
  (carnivore - eat small carn.)
• Food Webs - Are food chains interconnected at
  many points. In nature organisms rarely depend on
  only one type of food.

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ABORIGINES

• Arrived in Australia 60,000 years ago from South
  East Asia although may have lived on continent
  for up to 120,000 years.
• By 20,000 years ago, these original inhabitants
  had spread to all parts of Australia.
• At time of European Settlement, estimated 300,000
  Aborigines.
• 500 tribes with as many different languages and
  dialects. It is more appropriate to refer to them
  as Language Groups.

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DREAMING

• Indigenous Australians believe that they come
  from the earth with which they live.
• The Dreaming is Aboriginal spirituality, and it
  explains their strong entrenchment with the land
  and all living things.
• It is the foundation for their customs and
  beliefs.
• Sacred stories of the Dreaming tell of a
  timeless, shapeless world when spirit ancestors
  created the landscape, water and all living
  things. Some spirit ancestors were animals or
  plants, some were human and some were a
  combination of human and animal.
• Everything and every being that was touched by
  the spirit ancestors became spiritually linked.
  When the spirits die they are either absorbed
  into the earth, creating features in the
  landscape, or they drift up into the sky.
• This belief explains the strong relationship,
  ultimate respect and intimate bond that
  Aboriginal people have with their environment.

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ABORIGINAL PERCEPTIONS

• As individuals and groups they are intrinsically
  linked to the land in which they live.
• They do not live on the land but rather in
  harmony with it.
• Indigenous people believe it is their
  responsibility to protect and care for the land
• They have cared for the land in this way for
  many thousands of years and as a result it
  continues to provide them everything they need
  for their survival food, tools, clothing and
  shelter.

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ABORIGINAL LAND USE AND MANAGEMENT

• As hunters and gatherers they moved from camp to
  camp within their lands following seasonal food
  supplies.
• Temporary nature of settlements left little
  impact on the environment. (Areas rested
  therefore continued to supply ample resources.)
• Fire was widely used. Fire stick farming involves
  burning small areas in patchwork pattern that
  reduces the effect of larger more devastating
  fires. This burning promotes growth.
• Ecologists believe that fire stick farming was
  responsible for many of the grass and woodlands
  present today.
• Another form of regeneration and sustainable
  hunting used is the establishment of Sanctuary
  Zones. These were very special places where
  hunting, gathering and burning are not allowed.
  Plants and animals thrive in these areas and
  eventually overflow to other areas.

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INDIGENOUS vs EUROPEAN

• Aborigines have always known. Life is a web of
  mutually supportive relationships, all of which
  are important, whether living or non-living.
• In the relative brief period European culture has
  dominated Australia, many natural resources have
  been exploited to the brink of depletion, while
  many species of flora and fauna have become
  extinct.
• While Aborigines had a profound impact on the
  existing ecosystems when they arrived, they
  learned to adapt to the environment and respect
  it.
• All Australians today must do the same.

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200 YEARS OF SETTLEMENT

• 50 of continents top soil has blown away.
• 75 rainforest has been cleared.
• Land been subjected to degradation and
  salinisation.
• Major waterways, have been contaminated by toxins
  and algal blooms.
• Many native species have become extinct or
  endangered.
• Most people live in cities along coastlines and
  have little to do with natural Australian desert,
  bushland, wetlands, tropical rainforests, etc.
• Agriculture, mining, pastoralism, forestry and
  urbanisation have affected most parts of the
  country, usually for short term gain.

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Human Impact on the Environment

• As demand for certain recreational activities
  grows so too does the provision of recreation
  resources. Investors and businessmen can develop
  extra facilities to meet increased recreation
  demands especially indoor resources. However
  outdoor resources are limited and how much should
  we develop them?
• Dilemma - You have a special environmental place.
  Do you develop it to share with others so they
  can be sensitised to the environment or do you
  limit access to preserve the site. What
  facilities would you provide if you were to
  develop?

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IMPACTS OF COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES

• Farming and agriculture
• Timber Harvesting
• Mining
• Development

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IMPACTS OF RECREATIONAL ACTIVITIES

• Recreational Vehicles trail bikes,
  4wds,mountain bikes
• Camping
• Rock Climbing
• Etc.

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IMPACT OF CONSERVATION ACTIVITIES

• Fire prevention measures
• Establishment and maintaining access roads and
  water storage
• Creation of fire breaks
• Management strategies
• Creation walkways, viewing platforms and erosion
  control
• Toilets
• Closure tracks
• Zoning areas for various functions
• Restriction of group sizes
• Establishment of reserves such as National Parks.

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PROCEDURES FOR MINIMISING IMPACT CAUSED BY
COMMERCIAL USERS

• Abide by fishing regulations
• Protect and maintain remnants of specific
  ecosystems on your land
• Restore plant communities and habitat by
  revegetation programs
• Establish a plan for your property that takes
  into account wildlife corridors and water
  conservation.
• Dispose of waste products appropriately
• When harvesting trees, replant for future.
• Reduce wastage by using all products resulting
  from operation
• Etc.

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Impact Scenarios

• Describe the likely environmental effect that
  each of the following activities will cause.
• Trail bike riding in the forest.
• Water skiing on a reservoir.
• Hotel development in a resort town.
• Dune buggies in sand dunes.
• Outdoor rock festival.
• Provision of toilets and camping facilities in a
  sensitive area such as the Coorong National Park.

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Recreational Impact on Rocks

• Downslope Movement - erosion, pieces of rock
  thrown from cliffs, cars causing mini avalanches,
  foot traffic accelerating erosion on tracks.
• Souvenir Hunting - people collect and remove
  rocks from areas.
• Chemical Discoloring - deliberate and
  inadvertent.
• Vandalism
• Rock Removal - fire places, landscaping.
• Refashioning Slopes - pathways, steps cut out
  etc.

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Recreational Impact on Soil

• Movement and Erosion - trampling or the simple
  act of people walking causes much erosion.
• Removal of the stabilising influence of
  vegetation increases the
• likelihood of soil removal.
• Up to 30cm of soil was removed from sections of
  walking tracks, and 20cm from campgrounds.
• Powdering of Soil - frequent foot traffic causes
  disappearance of the leaf litter and powdering of
  soil which is then quickly lost.
• Soil Compaction - causes the inability of water
  to penetrate and the reduction of plant life.

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Recreational Impact on Vegetation

• When an area is opened to recreation for the
  first time, most ground flora species are rapidly
  eliminated. Growth of many plants are greatly
  inhibited and this in turn affects the fauna of
  the region.

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Minimum Impact

• Take nothing but photos, leave nothing but
  footprints.

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Resources

• Renewable Resources
• Are those that can be reused many times or, once
  used, can be restored or regrown. Such resources
  include living things and their products
• e.g. soil, water, forests, vegetation, fish, and
  other animals.
• Non-Renewable Resources
• Are those that are very slow in forming, taking
  perhaps thousands or millions of years. Thus
  there is a fixed quantity of these resources.
  Such resources include non-living things which
  existed in the past.
• e.g. ores, certain rocks, minerals, coal, oil,
  and natural gas. Since they take so long to form,
  when they are used up we can regard them as gone
  for ever.
• NOTE With the correct management we must ensure
  that renewable resources do not become
  non-renewable resources.

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Balance of Nature

• Substances such as oxygen, carbon dioxide, water,
  and minerals are constantly absorbed by
  organisms, but as fast as these substances are
  lost from the physical world they are replaced by
  the natural processes of photosynthesis,
  respiration, excretion, and decay in the
  biological world.

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Conservation

• Conservation means keeping things that we value.
• Nature Conservation means keeping and caring for
  the natural materials and living things that are
  around us. This includes the air, rocks, animals,
  plants, soil and water of both rivers and oceans.

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VALUE OF NATURE CONSERVATION

• SCIENTIFIC
• Wilderness is a storehouse for genetic material.
  Many plants and animals have yet to be properly
  researched and identified. They also provide
  relatively pollution free reference sites for
  environmental monitoring.
• INSPIRATION
• Providing a source of outstanding sites which
  inspire people.
• RECREATION
• Many people enjoy a range of activities such as
  hiking, camping, canoeing and photography.
• EDUCATION
• Educates us about the natural systems and how
  these systems are interrelated.

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CONSERVATION

• Who is responsible?
• Federal, State and local Government.
• Land owners.
• Industrialists and Developers.
• House Owners.
• Recreational Users.
• Culture plays a large role in our attitude and
  conservation ethic. How do we change this and are
  we on the right track?

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Environmental Ethic

• ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION
• Opponents - eg. Some - Industralists. Developers,
  Engineers
• Why?
• For
• Human Survival Argument
• Human Interest Argument
• Future Generations Argument
• These all include the concern for habitat
  destruction and the need to conserve
  biodiversity.
• Why?
• You need to develop your own Environmental Code
  and therefore develop your own Environmental
  Guidelines.

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Environmental Guidelines

• What key points do you need to consider for each
  of the following in the development of your
  environmental code?
• Planning
• Travelling
• Camp-sites
• Fires and firewood
• Human Waste
• Litter
• Washing
• Special Protection Measures eg. Feeding native
  animals,