VCE Environmental Science

Photo Source

The following are the genus names of some of the food plants of the Orange Bellied Parrot, that we will be identifying at Killarney on Monday. Get a picture of each of these plants, so you can identify them on our excursion. Remember to bring a digital camera or mobile phone to take pictures of plants we cannot identify. Other equipment required includes: tape measures, metre rulers, clipboards, pencil, field guides for coastal vegetation and suitable footware for wet ground.

 Sarcocornia
Halosarcia
Sclerostegia – (glassworts)
Chenopodium – (goosefoot)
Atriplex – (saltbushes)
Frankenia – (sea-heath)
Suaeda – (sea blight)
 

Coastal wetlands at Port Fairy – OBP habitat (picture by Tracey Grey)

Population Viability Analysis is a process to identify the threats to a species and the likelihood that it will survive into the future. PVA aims to protect a threatened species in the short term and then to establish a population that will be maintained naturally, without intensive management in the longer term. The process includes:

1. Planning research and data collection

2. Assessing vulnerability.

3. Ranking management options.

More information about Population Viability Analysis from Wikipedia and other sources.

Environmental Risk Assessment deals with the probability of an event causing a potentially undesirable effect. Quantitative risk assessment thus deals with statistics, because probability is the mathematical measure of risk, and with hazard assessment which determines the nature of the undesirable effect.

The Precautionary Principle states that where irreversible damage may be caused due to an action, policy or  development, then the onus is upon the decision-makers to prove that there will be no undue impact on the environment. When there is a lack of scientific data upon which a decison can be made, then no action should be taken that may impact upon the environment.

Image from Google Earth – copied and resized in Irfanview

This is an aerial view of the Western District Lakes, between Camperdown and Winchelsea in the western district of Victoria. These saline lakes are one of Australia’s 65 important RAMSAR wetlands sites - areas designated as wetlands of international importance due to their ecological, botanical, zoological, limnological or hydrological importance.

The Western District Lakes are important geomorphic features of a basaltic landscape. Water regimes vary both seasonally and annually so at any time the various lakes range from fresh to hypersaline. They support large numbers of mainly non-breeding waterbirds and are particularly important during periods of widespread drought and as moulting sites for some species.

Work in a group to create a table showing each of the lakes and the conservation categories of  bird and other notable flora and fauna species at each site. Go to http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dcdxvn6b_7f4bq6phd and add your data to the spread sheet.