Good Science Victorian Curriculum Year 7

BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES: SCIENCE AS A HUMAN ENDEAVOUR
3.7
INDIGENOUS
MANAGEMENT
OF ECOSYSTEMS
LEARNING INTENTION
At the end of this lesson I will
be able to describe how land
management practices of
Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander peoples can help inform
sustainable management of the
environment.
KEY TERMS
euryhaline
the ability to survive in water with
various salinity levels, from fresh
to very salty
evolve
change over many generations
to adapt to the environment
sustainably
to use a resource in a way that
avoids depletion and maintains
balance
1
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have been
managing the land sustainably for tens of thousands of
years. Their ecological knowledge has been passed from
one generation to the next.
Today, scientists work closely with Indigenous land
managers to learn more about the conservation of
ecosystems. The National Environmental Science Program
is one such initiative in which Indigenous Australians partner
with scientists and governments to undertake environmental
and climate research.
Ecosystems can be managed with fire
By lighting relatively low-intensity, slow-burning and controlled fires
at specific times of the year, Indigenous Australians managed fuel
levels and encouraged the growth of key plant species. Because of this
practice, some Australian plant species evolved to require fire as part of
their life cycle. These plants need fire to open seed pods or to clear away
competition, and fire also adds nutrients back into the soils. Smoke also
helps some seeds to germinate.
Indigenous Australians also used fire to flush out animals so they
could be easily hunted.
Since the European colonisation of Australia, the use of fire to manage
ecosystems has declined. This has caused a loss of biodiversity in
some ecosystems. However, burning practices are being used again in
many regions, which has improved biodiversity and led to a return of
some species.
Why do some Australian plants need fire?
LITERACY LINK
READING
The Dreaming stories of
Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander people were one way
of passing knowledge between
generations. Find one story from
your local area and summarise
the message that it contains.
Figure 3.14 Indigenous fire
management practices are now
being reintroduced to some
Australian ecosystems to restore
biodiversity.
NUMERACY LINK
CALCULATION
The small sawfish usually has
23–34 teeth on each side of the
‘saw’. If a fisherman catches
five sawfish, calculate the total
approximate number of teeth.
Figure 3.15 Banksia seed pods will only
open after being burnt by a relatively cool
fire. The seeds can then germinate in the
nutrient-rich soil, free from competition.
48 GOOD SCIENCE VICTORIAN CURRICULUM 7