1) The “beauty” of this scenario is that almost every school is situated in a town or suburb through which flows a degraded creek. Such local features can be sources of adventure, learning & environmental service.
2) There are many ways to view the various relationships that underpin this worksheet. Rather than give loads of formulaic answers, we have prepared the grid below that summarises some of those relationships.
3) Bear in mind if (say) rats prosper, snakes will be more likely to prosper. If rabbits decline, foxes are more likely to decline.
4) Human settlement clearly favours some native species. For example, our buildings provide habitat; introduced plants & refuse provide more reliable food sources.
5) Otherwise positive environmental actions (e.g. clearing old car wrecks, reduction of rabbit numbers) can have some detrimental outcomes.
6) One value of this worksheet is that it asks students to look at things from the creature’s perspective.
relationships between creatures & habitats in urban fringes
|
rats |
rabbits |
wrens |
rosellas |
possums |
foxes |
snakes |
blackberries |
shelter from predators / nesting site / food source (seasonal) |
shelter from predators / nesting site |
shelter from predators / nesting site / food source |
food source |
shelter from predators / food source |
shelter from predators / den site / food source |
shelter from predators |
old gum trees |
|
shade / nesting site
|
shade /
food source |
shelter from predators /
shelter from weather /
nesting site /
food source |
shelter from predators / shelter from weather / nesting site |
|
|
long grass |
shelter from predators / food source |
shelter from predators / nesting site / food source |
shelter from predators /
food source |
food source |
|
shelter from predators /
food source |
shelter from predators /
food source |
small fires |
diminished food source |
short term loss of food; long term gain (stimulation of grass shoots) |
diminished food source |
loss of food |
loss of food |
diminished food source |
diminished food source |
car wrecks |
shelter from predators / shelter from weather / nesting site |
shelter from predators / shelter from weather / shade / nesting site |
shelter from predators / nesting site |
|
not preferred as shelter |
shelter from predators / shelter from weather / shade / den site |
shelter from predators / shelter from weather / nesting site
|
building sites |
shelter from predators / food source (scavenging) |
|
food source (e.g. crumbs) |
|
food source (scavenging) |
shelter from predators / food source (scavenging) |
shelter from predators /
food source |
© wipeout.com.au
For further support, email SOS@wipeout.com.au