Backyard Ecology

Introduced Species

http://www.kidcyber.com.au/topics/austendangered.htm
http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/pestsweeds/pestanimals.htm

Watch these episode of BTN:
  • Carp: http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s3069207.htm
  • Cane Toads http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s2755966.htm
  • Rabbits http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s2551612.htm

list of animals http://www.whitehat.com.au/Australia/Animals/Introduced.asp Activity - persuasice writing: should we be allowed to hunt introduced species? http://www.animalsaustralia.org/media/in_the_news.php?article=2320

Other options for species control:
http://www.abc.net.au/btn/story/s2395776.htm What wouldthis mean for random native species whose water supply has been drained away by a farm well?

More info on Rabbits:
http://www.animalcontrol.com.au/rabbit.htm
http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/resources/pestsweeds/factsheetRabbits.pdf

http://www.feralscan.org.au/rabbitscan/pageContent.aspx?page=rabbit_resourcesanddownloads - Community mapping activity!

Introductory Activity

One of the Australian native animals most endangered by introduced predators is the Bandicoot. This quick interactive activity models the effect of predators on the bandicoot population. Bandicoot Valley has also been downloaded into the school S-Drive.

(a) Complete Game 1
(b) While completing Games 2 and 3, write down what happened to the bandicoot population using sentences such as:
  • Initially, there were ___________ family groups of bandicoots in Bandicoot Valley.
  • There was a sharp decrease/increase in the bandicoot poputation when ___________ were ________________ by _________________.
  • However, the population began torise/fall  during the breeding seasons when each bandicoot pair had ________ young.
  • By the end of the game, the bandicoots had become extinct/ ________ bandicoots survived in Bandicoot Valley.
(c) How many of the 'disasters' in these games were part of the indigenous food chain? How many of these disasters could have been avoided?
(d) List five ways ecologists could help to preserve endangered species.

Rabbits

 http://www.australian-information-stories.com/rabbits-in-australia.html

What does this have to do with my garden?

The sites listed at this portal are useful places to check that none of the plants in your garden are introduced species will escape yo9ur garden and create a problem for the environment. http://www.iewf.org/weedid/index_by_reserve.htm
http://www.weeds.org.au/escapees.htm

Revision

Introduced species info http://www.nma.gov.au/kidz/making_tracks/the_other_side/more_info/ and game http://www.nma.gov.au/kidz/games/is_this_an_introduced_species/index.jsp