4.1.

2- Characteristics of healthy outdoor

environments
Lesson objective:
• Analyse the observable characteristics of healthy environments including:
- quality and adequacy of water, air and soil
- levels of biodiversity
- the amount of pest/introduced species
• to be able to use observations to evaluate the health of outdoor
environments
ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH
Environmental health is closely linked to the land use that surrounds

a particular outdoor environment. This health can be influenced by:

• Urbanisation

• Land clearing

• Over grazing

• Pollution and erosion from livestock and mining practices

• Chemicals used in industrial and farming practices

• Modification of natural stream flows by dams and rivers

• Climate (such as long periods of drought)

• Invasion of waterways by exotic weeds

OBSERVABLE INDICATORS
G e n e r a l l y, t h e h e a l t h o f a n o u t d o o r e n v i r o n m e n t w o u l d r e q u i r e a n
in depth understanding of all the complex interactions that are
possible in outdoor environments. Scientists study and work for
years to be able to measure all of these variables.

W e a r e g o i n g t o f o c u s , a l i t t l e m o r e s i m p l y, o n t h e e a s i l y
observable health indicators, including:

• Wa t er q u a l i t y a n d a d e qu ac y

• Air quality and adequacy

• Soil quality and adequacy

• Levels of biodiversity

• Pest and introduced species

WATER QUALITY & WHY ITS IMPORTANT?
Wa t e r i s e s s e n t i a l t o h e a l t h y o u t d o o r e n v i r o n m e n t s a n d
any change in its quality or quantity (or adequacy) can
have a major impact on all components of an
environment.
I m p a c t s o n w a t e r q u a l i t y d o n ’ t j u s t a ff e c t t h e
environment, it also the recreational and commercial
value of our water resources.

There are a range of observable tests we can use to

measure water health, such as:
- Ta s t e , o d o u r a n d a p p e a r a n c e ( t u r b i d i t y )
- Te m p e r a t u r e
- pH
- Nitrogen & Phosphorus
- D i s s o l v e d o xy g e n
TASTE, ODOUR & APPEARANCE (TURBIDITY)
The appearance, taste or odour of the water from a water source offer some instant
information about the quality and health of it and its surrounding environment.
---No equipment is required to measure these characteristics---
---Big advantage!---
• Humans have a very sensitive sense of taste, having a small taste of water gives an
instant indication of its quality.
Undesirable tastes can be caused by the presence of organic compounds.
• The odour of water gives an indication of the presence of hydrogen sulphide (rotten egg
smell)- also affecting its taste and appearance.
• Turbidity measures water clarity (how far light can travel through it). Erosion is one of the
main causes of increased turbidity. The ‘cloudiness’ of water can be caused by particles of
clay, sand, silt, algae or even plankton.
Turbidity can affect the water quality and water life due to:
- lower light levels can reduce plants ability to photosynthesize
- water can be warmer due to particles absorbing heat
- particles can affect the gills of aquatic animals (affecting their ability to breathe)
- habitat is lost as holes and crevices fill with silt.
WATER TEMPERATURE
Te m p e r a t u r e i s e a s i l y m e a s u r e d t h r o u g h t o u c h a n d d i r e c t c o m p a r i s o n
with the rest of the environment.
Te m p e r a t u r e c a n b e a f f e c t e d b y :
• Removing trees and other plants, as this affects the amount of
sunlight that reaches the water
• T h e p a r t i c l e s p r e s e n t i n t h e w a t e r, w h i c h c a n a b s o r b h e a t a n d
increase temperature
• Runoff from man made surfaces (roads, driveways, industry) can be
warmer or cooler and affect the temperature of the waterway it
flows into.

Impacts:
Te m p e r a t u r e c a n a f f e c t t h e r a t e o f p h o t o s y n t h e s i s o f a l g a e a n d o t h e r
plant life, the metabolic rate of aquatic organisms, the sensitivity of
organisms to toxic wastes, parasites and diseases.
Extreme temperature change can result in death.
Long term changes to average temperature can completely alter the
species present in an ecosystem.
Wa r mer w a t e r h o l d s l e s s o x y g e n, w h i c h i s n e c e s sary f o r a q u a ti c
plants and animals.
pH LEVELS & OTHER DISSOLVED COMPOUNDS
- nitrogen, phosphorus and oxygen
• p H m e a s u r e s t h e l e v e l o f a c i d i t y o r a l k a l i n i t y i n t h e w a t e r.
It is measured on a scale of 1 (acid) to 14 (alkaline).
• Pure water has a pH of 7, considered ‘neutral’.
• A pH of less than 4.8 or greater than 9.2 can be harmful to aquatic
life.
• Most freshwater fish prefer between 6.5 and 8.4.

pH is affected by:
• Soils and rocks in the
catchment area
(therefore increased
erosion can affect pH)
• Chemicals released
from industry
• Carbon dioxide
dissolved in the water
NITROGEN, PHOSPHORUS AND OXYGEN
Nitrogen and phosphorus are
important nutrients for plant growth.
Excessive amounts can lead to the
uncontrolled growth of algae. Algal
growth can reduce water quality, kill
fish and even other organisms that
consume the water.
Fertiliser runoff is one of the key
contributors of increased nitrogen
and phosphorus levels.

Dissolved oxygen promotes life in

aquatic ecosystems. Pollution or
decomposing vegetation can reduce
the level of dissolved oxygen;
insufficient oxygen can lead to fish
and other organisms dying.
WATER QUALITY-
testing when in the outdoors
• Can you/would you drink it?

• Is the water clear? (good if it is, if not why?)

• Is it running? (good if it is)

• Is there algae on surface or rocks? (alright at low levels,

bad at high levels)

• Is the water warm? (bad if it is when you wouldn’t expect

it to be)
AIR QUALITY & WHY ITS IMPORTANT?
Air is the colourless, tasteless gaseous mixture that makes up our
atmosphere. It consists of roughly 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, and
smaller amounts of other chemicals including hydrogen and carbon
dioxide.

Air is needed by almost all living things.

It protects life by absorbing harmful UV solar radiation and reducing

temperature extremes.

Photosynthesis in plants is possible because of carbon dioxide in the

atmosphere. Nitrogen present in the air is ‘fixed’ by microbes and
made accessible to plants for their growth.

Humans require quality air for good health. Poor air can result in
bronchitis, asthma and a range of other respiratory diseases. .
WHAT IMPACTS AIR QUALITY?
D i s c h a r g e s o f g a s e s a n d p a r t i c l e s f r o m i n d u s t r y, m o t o r
vehicles and domestic wood burning.
Agriculture, planned burning and decaying organic
m a t t e r c a n a l s o i m p a c t a i r q u a l i t y.
Natural events such as volcanic eruptions can release
gases also.
SMOG
S m o g i s a m i xt u r e o f s m o k e , f o g a n d c h e m i c a l f u m e s .
Smog occurs due to the previous mentioned pollutants
under certain climatic conditions.
AIR QUALITY-
testing when in the outdoors

Can we see smog? (bad if we can)

C a n w e s m e l l S u l p h u r D i o xi d e ? ( b a d s m e l l i n g a i r …
bad if we can)

If none of these are present… all is well.

SOIL QUALITY & WHY ITS IMPORTANT?
Dirt, mud, dust… without soil, the biodiversity around us, the crops
we rely on for food and fibre, the animal products we consume,
would not exist.
• Poor quality soil lacks nutrients, affecting everything that needs it
t o g r o w.
• High quality soil is rich in nutrients; it enables plant growth,
r e s i s t s e r o s i o n , s t o r e s w a t e r, r e t a i n s n u t r i e n t s a n d a c t s a s a n
*environmental buffer in the landscape.
• Soil biota (microorganisms) are essential for decomposing and
recycling organic matter back into useable nutrients
• Soils are formed over huge periods of time (over 500 years for
2 c m o f t o p s o i l ) a s r o c k i s b r o k e n d o w n b y i c e , w i n d a n d w a t e r, b u t
can very quickly be lost to destructive practices.
• I t h o l d s 0 . 0 1 % o f a l l o f E a r t h ’ s w a t e r.

*An area of land maintained in permanent vegetation that helps

c o n t r o l a i r, s o i l a n d w a t e r q u a l i t y a n d o t h e r e n v i r o n m e n t a l p r o b l e m s .
WHAT IS IT? - SOIL
Soil is comprised of:
49% oxygen
33% silicon
7% aluminium
4% iron
2% carbon
5% other trace elements

This means that:

50% of soil is made up of air and water
50% of minerals and other organic
matter
WHAT IMPACTS SOIL QUALITY?
Increased population has lead to widespread erosion
over-grazing and over-cultivating fields, leading to
increased waterway salinity and desertification .
Many practices lead to increased erosion - excess water
r u n - o ff , f o r e s t r y a n d l a n d c l e a r i n g , a g r i c u l t u r e a n d e v e n
recreational practices.
SOIL QUALITY-
testing when in the outdoors
Soil colour - Grab a handful (dark = fertile / light = less fertile)
Soil composition –
The size of the particles and
the mix of them that make it up.
(see image)
This also includes the Organic
content - grab a handful
(the more different materials,
the more nutrients in the soil)

Moisture content – thick, lush

growth indicates high moisture
content / sparse growth = less.

Soil salinity - Can you see any evidence? (dry ground, low
b i o d i v e r s i t y, d a m a g e d v e g e t a t i o n )

Soil erosion - Can you see any evidence?

BIODIVERSITY & WHY ITS IMPORTANT?
An important indicator of the health of outdoor
e n v i r o n m e n t s i s t h e a m o u n t o f d i ff e r e n t t y p e s o f f l o r a a n d
fauna in an area. This is referred to as biological diversity
or Biodiversity.
It includes the full variety of all life forms - plants, animals,
microorganisms, the genes they contain and the
ecosystems they live in.

A u s t r a l i a h a s i n c r e d i b l y r i c h b i o d i v e r s i t y v a l u e s . We h a v e
450,000 species- approximately 10% of all species that
occur on Earth.
We a r e h o m e t o o v e r t w i c e t h e n u m b e r o f s p e c i e s f o u n d
in Europe and North America combined!
A p p r o x i m a t e l y 8 0 % o f A u s t r a l i a ’s s p e c i e s a r e e n d e m i c .
THE THREE LEVELS OF BIODIVERSITY
Genetic diversity: The total genetic information
contained in the genes of all species as well as the
variations between individuals of the same species.
E . g . d i ff e r e n t c o l o u r i n g f o u n d i n o n e s p e c i e s o f
Kangaroo

S p e c i e s D i v e r s i t y : T h e v a r i e t y o f d i ff e r e n t s p e c i e s ( t h e
a m o u n t o f d i ff e r e n t t y p e s o ff f l o r a a n d f a u n a )
E . g . t h e d i ff e r e n t t y p e s o f t r e e s , s h r u b s , g r a s s e s , b i r d s ,
animals and insects found in the same environment.

E c o s y s t e m : T h e v a r i e t y o f d i ff e r e n t h a b i t a t s , n a t u r a l
c o m m u n i t i e s a n d b i o l o g i c a l p r o c e s s e s . We c o m m o n l y
refer to these as biomes.
E.g. alpine, coastal, woodland.
WHAT IMPACTS BIODIVERSITY?
Since European settlement, at least 20 mammal species have become
extinct.
This is equal to half the species that have become extinct in the world in
the past 200 years… not a great record to have!

Australia has also lost 10 species of bird, 3 amphibians and 97 plant

species. Hundreds of others are on threatened or endangered species
lists.

The largest causes of biodiversity loss are:

• Habitat loss/destruction
• Introduced species
• Soil, water and air pollution
• Climate change
BIODIVERSITY-
testing when in the outdoors
Making a judgement requires complex investigation,
much of which is not suitable for us to do.
P a r k s Vi c t o r i a , a s a g o v e r n m e n t o r g a n i s a t i o n , u n d e r t a k e
biodiversity audits of the areas they manage.
Many primary industry land users and managers are also
required to do this as a condition of their use of the
e n v i r o n m e n t , i n c l u d i n g Vi c F o r e s t s a n d m u c h o f t h e
m i n i n g i n d u s t r y.

HOWEVER…
It can be relatively easy to measure some aspects of
s p e c i e s d i v e r s i t y b y c o u n t i n g t h e n u m b e r o f d i ff e r e n t
species you see or see evidence of in an environment.
E.g. Bird watching!
PEST AND INTRODUCED SPECIES & WHY
THEY ARE IMPORTANT?
These can be characterised by type:

A pest is a animal or plant that interferes with human land -use e.g.
weeds and animals that interfere with farmers crops and animals.
Pest species can be either native or introduced. They can be
defined as growing where they are not wanted.

An introduced species is one that is not native to Australia, such

as rabbits, foxes, cane toads, blackberries and feral cats. Many
introduced species directly compete with native species for the
resources they need to survive. This has even driven some native
species to extinction.
THE MAJOR IMPACTS…
OF PESTS AND INTRODUCED SPECIES
Rabbits- 24 were introduced in 1859 near
Geelong. By 1950 they were found in
Queensland and Western Australia, and it
was estimated there were over 600million.
They not only caused large scale erosion, but
they competed with livestock and native
animals, consuming their food.

Livestock- Hard hooves cause erosion, they spread weeds, compact soil and trample
and eat fragile plants… leading to degraded and unhealthy outdoor environments.

Weeds- spread through animals, waterways, humans (cars and equipment) and wind…
Weeds take nutrients from native or planted species, can be harmful to some native
species, and even increase the number of other introduced species found in an area.
PESTS & INTRODUCED SPECIES-
testing when in the outdoors
The presence of introduced and pest species can be identified,
allowing judgement to be made on the health of an outdoor
environment.
Some species are easily evident, others leave traces that let us
know they are around.
 Fox tracks in the snow

 Deer grazing damage

 Blackberries can quickly outgrow
within a National Park
and smother native vegetation