4.1.

2
Observable characteristics of healthy
outdoor environments
Topic Objectives:
• Analyse the observable characteristics of
healthy environments including:
- quality and adequacy of: water, air & soil
- levels of biodiversity
- the amount of pest/introduced species
• Use observations to evaluate the health of
outdoor environments
Environmental Environmental health is closely linked to the land use tha
surrounds a particular outdoor environment.

Health This health can be influenced by:

Land clearing and

Urbanisation
Climate (such as long
periods of drought)
Overgrazing

Pollution and erosion

from livestock and
mining practices
Chemicals used in
industrial and
Modification of farming practices
natural stream
flows by dams and
rivers Invasion of waterways by exotic weeds
 OBSERVABLE INDICATORS
Generally, the health of an outdoor environment would require an 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.

We are going to focus, a little more simply, on the easily observable health
indicators, including:

• Water quality and adequacy

• Air quality and adequacy

• Soil quality and adequacy

• Levels of biodiversity

• Pest and introduced species

WATER QUALITY
& ADEQUACY
WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
Water is essential to healthy outdoor environments and any
change in its quality or quantity (or adequacy) can have a major
impact on all components of an environment.
Impacts on water quality don’t just affect the environment, it
also effects 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:
- Taste, odour and appearance (turbidity)
- Temperature
- pH
- Nitrogen & Phosphorus
- Dissolved oxygen
 TASTE, ODOUR & APPEARANCE (TURBIDITY)
These three characteristics from a water source offer some instant information about the quality and
health of it and its surrounding environment.
---Big advantage: No equipment is required to measure these characteristics---

• 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
Temperature is easily measured through touch and direct comparison with the rest of the
environment.

Temperature can be affected by:

❑ Removing trees and other plants, as this affects the amount of sunlight that reaches the
water
❑ The particles present in the water, which can absorb heat and 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:
1. Temperature can affect the rate of photosynthesis of algae and other plant life, the
metabolic rate of aquatic organisms, the sensitivity of organisms to toxic wastes,
parasites and diseases.
2. Extreme temperature change can result in death.
3. Long term changes to average temperature can completely alter the species present
in an ecosystem.
4. Warmer water holds less oxygen, which is necessary for aquatic plants and animals.
 pH LEVELS & OTHER DISSOLVED COMPOUNDS
- nitrogen, phosphorus and oxygen
These are far harder to measure by observation:
---pH---
❑ pH measures the level of acidity or alkalinity in the water.
It is measured on a scale of 1 (acid) to 14 (alkaline).
❑ 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.
---Nitrogen and Phosphorus---
❑ 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.
---Oxygen---
❑ 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.
 W ATER Q UALITY -
HOW TO TEST IT 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 &
ADEQUACY
 WHY IS AIR QUALITY 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..
 WH AT IMPACTS AIR Q UALITY?
❑ Discharges of gases and particles from industry, motor vehicles
and domestic wood burning.
❑ Agriculture, planned burning and decaying organic matter can
also impact air quality.
❑ Natural events such as volcanic eruptions can release gases also.
 SMOG
Smog is a mixture of smoke, fog and chemical fumes. Smog
occurs due to the previous mentioned pollutants under certain
climatic conditions.
 AIR QU A LITY-
HOW TO TEST IT IN THE OUTDOORS

❑ Can we see smog? (bad if we can)

❑ Can we smell any pollutants?

IE: Can we smell Sulphur Dioxide? (bad smelling air…
bad if we can)

❑ If none of these are present… all is well.

SOIL QUALITY
& ADEQUACY
 WHY IS SOIL QUALITY 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 to
grow.
❑ High quality soil is rich in nutrients; it enables plant growth, resists
erosion, stores water, retains nutrients and acts as an *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 2cm of
topsoil) as rock is broken down by ice, wind and water, but can very
quickly be lost to destructive practices.
❑ It holds 0.01% of all of Earth’s water.

*An area of land maintained in permanent vegetation that helps

control air, soil and water quality and other environmental problems.
 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 of fields, leading to increased waterway salinity and
desertification.
Many practices lead to increased erosion- excess water run-off, forestry
and land clearing, agriculture and even recreational practices.
 SOIL QU A LITY-
HOW TO TEST IT 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 biodiversity, damaged
vegetation)

Soil erosion - Can you see any evidence? Is it natural or not?

BIODIVERSITY
 WHY IS BIODIVERSITY IMPORTANT ?
An important indicator of the health of outdoor environments is the
amount of different types of flora and 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.

❑ Australia has incredibly rich biodiversity values. We have

450,000 species- approximately 10% of all species that
occur on Earth.
❑ We are home to over twice the number of species found in
Europe and North America combined!
❑ Approximately 80% of Australia’s species are endemic.
 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. different colouring found in one species of Kangaroo

Species Diversity:
The variety of different species (the amount of different types off
flora and fauna)
E.g. the different types of trees, shrubs, grasses, birds, animals
and insects found in the same environment.

Ecosystem:
The variety of different habitats, natural communities and
biological processes. We commonly 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
 BIOD IVER SITY-
HOW TO TEST IT IN THE OUTDOORS
Making a judgement requires a complex investigation, much of
which is not suitable for us to do.
Parks Victoria, as a government organisation, undertake
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 environment, including
VicForests and much of the mining industry.

HOWEVER…
It can be relatively easy to measure some aspects of species
diversity by counting the number of different species you see or
see evidence of in an environment.
E.g. Bird watching!
 PESTS &
INTRODUCED
SPECIES
 WHY ARE THE AMOUNT OF PEST AND
INTRODUCED SPECIES 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-
HOW TO TEST IT IN THE OUTDOORS
The presence of introduced and pest species can be identified, allowing a
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. *This requires some knowledge of what shouldn’t be in the environment
you are observing!  Deer grazing damage within a
National Park
 Fox tracks in the snow

 Blackberries can quickly outgrow

and smother native vegetation