Environmental Science

Australia is one of seventeen countries described as being 'mega diverse' in terms of its terrestrial and marine life. While only accounting for 10 per cent of the global surface, this group of seventeen countries contains more than 70 per cent of the biodiversity on the planet. In this area of study students use biodiversity as a lens through which to investigate the management of a single Earth system -- the biosphere. They examine the categories of biodiversity, the role of biodiversity in sustaining ecosystems, the provision of ecosystem services for human well-being and the strategies employed to counteract threats, both natural and human-induced, to maintain biodiversity in the short-, medium- and long-term. The selection of learning contexts should allow students to develop practical techniques and undertake fieldwork and other practical activities to investigate how biodiversity is measured and monitored in the context of a selected threatened species of interest. Students generate primary data, and organise and present this data, to evaluate whether efforts to ensure the long-term survival of the selected species are justified.

Society requires sustainable solutions for the environmental challenges it is facing today. In this area of study students explore variations in definitions of sustainability and consider how these may be interpreted and applied in addressing a selected environmental science case study. The selection of learning contexts should allow students to study one environmental science case study in depth using Earth systems thinking. The selected case study should have an environmental management strategy, including risk assessment. Students assess the environmental impacts and risks associated with the environmental science case study, and examine the elements of environmental management and its relationship to sustainability principles. They examine the perspectives of stakeholders involved, analyse scientific data related to the monitoring of the case study, and evaluate the effectiveness of the environmental strategy implemented by the organisation. Suitable environmental science case studies include: - *geotechnical and transport engineering activities* that may involve construction of roads, freeways, railways, airports, mines, shopping centres and housing developments - *environmental engineering* *activities* that may involve coastal erosion protection, mine revegetation, municipal recycling systems and freeway revegetation - *water conservation and water engineering activities* that may involve studies of pollution in bays and oceans, sewage treatment plants, desalination plants, river diversion tunnels and stormwater drainage systems - *energy and pollution minimisation activities* that may involve air quality monitoring, electrostatic precipitation in smoke stacks, waste minimisation plans, cleaner production plans, waste heat re-use in industry, and energy efficient housing and commercial buildings - *soil remediation and soil erosion* *activities* that may involve bioremediation of soils, studies of dryland salinity, and total catchment management to reduce soil erosion - *broadacre, intensive or alternative agricultural practices* that may involve feedlots, irrigation, organic farming and biological controls in farming - *land management and development* *practices* that may involve ecotourism, hazard reduction burns in fire-prone landscapes, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander restoration projects, plantation forestry, green roofs and infrastructure, and urban housing projects.

Climate change is a complex challenge facing today's society. It is a multi-dimensional and global issue, with regional impacts, including risks and opportunities. Effective adaptation and mitigation options are essential for reducing future risks and realising potential opportunities. In this area of study students investigate natural as well as human-based factors that affect Earth's climate. Students compare natural and enhanced greenhouse effects and their significance for sustaining ecological integrity. They explain different methods for measuring and predicting climate change, and consider the degree of certainty associated with climate projections. Students explore risks and opportunities for human societies and ecological systems associated with climate change at a selected region or location, and evaluate mitigation and adaptation strategies for managing climate change. The selection of learning contexts should allow students to develop practical techniques and undertake fieldwork and other practical activities to model and investigate drivers of climate change. Students develop skills in the use of scientific equipment and apparatus to investigate the effects of altering different climate factors on selected environmental parameters, model different climate scenarios by accessing the internet or using simple climate models, and use practical activities, fieldwork and/or simulations to make and test predictions.

In this area of study students explore the concepts associated with the use of different energy sources by human societies. Students develop their understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of the uses of different sources of energy and consider the local and global impacts of these uses, including possible consequences over short (seconds to years), medium (multiple years to hundreds of years) and long (thousands to millions of years) time scales. They investigate the extent, availability and consequences of selecting alternative sources of energy for meeting current and projected energy demands, while considering the environmental, sociocultural, economic and ethical challenges involved in building a sustainable energy future. The selection of learning contexts should allow students to develop practical techniques and undertake fieldwork and other practical activities to investigate and/or to compare options for building a sustainable energy future. Students develop skills in the use of scientific equipment and apparatus, model different energy scenarios, and use simulations to make and test predictions.

Students undertake a student-designed scientific investigation in either Unit 3 or Unit 4, or across both Units 3 and 4. The investigation involves the generation of primary data related to biodiversity, environmental management, climate change and/or energy use, and should be inspired by a contemporary environmental science challenge or issue. The investigation draws on knowledge and related key science skills developed across Units 3 and 4, and is undertaken by students in the laboratory and/or in the field. When undertaking the investigation students are required to apply the key science skills to develop a question, state an aim, formulate a hypothesis and plan a course of action to answer the question, while complying with safety and ethical guidelines. Students then undertake a controlled experiment, correlational study or fieldwork to generate primary quantitative data, analyse and evaluate the data, identify limitations of data and methods, link experimental results to scientific ideas, discuss implications of the results, and draw a conclusion in response to the question. The presentation format for the investigation is a scientific poster constructed according to the structure outlined on [pages 11 and 12](#Poster). A logbook is maintained by students for record, assessment and authentication purposes.