HASS · Year 10 · Environmental Change and Management · Term 4

Land and Water Degradation

Examine the processes that lead to the degradation of land and water resources, including deforestation, soil erosion, and pollution, and the consequences for environmental quality and food security.

TL;DR:How does the way we use our land affect the water we drink and the food we eat? This topic explores the fragile connection between our actions and the health of our environment.

• ACARA Content Descriptions
• AC: Geography (Year 10) - Human-induced environmental changes that challenge sustainability

About This Topic

This topic delves into the critical issue of land and water degradation, a key focus within the Year 10 Australian Curriculum for HASS, particularly in the Geography stream. It aligns with the inquiry into environmental change and management, prompting students to investigate the complex, interconnected processes that diminish the capacity of land and water resources. Students will explore significant Australian and global case studies, such as dryland salinity in the Murray-Darling Basin, deforestation in Queensland, and the impact of urban runoff on coastal ecosystems. The curriculum encourages an examination of the causes, including unsustainable agricultural practices, industrial pollution, and urbanisation, and their profound consequences for biodiversity, environmental quality, and food security. The unit provides a framework for students to not only understand the scientific processes behind degradation, like soil erosion and eutrophication, but also to analyse the social, economic, and political dimensions of these challenges. It encourages students to evaluate the responses of governments, communities, and individuals to these issues, fostering a sense of active citizenship. By investigating management strategies, from local landcare initiatives to international agreements, students will develop a nuanced understanding of sustainability and environmental stewardship, preparing them to critically assess environmental challenges they will face in the future.

Key Questions

1. Identify the main causes of deforestation in the Amazon rainforest.
2. Explain how unsustainable farming practices can lead to desertification.
3. Analyse the impact of plastic pollution on marine ecosystems and water quality.

Learning Objectives

• Analyse the primary causes and multifaceted effects of land and water degradation in different global contexts.
• Explain the processes of desertification, soil erosion, and pollution using specific examples.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of various management strategies aimed at mitigating environmental degradation in Australia.
• Investigate the connection between environmental quality, food security, and human wellbeing.
• Communicate geographical information and findings using appropriate terminology and conventions.

Key Vocabulary

Salinity	The concentration of dissolved salts in soil or water. Dryland salinity occurs when the water table rises, bringing salt to the surface.
Eutrophication	The process where a body of water becomes overly enriched with minerals and nutrients, which induces excessive growth of algae and can lead to oxygen depletion.
Desertification	The process by which fertile land becomes desert, typically as a result of drought, deforestation, or inappropriate agriculture.
Catchment	An area of land where surface water from rain, melting snow, or ice converges to a single point at a lower elevation, usually the exit of the basin, where the waters join another waterbody.
Sustainability	Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs, involving environmental, social and economic considerations.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

Pollution just disappears or gets diluted over time.

What to Teach Instead

Many pollutants, especially heavy metals and plastics, do not break down easily. They can persist in the environment for hundreds of years and accumulate in organisms through a process called biomagnification, becoming more concentrated higher up the food chain.

Common Misconception

Desertification only happens in actual deserts.

What to Teach Instead

Desertification is the process of land degradation in arid, semi-arid, and dry sub-humid areas, known as drylands. It's about fertile land becoming desert-like due to factors like deforestation, overgrazing, and unsustainable farming, not the expansion of existing deserts.

Common Misconception

Australia doesn't have a deforestation problem like the Amazon.

What to Teach Instead

While the Amazon is a critical global issue, Australia has one of the highest rates of land clearing in the developed world, particularly in Queensland and New South Wales. This clearing is primarily for cattle grazing and agriculture and has significant impacts on biodiversity and soil health.

Active Learning Ideas

Document Mystery

Salinity Soil Experiment

Students grow seedlings (e.g., radish or bean sprouts) in three different pots: one with fresh water, one with slightly salty water, and one with very salty water. They observe and record the effects on plant growth over two weeks to model the impact of soil salinity.

45 min·Small Groups

Document Mystery

Murray-Darling Basin Stakeholder Role-Play

Assign students roles such as a farmer from upstream, an environmental scientist, a tourism operator from South Australia, and a government water minister. They then debate a proposed water allocation plan for the basin, representing their stakeholder's perspective.

60 min·Small Groups

Document Mystery

Plastic Pollution Pathway Mapping

Students choose a common plastic item, like a drink bottle or plastic bag, and create a visual flowchart or digital story mapping its potential journey from a local street drain to the ocean. They must identify the environmental impacts at each stage.

50 min·Pairs

Real-World Connections

• The ongoing debate about water allocations and environmental flows in the Murray-Darling Basin, which directly affects farmers, communities, and ecosystems.
• Local council initiatives to install gross pollutant traps (GPTs) in stormwater drains to prevent rubbish from reaching creeks and oceans.
• The link between agricultural runoff from Queensland farms and the health of the Great Barrier Reef, particularly regarding coral bleaching and crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks.
• Product labelling in supermarkets that indicates sustainable sourcing, such as 'dolphin-safe' tuna or certified sustainable palm oil.
• Community Landcare groups working on local projects like creek revegetation, weed removal, and erosion control.

Assessment Ideas

Peer Assessment

Students produce a research report or documentary on a specific case of land or water degradation in Australia, analysing its causes, impacts, and the responses from different groups.

Exit Ticket

A '3-2-1' exit ticket where students write down three causes of deforestation, two consequences of soil erosion, and one question they still have about water pollution.

Peer Assessment

Students use a rubric to evaluate their own infographic on plastic pollution, assessing their use of data, clarity of message, and visual design before final submission.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between soil erosion and soil degradation?

Soil degradation is the broad term for the decline in soil quality. Soil erosion, which is the physical removal of topsoil by wind or water, is a major type of soil degradation, but degradation also includes other issues like loss of nutrients, increased salinity, or contamination.

How can one person's actions really help solve massive problems like ocean pollution?

Individual actions create a cumulative effect. Reducing personal plastic use, proper waste disposal, and participating in local clean-ups directly reduce the amount of pollution entering waterways. These actions also signal a demand for change to businesses and governments, driving larger-scale policy and innovation.

Are all modern farming practices bad for the land?

No, many farmers are adopting sustainable practices. Techniques like no-till farming, crop rotation, and integrated pest management are designed to improve soil health, conserve water, and reduce the need for chemical inputs, proving that food production and environmental care can go hand-in-hand.