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TASEnvironmental Science

Human Dependence and Impact on Ecosystems

4 dot points across 4 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

How do agriculture and food production both depend on and degrade the ecosystems that support them?

Explain how agriculture, aquaculture and food production depend on ecosystem processes, and describe the environmental impacts of intensive land and water use.
How farming and aquaculture depend on soil, water and pollination, and their impacts including soil degradation, eutrophication and salinity, with Tasmanian salmon and agriculture examples, for TASC Environmental Science Level 3.
6 min answer →

How do human societies depend on ecosystems, and how does using their resources change them?

Describe the ecosystem services humans rely on and explain how resource use such as forestry, fishing and agriculture affects Tasmanian ecosystems.
Provisioning, regulating, supporting and cultural ecosystem services, renewable and non-renewable resources, and the impacts of forestry, fisheries and agriculture in Tasmania, for TASC Environmental Science Level 3.
6 min answer →

How does the growth and consumption of the human population determine its impact on ecosystems?

Explain how human population growth and patterns of consumption drive environmental impact, and describe how the ecological footprint measures the demand humans place on the biosphere.
Human population growth, demographic transition, consumption and the ecological footprint as a measure of demand on the biosphere, with Australian and Tasmanian examples, for TASC Environmental Science Level 3.
6 min answer →

How does pollution move through ecosystems, and how can waste be managed to reduce harm?

Describe the main types and sources of pollution, explain how pollutants such as nutrients, plastics and toxins affect ecosystems, and evaluate waste management strategies.
Air, water and land pollution, point and non-point sources, eutrophication, bioaccumulation, plastics and the waste hierarchy with Tasmanian examples, for TASC Environmental Science Level 3.
6 min answer →