vce environmental science 2013–2016 … · vce environmental science 2013–2016 written...

VCE Environmental Science 2013–2016Written examination

Examination specifications

Overall conditionsThe end-of-year examination will be sat at a time and date to be set annually by the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority.There will be 15 minutes reading time and 2 hours writing time. VCAA examination rules will apply.The examination will be marked by assessors appointed by the VCAA.Details of these rules are published annually in the VCE and VCAL Administrative Handbook. The examination will contribute 50 per cent to the Study Score.

ContentThe VCE Environmental Science Study Design 2013–2016 is the document used for the development of the examination.Questions will be based on the key knowledge and key skills that underpin the outcomes in Units 3 and 4. Students will be required to apply the knowledge and skills outlined in Units 3 and 4, with the following exceptions.• specificdetailsrelatedtoaselectedthreatenedanimal(Unit3Outcome2)• specificdetailsrelatedtoaselectedpollutant(Unit4Outcome1)• specificdetailsrelatedtoanenvironmentalscienceproject(Unit4Outcome2)Althoughthespecificdetailsrelatedtothethreecasestudiesabovewill not be assessed in the end-of-year examination, they will be assessed by School-assessed Coursework. The application of the following underlying principles related to threatened animals, pollutants and environmental scienceprojectsinprovidedcontextswill be assessed in the end-of-year examination.• threateningprocessesonbiodiversity• characteristicsandmanagementofpollutantsingeneral• generalprinciplesofecologicallysustainabledevelopment• environmentalmanagementstrategiesThe student-selected fossil fuel and non-fossil fuel energy resources are examinable in both School-assessed Coursework and in the end-of-year examination.

FormatThe examination will consist of two sections.Section A will consist of 30 multiple-choice questions worth 1 mark each.Section B will consist of short answer questions and will be worth 90 marks.The examination will be worth 120 marks in total.TherewillbeabalanceofcontentacrossthefourareasofstudyinUnits3and4toreflecttheweightingintheSchool-assessed Coursework.Questions in the examination will not be organised according to areas of study and may cover individual areas of study content in more than one area of study from Unit 3 and Unit 4.The examination will be presented in a question and answer book. Students will be required to provide answers to Section B within the spaces allocated in the question and answer book. The number of lines provided after each question, together with the number of marks allocated, will indicate the appropriate length of the response.

©VICTORIANCURRICULUMANDASSESSMENTAUTHORITY2012

October2012

VCEEnvScience(Specificationsandsample)–October2012 2

Approved materials and equipmentStudents are permitted to bring into the examination room: pens, pencils, highlighters, erasers, rulers and one scientificcalculator.

Further adviceDuringthe2013–2016accreditationperiodfortheVCE Environmental Science Study Design, examinations will bepreparedaccordingtotheexaminationspecificationsabove.Theexaminationwillassessarepresentativesample of the key knowledge and key skills from Unit 3 and Unit 4. The examinable outcomes are listed on page 27 of the VCE Environmental Science Study Design.The following sample examination questions are intended to demonstrate the format and the types of questions thatteachersandstudentscanexpectonthenewend-of-yearVCEEnvironmentalScienceexamination.The VCAA provides answers to multiple-choice questions. The VCAA does not provide answers for other sections.ThefollowingdocumentsshouldbereferredtoinrelationtotheVCEEnvironmentalScienceexamination.• VCE Environmental Science Study Design 2013–2016• VCAA Bulletin VCE, VCAL and VET

Figures

Words

STUDENT NUMBER Letter

S A M P L E

SUPERVISOR TO ATTACH PROCESSING LABEL HEREVictorian Certificate of Education Year

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCEWritten examination

Day Date Reading time: **.** ** to **.** ** (15 minutes) Writing time: **.** ** to **.** ** (2 hours)

QUESTION AND ANSWER BOOK

Structure of bookSection Number of

questionsNumber of questions

to be answeredNumber of

marks

A 30 30 30B 6 6 90

Total 120

• Studentsarepermittedtobringintotheexaminationroom:pens,pencils,highlighters,erasers,sharpeners,rulersandonescientificcalculator.

• StudentsareNOTpermittedtobringintotheexaminationroom:blanksheetsofpaperand/orwhiteoutliquid/tape.

Materials supplied• Questionandanswerbookof32 pages.• Answersheetformultiple-choicequestions.Instructions• Writeyourstudent numberinthespaceprovidedaboveonthispage.• Checkthatyourname andstudent numberasprintedonyouranswersheetformultiple-choice

questionsarecorrect,andsignyournameinthespaceprovidedtoverifythis.

• AllwrittenresponsesmustbeinEnglish.At the end of the examination• Placetheanswersheetformultiple-choicequestionsinsidethefrontcoverofthisbook.

Students are NOT permitted to bring mobile phones and/or any other unauthorised electronic devices into the examination room.

©VICTORIANCURRICULUMANDASSESSMENTAUTHORITY2012

October2012

ENVSCEXAM(SAMPLE) 2 October2012

SECTION A–continued

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SECTION A – Multiple-choice questions

Instructions for Section AAnswerallquestionsinpencilontheanswersheetprovidedformultiple-choicequestions.Choosetheresponsethatiscorrectorthatbest answersthequestion.Acorrectanswerscores1,anincorrectanswerscores0.Markswillnotbedeductedforincorrectanswers.Nomarkswillbegivenifmorethanoneansweriscompletedforanyquestion.

Question 1AfossilfuelisbestdescribedasA. aflammablesolidorgas.B. afuelthatcontainscarbon.C. fossilisedrockthatwillburninapowerstation.D. aflammablesubstanceformedfromancientbiologicalmaterial.

Question 2Anexampleofanon-renewable,non-fossilenergyresourceisA. oil.B. coal.C. tidal.D. uranium.

Question 3Whichofthefollowingisnotarenewableenergysource?A. windB. solarC. biomassD. naturalgas

Question 4Theterm‘exothermic’referstoachemicalreactionA. inwhichheatisabsorbed.B. inwhichheatisgivenout.C. thatproceedsveryrapidly.D. thatrequireshightemperaturestobeginthereaction.

October2012 3 ENVSCEXAM(SAMPLE)

SECTION A–continuedTURN OVER

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Use the following information to answer Questions 5 and 6.Anengineerisplanningtheelectricitysupplyforanisolatedcity.Shewantstomakethesystemasenergyefficientandenvironmentallyfriendlyaspossible,butheroptionsarelimited.Thetwooptionssheisconsideringareasfollows.Option1:coal-burningpowerstationonacoalfieldapproximately300kmfromthecity,withhigh-voltagetransmissionlinesbetweenthemOption2:dieselpowerstationinthecity,generatingpoweratthedesiredvoltage(250VAC)InOption1,theefficiencyofthevariousstagesintheprocessisasfollows.• efficiencyofthegeneratingplant(coaltoelectricity)–60%• efficiencyofthelong-distance,high-voltagetransmissionlines–90%• efficiencyofthetransformerstoconverthighvoltageto250Vinthecity–90%InOption2,thedieselpowerstationisapproximately60%efficient(oilfueltoelectricity,readytouse).

Question 5Whatpercentageofthecoal’senergyreachesthecity?A. approximately30%B. approximately50%C. approximately60%D. approximately90%

Question 6Onekilogramofdiesel-oilfuelusedcontains8000kJofenergy.Howmuchoftheenergycontainedinthediesel-oilfuelisnotconvertedtoelectricitywhenburntinthepowerstation?A. 4800kJB. 3200kJC. 2400kJD. 1200kJ

Question 7MercuryisparticularlyhazardoustohumanhealthbecauseA. itbioaccumulateshighupthefoodchain.B. asaheavymetal,itcancauseseriousimpactinjury.C. itislightandvolatile,andsoiswidelydispersedthroughtheenvironmentbywind.D. asapuremetalitisverysolubleinwater,henceeasilyabsorbedthroughdrinkingwater.

Question 8Whichofthefollowingisthebestdescriptionofsulfurdioxide?A. agaslessdensethanairB. agasmoredensethanairC. agasinsolubleinwaterD. anacidicliquidatordinaryroomtemperature



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Question 9 ThedosageofsulfurdioxideisbestdescribedasA. ameasureoftheharmsulfurdioxidedoestoaperson.B. theamountofsulfurdioxideapersonexperiencesinagiventime.C. theamountofsulfurdioxideabsorbedbyapersoninagiventime.D. theamountofsulfurdioxideenteringtheenvironmentinagiventime.

Question 10ThetoxicityofmercuryisbestdescribedasA. howmercuryenterstheenvironment.B. ameasureoftheharmmercurydoestoaperson.C. thepersistenceofmercuryintheenvironment.D. howmuchmercuryapersonexperiencesinagiventime.

Question 11Insomeregions,thecombinationofacidrainandsmogcausesdamagetoforeststhatisworsethantheimpactofeitheracidrainorsmogonitsown.ThisisanexampleofA. specificity.B. acutetoxicity.C. chronictoxicity.D. synergisticaction.

Question 12Whichoneofthefollowingbestaccountsformercury’ssignificantharmtotheenvironment?A. persistenceB. degradabilityC. specificityD. synergism



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Use the following information to answer Questions 13–19.Alargeoutletisbeingplannedtoreleasetreatedwaterfromaseweragetreatmentplantintotheocean.Thetreatedwaterisnottoxic,buthasanunpleasantsmellandsocanbeconsideredapollutant.Theoutletfeedsthetreatedwaterintodeepocean,withastrongcurrent,whichspreadsthistreatedwater.

sewerage plant

coastline

ocean

outletcurrent

Engineersoftenusescalemodelstostudyproposedenvironmentalprojects.Thisprojectismodelledbelow.

tank (10 litres) A

valve (V)

downstream

B

20 L/s

Themodelconsistsofa10litresupplytank,A,whichdeliversthewaterthroughapipe,B,intoastreamofwaterflowingalongachannel,tomodeltheoceancurrent.Thewaterflowsthroughthechannelat20litrespersecond.Tosimulatethepollutant,100gramsofachemicalisthoroughlymixedintothesupplytankwiththevalve(V)closed.

Question 13WhichoneofthefollowingbestgivestheconcentrationofthechemicalinthesupplytankA?A. 0.10g/LB. 1.0g/LC. 10g/LD. 100g/L



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Question 14Withthewaterflowinginthechannel,thevalve(V)isnowopenedandthesupplytankemptiesin 20seconds.WhichoneofthefollowingbestgivestheconcentrationofthechemicalinthestreamflowdownstreamofpipeB?A. 0.10g/LB. 0.25g/LC. 1.0g/LD. 25g/L

Question 15Aspartoftheplanningforthesewerageoutletproject,anEnvironmentalRiskAssessmentistobecarriedout.WhichoneofthefollowingisthemainaimofanEnvironmentalRiskAssessment?A. todeterminetheleastexpensivewaytoprotecttheenvironmentB. toreducethenumberofpeoplewhoareconcernedabouttheprojectC. toensurethattherearenoadverseeffectsontheenvironmentfromtheprojectD. toevaluatethebalanceofpositivebenefitsagainstpossibleharmfuleffects

Question 16Theplanningalsoneedstotakeintoaccountregulatoryframeworks.Whichoneofthefollowingbestdescribesaregulatoryframework?A. asetofstandardsagreedbyallscientistsB. governmentlegislationtoensurethatprojectsmeetacceptablestandardsC. asetofguidelinesagreedbythelocalcommunityconcerningtheprojectD. agreedguidelinestotakeresponsibilityforecologicalsustainabilityawayfromtheplanners,

constructorsandoperators

Question 17Ascientiststatesthatthesewerageoutletprojectmustbeecologicallysustainable.ThismeansthattheprojectmustA. meettheneedsofthecurrentpopulationwithoutcompromisingtheneedsoffuturegenerations.B. notaffecttheecologyofthenearbyoceanareainanyway.C. takeintoaccounttheparticularecologyofthenearbyarea.D. maintainthebiodiversityofthenearbyoceanarea.



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Aspartofmonitoringthesewerageoutletproject,ascientistrandomlysampledthenumberofindividualsfromfourdifferentfishspeciesinanareaofonesquarekilometrearoundtheoutlet.Themeasurementsweretakenbeforetheoutletwasconstructedandone,twoandthreeyearsafteritbeganoperating.Theamountoftreatedwaterfromthesewerageplantwasthesamethroughoutthethree-yearperiod.Thedataisshownbelow.

Before operating One year Two years Three years

Species W 5000 4 000 6 000 4 000

Species X 3 000 4 000 3 000 4 000

Species Y 2 000 3500 3 000 4 000

Species Z 4 000 2800 4 200 3 000

Question 18Thepercentagechangeinthetotalnumberoffishinthesampledareafrombeforetheopeningofthesewerageoutletprojectuntiltheendofthethreeyearsisbestgivenby(+indicatesincrease;–indicatesdecrease)A. –7%B. +7%C. +70%D. +107%

Question 19ThescientistreportsthatbecausethenumbersoffishofspeciesWandZhavedecreasedoverthethreeyears,theplanthashadanegativeimpactontheecosystem.Whichoneofthefollowingstatementsisthebestcommentonthisreport?A. Thescientistiscorrect.B. Thereisinsufficientdatatodrawanyconclusion.C. Thevariationisduetolossofbiodiversity,asspeciesYisbeginningtodominatethenumbers.D. Thescientistisincorrect,sincevariationinnumbersismorelikelytobeduetorandomvariationand

samplingeffects.


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SECTION A – continuedTURN OVER

CONTINUES OVER pAgE


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Use the following information to answer Questions 20–24.TheSouthernBent-wingBatisamedium-sizedbatthatstaysincavesduringthedayandhuntsforinsectsinforestsandwetlandsatnight.

Question 20 AgroupofscientistshasmonitoredapopulationoftheSouthernBent-wingBatinasmallcavesystemoveraseven-yearperiod.Thenumberofbatsestimatedforeachyearisgiveninthetablebelow.

Year 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008Number 110 110 115 122 110 110 114

Theaveragepopulationsizelivinginthecavesystemovertheseven-yearperiodisbestcalculatedasA. 110.B. 111.C. 112.D. 113.

Question 21Theprobability(calculatedrisk)ofextinctionofthisSouthernBent-wingBatpopulationoverthenext15yearsisestimatedtobe0.70.Alargerpopulationinasecondseparatecavesystemhasaprobabilityofextinctionestimatedtobe0.20overthesameperiod.Whichofthefollowingbestgivestheprobabilityofextinctionofbothpopulationsinthenext15years?A. 0.14B. 0.27C. 0.50D. 0.97

Question 22TheSouthernBent-wingBatroostsandbreedsonlyincavesandmineshaftsinsoutheasternSouthAustraliaandsouthwesternVictoria.ThismeansthatthespeciesA. hasawidevarietyofhabitats.B. isatriskofgeneticswamping.C. isendemictothisregionofAustralia.D. needsdemographicvariationtooccurtomaintainitspopulationsize.

Question 23ThetotalpopulationoftheSouthernBent-wingBathasdeclinedconsistentlyfromapproximately 125000in1964toabout40000in2004.ItislikelythatadeclineofsuchnumberswouldhaveresultedintheconservationcategoryofthespeciesbeingreclassifiedfromA. criticaltovulnerable.B. criticaltoendangered.C. endangeredtocritical.D. endangeredtovulnerable.


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Question 24AnumberofreasonsaresuggestedforthedecliningnumbersoftheSouthernBent-wingBat.Thereasonsinclude• clearingofforesthabitats• disturbanceofbreedingsitesbytourists• decreaseintheinsectsthebatsfeedonduetopesticideuse.However,scientistslackdatatoidentifythespecificcause.Inresponsetothislackofdata,theprecautionaryprinciplewouldmoststronglysuggestthatA. acaptivebreedingprogramshouldbeestablishedtorebuildspeciesdiversity.B. authoritiesshouldstilldevelopandimplementstrategiestoaddresseachofthepossiblecauses.C. thereislittlethatcanbedonetodealwiththedecreasingpopulation,sincethecauseisunknown.D. thescientistsshouldundertakefurtherinvestigationtoidentifythemainthreatandwritearisk

assessmentreport.

Question 25GeneticswampingislikelytohappenwhenaA. smallpopulationofspeciesAtakesoverthehabitatofalargerpopulationofadifferentspeciesB.B. largepopulationofspeciesAtakesoverthehabitatofasmallerpopulationofadifferentspeciesB.C. largepopulationofspeciesAmovesintoahabitatoccupiedbyasmallergeneticallysimilar

populationofA.D. largepopulationofspeciesAmovesintoahabitatoccupiedbyasmallergeneticallydifferent

populationofA.


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Use the following information to answer Questions 26–30.Anoldwaterstoragedamistohaveitsdamwallrepaired.Toaccessthedamwallforrepairs,alargeamountofwaterstoredinthedamneedstobereleasedintoariver.AnEnvironmentalRiskAssessmentisrequiredbeforetheprojectisapproved.

Question 26Inreleasingthewaterintotheriver,whichoneofthefollowingenvironmentalconsequenceswillmostlikelyneedtobeavoided?A. erosionB. evaporationC. drylandsalinityD. increasedsalinityintheriver

Question 27ThemainpurposeoftheEnvironmentalRiskAssessmentistoA. ensuremaximumlocalemploymentontheproject.B. eliminateanydisruptiontotheenvironmentduringrepair.C. minimisethenumberofpeoplelikelytoobjecttotheproject.D. balanceanyenvironmentaldamageagainstthebenefitoftherepair.

Question 28Whichoneofthefollowingfactorsbestindicatesthatthedamrepairisecologicallysustainable?A. disruptiontolocalwildlifeistemporaryB. employmentiscreatedduringtherepairprojectC. thehabitatofendemicthreatenedpopulationshasbeendisturbedD. previouslysubmergedheritagebuildingscanbeinvestigated

Question 29Afterthedamisrepaired,itisfoundthatsoilsedimentsinthefloodplainoftherivercontainsignificantlevelsofphosphorusthatwerenotpresentbeforethewaterrelease.Ascientistsuggeststhatthiscanbecorrectedbyplantingaparticulartypeofvegetationthatabsorbsandbioaccumulatesphosphorusfromthesoil.ThisisanexampleofA. recycling.B. soilbioremediation.C. waterconservation.D. wasteminimisation.

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END OF SECTION ATURN OVER

Question 30Aftercompletionofthework,ascientistconductsanevaluationoftheeffectivenessoftheEnvironmentalManagementPlanfortheproject.WhichoneofthefollowingwouldbeevidenceforthesuccessoftheEnvironmentalManagementPlan?A. Thedamnolongerleaked.B. Theworkcameinunderbudget.C. Nonativeanimalsweredisturbedduringthework.D. Twoyearslater,theecologyoftheareadownstreamofthedamissimilartotheecologybeforethework

wasdone.

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SECTION B – Question 1 –continued

Question 1 (14 marks)Alarge,industrial,portcityislocatedonthecoast.Nearbyisahighmountainrange,whichreceivesheavyrainfallduetothestrong,moistonshorewind(blowingfromseatoland)thatblowsabouthalfofthetime.Thecityiswell-servedbybothseaandrailtransport,socoalcanbeeasilyobtained.Thereisthepossibilityofanaturalgasfieldabout50kmoffthecoast.Publictransportisprovidedbyanextensiveelectrictramsystem.Oneofthemainindustriesinthecityisanaluminiumsmelter,whichoperates24hoursperday,365daysperyear,continually,anditisalargeconsumerofelectricity.Thecitycouncilisdoinglong-termplanningtoprovideforthefutureelectricitysupplyneedsofthecity.Nameafossilfuelenergysourceandanon-fossilfuelenergysourcethatyouhavestudied.

fossil

non-fossil

a. Describehowyouwouldusethesesources,eithersinglyorincombination,tomeettheneedsofthiscityinanadequatewayandwithemphasisonsustainability.Youshouldrefertoanysubsidiaryinfrastructurethatwouldbeneeded. 3marks

SECTION B

Instructions for Section BAnswerall questionsinthespacesprovided.Writeusingblackorbluepen.

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SECTION B – Question 1 –continuedTURN OVER

b. Outlinetheadvantagesofusingyournominatedfossilfuelenergysourceinthesystemdescribedinpart a. 3marks

c. Outlinethedisadvantagesofthesystemyouhavesuggestedinpart a.ofyournominatedfossilfuelenergysource. 2marks

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SECTION B –continued

d. Commentontheeconomic,socialandenvironmentalimplicationsofyourchoices. 3marks

e. Areportermakesthefollowingstatement. ‘Non-fossilfuelsarepreferredbecauseallnon-fossilfuelsarerenewable,whileallfossilfuelsare

non-renewable.’ Explainwhythisstatementisinaccurateandincludeanexampleorexamplestosupportyour

explanation. 3marks

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SECTION B–continuedTURN OVER

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Question 2 (15 marks)a. ThetemperatureofEarth’satmosphereisdeterminedbythegreenhouseeffect. ExplainthemechanismofEarth’sgreenhouseeffect,includingtheroleofultraviolet,visibleand

infraredradiation. 5marks Youranswershouldincludereferenceto

• typesofincomingsolarradiation• atmosphericabsorption• typesofre-emittedradiation.

Youshouldincludeaclearlylabelleddiagram.

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SECTION B –continuedTURN OVER

b. Explainthedifferencebetweenthenaturalandenhancedgreenhouseeffects,includingtheimplicationsofeachforhumanlife. 4marks

c. Describetwostrategiesforreducingtheenhancedgreenhouseeffect. 2marks

d. Discusstheimpactofonefossilfuelandonenon-fossilfuelenergysourceonglobalwarming,includingthemechanismbywhicheachaffectsthewarming. 4marks

fossilfuelenergysource

non-fossilfuelenergysource

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SECTION B – Question 3–continued

Question 3 (20 marks)TheBlackButteMineinOregon,USA,mined,crushedandheatedmercurysulfidetoproducetheelementmercuryfrom1882until1969.Theprocessinvolvesheatingmercuricsulfidetoremovethesulfur,whichcomesoffassulfurdioxide.Themineisnolongerinuseanditisintendedtoreusethesiteforrecreationalpurposes.Aspartofanenvironmentalassessment,researcherstooknumeroussoilsamplesandanalysedtheamountofmercurypresentineachsample.Themapshowsthelocationofthemineandthesamplingsites.SiteAisthelocationofanoldprocessingplantatthemine(establishedin1882).SiteBisthelocationofanewerprocessingplantatthemine(establishedin1950).SiteCisontheslopeofahillfacingtheminesite.SiteDisonaslopeonthefarsideofahill.SitesEandFarenearariverflowingthroughtheminesite.SiteEisclosertotheminethansiteF.Resultsoftheanalysesarepresentedinthetablebelow(µgis0.000001gor10–6g).

hilltop hilltop

river flow

A

B

CD

E

F

Resultsoftheanalysesarepresentedinthetablebelow(μgis0.000001gor10–6).

Total mercury concentration (µg/g)

Sample number

Site A Site B Site C Site D Site E Site F

1 1 120 727 4.8 0.8 12.6 8.6

2 1850 652 9.2 1.2 15.0 4.4

3 2 090 78 2.9 0.6 19.5 10.8

4 1 200 41 5.0 1.0 8.7 7.8

5 1540 244 6.7 0.7 14.4 2.2

a. Whydidtheresearcherstakeanumberofmeasurementsofmercuryconcentrationsinsoilsamplesateachsiteratherthanrelyingononesampleateachlocation? 2marks

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SECTION B – Question 3–continuedTURN OVER

b. Referringtotherelevantpropertiesofmercuryandsulfurdioxide,explainwhetheryouwouldexpecttofindone,theotherorbothatthesitemanyyearsaftertheminehasceasedproduction. 3marks

c. Explainwhymercuryintheenvironmentishazardousandlistsomeofitsimpacts. 4marks

d. Byexaminingthedatainthetable,describethemostlikelytransportmechanismsformercurypollutioninthevicinityofthemine(atC,D,EandF)andintheareaaffectedbythemine.Explainwhythedatagivenindicatesthesemechanisms. 4marks

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SECTION B–continued

e. Whenthenewprocessingplantfortheminewasoperating(1950–1969),wouldyouhaveconsidereditapointordiffusesourceformercuryandsulfurdioxide?Explainyouranswers. 2marks

mercury

sulfurdioxide

Ineachofthefollowingquestions,part f.andpart g.,youshouldmakeexplicitreferencetothescenarioandinformationonpage20.f. ThelocalgovernmentrequiresanEnvironmentalImpactAssessmentoftheprojecttobecarriedout. Outlinethenecessarystepsinthisprocessanddescribewhatshouldbeincludedinthefinalreport. 2marks

g. Outlinethreekeystakeholdergroupsthatshouldbeconsultedanddescribeasuitableprocessforconsultation. 3marks

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SECTION B – Question 4–continuedTURN OVER

Question 4 (15 marks)Thecassowaryisaverylarge,flightlessbirdfoundinnorthQueensland.TherearebelievedtobesomesmallpopulationsofunknownnumbersinsouthernNewGuinea,althoughmostofthesemaynowbeextinctduetohuntingandcollectionofeggsforhumanfood.Malesareveryterritorial,withaterritorythatcanbeupto7squarekilometresinextent.Themalesaresolitary–therearenogroupsofadults(althoughsomegroupsmayhavedevelopedinareasofurbangrowthduetohumanfeeding).Femalesmovethroughdifferentterritoriesandmatewithmales,thenmoveon.Themaleshatchtheeggsandnurturethechicksforuptoayear.Theyoungmalebirdsmustthenmoveonandfindtheirownterritory.Birdshavealifespanofabout30years,withupto50yearsincaptivity.TherearethreemainpopulationsofthecassowaryinQueensland,twointhefarnorthonCapeYork–theNorthernCapeYorkpopulationandSouthernCapeYorkpopulation.Thethirdisfurthersouth,intheareasouthofCairnsandaroundTownsville–thewettropicspopulation.Alltheseareasarecycloneprone,withsignificantcyclonesinmanyyears.ThetotalnumberofcassowariesinAustraliahasdecreasedoverthelast30years,althoughaccuratecountingisextremelydifficult.Onesourcequotesthatin1988therewereanestimated4000adults;in2001about2000;andperhaps1200–1500currently.Hence,theyareclassifiedasendangeredundertherelevantlegislation.Thebirdseatmainlyfruit,oftenswallowinglargefruitwhole.Theirdroppingscarrytheseseedsovermuchoftheirterritory.Themainthreatstothecassowaryarebelievedtobe• collisionswithvehicles(approximately60%–75%ofdeathsinthewettropicspopulation)• lossofhabitatandhabitatfragmentation• predatingbydogs(perhaps15%ofdeaths)• cyclones(20%ofadultsandvirtuallyalldependentchickswerekilledwhenCycloneLarryhitnorth

Queenslandin2006).a. Intermsofthebehaviourpatternsofthecassowary,explainwhyaccurateestimatesofthe

populationsmaybedifficult. 2marks

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Abiologistsuggestsrelocatingsomeofthecassowariestoanotherarea.AsuggestedregionismidwaybetweenthewettropicspopulationandsouthernCapeYorkpopulation.b. Evaluateargumentsforandagainstthisplan. 4marks

Forthisplan,Alan,aranger,suggeststaking20adultmalesand15adultfemalesfromthewettropicspopulation,asithasthelargestnumberofbirdsofthethreeAustralianpopulations.Regina,anotherranger,wantstotakesomebirdsfromeachpopulation,althoughtheotherpopulationsaremuchsmaller.c. Giveyouropinion,withreasons,astowhichisthebestoption–allfromthewettropicspopulation

orsomefromeachpopulation. 3marks

d. Giveareasonwhythesurvivalofthecassowarymaybeimportantforoverallbiodiversity. 2marks

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e. Fromthedataabove,suggestsomeactionsthatcouldbetakeninthemanagementplantoensurethesurvivalofthecassowary.Relateyoursuggestionstoinformationinthedescriptionabove. 4marks

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Question 5 (14 marks)Often,simpleindicesareusedtoassessthespeciesdiversityofahabitat.Susandevelopsasimpleindextodeterminewhetherspeciesdiversityisincreasingordecreasinginparticularhabitats.Thisindex(S)combinesboththenumberofspeciesandtheirrelativeabundance.Itisgivenby

S sum of difference of each species from the mean (absolut=

ee/positive value)number of species

AlowervalueofSindicatesagreaterspeciesdiversity.Instudyingaparticularhabitat,X,thefollowingdatawasfound.

1995 2000

Number Difference from mean


Species 1 80 20 60 0

Species 2 40 20 30 30

Species 3 70 10 40 20

Species 4 80 20 160 100

Species 5 30 30 30 30

Species 6 60 0 40 20

Total number 360 360

Mean 60 60

Susan’sindex=20 20 10 20 30 06

+ + + + + = 0 30 20 100 30 206

+ + + + +

=100/6=16.7 =200/6=33.3

a. Susanarguesthattheindexindicatesthatthespeciesdiversityofthehabitathasdecreasedsignificantlyoverthefive-yearperiod.

Bobarguesthatthetotalnumberofindividualsisthesame(360),thenumberofspeciesisthesame(6)andthatthespeciesdiversityhasnotdecreased.

IsSusanorBobcorrect?Explainyourreason,includingclearlydifferentiatingbetweenspeciesrichnessandspeciesdiversityintheevaluationofbiodiversity. 4marks

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SECTION B – Question 5 – continuedTURN OVER

Toassessthechangeinspeciesdiversityofadifferenthabitat,Y,Susancountsthenumberofindividualsofeachspeciesinthehabitatthreeyearsapart.Thedataisshownbelow.

2001 2004

Species A 10 5

Species B 20 10

Species C 30 70

Species D 30 10

Species E 10 5

b. Calculatethemean(average)numberofindividualsperspeciesfortheyears2001and2004. 2marks

2001

2004

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SECTION B–continued

c. CalculateSusan’sindexforeachyear.Showyourworkingclearly. 4marks

2001 2004



Species A

Species B

Species C

Species D

Species E

Total number

Mean

Susan’sindex= Susan’sindex=

2001 2004

d. EvaluatetheusefulnessofSusan’sindexforcomparingspeciesdiversitychangeinhabitats. Inyouranswer,youshouldusethesetsofdataprovidedinbothcasestudies(pages26and27). 4marks

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CONTINUES OVER pAgE

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SECTION B – Question 6–continued

Question 6 (12 marks)Anewresidentialdevelopmentwiththepotentialtohouseapproximately100000peopleisbeingdevelopedonacoastalstripoflandapproximately10kilometresfromtheedgeofamajorcity.Toprovidetransporttothisnewdevelopment,engineersareplanningaraillink.Theplannedrouteforthislinkisrelativelysimple,exceptforawiderivermouth(estuary)aboutmidwayalongtheroute.Thisrivermouthisabouthalfakilometrewide.Upstreamfromtheproposedrivercrossingisalargewetlandarea,withasignificantwaterbirdhabitat.Theengineersconsidertwopossibilitiesforcrossingthisestuary.OptionA–ahalf-kilometre-longcausewayorbuilt-upembankment,withanumberofopeningstoallowtherivertoflowthroughOptionB–aone-kilometre-longtunneltoallowtherailwaytopassundertheriverThetwopotentialcrossingsareshownbelow.

river

wetlands

ocean

option Acauseway

option Btunnel

landland

Thetotalcostoftherailwaywithouttherivercrossingsisapproximately$20million.OptionAiscostedatapproximately$4million.OptionBiscostedatapproximately$50million.Jennyarguesforthetunnel.• Thecausewaywouldleadtogreatchangeintheflowoftheriver.Thetidewouldnolongerflushthe

wetlandsand,hence,itmaybecomestagnant.• Attimesoflowflowthewetlandscouldbecomeverysalty,affectingthewildlifeinthem.• Thecausewaywouldspoiltheviewoftheoceanfromtheinlandsideoftherailway.Richardarguesasfollows.• Therailwayisessentialtoprovideanenvironmentallysustainabletransportmode.• Ifcarsweretheonlyavailablemeansoftransport,thepollutionwouldaffectanimal,birdandaquatic

lifeinthearea.• Thetunnelistooexpensiveanoptionand,ifthecausewaywasnotallowed,therailwayisunlikelyto

beconstructed,whichwouldhaveenvironmentalconsequences.• WhileagreeingwithJennythatthewetlandareawouldbechangedbythecauseway,thewildlife

(especiallythemigratorywaterbirds)wouldquicklyadjust.• Itisnecessarytobalanceconflictingenvironmentalissuesandthecausewayismuchbetter

environmentallythanthetunnel.Inparts a., b.andc.,youshouldconsidermakingreferencetoi)economic,ii)socialandii)environmentalfactors–notnecessarilyallthreeineachsubquestion.

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SECTION B – Question 6 – continuedTURN OVER

a. OutlinethekeyargumentsforoptionA. 3marks

b. OutlinethekeyargumentsforoptionB. 3marks

c. Giveyourownevaluationand,hence,recommendationforthedecision-makingcouncil. 2marks

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d. Oneofthegroupsconsultedsaysthatwhicheveroptionischosen,itmustbeshowntobeecologicallysustainable.

Explainthemeaningoftheterm‘ecologicallysustainable’withparticularreferencetohowitappliestothisdecision. 2marks

e. Nameaninternationalconventionthatwouldberelevanttothedecision.Explainwhyitisrelevant. 2marks

END OF QUESTION AND ANSWER BOOK

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Answers to multiple-choice questions

Question Answer Question Answer

1 D 16 B

2 D 17 B

3 D 18 B

4 B 19 D

5 B 20 D

6 B 21 A

7 A 22 C

8 B 23 C

9 C 24 B

10 B 25 D

11 D 26 A

12 A 27 D

13 C 28 A

14 B 29 B

15 D 30 D

vce environmental science 2013–2016 … · vce environmental science 2013–2016 written...

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