School DustWatch

Level 3

Plants

Growing conditions, weather changes and land pressure all affect what plants grow and how they are arranged in the landscape.

• Rainfall after dry times produce new seedlings, these plants are often annuals. That is they have a short life span. What impacts will this have on the soil?

• Shrubs and grasses in semi-arid country can often grow in rows. Called Tiger bush, the plants are growing in response to a limitation of water and nutrients. Consider the ecological implication of such banding. How would this impact the flow of wind?

Use satellite images of your country to look for patterns in the vegetation. What type of plants are growing, hypothesis to why they are growing in this pattern.

• Pressure on the land comes in many different forms: burning, domestic stock, feral animals, cultivation and natural processes. Changes can range from minor to severe?

This is a fire scar in the Simpson Desert. The vegetation has been removed by the fires leaving the bare red sand. If vegetation reduces wind erosion, what happens after fires?

Use satellite images to find fire scars near you. Investigate what vegetation is present and perhaps monitor dust from the fire scar.

Level 3

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