VC2S6U01

habitats can be described by their physical conditions; changing the physical conditions of a habitat, including by human activity, may affect the growth and survival of organisms

• identifying the physical conditions in an aquatic or terrestrial habitat and how they change over time
• investigating how changes to physical conditions such as salinity, soil type, sunlight and temperature affect plant growth
• examining how changes in physical conditions such as temperature, light availability and rainfall affect animals such as corals, honey bees and flying foxes, and predict impacts of these changes
• investigating Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ knowledges and understandings of the physical conditions necessary for the survival of certain plants and animals, for example researching the collaborative work of the Aboriginal Peoples of the Murray–Darling Basin wetlands with government and scientific groups to restore the wetlands through water research, planning and management, including reintroducing salt-tolerant native flora to improve ecosystem health and biodiversity
• investigating changes in physical conditions that are the result of human activity, and exploring the impact of these on organisms, such as the impact of urban lighting on nocturnal and migratory animals
• investigating the effect of physical conditions on the growth of bread-mould colonies in sealed plastic bags
• recognising that environmental conditions can affect stages of life, such as ponds drying up, seeds requiring water to germinate, and temperatures being too high or low for eggs to hatch