Why is Diversity the Spice of Life?

Overview

The Australian desert is famous for its diversity. There are many different cultures, some diverse landscapes and a wide variety of animals and plants. How can human activity help to maintain this diversity? See species that are endangered and find out why. Experience the oldest cultures in the world. Be surrounded by ancient landscapes. What part of the diverse desert will  you appreciate the most?

Research

When researching:

• You will need to keep a record of where you obtained your information.
• You will be giving a presentation of your research, think about what you can do to make your presentation interesting and capture your specific audience
• You may like to use one of the challenges below.
• Download these useful websites.
• Use a search engine to assist you further.

Challenges

1. How can we make sense of the biodiversity in the desert? Will it matter if we lose species and ecosystems?
2. Try and measure the diversity of life in at least two different  protected areas and an area that is degraded.
3. How has the distribution of bilbies, western quolls and malas (rufous hare-wallaby) changed? What  are scientists and conservationists doing to try to save the bilby, western quoll and mala from extinction? How do Aboriginal people view the bilby, western quoll and mala? Investigate the tjukurpa (dreaming stories) associated with the western quoll. How does this animal link people of many different aboriginal nations?
4. What peoples live in the Australian deserts? What do different cultures value? What languages are spoken? How do different cultures enrich life in the deserts?
5. Compare these different world views: western view - land belongs to people , Indigenous view - people belong to the land.
6. How might you compare habitats in the Australian desert? How does the soils, types and heights of trees, density of ground cover, animals etc. vary? What is the easiest way of telling the difference between ecosystems, like sand country, woodland and desert rivers?
7. How have weeds, feral animals and heavy grazing of cattle impacted on the deserts?