Geography and History of the World © 2010 Indiana Edition

Chapter 32: Physical Geography of Australia, Oceania, and Antarctica

Web Activity Lesson Plans

“Introduced Species”

Introduction
In this chapter you studied the physical geography of Australia, Oceania, and Antarctica with it distinctive beauty and habitats. There are numerous indigenous species to these areas, exclusive to these areas of the world. However, humans have introduced numerous animals and plants to this region over the years often causing devastating ecological and economic results.

Lesson Description
Students will study the destructiveness and potential good of introducing foreign species to existing habitats.

Student Web Activity Answers

1. They compete with and prey upon, native animals, and damage native plants and habitats.
2. Species are introduced as garden plants, domestic animals, and for sport (such as hunting). They have also been introduced accidentally, such as in shipments of grain or in sewage water.
3. certain types of cats, bees, goats, pig, foxes, and wild dogs
4. The arrival of humans on these islands often resulted in disruption of the indigenous ecosystems and waves of species extinctions, as well as introducing foreign species such as cats, mongoose, sheep, rats, and goats which disrupted the natural habitats of native species
5. Bacteria contained in the sewage of ships have infected the native population of seals and penguins on the continent.