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Listed under:  Science  >  Life  >  Ecosystems  >  Biodiversity
Video

Foreign Correspondent: Mesoamerican Reef threatened

The Mesoamerican Reef, just off the shore of Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula, is under major threat. Listen to oceanographer Roberto Iglesias-Prieto explain how untreated wastewater affects the underground river system and the reef.

Video

Bali and Sumba: Paradise versus poverty

We all know the idyllic paradise called Bali, but have you ever heard of its poorer neighbour, the Indonesian island of Sumba, where the people struggle to grow food to eat? Watch this clip to learn about environmental conditions and agricultural challenges there. Find out also what people in Sumba are doing to prepare ...

Interactive

Laptop wrap: Charles Darwin

A webpage with a focus on the work of Charles Darwin and the theory of evolution including its controversy.

Audio

Conserving seeds of agricultural crops

This radio interview discusses how Global Crop Diversity Trust is trying to conserve the biodiversity of the world's agricultural crops. A network of seed banks is being developed, together with a backup in a mountain in Norway. Just 10 or 12 crops dominate human nutrition. And there's turnover in varieties as crops are ...

Video

Party locusts

This 8 minute video segment from Catalyst is an excellent example of animal behaviour of locusts as a successful adaptation and how understanding the behaviour can potentially help reduce the damage they cause.

Video

Dingo secrets

This 9 minute video segment from Catalyst shows a biologist is finding out about how a family of multi-coloured dingoes is challenging our very idea of these animals. Technology has been invaluable in learning how young dingoes are taught adult behaviour and survival behaviours of the pack.

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Orchids: Nature's sexy sirens

This ABC In Depth feature article is an excellent resource for students researching adaptations for pollination in Australian plants. Provides many interesting examples of the interdependence of plants, fungi and animals.

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Biodiversity and farming for a healthy planet

This is a digital resource containing information and resources, such as printable games, that relate to biodiversity and farming, and how food and materials can be produced while protecting the Earth's natural resources. It includes an extensive glossary of important terms, and external links to teacher and student resources ...

Video

Ancient Resurrection

This 8 minute video segment from Catalyst highlights what is needed to resurrect ancient species, and raises the question whether we should. It also demonstrates the impacts of technology.

Online

Climate educator guide, activity 5: investments in forest carbon

This is a teaching-learning resource containing teaching strategies and a student activity about identifying the valuable benefits, such as carbon sequestration, provided by forests. The resource has five tabs, four of which are relevant. The first tab provides information about policies and initiatives designed to protect ...

Video

Bryozoans' role in the ecosystem

This is a colour video clip of marine scientist Associate Professor Abby Smith discussing the role bryozoans play in marine ecosystems. The clip shows Abby Smith, a teacher and researcher at the University of Otago, New Zealand, being interviewed. The clip also shows underwater photos of bryozoans, fish and corals.

Online

Climate educator guide, activity 2: the carbon cycle

This is a teaching-learning resource containing teaching strategies and a student activity about the carbon cycle and how carbon in the atmosphere is connected to living things. The resource has six tabs, five of which are relevant. The first tab provides information about the carbon cycle and the second provides an activity ...

Online

Activity: biodiversity is more than the sum

This is a web resource that provides a teacher guide for student activities about biodiversity. The teacher guide provides lesson plans for the activities involving research, presentation of findings and peer assessment, and includes background information about biodiversity as well as a list of suggested research topics. ...

Interactive

Sites2See: Aim to sustain

A page supporting learning for sustainability, with selected links to interactive resources, including videos, games and activities for K-6 students, teachers and parents. This resource relates to the 'Aim to sustain' resources produced for Stage 3 and 4 students.

Video

Too cold for cane toads

A new study reported in this video segment has looked at how temperatures impact cane toad movement and has aided in the development of a model that indicates that their geographical spread is limited. An excellent example of the use of mathematical modelling in scientific research and how scientists have tried to address ...

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Treetop kangaroos

This ABC In Depth feature article includes everything you wanted or needed to know about tree kangaroos. This article describes their reproduction, classification, adaptations and issues relating to their conservation.

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Kooaaa! It's a kookaburra

This ABC In Depth feature article describes how kookaburra chicks fight for survival in the family nest in springtime.

Interactive

Laptop wrap: Fossilisation

A webpage with a focus on the process of fossilisation that helps explain why it occurs so rarely.

Interactive

Aim to Sustain

Students identify and explore ways in which human activity can threaten biodiversity and the health of our planet. Students are encouraged to take positive action to promote sustainability. The four resources: Get the message, Help a habitat, Alien invaders and A world of difference include videos, SMART notebooks, worksheets ...

Interactive

Genes

See how genes and genetic engineering work. Build models of DNA, and work out how it is copied as cells divide. Discover how the codes carried in the genes are copied and used to build proteins. See how gene splicing can be used to benefit human lives. For example, model the transfer of a human gene into bacteria, so they ...