Field of Mars Environmental Education Centre

Experience Engage Enable

Telephone02 9816 1298

Emailfieldofmar-e.school@det.nsw.edu.au

Human interactions

Human interactions

The relationship between humans and natural ecosystems is complex.

When studying the human interactions on a natural system scientists often organise their thinking into a) Human activities, and b) the Environmental impacts that result.

Through history people have often shown disregard for natural spaces and their ecosystems and there have been many negative environmental impacts as a result however people can also impact ecosystems positively. for example by studying them to inform methods and practices for restoring and protecting natural spaces.

Many human impacts are unintentional, such as bushwalking tracks causing erosion.

Pittwater Road East Ryde
Image: The sugarloaf area is a remnant bushland which is largely surrounded by roads and trails. This isolates it and impacts on it's natural processes. Ecologists refer to this process as as 'Habitat fragmentation"
bushwalkers on trail
Image: Tracks and pedestrian activity introduce a human interaction to a natural ecosystem. For example vegetation loss, erosion, soil compaction and disturbance of living things.

Students plant ID
Image: Year 11 excursions visiting study sites can cause additional human impact on specific areas.
bush regeneration
Image: Bush regeneration removes plants that do not belong and encourages native plants to regrow in their place.

National Park sign
Image: Here we see two contrary human actions. The National Park rules and signage is a positive action. Sadly, the dumping of rubbish is, of course, a negative action.
rainfall runoff
Image: During heavy rains, water flows along the walking tracks causing further erosion. This photo from February 2020 shows channelling runoff from a day when over 200mm of rain fell on Sugarloaf Hill.

Impacts through colonisation - Sugarloaf Hill and Sugarloaf Point have been impacted in recent history by the needs of increasing suburban population and the sand mining operation at Sugarloaf Point.

sugarloaf sandmine

Oblique aerial view of Sugarloaf Point showing dredging in 1969. Dredging removed river sediment and was run as a commercial sand mining operation.

rubbish tip

Rubbish tip, Ryde, 1965. Increased housing required nearby rubbish disposal sites such as the area around Buffalo Creek. State Library of NSW | Copyright free

east ryde water pipes

East Ryde, c.1892. The water main pipes lie on the ground ready for installation. State Library of NSW | Copyright

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We’d like to acknowledge the Wallumedegal Peoples of the Darug Nation, the Traditional Custodians of the land on which we stand and pay our respects to Elders past and present.

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