2. Chapter 34, Section 2 People and their Environment of Australia, Antarctica, and Oceania

3. Section 2-6 Managing Resources Nonnative species introduced by people have no natural predators in Australia; they have multiplied and taken over native species’ habitats.  Some species have become either extinct or endangered. Australia’s Unusual Animals Australia’s physical isolation means that many of its animal species, such as kangaroos and koalas, are found nowhere else.  Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. (pages 838–841)

4. Section 2-7 Managing Resources (cont.) (pages 838–841) Click the Speaker button to listen to the audio again.

5. Section 2-9 Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. (pages 838–841) -Soil conservation in the South Pacific region is closely linked to reducing deforestation.  -Countries with valuable timber resources are replanting so that they can continue to export wood without damaging the environment.  -In Australia’s Murray-Darling River Basin, the river’s flow has been reduced by growing urban and agricultural demands. Forest, Soil, and Water  Managing Resources (cont.)

6. Section 2-10 Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. (pages 838–841) -Desalination may be a long-term solution.  -The Great Barrier Reef and other South Pacific coral reefs are threatened by agricultural runoff, organic and toxic waste, divers, and boaters.  -As pollution destroys the tiny sea creatures that make up coral reefs, larger animals and plants that depend on them for food also die off. Managing Resources (cont.) -Island nations in Oceania often have limited freshwater resources. 

7. Section 2-12 Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. -During the late 1940s and early 1950s, the United States and other countries tested nuclear weapons in the region.  -A nuclear test on Bikini Atoll exposed the population of a nearby atoll to massive doses of radiation.  -Atolls affected by nuclear testing are still uninhabitable, but the environments may eventually recover. The Nuclear Legacy  (pages 838–841) Managing Resources (cont.)

8. Section 2-13 Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. -Antinuclear activism is a major force in regional politics.  -In 1986 New Zealand banned nuclear- powered ships and those carrying nuclear weapons from entering its waters.  -Local protests and international pressure prevented France from carrying out nuclear testing in the South Pacific area during the mid-1990s. (pages 838–841) Managing Resources (cont.) -During the 1990s, the United States contributed funds to help decontaminate atolls and provide for blast survivors and their offspring. 

9. Section 2-15 Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Atmosphere and Climate In 1989 a similar hole was discovered over the Arctic region.  This loss of protective ozone may be related to the global rise in skin cancer and cataracts and to global warming. There is a hole measuring 9 million square miles (23 million sq km) in the ozone layer over Antarctica.  (page 842)

10. Section 2-16 Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. El Niño-Southern Oscillation can cause droughts in Australia and cyclones in the South Pacific. The South Pacific region is highly vulnerable to variations in the El Niño weather pattern.  (page 842) Atmosphere and Climate (cont.)

11. Section 2-17 Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the information. Rising ocean temperatures are also dangerous to many of the sea creatures in the region.  Scientists are studying global warming and seeking solutions. If global warming melts the polar ice caps, many of Oceania’s islands will be submerged.  (page 842) Atmosphere and Climate (cont.)

12. Section 2-18 What might people in the region do to prevent further global warming? People can keep industrial development at a minimum, plant new trees when trees are cut down for export, and explore alternatives to fossil fuels. Click the mouse button or press the Space Bar to display the answer. (page 842) Atmosphere and Climate (cont.)