Senior Geography Project
State of the Prospect Creek
(Carramar) Ecosystem
Manish Chandra, Year 11.
Primary research
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Soil pH –6.5
Temperature – 10 to 20 degrees Celsius today
Water temperature – 17 degrees Celsius
Topsoil depth – 3cm
Humidity – 75%
Ground cover – creek side is 90%
Vegetation height – 17m approx.
Canopy cover – near creek is 70%
Wind speed – 11 knots
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http://wind.willyweather.com.au/nsw/greater-western-sydney/prospect-creek--lansdowne-bridge.html
live info statistics on rainfall, wind speed, humidity, swell, weather , temperature.
Primary research cont.
Native
• Cockatoos
• Lorikeets
• Magpies
• Kookaburras
• Eucalypts
introduced
• Dogs
• Cats
• Pine trees
• Various fruit trees
• Myna birds
Primary research
Questionnaire
Do you think there should be more bins on the paths?
Do think the local council could do a better job in maintaining
the creek?
What do you think about all the pollution in the creek?
Do you think the Fairfield council is saving ecosystems?
Secondary research
http://www.fairfieldcity.nsw.gov.au/default.asp?iNavCatId=2181&iSubCatId=2194 - Creek Care program established in 2001 to
keep the creeks in the Fairfield area unpolluted and maintained.
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‘The core components of the Creek Care Program consist of two elements: bush regeneration and waterways litter control.
Fairfield City Council has increased resource allocation and funding to more than $0.56 million in the 2005/2006 financial
year to sustain these core components of the program.’ from the html.
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The long term aims of the Creek Care Program are to:
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Create a beautiful environment for residents.
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Create an environment where native plants are able to recolonise degraded/cleared areas
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Extend creek lines to gradually link up sites to provide a continuous habitat corridor along entire waterways
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Restore degraded areas as far as possible, to viable, manageable and sustainable ecosystems
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Protect bushland from further external disturbance events and protect the site's special features (natural, geological,
landscape and cultural)
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Preserve and enhance local and regional biodiversity
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Enhance and extend habitat for native fauna
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Maintain all sites as part of an on-going maintenance program
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Balance revegetation strategies to ensure minimal impacts such as flooding and improve water quality suitable for a variety
of recreation uses, both passive and active.
Key Questions
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1) Asses relationship between the native species and introduced species.
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2) Explain impact of pollution on this ecosystem and on flora/fauna.
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3) Discover the effect humans and their pets have on this ecosystem.
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4) Analyse the management strategies Fairfield Council have adopted to combat
pollution and human impact.
Pollution issues
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Littering in the park, ending up in the creek
Dumping of lawn clippings
Rubbish everywhere
Dumping waste creek side
Human impact
• Built a rugby and cricket field
• Play sports and leave rubbish
• Increased water flow, topography of land into
creek
• Humans and their pets
Management strategies
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‘bushland regeneration’
‘creek care’
and individual common sense
More bins on the paths
Stricter penalties/fines
Photos