DP Environmental Systems and Societies Questionbank

Discuss the effect of hurricanes on the social and ecological development of Dominica.

With reference to Figures 3(c) and 3(d), outline how Hurricane Maria has reduced Dominica’s food availability.

Compare and contrast the impact of two named food production systems on climate change.

Discuss how human activities impact the flows and stores in the nitrogen cycle.

Describe how foods high on the environmental impact pyramid, shown in Figure 1(b), are likely to affect the ecological footprint of global food production.

With reference to Figures 1(a) and 1(b) state the food that has the highest environmental impact.

With reference to Figures 1(a) and 1(b) state the food that has the highest recommended consumption.

Describe the relationship between both pyramids in Figures 1(a) and 1(b).

Identify two environmental impacts associated with producing the foods near the base of the recommended consumption pyramid (Figure 1(a)).

Outline two reasons why the composition of a typical diet in other regions of the world may differ from the Western European diet shown in Figure 1(a).

To what extent is London a sustainable city? 

With reference to Figures 8(a), 8(b) and 8(c), suggest how urban agriculture could be used to increase the carrying capacity of London.

To what extent can the different environmental value systems improve the sustainability of food production?

With reference to named examples, discuss the significance of diversity in the sustainability of food production systems.

Outline reasons for the changes in the forested areas over the period shown in Figure 7(a).

Explain how the production of cash crops (such as pineapples) may have an environmental impact on lakes or rivers.

Explain how the production of cash crops (such as pineapples) may have an environmental impact on soil.

With reference to Figure 8(c), identify where most of the additional land for growing crops came from between 1986 and 2011.

With reference to the information in the resource booklet, to what extent has Costa Rica’s aim to become carbon neutral led to a more environmentally-sustainable nation?

With reference to Figure 8, outline two reasons for the relationship between the area used for grain production and the quantity of grain produced.

Describe the relationship between harvested area and grain production as shown in the resource booklet, Figure 8.

Explain how the inequitable distribution of natural resources can lead to conflict.

The provision of food resources and assimilation of wastes are two key factors of the environment that determine its carrying capacity for a given species.

To what extent does the human production of food and waste each influence the carrying capacity for human populations?

Quantitative models are frequently constructed to show the flow of energy and cycling of matter in natural systems.

To what extent can these models be useful in assessing the sustainability of named food production systems?

Discuss the consequences of changing global per capita meat consumption on the conservation of ecosystems and biodiversity.

Discuss strategies that can be used to improve the sustainability of food production systems.

Identify two strategies that could be used to grow crops in areas of high water stress.

With reference to Figures 4(a), 4(b) and 4(c), outline two reasons why a change from tavy agriculture to agroforestry may be more sustainable.

Explain how organic waste may be an effective fertilizer in terrestrial systems but a source of pollution in aquatic systems.

Explain two examples of soil degradation and the appropriate soil management strategies from a named farming system.

Technocentrists may support the belief that technological development has always been able to overcome limits to human population growth.

To what extent do the patterns of growth and development in human populations, as demonstrated in the Demographic Transition Model, support this claim?

Evaluate the proposal to convert an area of tropical rainforest into agricultural use.

Climate can both influence, and be influenced by, terrestrial food production systems.

To what extent can terrestrial food production strategies contribute to a sustainable equilibrium in this relationship?

Outline one advantage for local populations within the Coral Triangle in harvesting their food from terrestrial agriculture.

To what extent is pollution impacting human food production systems?