DP Environmental Systems and Societies Questionbank

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

Using Figure 3(a), identify why Hurricane Maria was so destructive.

Describe the relationship between sea surface temperature in Figure 3(b) and hurricane wind speed in Figure 3(a).

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.

To what extent does the development of different societies impact their choice of mitigation and adaptation strategies for climate change?

Outline how a positive feedback loop can impact an ecosystem.

Discuss the role of feedback mechanisms in maintaining the stability and promoting the restoration of plant communities threatened by human impacts.

The future growth of human populations is unlikely to be limited by the availability of energy resources. However, they could easily be limited by the impacts of energy production.

Discuss the validity of this statement.

Identify two ways in which climate change may influence the predicted change shown in Figure 2.

Explain how deforestation in the taiga may impact the world’s oceans.

To what extent might it be better to consider environmental issues at a global, rather than a local level, when planning for sustainable development in Siberia?

Discuss whether biodiversity loss or climate change is a greater threat to human societies.

Outline the albedo effect and its role in regulating the Earth’s global temperature.

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 named examples, distinguish between a primary and secondary pollutant.

Outline the evidence that CO₂ acts as a greenhouse gas.

Evaluate the possible impacts of climate change on Iceland.

Discuss the role of humans in the destabilization of ecological systems.

Outline how climate change may affect the availability of freshwater resources.

Outline how CO₂ emissions may cause a change in the global climate.

In 2016, the Earth’s atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide reached 400 ppm. Suggest the potential impacts of high levels of greenhouse gases on human societies in different locations.

With reference to Figures 6(c), 7(a) and 7(b) explain the problems associated with land restoration in Iceland.

Disturbance of the composition and processes of the atmospheric system through human activity always disturbs the equilibria of marine systems.

Discuss the validity of this statement with reference to named examples.

Identify two reasons why the future size of the Atlantic puffin population is difficult to predict.

State a greenhouse gas other than CO₂.

Explain the potential impact of ocean acidification on environmental systems and societies.

Outline two possible effects of climate change on marine coastal ecosystems within the Coral Triangle.

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?

Distinguish between the causes of recent global warming and those of ozone depletion.

Explain two factors which lead to a loss of marine (ocean) biodiversity.

Explain the impact of global warming and ozone depletion on coastal ecosystems.

Explain, with the use of a system diagram, how human activities affect flows in the global water cycle.

To what extent do the approaches and strategies of different environmental value systems improve access to fresh water?

Suggest why the St Lawrence River beluga whale population has not recovered despite being given protected status in 1983.

To what extent is pollution impacting human food production systems?

With reference to Figure 9(a), explain why the realized niche of the mottled sculpin has changed in recent years.

With reference to information in the resource booklet, evaluate the sustainability of Canada’s management of the Large Ocean Management Area of the St Lawrence River estuary and Gulf of St Lawrence.