IB Diploma Environmental Systems

1. Topic 5 – Soil systems, terrestrial
food production systems and
societies
Draw an annotated diagram of a soil profile
Define the following
Soil profile
Eluvial
Illuvial
Soil texture

2. Outline the ecosystem services provided by soil
Topic 5 – Soil
Explain why fertile soil is often considered a non-renewable resource
Draw an annotated diagram to show the major soil-forming processes
2

3. Using a systems diagram outline why soils must be considered as
an open system
Topic 5 – Soil
Outline each of the following soil forming processes
Transfers of material
Movement of water
Decomposition
Weathering
Nutrient cycling
3

4. List the benefits soil provides plants
Topic 5 – Soil
List the factors that limit plant growth
What is a triangular graph? How can they be used to
demonstrate the soil texture?
4
What are the advantages of using triangular graphs?

5. Explain how the following can influence the agricultural potential of soil
Topic 5 – Soil
Drainage and water holding capacity Air spaces Primary productivity

6. Outline the factors that limit the sustainability of terrestrial
food production systems
Topic 5 – Food Production
Define agribusiness
Outline the main characteristics of agribusiness
6
Outline the limitations of agribusiness

7. Outline how the following may lead to unsustainable food
production systems
Use of water
Use of energy
Use of pesticides
Use of fertilisers
Topic 5 – Food Production
Outline how the following may lead to unsustainable food production systems
Intensive farming
Loss of bees
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Outline how food production can be made more sustainable

8. Outline why there are inequalities in global food supply
Topic 5 – Food Production
Define import tariffs
Define export subsidies
8
Outline the role of climate change in creating/furthering inequalities

9. Outline how the following reasons contribute to food waste
Poor agricultural practices
Inadequate infrastructure for transporting foods
Poor storage facilities
Topic 5 – Food Waste
Facts about food waster
9
Outline the nature of food

10. Topic 5 – Food Waste
Outline the nature of food in LEDCs
10
Outline the nature of food in MEDCs

11. Define shifting cultivation
Outline the characteristics of shifting cultivation
What kind of societies make use of this practice?
Topic 5 – Social systems and food production
Define wet rice ecosystems
Outline the characteristics of wet rice ecosystems
What kind of societies make use of this practice?
11
Define battery farming
Outline the characteristics of battery farming
What kind of societies make use of this practice?

12. Outline why land for agriculture is decreasing
Topic 5 – Land for agriculture
Outline the energy loss in food chains
12
Discuss why a vegetarian diet maybe more sustainable than a meat eating one

13. Define the following
Commercial farming
Subsistence farming
Intensive farming
Extensive farming
Pastoral farming
Arable farming
Topic 5 – Impacts of food production
CASE STUDY – outline the impacts of one example of arable farming
13
CASE STUDY – outline the impacts of one example of pastoral farming

14. List ways increased sustainability may be achieved in food
production
Topic 5 – Increasing sustainability
Outline how each factor may help to achieve sustainability
Human attitude change
Organic farming
Buffer zones
Monitoring and control
14
List ways sustainability can be reduced through food production

15. Outline the role of organic matter in soil
Topic 5 – Soil Conservation
List ways humans can reduce soil fertility
15
Outline how soil forms
Outline the importance of animals for soil

16. Topic 5 – Soil Conservation
Outline how intensive grazing reduces soil fertility
16
Outline how deforestation reduces soil fertility

17. Topic 5 – Soil Conservation
Outline how irrigation reduces soil fertility
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Outline how urbanisation reduces soil fertility
Outline how monoculture reduces soil fertility

18. Topic 5 – Soil Conservation
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CASE STUDY – Commercial farming
Cause
Consequence
Solutions
CASE STUDY – Commercial farming
Cause
Consequence
Solutions

19. Crop management
Topic 5 – Soil Conservation
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Outline the following soil conservation measures
Reducing bank erosion
Reducing gulley enlargement
Prevention of erosion
Slope run off controlRevegetation
Suppression of wind erosion
Avoiding use of marginal land

20. Topic 5 – Soil Conservation
Outline how management of salt-affected soil can increase soil stability
20
Outline how mechanical methods can be used to reduce water flow
Outline ways of reducing impact of wind erosion
Outline how cropping and soil husbandry methods can work against
water and wind erosion