W I T H I N TO P I C Q U E S T I O N S

Topic 1 - ESS answers

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Environmental value Ecocentric Anthropocentric Technocentric

system
Environmental ●● Emphasizes a less ●● Use of taxes, ●● Environmental
management materialistic approach to life environmental regulation managers
strategies ●● Greater self-sufficiency and legislation to protect ●● Use of technology to
of societies the environment and solve environmental
●● Small scale local community resources problems
●● Humans control and
manage resources
Environmental ●● Ecology and nature are ●● Believes humans must ●● Believes that
philosophies central to humanity sustainably manage the technological
●● Humans are not the global system developments can
only species ●● If we look after the planet provide solutions
●● Life has an inherent value it looks after us to environmental
for its own sake problems
●● Earth is here for all species
Labels and Nurturing / life-centred Human-centred Technology-centred
characteristics ●● Respects the rights of ●● Humans are not ●● Intervening
nature dependent on nature but ●● Human are the
●● Emphasizes the nature is there to benefit dominant species
dependence of humans on humankind ●● Earth has infinite
nature ●● Manipulative resources
●● Holistic view of life, which is ●● There will always be ●● Human inventiveness
Earth-centred more resources to will solve all problems
●● Consider it arrogant to think exploit ●● Growth provides the
humans can manage the ●● Economic growth is good answers
complex system of nature so should continue ●● Earth is a space ship
●● Cannot all have a high ●● Stewardship – Earth is a and humans the
standard of living garden to be tended captain and crew
●● Resources are limited ●● Ethical duty to protect
●● Must work within and nurture the Earth
Earth’s limits
Social ●● Environmental protection ●● E.g. anti-nuclear bomb ●● E.g. climate change
movements groups activists solution groups using
●● E.g. Greenpeace campaigns ●● Population-limitation technology such
against whaling, Friends movements as mirrors in space,
of the Earth, local carbon capture
environmental movements
Politics ●● Green parties. ●● Free market economy ●● Free market economy
but with strong ●● Capitalism with
government intervention minimal government
control

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Examples of systems
An ecosystem is a good example of a ‘system’.
Using the model below, draw your own systems diagram for:
a) A candle

outputs
inputs
storages heat
heat
manufacture wax combustion light
energy
wick water vapour
oxygen
carbon dioxide

b) A mobile phone

inputs storages outputs

electrical raw materials signals
information
energy data collection of the phone exchange heat
information energy light
sound energy information information

c) A green plant
outputs
water
inputs
storages oxygen
light
sugars green
CO2 photosynthesis respiration
plant wavelength
water
material light
minerals
chemical
energy

d) You

outputs
inputs
storages heat
food
chemical energy
oxygen assimilation respiration
energy carbon dioxide
information
information water
light
waste

e) Your school
outputs
inputs storages educated
people buildings students
information knowledge information heat
education
books assimilation books light
energy water water
money furniture waste material
money

f) A lake
inputs
storages
rainfall outputs
water
surface surface runoff / water
precipitation/flow plants
runoff evaporation heat
animals
animals animals
rocks / soil
sediment

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1. It was called Biosphere 2 probably because it was modelled on the Earth which was the
first biosphere.
2. A closed system exchanges energy but not matter with the environment.
3. Terrestrial Marine
Tropical rainforest Coral reef
Savanna grassland Mangrove wetlands
Fog desert
Mangrove wetlands
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Compare these two models

1.2.9 1.2.10
Shows three systems separately but with Shows environment incorporating the other
overlapping areas two systems
Has clear annotations to explain what the No annotations
areas mean
Shows a small area where all systems Does not show what is sustainable
overlap as being sustainable
Shows what happens when pairs of areas
overlap

Why are any of these circles in the Venn diagram outside the environment?
●● The Venn diagram model suggests that some social and economic decisions are made without
consideration for the environment.
●● If environment is the natural environment only then some social and economic interactions are
not within the natural environment.
●● Students may be able to think of others – they should justify their comments clearly.
Is culture relevant to these models of sustainability? Where would you draw it in?
This is a matter of opinion – students should draw where they think culture should be and justify it.
One answer is that culture should be around everything in both these models because it impacts our
attitudes to all systems.
Does the model change how we treat our environment?
If we look at these models carefully it should stop and make us think about how we treat the
environment – the idea that everything is interconnected.
Evaluate these models. (Consider their strengths and weaknesses.)

1.2.9 1.2.10
Very clear explanation of what each of the Shows that the environment is the most
systems means important thing and that everything
happens within the environment
Very clear explanation about what is Allows freedom to interpret it how you
happening in the overlapping areas want – very simple
It acknowledges that some things may
happen “outside” of the natural environment
It gives people an excuse to believe Too simple so people with no background
some things we do may not impact the will not be able to understand what it is
environment showing
Ignores culture Ignores culture

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1. A system is a set of inter-related parts working together to make a complex whole.
2. ● An open system exchanges matter and energy with its surroundings (eg an ecosystem).
●● A closed system exchanges energy but not matter.
(The ‘Biosphere 2’ experiment was an attempt to model this. These systems do not occur
naturally on Earth, although the biosphere (or Gaia) itself can be considered a closed system.)
●● An isolated system exchanges neither matter nor energy.

All ecosystems are open systems, because of the input of solar energy and the exchange of matter
with other ecosystems.
3. Burning candle Boiling kettle A plant Animal population
Inputs Heat / fire Heat Light Births
Oxygen Water CO2 Inward migration –
Water immigration
Minerals Food
Water
Outputs Heat Heat Water Deaths
Light Steam / water Oxygen Out-migration –
Green light emigration
Feces
Urine
Energy and material Heat (flame heats Heats air Heat – environment Movement of
transfers air) Glucose – plant animals
Wax: candle – parts Excretion
puddle of wax Predation
Eating plants
Energy and material Heat – light Fuel – heat Light energy – Chemical energy –
transformations Wax: solid – liquid Water – steam chemical energy heat
Wick: Solid – ash Decomposition

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1. Around 10 years.
2. Around 10 years.
3. ●  he snowshoe hare is the food source for the lynx so for lynx numbers to increase there have
T
to be plenty of snowshoe hares.
●● Then when lynx numbers increase they eat more of the snowshoe hares so the snowshoe hare
numbers decrease.
●● Fewer snowshoes hares = less food for the lynx, so then the lynx numbers decrease.
4. There have to be fewer predators than prey due to the second law of thermodynamics – entropy
increase and energy is lost from the food chain as heat. This means that each lynx has to eat several
snowshoe hares to gain enough energy to live.
Things are never as straightforward in ecology as we expect though. In regions where lynx died out, hare
populations still continued to fluctuate. Why do you think this was?
If there are too many hares they will overgraze the vegetation and numbers will fall due to food shortages.
Once numbers drop and the grass recovers then the snowshoe hare numbers will increase again.

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Page 37

Example Type of feedback

1. As carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere rise the temperature of the Earth rises. Negative
As the Earth warms the rate of photosynthesis in plants increases, more carbon
dioxide is therefore removed from the atmosphere by plants, reducing the
greenhouse effect and reducing global temperatures.
2. As the Earth warms: Positive
Ice cover melts, exposing soil or water.
Albedo decreases (albedo is the fraction of light that is reflected by a body or
surface).
More energy is absorbed by Earth’s surface.
Global temperature rises.
More ice melts.
3. As Earth warms, upper layers of permafrost melt, producing waterlogged soil above Positive
frozen ground.
Methane gas is released in an anoxic environment.
The greenhouse effect is enhanced.
Earth warms, melting more permafrost.
4. As Earth warms, increased evaporation produces more clouds. Negative
Clouds increase albedo, reflecting more light away from Earth.
Temperature falls.
Rates of evaporation fall.
5. As Earth warms, organic matter in soil is decomposed faster: Positive
More carbon dioxide is released.
Enhanced greenhouse effect occurs.
Earth warms further.
Rates of decomposition increase.
6. As Earth warms, evaporation increases: Negative
Snowfall at high latitudes increases.
Ice-caps enlarge.
More energy is reflected by increased albedo of ice cover.
Earth cools.
Rates of evaporation fall.
7. As Earth warms, polar icecaps melt releasing large numbers of icebergs into oceans. Negative
Warm ocean currents such as Gulf Stream are disrupted by additional freshwater
input into ocean.
Reduced transfer of energy to poles reduces temperature at high latitudes.
Ice sheets reform and icebergs retreat.
Warm currents are re-established.

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Example of negative feedback – there is no feedback arrow because the balance is re-established
and the change stops
As carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere rise the temperature of the Earth rises.

As the Earth warms the rate of photosynthesis in plants increases

More carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere by plants,

Reducing the greenhouse effect

Reducing global temperatures


Example of positive feedback – the feedback arrow comes back to the start and change continues
As Earth warms, organic matter in soil is decomposed faster

More carbon dioxide is released.

Rates of
decomposition Enhanced greenhouse effect occurs.
increase.

Earth warms further.

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1. a) ● There are too many herbivores so they overgraze the vegetation.
●● This causes their numbers to fall due to food shortages.
●● Once numbers drop and the grass recovers then the herbivore numbers will
increase again.
b) The systems is being stabilized. The output of the process (overgrazing) reverses the operation
(increased number of herbivores) so that the change is counteracted.
2. ●  lobal warming causes the Earth to warm and this may cause the upper layers of permafrost
G
to melt,
●● The soils above the permafrost become waterlogged.
●● Waterlogging causes an anoxic environment and decomposition then releases methane gas.
●● Methane is a greenhouse gas and so the greenhouse effect is enhanced.

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3.

inputs stores outputs

solar radiation – heat and light nutrients in the soil and rocks long-wave radiation (to space)
in-migration of animals water heat
seed dispersal nutrients in plants and animals dispersal of seeds/animals
water – precipitation and rivers chemical energy – plants, animals, humans out-migration of animals
soil and rocks heat energy soil erosion and leaching
pollution from humans minerals mined by humans
humans waste products
sound energy pollution – air, water, sound
water – rivers, evaporation

Quick review answers

1 B
2 B
3 C
4 D
5 C
6 D
7 D
8 B
9 D
10 A

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