IB Environmental Systems and Societies SL

Adrian Palmer has over 25 years of teaching experience, including field-based environmental education and conservation work. He has been teaching IB ESS since 2001 and has experience as an examiner, workshop leader, and as part of the curriculum review team. He has taught in the UK, Thailand, and Singapore and currently teaches IB Biology, TOK, and ESS at Bangkok Patana School, Thailand.

List of Revision Questions
How to Use this Guide

1. Foundations of Environmental Systems and Societies
1.1 Environmental Value Systems
1.2 Systems and Models
1.3 Energy and Equilibria
1.4 Sustainability
1.5 Humans and Pollution

2. Ecosystems and Ecology
2.1 Species and Populations
2.2 Communities and Ecosystems
2.3 Flows of Energy and Matter
2.4 Biomes, Zonation, and Succession
2.5 Investigating Ecosystems

3. Biodiversity and Conservation
3.1 Introduction to Biodiversity
3.2 Origins of Biodiversity
3.3 Threats to Biodiversity
3.4 Conservation of Biodiversity

4. Water and Aquatic Food Production Systems and Societies
4.1 Introduction to Water Systems
4.2 Access to Freshwater
4.3 Aquatic Food Production Systems
4.4 Water Pollution

5. Soil Systems and Terrestrial Food Production Systems and Societies
5.1 Introduction to the Soil System
5.1.3 Soil Texture and Primary Production
5.2 Terrestrial Food Production Systems and Food Choices
5.3 Soil Degradation and Conservation

6. Atmospheric Systems and Societies
6.1 Structure and Composition of the Atmosphere
6.2 Stratospheric Ozone Depletion
6.3 Photochemical Smog
6.4 Acid Deposition

7. Climate Change and Energy Production
7.1 Energy Choices and Security
7.2 Climate Change: Causes and Impacts
7.3 Climate Change: Mitigation and Adaptation

8. Human Systems and Resource Use
8.1 Human Population Dynamics
8.2 Resource Use in Society
8.3 Solid Domestic Waste
8.4 Human Population Carrying Capacity

Answers to Questions
References