ESS QUESTIONS WITH VERIFIED ANSWERS
Define species. - Answers - a group of organisms that interbreed and produce fertile
offspring
State limitations of using a key to identify organisms. - Answers - - features can change
with season/age
- can be hard to distinguish between species
- only already discovered species can be identified
Describe a method to estimate the size of a bird population. - Answers - - Lincoln
Index/capture mark recapture
- trap birds and mark before releasing
- recapture a sample after a sufficient time period
- use Lincoln Index formula to calculate total population
- suitable for closed population (not migrating)
Explain what is meant by natural income. - Answers - the value of natural capital that
provides goods or services
How can the maximum sustainable yield be calculated? - Answers - - it is the maximum
rate that can be exploited without depleting the stock
- annual gain in biomass / annual growth of cattle minus death
Why may some countries not have switched to recycling? - Answers - - political change
away from Green politics
- economic constraints making it too expensive
- increase in waste due to increased population
Evaluate incineration in managing solid waste. - Answers - + cheap
+ ash can be used as a raw material
+ can kill disease agents
+ can produce energy
- residue still requires disposal
- produces air pollutants like GHGs/CO2
- linked to cancer/health problems
- transportation problems
Why might ecological footprints increase? - Answers - - increased industrialisation
increases resource use
- changes in diet to more meat
- consumer society uses more resources
- higher standard of living increases car ownership/pollution
,Suggest advantages of using ecological footprints as a measure for sustainability. -
Answers - - simple to use allowing comparisons
- easy to communicate allowing more people to understand their impact
- easily used in marketing so can be easily disseminated
- links global and local impact so helps tracking of sustainability
What causes an increase in stratospheric ozone concentration? - Answers - Increased
CFCs production
What causes an increase in tropospheric ozone concentration? - Answers - Increased
vehicles/industry that produces hydrocarbons or VOCs
Evaluate the effectiveness of the Montreal Protocol in managing ozone depletion. -
Answers - + ozone hole has decreased in size
+ has caused a reduction in CFCs use
+ referred to as the most successful international agreement
+ agreed to by many nations
+ provides a model for other agreements
- agreement was not followed by immediate response
- not all countries initially participated
- banning of ODSs occurred in stages
- policing is difficult
- black market continued in ODSs
- Ozone hole will take a long time to recover
Identify factors that would affect the primary productivity of forests. - Answers - 1)
amount of sunlight
2) amount of rainfall
3) temperature
4) adequate nutrients
5) competition for space
6) level of disease
Distinguish between a biome and an ecosystem. - Answers - - a biome is made up of
many ecosystems whilst an ecosystem is within a biome
- an ecosystem involves an interdependent community of organisms whereas a biome
is made up of separated communities
- biome types are few and restricted whilst ecosystems types are many and variable
Identify factors that determine IUCN rating. - Answers - - population size
- genetic diversity in a species
- reproductive rate
- geographical range
- quality of habitat
- degree of endemicity
, Explain how national park factors help conservation. - Answers - - larger area covered
protects more habitat
- scattered over country protects various habitats
- unfragmented parks provides a larger producer food base for supporting long food
chains
- buffer zone
- corridors for migration
- policing against illegal poaching/tourism
Evaluate ecotourism in contributing to sustainable development. - Answers - + employs
members of local community
+ greater local awareness
+ increased income
- tourists can destroy the resource they came to see (trampling/invasive species)
- pollution
- roads created can fragment habitat
Outline the similarities and differences between sustainable yield and sustainable
development. - Answers - Similarities:
- both refer to exploiting environment without depleting original stock
- both maintain equilibrium
- both reply on natural productivity
Differences:
- SY refers to a given resources
- SY involves goods whilst SD is services
- correct approach to SD can be subjective whilst SY has statistical rigour and scientific
basis
Outline four ways that the difference between sand and clay soils may affect primary
productivity. - Answers - - Sandy has larger air spaces providing more O2 to roots
- Sandy has better drainage preventing waterlogging
- Sandy more prone to nutrient leaching
- Sandy provides weak anchorage
- Sandy less compact and lighter making easier to work
Outline how global rates of extinction have changed overtime. - Answers - - rates have
been relatively constant over long periods
- 5 mass extinctions with unusually high extinction rates
- associated with sudden changes in natural global cycles or catastrophic levels
- most recent is anthropogenic
Evaluate the importance of intrinsic value when making decisions about development
and conservation. - Answers - + promotes in situ conservation, preserving whole
habitats and many species
+ wide variety considered rather than just charismatic
+ public perception essential
Define species. - Answers - a group of organisms that interbreed and produce fertile
offspring
State limitations of using a key to identify organisms. - Answers - - features can change
with season/age
- can be hard to distinguish between species
- only already discovered species can be identified
Describe a method to estimate the size of a bird population. - Answers - - Lincoln
Index/capture mark recapture
- trap birds and mark before releasing
- recapture a sample after a sufficient time period
- use Lincoln Index formula to calculate total population
- suitable for closed population (not migrating)
Explain what is meant by natural income. - Answers - the value of natural capital that
provides goods or services
How can the maximum sustainable yield be calculated? - Answers - - it is the maximum
rate that can be exploited without depleting the stock
- annual gain in biomass / annual growth of cattle minus death
Why may some countries not have switched to recycling? - Answers - - political change
away from Green politics
- economic constraints making it too expensive
- increase in waste due to increased population
Evaluate incineration in managing solid waste. - Answers - + cheap
+ ash can be used as a raw material
+ can kill disease agents
+ can produce energy
- residue still requires disposal
- produces air pollutants like GHGs/CO2
- linked to cancer/health problems
- transportation problems
Why might ecological footprints increase? - Answers - - increased industrialisation
increases resource use
- changes in diet to more meat
- consumer society uses more resources
- higher standard of living increases car ownership/pollution
,Suggest advantages of using ecological footprints as a measure for sustainability. -
Answers - - simple to use allowing comparisons
- easy to communicate allowing more people to understand their impact
- easily used in marketing so can be easily disseminated
- links global and local impact so helps tracking of sustainability
What causes an increase in stratospheric ozone concentration? - Answers - Increased
CFCs production
What causes an increase in tropospheric ozone concentration? - Answers - Increased
vehicles/industry that produces hydrocarbons or VOCs
Evaluate the effectiveness of the Montreal Protocol in managing ozone depletion. -
Answers - + ozone hole has decreased in size
+ has caused a reduction in CFCs use
+ referred to as the most successful international agreement
+ agreed to by many nations
+ provides a model for other agreements
- agreement was not followed by immediate response
- not all countries initially participated
- banning of ODSs occurred in stages
- policing is difficult
- black market continued in ODSs
- Ozone hole will take a long time to recover
Identify factors that would affect the primary productivity of forests. - Answers - 1)
amount of sunlight
2) amount of rainfall
3) temperature
4) adequate nutrients
5) competition for space
6) level of disease
Distinguish between a biome and an ecosystem. - Answers - - a biome is made up of
many ecosystems whilst an ecosystem is within a biome
- an ecosystem involves an interdependent community of organisms whereas a biome
is made up of separated communities
- biome types are few and restricted whilst ecosystems types are many and variable
Identify factors that determine IUCN rating. - Answers - - population size
- genetic diversity in a species
- reproductive rate
- geographical range
- quality of habitat
- degree of endemicity
, Explain how national park factors help conservation. - Answers - - larger area covered
protects more habitat
- scattered over country protects various habitats
- unfragmented parks provides a larger producer food base for supporting long food
chains
- buffer zone
- corridors for migration
- policing against illegal poaching/tourism
Evaluate ecotourism in contributing to sustainable development. - Answers - + employs
members of local community
+ greater local awareness
+ increased income
- tourists can destroy the resource they came to see (trampling/invasive species)
- pollution
- roads created can fragment habitat
Outline the similarities and differences between sustainable yield and sustainable
development. - Answers - Similarities:
- both refer to exploiting environment without depleting original stock
- both maintain equilibrium
- both reply on natural productivity
Differences:
- SY refers to a given resources
- SY involves goods whilst SD is services
- correct approach to SD can be subjective whilst SY has statistical rigour and scientific
basis
Outline four ways that the difference between sand and clay soils may affect primary
productivity. - Answers - - Sandy has larger air spaces providing more O2 to roots
- Sandy has better drainage preventing waterlogging
- Sandy more prone to nutrient leaching
- Sandy provides weak anchorage
- Sandy less compact and lighter making easier to work
Outline how global rates of extinction have changed overtime. - Answers - - rates have
been relatively constant over long periods
- 5 mass extinctions with unusually high extinction rates
- associated with sudden changes in natural global cycles or catastrophic levels
- most recent is anthropogenic
Evaluate the importance of intrinsic value when making decisions about development
and conservation. - Answers - + promotes in situ conservation, preserving whole
habitats and many species
+ wide variety considered rather than just charismatic
+ public perception essential
