File 3 ess case studies and examples

1. Case
Studies
and
Examples
for
ESS
by
Topic
1
The
list
below
shows
the
broad
examples
and
case
studies
you
should
know
before
si8ng
the
IB
ESS
Exam
in
May.
It
is
fairly
comprehensive,
but
it
is
definitely
not
complete.
You
may
find
other
examples
of
each
of
these
topics
in
the
textbook,
the
class
notes
and
presentaDons,
news
arDcles,
or
other
sources
as
well.
Topic
1
-­‐ be
able
to
idenDfy
and
describe
inputs,
outputs,
processes,
transfers,
transformaDons,
and
storages
of
both
maFer
and
energy
for
systems
at
different
scales,
including
specific
examples
-­‐ Biosphere
2
-­‐ plant
and
animal
cells
-­‐ individual
organism
(one
producer,
one
consumer)
-­‐ farming
systems
outlined
in
Table
13.2
on
p.250
of
the
Course
Companion
Topic
2
-­‐ Named
examples
of
all
trophic
levels
within
named
Tanzanian
ecosystems
(famous
ones
are
good)
-­‐ SerengeD
-­‐ Ngorogoro
Crater
-­‐ any
other
naDonal
park
-­‐ make
sure
all
the
examples
are
named
→
common
names
are
OK,
scienDfic
(LaDn)
names
not
required
-­‐ Named
examples
of
the
following
bioDc
components
of
ecosystems:
-­‐ mutualism/symbiosis
-­‐ parasiDsm
-­‐ herbivory
-­‐ predaDon
-­‐ List
and
describe
methods
for
measuring:
-­‐ diversity
(Simpson)
-­‐ populaDons
(Lincoln)
-­‐ temperature,
soil
moisture,
%
cover,
frequency,
-­‐ Named
examples
of
intraspecific
and
interspecific
compeDDon
-­‐ intraspecific:
male
lions
compeDng
for
female
mates
and/or
territory
(many
others
too)
-­‐ interspecific:
crops
and
weeds
compeDng
for
space,
moisture,
and
light
-­‐ Density-­‐dependent
and
density-­‐independent
factors
regulaDng
human
or
other
populaDons:
-­‐ Density-­‐dependent:
-­‐ disease:
-­‐ ferDlity:
-­‐ Density-­‐independent:
-­‐ natural
disasters
Topic
3
-­‐ Examples
of
countries
in
each
stage
of
the
DTM
and
the
reasons
why
each
country
is
in
that
stage
-­‐ early
expanding:
Afghanistan,
most
of
sub-­‐Saharan
Africa
-­‐ late
expanding:
India,
Brazil,
China,
other
emerging
economies
-­‐ staDonary:
USA,
Canada,
most
of
the
G8
-­‐ contracDng:
Germany,
-­‐ Natural
income
examples
for
sustainability
-­‐ growth
of
Dmber
as
a
commodity
(selecDve
logging
vs
clear-­‐cu8ng)
-­‐ animal
hunts
(lion
quotas
in
Selous;
white-­‐tail
deer
and
other
‘game’
species
in
naDonal
forests
of
the
US/Canada)
-­‐ livestock
holdings
by
subsistence
farmers
InternaDonal
School
of
Tanganyika
IBDP
Environmental
Systems
and
SocieDes
-­‐
SL

2. Case
Studies
and
Examples
for
ESS
by
Topic
2
-­‐ Examples
of
renewable,
non-­‐renewable,
and
replenishable
resources
(not
just
energy
resources!)
and
explain
why
each
is
not
categorized
differently
-­‐ renewable:
Dmber,
soils,
sunlight
-­‐ replenishable:
groundwater,
stratospheric
ozone
-­‐ non-­‐renewable:
minerals,
fossil
fuels,
uranium
-­‐ Examples
of
dynamic
nature
of
a
resource:
-­‐ Uranium
had
liFle
or
no
value
as
a
mineral
unDl
the
age
of
atomic
weapons
and
electricity,
but
once
nuclear
energy/weaponry
was
seen
as
a
symbol
of
poliDcal
power
and
naDonal
pride,
it
became
highly
valued
as
a
resource.
Aeer
Chernobyl,
nuclear
energy
fell
out
of
favor
and
so
decreased
in
value,
but
once
the
focus
on
climate
change
and
global
warming
began,
nuclear
power’s
value
increased
because
it
does
not
release
GHG’s.
-­‐ Petroleum
became
much
more
valuable
both
as
a
commodity
and
poliDcally
once
the
BriDsh
navy
switched
from
coal-­‐powered
steam
ships
to
oil-­‐powered
diesel
engines.
-­‐ Be
able
to
discuss
the
significance
of
the
Brundtland
Report,
the
1992
Rio
Earth
Summit,
and
Agenda
21.
-­‐ Give
specific
examples
of
people
choosing
different
energy
resources,
and
explain
why:
-­‐ Tibetan/Himalayan
use
of
animal
dung
as
a
cooking/heaDng
source
because
there
are
few/no
trees
available
for
fuel
wood,
and
the
trees
that
do
grow
there
are
very
slow-­‐
growing
due
to
climaDc
limitaDons.
-­‐ Tuareg/nomadic
people
of
the
African
Sahel
using
dung
for
cooking
source
for
same
reasons
as
Tibetans.
-­‐ United
States,
DRC,
and
China
using
hydropower
because
they
have
the
right
combinaDon
of
large
rivers
and
steep-­‐sided
gorges
to
build
efficient
dams.
-­‐ Historical
example
of
fishermen
and
whaling
communiDes
using
whale
oil
for
lighDng
before
coal-­‐fired
electricity
was
invented.
-­‐ All
the
case
studies
in
chapter
12
regarding
soil
degradaDon
and
conservaDon:
-­‐ What
is
the
acDvity
that
caused
the
soil
degradaDon?
-­‐ How
did/does
that
acDvity
degrade
the
soil?
-­‐ What
is
the
intervenDon/strategy
that
conserved
the
soil?
-­‐ How
did/does
that
strategy
conserve
the
soil?
-­‐ All
the
case
studies
in
chapter
11
regarding
water
resources’
degradaDon
and
conservaDon:
-­‐ What
is
the
cause
of
the
degradaDon
of
this
water
resource?
How
is
it
causing
the
degradaDon?
Answer
these
2
quesDons
for
each
of
the
case
studies
below.
-­‐ Aral
Sea
-­‐ Colorado
River
-­‐ 3
Gorges
Dam
-­‐ River
Jordan
-­‐ Explain
why
the
ecological
footprint
is
different
between
a
named
MEDC
and
a
named
LEDC
(can
also
focus
on
differences
between
rural/urban
areas
in
the
same
country).
IdenDfy
and
explain
specific
differences
between
them
in
each
of
the
areas
below:
-­‐ food
land
-­‐ infrastructure
land
-­‐ wood
land
-­‐ waste
absorbing
land
Topic
4
-­‐ Natural
SelecDon:
Describe
specific
examples
of
isolaDon
and
speciaDon.
-­‐ Darwin’s
finches
-­‐ Bonobos
and
chimpanzees
in
West
Central
Africa
-­‐ African
and
Indian
elephants
InternaDonal
School
of
Tanganyika
IBDP
Environmental
Systems
and
SocieDes
-­‐
SL

3. Case
Studies
and
Examples
for
ESS
by
Topic
3
-­‐ Black
panthers
in
West
African
tropical
forest
and
leopards
in
East
African
savannas
-­‐ many
other
examples:
Madagascar
plants
and
animals,
chameleons
in
Eastern
Arc
Mountains
of
Tanzania
-­‐ Factors
diminishing
biodiversity:
List
and
describe
examples
of
all
the
factors
leading
to
a
loss
in
biodiversity
around
the
world.
-­‐ fragmentaDon
and
loss
of
bamboo
forest
for
the
giant
panda
-­‐ invasive
species
(rabbits
in
Australia,
kudzu
in
southeastern
USA,
Indian
crows
in
Tanzania)
-­‐ populaDon
pressure
(human
encroachment
on
mountain
gorilla
habitat,
leopards
in
India)
-­‐ At
least
2
examples
each
of
exDnct,
threatened,
and
recovered
species
around
the
world:
-­‐ your
own
endangered
species
presentaDon
-­‐ download
and
study
at
least
one
other
student’s
presentaDon
as
well
-­‐ Evaluate
the
success
of
different
conservaDon/protected
areas:
-­‐ physical
components
(size,
shape,
corridors,
etc)
-­‐ interacDon
with
local
human
populaDons
-­‐ examples
from
Tanzania
-­‐-­‐
many
to
choose
from,
but
sDck
the
most
famous
-­‐ case
studies
in
Ch.
6
-­‐ case
1
and
case
2
on
p.25
of
the
Course
Companion
Topic
5
-­‐ Examples
of
specific
types
of
pollutants:
Be
able
to
describe
the
human
acDvity
and
the
resulDng
polluDon
problem
from
all
the
major
events
chronicled
in
the
history
of
the
modern
environmental
movement:
-­‐ Silent
Spring
-­‐ Minimata
-­‐ 3
Mile
Island
-­‐ Love
Canal
-­‐ Chernobyl
-­‐ Bhopal
-­‐ Know
the
purpose,
relaDve
success,
and
reasons
behind
that
success
of
both
the
Montreal
Protocol
(1987)
and
the
Kyoto
Accord
(1994)
Topic
6
-­‐ Why
was
Kyoto
needed?
Why
was
it
/
wasn’t
it
successful?
A
general
outline
of
the
idea
of
Kyoto.
-­‐ Effects
of
global
warming:
Give
specific
examples
of
the
impacts
of
climate
change
listed
below
-­‐ spread
of
tropical
diseases
-­‐ movement
of
biomes
-­‐ impacts
on
coastal
populaDons
and
infrastructure
-­‐ sea
levels
-­‐ weather
paFerns
-­‐ agricultural
producDvity
Topic
7
-­‐ Discuss
how
the
events
listed
under
history
of
the
modern
environmental
movement
shaped
the
people
who
lived
through
them.
-­‐ Compare
the
environmental
value
systems
of
two
disDnctly
contrasDng
socieDes:
-­‐ Course
Companion
pp.
22-­‐25
-­‐ communist
vs
capitalist
-­‐ Buddhist
vs
Judeo-­‐ChrisDan
InternaDonal
School
of
Tanganyika
IBDP
Environmental
Systems
and
SocieDes
-­‐
SL