Foundations Environmental Systems
October 2016
1. The diagram below represents the flows of energy through the biosphere.
Which of the following correctly shows the absorption or release of in each of the flows II and V?
Flow II Flow V
A. Releases CO2 Absorbs CO2
B. Absorbs CO2 Absorbs CO2
C. Releases CO2 Releases CO2
D. Absorbs CO2 Releases CO2
(Total 1 mark)
2. As disease spreads through a population, numbers fall. As the result of a reduction in contact between individuals, the rate of spread of the disease is reduced. This is followed by a recovery in numbers.
This is an example of
A. positive feedback
B. negative feedback
C. demographic transition
D. entropy
Foundations Environmental Systems
October 2016
3. The diagram below shows the main energy flows through an ecosystem.
What is the net productivity of the decomposers in kJ m–2 yr–1? A. 1 960
B. 3 050
C. 5 010
D. 6 970
(Total 1 mark) (Total 1 mar 4. Which statement about energy transformations is correct?
A. Energy is not always conserved, because during respiration it is released as heat.
B. Some energy transformations create energy.
C. When an organism grows its entropy usually decreases.
D. The decay of a dead bird decreases its entropy.
Foundations Environmental Systems
October 2016
5. The diagram below shows energy transfer in a cow.
Secondary Productivity (SP) is
A. C + R.
B. C – (R + U + F).
C. C – (U + F).
D. C + R + U + F.
(Total 1 mark) 6. . If C = 4000 kJ day–1 and SP = 200 kJ day–1, the efficiency of conversion is
A. 50 %.
B. 10 %.
C. 5 %.
D. 2 %.
7. A lake with a stream flowing into it, but with water lost only by evaporation, is an example of a system which is
A. isolated.
B. stable and closed.
C. unstable and closed.
D. open.
Foundations Environmental Systems
October 2016
8. If a lake is sprayed with a non-biodegradable insecticide to kill mosquitoes, after a few years the highest concentrations of insecticide are most likely to be found in the
A. upper layers of the lake.
B. tissues of the mosquitoes and other insects.
C. tissues of the freshwater plants.
D. tissues of predatory fish and fish-eating birds.
9. The ozone layer can be considered as natural capital which is A. replenishable and provides an essential service.
B. replenishable and provides valuable goods.
C. renewable and provides an essential service.
D. renewable and provides valuable goods.
10. The Second Law of Thermodynamics states that in any
A. open system, entropy tends to increase spontaneously.
B. open system, entropy tends to decrease spontaneously.
C. isolated system, entropy tends to increase spontaneously.
D. isolated system, entropy tends to decrease spontaneously.
(Total 1 mark) 11. “The ecological footprint rests on a restrictive understanding of sustainability and it makes use of
questionable assumptions – the most serious being that we should raise forests in order to solve the problem of carbon dioxide emissions.”
[Danish Environmental Assessment Institute (2002) Assessing the Ecological Footprint: A Look at the WWF’s Living Planet Report]
(a) Explain the concept of the ecological footprint and evaluate the usefulness of the concept in global conservation.
(7)
(b) Explain how societies can reduce their ecological footprint through technological advancement.
(6)
Foundations Environmental Systems
October 2016
Foundations Environmental Systems
October 2016
Foundations Environmental Systems
October 2016
13
. The graph below shows the pH and concentrations of lead (Pb) in the water of a lake for
selected years between 1970 and 2000.
The lower the pH the more acidic the lake is.
(a) Identify the year in which
(i) the concentration of lead in the water was highest. ...
(ii) the water was most acidic. ...
(1)
(b) From the data in the graph, state whether the quality of the water in the lake has improved or deteriorated. Give a reason for your answer.
...
...
...
(c) Explain the changes shown by the graph.
Foundations Environmental Systems
October 2016
...
...
...
...
...
Foundations Environmental Systems
October 2016
(d) Outline one indirect method of measuring the pollution levels in a lake.
...
...
...
...
...
(2)
(e) (i) Define the term eutrophication.
...
...
State one human activity that may cause eutrophication and is an example of a point source of pollution.
...
Foundations Environmental Systems
October 2016
Markscheme For ESS I Test
1. D
2. B
3. B
4. C
5. B
6. C.
7. D
8. D
9. A
10. C.
11.
a) the area of land and water required to support a defined human population at a given standard of living; takes account of the area required to provide all the resources needed by a population and to assimilate all wastes; ecological footprint is the opposite of carrying capacity; it is accepted that if a population has an ecological footprint larger than the country’s land surface area, it is living beyond the country’s
sustainable threshold; if a population has an ecological footprint smaller than the country’s land surface area, the population is living sustainably/ within its resource base; in conservation terms ecological footprinting allows for the identification of areas likely to suffer from ecological stress; if people require more land area than the country possesses, natural habitats will suffer; e.g. clear felling virgin forest/over harvesting marine resources; it allows quantitative ways of measuring impact and therefore setting limits to negate that impact; but major weakness is that it only takes certain aspects into account e.g. focussed on carbon dioxide; e.g. ignores land/water required to provide aquatic resources;7 max Award [5 max] for evaluation, but [3 max] if answer looks at only strengths or weaknesses.
(b) reducing dependency on fossil fuels/hydrocarbons; by switching to nuclear power or more renewable power resources e.g. wind/hydroelectric/wave/solar; recycling waste more efficiently; reusing
packaging/minimising packaging; using waste crops as fuel e.g. biogas/biomass; using biotechnology to produce food more efficiently e.g. GM crops; more efficient birth control to reduce population
growth; producing goods that last longer and run more efficiently/on renewable fuels e.g. electric cars;
Foundations Environmental Systems
October 2016
(c) Award [4 max] if there is no clear evidence of what the candidate thinks is the best environmental philosophy. For full marks answers must evaluate both philosophies, though one is favoured. Answer must link evaluation to long-term sustainability.
e.g. econcentrism is best suited to achieving long-term sustainability; because long-term sustainability is intrinsic to the ecocentric philosophy; people have to restrain their resource use and live within
their resource base; technocentrism does not accept that there are any limits to resource use; resources are presently only limited by lack of technological know-how; technology will increase the effective life of a resource by allowing us to use it more efficiently e.g. fossil fuels; technology will help us find and develop new resources e.g. hydrogen fuel; technology will allow greater resource cycling; 5 max
Expression of ideas [2 max]
12. Describe the main stages in an environmental Impact Assessment. (b) Justify the importance of
ecological monitoring and research for society.
baseline study - important to know what the physical and biological environment is like;
there should be an understanding of the development in terms of impact;
there should be an assessment of impacts during and after development;
there should be monitoring of environmental conditions during and after development;
should contain non-technical summary; should inform decision making;
often difficult to put together a complete baseline study due to lack of data;
often all impacts are not identified;
information and suggestions in EIA are often not acted upon; 7 max
Give credit for references to actual EIA.
(c) research provides baseline data;
monitoring enables changes as a result of e.g. pollution, to be detected; without research and monitoring it is difficult to argue objectively or legally that an environment is under threat;
research provides an understanding of complex interrelationships in ecosystems and enables them to be managed more sustainably; research provides data as an educational tool making society aware of what is happening to the environment;
monitoring can be used to “police” the system and ensure
non-infringement of standards; 6
Expression of ideas [3 max]
13.
(a) Both must be correct for [1]. (i) 1970Foundations Environmental Systems
October 2016
(b) Must have “improved” and a satisfactory reason for [1].
improved. Lead is toxic and concentrations have declined substantially/water was very acidic and is, by 2000, approaching neutrality/acid water often has lower biodiversity; 1 max
(c) A mark for each of three valid points: don’t expect too much. No mark for simply saying there has been an improvement – already rewarded;
water may have been very polluted; as the result of chemical or metallurgical industries/run-off from roads; but there may have been improvement over 30 years through legal controls,
regulations; extraction of pollutants before water released into lakes; high acidity might have been counteracted by adding alkali; as water becomes less acidic it leaches less lead out of
environment; cessation of use of leaded petrol; any other reasonable alternative;3 max
Foundations Environmental Systems
October 2016
(e) (i) the natural or artificial enrichment of a body of water, particularly with respect to nitrates and
phosphates/OWTTE; 1 max
(ii) Human activities that can cause eutrophication are partially treated sewage from sewage treatment plants (nitrates and phosphates). Nitrates from (pig, dairy, beef cattle) farms. Nitrates from fertilizers put agricultural crops. 1 max
