IB ESS Exam Review: Topic 1 Terms Flashcards
Systems approach
Helps in study of complex environmental issues. Simplifies interactions, doesn’t appoint issues to single processes.
Emergent properties
A system that cannot be present in the individual component parts. Only functions as a whole.
Open System + examples
Exchanges both energy and matter across its boundary. Ex: All ecosystems.
Closed System + examples
Exchanges only energy across its boundaries. Ex: Ecosystems in a bottle, very rare/artificial.
First Law of Thermodynamics
Energy can be transformed but cannot be created or destroyed.
Second Law of Thermodynamics
Entropy of a system increases overtime. Explains the inefficiency and decrease in available energy along a food chain.
Entropy
The amount of disorder in a system
Resilience / tipping point
A system’s tendency to avoid tipping points. Tipping point: new weaker equilibrium adopted.
Ecological Footprint. Connection to sustainability?
The area of land/water required to sustainably provide all resources at the rate at which they are being consumed by a given population. Where the EF is greater than the area available to the population, this is an indication of unsustainability.
Pollution
The addition of a substance or agent through human activity, at a rate greater than that at which it can be rendered harmless by the environment, and which has an appreciable effect on the organisms in the environment.
Primary pollutant
Active on emission
Secondary pollutant
Arising from primary pollutants undergoing physical or chemical change
Nitrogen fixing
When lightning strikes and it takes N2 from the atmosphere and put it into the soil as nitrates.
Limiting factor
Resource in limited supply that reduces growth of a population as a whole.
Ammoniafication
Process where decomposers break down wastes and ammonia is put into the soil.
