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PATTERNS IN ENVIRONMENTAL
QUALITY AND SUSTAINABILITY
definitions
Biodiversity
This term means biological diversity. It
is the variety of all forms of life on Earth
– plants, animals and microorganisms.
Physical water scarcity
Where water resource development is
approaching or has exceeded unsustainable
levels; it relates water availability to water
demand and implies that arid areas are not
necessarily water scarce.
Economic water scarcity
Where water is available locally but not
accessible for human, institutional or
financial capital reasons.
Enhanced greenhouse effect
A result of human activity (burning fossil
fuels), which increases the amount of
atmospheric greenhouse gases and causes
heating of the atmosphere.
Global climate change
The changes in global patterns of rainfall and
temperature, sea level, habitats and the incidences of
droughts, floods and storms, resulting from changes in
the Earth’s atmosphere, believed to be mainly caused
by the enhanced greenhouse effect.
Soil degradation
A severe reduction in the quality of
soils. The term includes soil erosion,
salinization and soil exhaustion (loss of
fertility).
Describe the functioning of the
atmospheric system in terms of the
energy balance between solar and
solar long-wave radiation.
Your answer may be enhanced by a
well-labelled diagram showing radiation
balances in the atmosphere.
Explain the changes in this balance
due to its external forcings (changes
in solar radiation, changes in the
albedo of the atmosphere and
changes in the long-wave radiation
returned to space).
Discuss the causes and
environmental consequences of
global climate change.
You should be prepared to discuss the implications of
changes induced through human activities.
Remember that this section focuses upon global
climatic change rather than just global warming.
Explain the causes of soil
degradation.
Explain the causes of soil
degradation.
Discuss the environmental and
socio-economic consequences of
this process, together with the
management strategies.
Case study:
The Loess Plateau in China
You should understand the general processes to soil
degradation together with the interplay of human and
physical factors.
Greenfield
You should understand the general processes leading to soil
degradation together with the interplay of human and physical
factors.
The African Sahel provides several examples of countries where
difficult physical circumstances are exacerbated by exploitative
human activities resulting in soil degradation.
Identify the ways in which water
is utilized at the regional scale.
Examine the environmental and
human factors affecting patterns
and trends in physical water scarcity
and economic water scarcity.
Examine the factors affecting
access to safe drinking water.
Canada
You will need to show an appreciation of the
relationship between water utilization and wealth.
You should be able to define both physical water
scarcity and economic water scarcity, and provide an
example of each. You should also be able to recognize
the regional pattern of water utilization (this means
global regions, such as Asia-Pacific or Latin America).
You should also be able to explain the trends in water
utilization over time.
Explain the concept and importance
of biodiversity in tropical rainforests.
Examine the causes and
consequences of reduced
biodiversity in this biome.
You should know the location of tropical rainforests
within the equatorial zone, and its associated climatic
characteristics. You should also be able to describe the
layers of the rainforest and its various ecological
niches.
Loss of biodiversity should be explained through at
least two examples, citing the value of biotic materials
and the long-term consequence of their destruction.
Greenfield
Examples:
The Amazon rainforest and forests in
southeast Asia (page 70 in IB CC) .
Define the concept of
environmental sustainability.
Evaluate a management strategy at
a local or national scale designed to
achieve environmental
sustainability.
There are a number of possible case studies
you could use from your local area, the most
likely beings strategies of waste recycling or
energy and water conservation.
Environmental Sustainability
Definition: Improvements in the standard of living that do not cause long-term
damage to the environment that impact future generations.
What does it include:
Protecting biodiversity
Stopping human caused climate change
Elimination of acid rain
Elimination of damage to ozone layer
Reduction of pollution (air, water, noise, etc.)
Management of resources e.g. fish, water
Case studies: The Loss Plateau in
China, the London Congestion
Charge, Excellent Development in
Kenya.