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IB Environmental Systems and Societies — Practice Questions flashcards

6 of 50 questions free to study here · 9 topics · the whole deck is built into Willys

Multiple-choice practice on the syllabus, one best answer each, on systems, value systems, ecology, biodiversity, water, land, climate, resources, populations and HL lenses. Cards are tagged by topic, and the tags do not mark which material within a topic is HL-only.

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Practice deck · part of IB Environmental Systems and Societies · written against: IB Diploma Programme IB Environmental Systems and Societies current subject guide; SL and HL in one deck, HL-only cards under subtopic tags starting HL. Updated 2026-10-10.

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  1. A community group says a local wetland should be protected for its own sake, and that the town should use fewer resources and buy local food rather than rely on new technology. Which environmental value system does this reflect?

    A) Technocentric, trusting innovation to remove resource limits
    B) Anthropocentric, valuing the wetland only for its services
    C) Anthropocentric, managing nature through rules and taxes
    D) Ecocentric, valuing nature in itself and consuming less
    D) Ecocentric, valuing nature in itself and consuming less

    Valuing the wetland for its own sake and choosing to consume less are the marks of an ecocentric view. An anthropocentric view also seeks sustainability, but through human management such as regulation and taxes rather than restraint for nature's sake.
    Foundation › Perspectives and Sustainability
  2. In one meadow, a few plants of a species become polyploid after an error in cell division. They can breed with each other but not with the rest of the population, which grows alongside them. What is this an example of?

    A) Allopatric speciation through geographical isolation
    B) Sympatric speciation through genetic isolation
    C) Sympatric speciation through behavioural isolation
    D) Allopatric speciation through temporal isolation
    B) Sympatric speciation through genetic isolation

    The new form arises in the same area as its parent population, so this is sympatric speciation, and polyploidy isolates it genetically. Allopatric speciation needs a geographical barrier, which is absent here.
    Biodiversity and Conservation
  3. Fertiliser runoff enters a lake. Which sequence of events correctly describes eutrophication?

    A) Algal bloom → algae die → bacterial decay uses oxygen → fish die
    B) Algae die → algal bloom → fish die → bacterial decay uses oxygen
    C) Bacterial decay uses oxygen → algal bloom → algae die → fish die
    D) Fish die → algal bloom → bacterial decay uses oxygen → algae die
    A) Algal bloom → algae die → bacterial decay uses oxygen → fish die

    Added nitrates and phosphates fuel an algal bloom; when the algae die, decomposing bacteria use up dissolved oxygen, and fish and other animals suffocate. Their decay releases more nutrients, a positive feedback.
    Water
  4. A low-lying coastal city is planning its response to climate change. Which measure is an example of adaptation rather than mitigation?

    A) Raising sea walls and restoring marshes to absorb floods
    B) Planting urban forests to absorb more carbon dioxide
    C) Introducing a low-emission zone for vehicles in the centre
    D) Replacing its coal power station with offshore wind farms
    A) Raising sea walls and restoring marshes to absorb floods

    Adaptation reduces harm from climate change that is happening or expected, such as higher sea levels and storm surges. Switching to wind, planting trees for carbon uptake and cutting vehicle emissions tackle the cause, so they are mitigation.
    Atmosphere and Climate Change › Climate Change
  5. A fish population follows logistic growth with a carrying capacity of 10 000 tonnes. At roughly what stock size can the largest sustainable catch be taken each year?

    A) 10 000 tonnes
    B) 2500 tonnes
    C) 5000 tonnes
    D) 7500 tonnes
    C) 5000 tonnes

    Logistic growth is fastest at about half the carrying capacity, so that is where the maximum sustainable yield can be taken. At carrying capacity, growth is close to zero and there is little surplus to harvest.
    Natural Resources
  6. A new pesticide is suspected of harming pollinators, but the evidence is incomplete. The regulator refuses approval until the manufacturer shows it is safe. Which principle is being applied?

    A) The rights of nature
    B) Cost–benefit analysis
    C) The polluter-pays principle
    D) The precautionary principle
    D) The precautionary principle

    The precautionary principle holds that a lack of full scientific certainty should not delay action against possible serious harm, and it shifts the burden of proving safety to the proposer. Polluter pays concerns who bears the costs of pollution.
    HL Lenses › HL Environmental Law

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About these cards

Review status: Second-reader reviewed, with corrections applied.

Checked against:

  • IB Diploma Programme subject guide (topic outline only; no text copied): Environmental Systems and Societies guide for first assessment 2026.
  • OpenStax Biology 2e and OpenStax Principles of Economics 3e, consulted as references; no text copied.

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