IB ESS HL 2.2.20 Human Activity Impacts Questions
Evaluate how human activity alters energy flow, productivity and ecosystem stability.
- Syllabus
- First assessment 2026
- Course
- ESS HL
- Level
- HL
Exam points
- trace how hunting, logging or introduced species alter named populations and feeding links in a food web
- explain how fossil-fuel emissions can change temperature, pollution or acid deposition and reduce primary productivity
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IB ESS HL 2.2.20 Human Activity Impacts Questions question 1
[Maximum number: 7]
Describe how the emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels may impact the productivity of terrestrial ecosystems.
a. CO2/ greenhouse gas emissions lead to increasing global/atmospheric temperatures;
b. Increased temps may cause increase in rate of photosynthesis/increased productivity;
c. ...or may cause evaporation of water/desertification/drought;
d. ...extreme temperatures could result in enzyme denaturation/decreasing productivity;
e. CO2 emissions may increase rate of photosynthesis increasing productivity;
f. Extreme weather events from CO2 concentration/global warming resulting in droughts/floods/saline inundation/forest fires;
g. NOx may cause depletion of stratospheric ozone and increased exposure to UV radiation;
h. ...which will damage plants \& reduce primary productivity;
i. NOx/ hydrocarbons may cause photochemical smog that damages plants/reduces primary productivity;
j. NOx/ hydrocarbons may produce tropospheric ozone further increasing atmospheric temperatures;
k. NOx/SOx are sources of acid deposition that can alter soil pH/damage plants reducing productivity;
I. ...also causing the leaching of soil nutrients which reduces productivity;
m. ...or causing the release of toxic metal ions that damage plants, reducing productivity;
n. ...reduction in primary productivity is likely to cause loss of secondary productivity;
Accept other reasonable responses linked to productivity of ecosystem.
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