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IB ESS SL Topic 4 Water Question Bank

Practise IB ESS SL Topic 4 Water by interpreting stores and flows, evaluating scarcity and pollution data, and comparing management strategies for freshwater and aquatic food…

Syllabus
First assessment 2026
Course
ESS SL
Level
SL

Topic 4: Water question 1

[Maximum number: 11]

Question (a)

(a)

Outline how energy drives the hydrological cycle.

[ 4 ]

Question (b)

(b)

Explain, with the use of a system diagram, how human activities affect flows in the global water cycle.

[ 7 ]

Topic 4: Water question 2

[Maximum number: 8]
Integrated aquaculture system

Figure:Integrated aquaculture system

the integrated-aquaculture diagram shown above represents a system of aquaculture with four groups of harvestable species.

Question (a)

(a)

Identify one producer in the system illustrated in the integrated-aquaculture diagram shown above.

[ 1 ]

Question (b)

(b)

Outline one reason why aquaculture production has increased globally.

[ 1 ]

Question (c)

(c)

Describe two negative environmental impacts that may arise from integrated aquaculture.

[ 2 ]

Question (d)

(d)

Explain why this system may cause fewer environmental impacts than systems that farm only fish.

[ 4 ]

Topic 4: Water question 3

[Maximum number: 6]

Question (a)

(a)

A small lake is going through the process of eutrophication. State one possible point source and one possible non-point source of nutrient pollution in the lake.
Point source:
Non-point source:

[ 2 ]

Question (b)

(b)

Define the term biochemical oxygen demand (BOD).

[ 1 ]

Question (c)

(c)
pH-tolerance ranges of freshwater organisms

Figure:pH-tolerance ranges of freshwater organisms

the pH-tolerance ranges of freshwater organisms below shows the ranges of pH over which different types of aquatic organisms in a small lake can survive.

[ 3 ]

Question (i)

(i)

Use the pH-tolerance ranges of freshwater organisms: the pH tolerance ranges of trout, bass, perch, frogs, salamanders, clams, crayfish, snails and mayfly in the small lake.

State which organism(s) would still be present if the pH of the lake was reduced to 5.0.

[ 1 ]

Question (ii)

(ii)

Use the pH-tolerance ranges of freshwater organisms: the pH tolerance ranges of trout, bass, perch, frogs, salamanders, clams, crayfish, snails and mayfly in the small lake.

Explain why the populations of remaining organisms in the lake may decline in the long term.

[ 2 ]

Topic 4: Water question 4

[Maximum number: 16]

Question (a)

(a)

Explain how the hydrological cycle influences climate around the Earth.

[ 7 ]

Question (b)

(b)

Evaluate management strategies for reducing the impact of agricultural pollution on an aquatic ecosystem.

[ 9 ]
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