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Summary chapter 5 notes for IB ESS
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ESS IB NOTESTopic 1: Foundations of environmental Topic 5: Soil systems and terrestrial food
systems and societies production systems and societies
❏ 1.1 Environmental value systems ❏ 5.1 Introduction to soil systems
❏ 1.2 Systems and models ❏ 5.2 Terrestrial food production
❏ 1.3 Energy and equilibria systems and food choices
❏ 1.4 Sustainability ❏ 5.3 Soil degradation and
❏ 1.5 Humans and pollution conservation
Topic 2: Ecosystems and ecology Topic 6: Atmospheric systems and societies
❏ 2.1 Species and populations ❏ 6.1 Introduction to the atmosphere
❏ 2.2 Communities and ecosystems ❏ 6.2 Stratospheric ozone
❏ 2.3 Flows of energy and matter ❏ 6.3 Photochemical smog
❏ 2.4 Biomes, zonation and ❏ 6.4 Acid deposition
succession
❏ 2.5 Investigating ecosystems Topic 7: Climate change and energy
production
Topic 3: Biodiversity and conservation ❏ 7.1 Energy choices and security
❏ 3.1 An introduction to biodiversity ❏ 7.2 Climate change—causes and
❏ 3.2 Origins of biodiversity impacts
❏ 3.3 Threats to biodiversity ❏ 7.3 Climate change—mitigation
❏ 3.4 Conservation of biodiversity and adaptation
Topic 4: Water and aquatic food production Topic 8: Human systems and resource use
systems and societies ❏ 8.1 Human population dynamics
❏ 4.1 Introduction to water systems ❏ 8.2 Resource use in society
❏ 4.2 Access to fresh water ❏ 8.3 Solid domestic waste
❏ 4.3 Aquatic food production ❏ 8.4 Human population carrying
systems capacity
❏ 4.4 Water pollution
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Topic 5: Soil systems and terrestrial food production systems and
societies
5.1 Introduction to soil systems
Soil: what forms the outermost layer of the Earth’s surface, and comprises weathered
bedrock (regolith), organic matter (both dead and alive), air and water.
- Soil is a mixture of: minerals; organic matter; air and water
- It serves as a medium for plant growth; water storated (purification system); habitat
for organisms; modify the atmosphere through respiration of the soil organisms
It interacts with:
- atmosphere (air): from and to the soil
- lithosphere (rocks): rocks weather -> soils and soils (w depth & pressure) -> to rocks
- biosphere (living matter): plants extract nutrients from soil & dead plants become soil
- hydrosphere (water): infiltration and evaporation of water in soil
Humans and soil:
- Serves for plant growth which humans eat
- Stores fresh water which humans use (0.005%)
- Filters materials added to the soil (water quality)
- Recycles nutrients (dead organic matter is broken down)
- Serves as habitat for billions of micro- organisms + large animals
- Provides raw materials (ie: peat; clay; sand; gravel; minerals)
The characteristics of soils depend on:
- Climate: Precipitation/evaporation determines main direction of water movement.
- Organisms: Breaks down organic matter and mixes it into the upper layers of the soil.
- Relief: The elevation; aspect of the slope (the direction it faces); the angle of the slope.
- Parent material: The original material that the soil develops from. (ie: bedrock)
- Time: Soil formation is a long and slow process- non-renewable natural capital. The
amount of time the soil has had to form will affect its characteristics.
Soil provides:
- Supply of water; oxygen; nutrients (eg: nitrogen); anchorage for roots; protection
against temp and pH changes
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Restricting root growth:
- Absence of cracks
- Absence of grass
- Shortage of oxygen
- Dryness
- Temperatures
- Density
- Low nutrient supply
Soil has different horizons:
O- organic material
R- rock
ABC in between
Soil as a system:
- Storages: organic matter; organisms; nutrients; minerals; air; water
- Transfers: biological mixing; translocation of soil particles; leaching
- Inputs: organic material (ie: leaf litter); inorganic matter from parent material;
precipitation; energy
- Outputs: uptake by plants; soil erosion; crop removal; denitrification
- Transformations: decomposition; weathering; nutrient cycling
SOIL EROSION:
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Roots help stabilize the soil. If the roots are weak, soil erosion occurs, when you have water/
wind taking some of the top layer of soil away.
LEACHING:
Through the pores, the nutrients are lost due to rain water, to the lower levels. So the
nutrients don’t actually stay in the soil, but get washed away to bottom level.
SOIL TEXTURE:
CHARACTERISTIC SANDY LOAM CLAY
Mineral content high high medium
Drainage V good good poor
Water-holding cap low medium high
Air spaces large medium small
Biota & pot. to hold organic matter low high medium
Primary prod. low high medium
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