IB Environmental Systems and Societies SL - 2025
Questionbank
The IB Environmental Systems and Societies SL (Standard Level) 2025 Questionbank is a great source of practice questions, coming from the entire syllabus! Each question comes with a clear markscheme and solution video, with an experienced IB teacher going through the question step-by-step. The questions are organized by topic and arranged by difficulty, making it the perfect resource for studying a particular concept.
Topic 1
Foundations of ESS
1.1 - Environmental Value Systems
Historical Influences, EVS, Anthropocentric, Ecocentric, Technocentric
1.2 - Systems & Models
System Diagrams, Storages, Flows, Transfers, Transformations, Open & Closed Systems, Models
1.3 - Energy & Equilibria in Systems
Laws of Thermodynamics, Conservation of Energy, Negative & Positive Feedback Loops, Stability, Resilience, Tipping Point
1.4 - Sustainability
Sustainable Development, Natural Resources, Capital and Income, Goods, Services, EIA, Ecological Footprint (EF)
1.5 - Pollution
Non-Point & Point Source, Persistent, Biodegradable, Acute, Chronic, Primary, Secondary, DDT, Pollution Management
Topic 2
Ecosystems & Ecology
2.1 - Species & Populations
Habitat, Biotic & Abiotic Factors, Interactions, S-Curve, J-Curve, Limiting Factors, Carrying Capacity
RV Free
2.2 - Food Webs & Energy
Respiration, Photosynthesis, Food Chains, Trophic Levels, Ecological Pyramids, Bioaccumulation, Biomagnification
RV Free
2.3 - Productivity & Nutrient Cycles
Solar Radiation, Net, Gross, Primary, and Secondary Productivity, Maximum Sustainable Yield, Carbon & Nitrogen Cycles
RV Free
2.4 - Biomes, Zonation, and Succession
Tricellular Model, Biome Shift, Habitat, Species, and Genetic Diversity, r- & K-Strategists, Pioneer & Climax Community
RV Free
2.5 - Investigating Ecosystems
Key, Sampling, Biomass, Quadrat, Capture-Mark-Recapture, Lincoln, Species Richness & Diversity, Simpson, Abiotic Factor
RV Free
Topic 3
Biodiversity & Conservation
3.1 - Biodiversity
Species, Habitat, and Genetic Diversity, Species Richness & Evenness, Diversity Index
RV Gold
3.2 - Evolution & Extinction
Natural Selection, Survival of the Fittest, Speciation, Plate Tectonics, Mass Extinctions
RV Gold
3.3 - Threats to Biodiversity
Habitat Destruction, Invasive Species, Pollution, Overharvesting, IUCN Red List, Conservation Status, Tropical Biomes
RV Gold
3.4 - Conservation of Biodiversity
NGOs, Conventions, Protected Areas, Habitat & Species-Based Conservation, CITES, Flagship & Keystone Species, Zoos
RV Gold
Topic 4
Water & Aquatic Food Production
4.1 - Water Cycle & Oceanic Circulation
Hydrological Cycle, Aquifer, Glacier, Ice Cap, Evaporation, Precipitation, Freshwater, Saltwater, Ocean Conveyor Belt
RV Gold
4.2 - Freshwater Resources
Supply, Access, Irrigation, Reservoirs, Desalination, Aquifers, Rainwater Harvesting, Conflict
RV Gold
4.3 - Aquatic Food Production
Marine, Freshwater, Phytoplankton, Whales, Wild Fisheries, Fish Stocks, Aquaculture, Maximum Sustainable Yield
RV Gold
4.4 - Water Pollution
Eutrophication, Dead Zones, Plastic, Runoff, Sewage, Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), Indicator Species, Biotic Index
RV Gold
Topic 5
Soil & Terrestrial Food Production
5.1 - Soil Structure & Systems
Soil Profile, Leaching, Erosion, Sand, Silt, Clay, Loam, Soil Texture Triangle
RV Gold
5.2 - Terrestrial Food Production
Farming, Fertilisers, Pesticides, Yield, Food Waste, Food Choices, Subsistence & Commercial Farming, Vegetarianism
RV Gold
5.3 - Soil Degradation & Conservation
Fertility, Deforestation, Grazing, Monoculture, Erosion, Desertification, Salination, Terracing, Marginal Lands
RV Gold
Topic 6
Atmosphere
6.1 - Atmospheric Structure & Function
Natural Greenhouse Effect, Troposphere, Stratosphere, Clouds, Albedo
RV Gold
6.2 - Stratospheric Ozone
Hole in Ozone Layer, UV radiation, CFCs, Aerosols, Montreal Protocol, Skin Cancer, Phytoplankton
RV Gold
6.3 - Photochemical Smog
Urban Pollution, Secondary Pollutant, Nitrogen & Sulfur Oxide, Soot, Tropospheric Ozone, Thermal Inversion
RV Gold
6.4 - Acid Deposition
Fossil Fuels, Acid Rain, Nitrogen & Sulfur Oxides, Wet & Dry Deposition, Direct & Indirect Effect, Lime
RV Gold
Topic 7
Climate Change & Energy Production
7.1 - Energy Choices & Security
Fossil Fuel, Carbon Dioxide Emissions, Renewables, Nuclear, Energy Security & Strategy, Energy Efficiency & Conservation
RV Gold
7.2 - Climate Change - Causes & Impacts
Enhanced Greenhouse Effect, Greenhouse Gases (GHGs), Sea Level Rise, Global Temperature, Methane, Extreme Weather Events
RV Gold
7.3 - Climate Change - Mitigation & Adaptation
Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Geo-Engineering, Carbon Sinks, Flood Defences, Desalinization, CDR, UN-REDD, CCS, IPCC
RV Gold
Topic 8
Human Systems & Resource Use
8.1 - Human Population Dynamics
Births, Deaths, Fertility, CBR, CDR, TFR, DT, NIR, Population Pyramids, Demographic Transition Model (DTM)
RV Gold
8.2 - Resource Use
Renewable & Non-Renewable Natural Capital, Sustainable Use, Value of Natural Capital
RV Gold
8.3 - Solid Domestic Waste
SDW, Non-Biodegradable, Plastic, Landfill, Incineration, Recycling, Composting, Circular Economy
RV Gold
8.4 - Human Population Carrying Capacity
Extending Carrying Capacity, Ecological Footprint (EF), Limits to Human Population Growth
RV Gold
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More IB Environmental Systems and Societies SL - 2025 Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the IB Environmental Systems and Societies Standard Level Questionbank?
The Revision Village Questionbank for ESS SL is a comprehensive collection of IB exam-style questions from Paper 1 and Paper 2, designed to help you practice for your exams and tests. The questions are organised by subtopic and arranged by difficulty, allowing you to tailor your revision to your level and progressively tackle more challenging concepts. Each question includes a mark scheme and a sample answer, outlining possible marking points and showing how to construct an answer. Additionally, video solutions made by experienced ESS teachers help you understand the details.
How should I use the ESS SL Questionbank?
You can use the Questionbank when you have an Environmental Systems & Societies test or exam coming up. The questions cover the relevant concepts for each subtopic, and include data-based questions, short-answer questions and essays from ESS Paper 2 along with short-answer questions from Paper 1. You can also reinforce your learning by attempting the Popular Quiz for each subtopic or the Case Study tailored to each topic.
What if I complete all the questions in the Questionbank?
If you have worked through all the questions in the Questionbank for ESS SL for a particular topic, you will be well-prepared for your assessment. To further consolidate your knowledge, you can take the Popular Quizzes for each subtopic and complete the Case Study specifically designed for that topic. Keep in mind that new questions are regularly added to the Questionbank.
Where can I find ESS SL Paper 1 questions?
The Questionbank for Environmental Systems & Societies includes short-answer questions in the style of Paper 1. However, for comprehensive ESS Paper 1 practice, you can try the Case Studies. Each Case Study is essentially a Paper 1, allowing you to practice all question types in an exam-style format.