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Globe Showing Europe Africa

Unit 1 - Foundations Of Environmental Systems & Societies

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Herb

Unit 2 - Ecosystems & Ecology

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Flexed Biceps

Unit 3 - Biodiversity & Conservation

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Writing Hand

Unit 4 -Water & Aquatic Food Production Systems & Societies

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Deciduous Tree

Unit 5 - Soil Systems & Terrestrial Food Production Systems & Societies

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Cloud

Unit 6 - Atmospheric Systems & Societies

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Thermometer

Unit 7 - Climate Change & Energy Production

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Briefcase

Unit 8 - Human Systems & Resource Use

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Bar-Chart

Internal Assessment

Welcome to a fun and brain-stimulating ride as we explore the world of system diagrams and the significant role they play in understanding environmental issues, like pollution. Put on your thinking cap and let&#39;s get started!

A system diagram is a visual representation of a system. It&#39;s like a treasure map, except instead of treasure, it helps you understand how different elements of a system interact and impact each other. Imagine you&#39;re trying to figure out how the pieces of a puzzle fit together. A system diagram is your guide!

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Real-world example: Imagine you&#39;re playing the video game Among Us. The spaceship can be considered as a system, and the system diagram might be the map showing where tasks are and where vent systems lead to. This is similar to how scientists use system diagrams to map out complex natural systems and understand their dynamics.

Now, let&#39;s put our system diagrams to use in a real-world situation - pollution! Think of pollutants as the &#39;Impostors&#39; in our natural system&#39;s spaceship. Just like in the game, we need to understand their impact to address the problem effectively.

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One common pollutant is nitrate, which is often used in fertilizers. Now, imagine it starts raining heavily on a farm using nitrate fertilizers. Some of these nitrates seep into the ground (known as leaching) and make their way into a nearby body of water - this could be a river, a lake, or an underground water source.

Real-world example: This is like when you spill juice on your kitchen counter, and some of it trickles down onto the floor. The juice (representing nitrates) has leached from your counter (the farm) to your floor (the water body).

Now, let&#39;s talk about why these sneaky nitrates are a problem. When nitrates enter a water body, they act as food for algae. This might sound like a good thing (Yay, dinner for algae!) but it can lead to a condition called eutrophication. This is when there&#39;s excessive growth of algae or &#39;algae blooms&#39;.

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When these algae die, they become food for bacteria that consume oxygen in the water. The result? Less oxygen available for other aquatic creatures. This can lead to a decrease in fish and other aquatic species - a real &#39;kill-joy&#39; for the whole aquatic system.

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Real-world example: Imagine you&#39;re at a birthday party with a limited amount of cake. If one person (algae) eats most of the cake, there&#39;s not enough for everyone else (other aquatic life). This leaves some of your friends (fish) without any cake (oxygen) - and we all know a party isn&#39;t fun without cake!

And that, my friends, is the power of system diagrams! They help us visualize the journey of nitrates from farms to water bodies and the impact they have on aquatic life. Next time you see nitrates or other pollutants mentioned, remember our party example - no one wants to be left without cake, right?

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So, keep exploring, keep learning, and remember &ndash; life&#39;s a party, keep it clean!

Nitrates' Ripple Effect: Ecosystem to Hydrosphere

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Standard Level

Environmental Systems & Societies SL

Unit 1 - Foundations Of Environmental Systems & Societies

Nitrates' Ripple Effect: Ecosystem to Hydrosphere

Table of content

What are system diagrams?

Unlock the Full Content!

Unit 1 - Foundations Of Environmental Systems & Societies

Nitrates' Ripple Effect: Ecosystem to Hydrosphere

Table of content

What are system diagrams?

Unlock the Full Content!