Cambridge IGCSE Environmental Management 0680 Syllabus Notes
Cambridge IGCSE Environmental Management 0680 Syllabus Overview
Content Overview
The syllabus is divided into nine topics:
Rocks and minerals and their exploitation
Energy and the environment
Agriculture and the environment
Water and its management
Oceans and fisheries
Managing natural hazards
The atmosphere and human activities
Human population
Natural ecosystems and human activities
Assessment Overview
Paper 2: Management in Context
1 hour 45 minutes
50% weighting
80 marks
Short and extended response questions based on source material
Externally assessed
Assessment Objectives
AO1: Knowledge and Understanding (40%)
Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of phenomena, facts, definitions, concepts, and theories.
Vocabulary, terminology, and conventions.
Technological applications with their social, economic, and environmental implications.
AO2: Information Handling and Analysis (35%)
Locate, select, organize, and present information from various sources.
Translate information and evidence from one form to another.
Manipulate numerical data.
Interpret and evaluate data, report trends, and draw inferences.
AO3: Investigation Skills and Making Judgements (25%)
Plan investigations.
Identify limitations of methods and suggest possible improvements.
Present reasoned explanations for phenomena, patterns, and relationships.
Make reasoned judgments and reach conclusions based on qualitative and quantitative information.
Weighting for Assessment Objectives
Assessment Objective | Weighting in IGCSE % | Paper 2 % |
|---|---|---|
AO1 Knowledge and understanding | 40 | 40 |
AO2 Information handling and analysis | 35 | 30 |
AO3 Investigation skills and making judgements | 25 | 30 |
Total | 100 | 100 |
Subject Content
1. Rocks and Minerals and Their Exploitation
1.1 Formation of Rocks
Describe and interpret the rock cycle.
State and explain the formation and characteristics of named igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks.
Igneous: granite and basalt
Sedimentary: limestone, sandstone, and shale
Metamorphic: marble and slate
1.2 Extraction of Rocks and Minerals from the Earth
Describe methods of extraction:
Surface mining (opencast / open-pit / open-cut / strip mining)
Subsurface mining (deep mining / shaft mining)
Discuss factors affecting the decision to extract rocks and minerals:
Exploration
Geology
Accessibility
Environmental impact assessment
Supply and demand
1.3 Impact of Rock and Mineral Extraction
Describe and explain environmental, economic, and social impacts:
Loss of habitat
Noise, water, land, air, visual pollution
Management of waste
Employment opportunities
Improvements in local/national economy
Improvements in facilities and infrastructure
1.4 Managing the Impact of Rock and Mineral Extraction
Describe and evaluate strategies for restoring landscapes damaged by rock and mineral extraction:
Safe disposal of mining waste
Land restoration: soil improvement, bioremediation, tree planting
Making lakes and nature reserves
Using as landfill sites
1.5 Sustainable Use of Rocks and Minerals
Define sustainable resource and sustainable development.
Describe and evaluate strategies for the sustainable use of rocks and minerals:
Increased efficiency of the extraction of rocks and minerals
Increased efficiency of the use of rocks and minerals
The need to recycle rocks and minerals
Legislation
Case study: Development, impact, and management of a mine including land restoration after the mine has closed.
2. Energy and the Environment
2.1 Fossil Fuel Formation
Describe the formation of the fossil fuels: coal, oil, and gas.
2.2 Energy Resources and the Generation of Electricity
Classify energy resources as non-renewable or renewable:
Non-renewable: fossil fuels, nuclear power (using uranium)
Renewable: biofuels (bioethanol, biogas, and wood), geothermal power, hydro-electric power, tidal power, wave power, solar power, wind power
Describe how each energy resource is used to generate electricity.
Describe the environmental, economic, and social advantages and disadvantages of each energy resource.
2.3 Energy Demand
Describe and explain the factors affecting the demand for energy:
Domestic demand
Industrial demand
Transport
Personal and national wealth
Climate
2.4 Conservation and Management of Energy Resources
Describe and explain strategies for the efficient management of energy resources.
Reducing consumption, such as using insulation, turning electrical devices off, and using energy-efficient devices and vehicles
Research and development of new energy resources
Energy from waste cooking oil
Exploiting existing energy sources
Education of people for energy conservation
Transport policies
Fracking
2.5 Impact of Oil Pollution
Describe the causes and impacts of oil pollution on marine and coastal ecosystems:
Causes: off-shore oil extraction, pipelines, and shipping
Impacts on ecosystems: birds, marine mammals, coral reefs, beaches
2.6 Management of Oil Pollution
Discuss strategies for reducing oil spills in marine and coastal ecosystems.
MARPOL (International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships)
Double-hulled oil tankers
Discuss strategies for minimizing the impacts of oil spills on the marine and coastal ecosystems.
Dealing with oil spills (booms, detergent sprays, skimmers)
Case study: Impact and management of an oil pollution event.
3. Agriculture and the Environment
3.1 Soil Composition
Describe and explain the composition of soils:
Composition: mineral particles, organic content (living plants, animals, microorganisms, and their dead remains), air, and water
Particle size: sand, silt, clay
3.2 Soils for Plant Growth
Describe soils as a medium for plant growth.
Mineral ions: nitrogen as nitrate ions ), phosphorus as phosphate ions ), potassium as potassium ions
Organic content
pH
Air content
Water content
Drainage
Ease of cultivation
Describe the differences between a sandy and clay soil.
3.3 Agriculture Types
Describe the different types of agriculture:
Arable, pastoral, and mixed
Subsistence and commercial
3.4 Increasing Agricultural Yields
Describe techniques used to increase agricultural yields:
Rotation
Fertilisers
Irrigation
Insect control (insecticide and biological control), weed control (herbicide), fungi control (fungicide)
Mechanisation
Selective breeding of animals and plants
Genetically modified organisms
Controlled environments: greenhouses and hydroponics
3.5 Impact of Agriculture
Describe and explain the impact of agricultural practices on the environment and people:
Overuse of insecticides and herbicides
Overuse of fertilisers
Mismanagement of irrigation causing salinisation and waterlogging
Overproduction and waste
Exhaustion of mineral ion content
Soil erosion
Cash crops replacing food crops
3.6 Causes and Impacts of Soil Erosion
Describe the causes of soil erosion:
Removal of natural vegetation by over cultivation and overgrazing
Water and wind erosion
Describe and explain the impacts of soil erosion:
Loss of habitats
Desertification
Silting of rivers
Displacement of people
Malnutrition and famine
3.7 Managing Soil Erosion
Describe and explain strategies to reduce soil erosion:
Terracing
Contour ploughing
Bunds
Wind breaks
Maintaining vegetation cover
Addition of organic matter to improve soil structure
Planting trees, mixed cropping, intercropping, and crop rotation
3.8 Sustainable Agriculture
Describe and explain strategies for sustainable agriculture:
Organic fertiliser (crop residue, manure)
Managed grazing (livestock rotation)
Crop rotation
Use of pest-resistant and drought-resistant varieties of crops
Trickle drip irrigation
Rainwater harvesting
Case study: An example where agriculture has had severe environmental consequences, including soil erosion, and strategies for the conservation of the soil.
4. Water and Its Management
4.1 Global Water Distribution
Describe the distribution of the Earth’s water:
Oceans
Fresh water: ice sheets and glaciers, ground water, atmosphere, lakes and rivers
4.2 The Water Cycle
Describe and interpret the water cycle:
Precipitation, surface run-off, interception, infiltration, through-flow, ground water flow, transpiration, evaporation, and condensation
4.3 Water Supply
Describe the sources of fresh water used by people:
Aquifers, wells, rivers, reservoirs, desalination plants
4.4 Water Usage
Describe the different ways in which fresh water can be used:
Domestic, industrial, agricultural
4.5 Water Quality and Availability
Compare the availability of safe drinking water (potable water) in different parts of the world:
Between water-rich and water-poor regions and the potential for water conflict
Access to safe drinking water in urban and rural areas
4.6 Multipurpose Dam Projects
Describe and evaluate multipurpose dam projects:
Choice of site
Environmental, economic, and social impacts
Sustainability
4.7 Water Pollution and Its Sources
Describe the sources of water pollution:
Domestic waste, including sewage from urban and rural settlements
Industrial processes
Agricultural practices
4.8 Impact of Water Pollution
Describe and explain the impact of pollution of fresh water on people and on the environment:
Global inequalities in sewage and water treatment
Risk of infectious bacterial diseases, typhoid, and cholera
Accumulation of toxic substances from industrial processes in lakes and rivers
Bioaccumulation of toxic substances in food chains
The effect of acid rain on organisms in rivers and lakes
Nutrient enrichment leading to eutrophication
4.9 Managing Pollution of Fresh Water
Describe and explain strategies for improving water quality:
Improved sanitation
Treatment of sewage
Pollution control and legislation
4.10 Managing Water-Related Disease
Describe the life cycle of the malaria parasite.
Describe and evaluate strategies to control malaria:
Antimalarial drugs, vector control, eradication
Describe strategies to control cholera:
Safe drinking water (potable water) supply
Boiling and chlorination
Case studies:
Impact of a named multipurpose dam scheme.
Causes, impact, and management of pollution in a named body of water.
5. Oceans and Fisheries
5.1 Oceans as a Resource
Outline the resource potential of the oceans:
Food, chemicals, building materials
Wave/tidal energy
Tourism
Transport
Potential for safe drinking water
5.2 World Fisheries
Outline the distribution of major ocean currents.
Identify the position of major cold and warm ocean currents (names are not required).
Explain the distribution of major marine fish populations:
Shallow water of continental shelves
Cold and warm ocean currents
Describe the El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon and its effects on fisheries along the Pacific coast of South America.
5.3 Impact of Exploitation of the Oceans
Describe and explain the impact of exploitation of fisheries:
Overfishing of marine species
Effect on target and bycatch species
Describe how farming of marine species reduces the exploitation of fisheries.
5.4 Management of the Harvesting of Marine Species
Describe, explain, and evaluate strategies for the management of the harvesting of marine species:
Net types and mesh size
Other species-specific methods: pole and line
Quotas
Closed seasons
Protected areas and reserves
Conservation laws
International agreements (implementation and monitoring)
Case studies:
Resource potential, exploitation, impact, and management of a marine fishery.
Example of farming of marine species, including the source of food, pollution from waste, and impact on the natural habitat.
6. Managing Natural Hazards
6.1 Earthquakes and Volcanoes
Describe the structure of the Earth:
Crust, mantle, and core
Describe and explain the distribution and causes of earthquakes and volcanoes:
Global pattern and structure of plates
Plate movement: constructive, destructive, and conservative
Understand magnitude and the Richter scale.
6.2 Tropical Cyclones
Describe and explain the distribution and causes of tropical cyclones (storms, hurricanes, and typhoons):
Between 5° and 20° north and south of the Equator, ocean surface temperature of at least 27°C and ocean depth of at least 60m
6.3 Flooding
Describe and explain the causes of flooding:
Heavy rainfall, prolonged rainfall, snowmelt
Land relief
Saturated soil, compacted soil
Deforestation, cultivation, and urbanisation
Storm surges, tsunamis
Rise in sea level through climate change
6.4 Drought
Describe and explain the causes of drought:
Lack of rain caused by prolonged high pressure
Effect of El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and La Niña on ocean temperatures and evaporation
Effect of climate change
6.5 The Impacts of Natural Hazards
Describe and explain the impacts of natural hazards on people and the environment:
Tectonic events: damage to buildings and infrastructure, fire, tsunamis, landslides, loss of farmland and habitats, water-related disease, loss of life, trauma, financial losses
Tropical cyclones: flooding, loss of life, financial losses, damage to buildings and infrastructure, loss of crops and habitats, water-related disease
Flooding: loss of life, loss of livestock, loss of crops, damage to buildings and infrastructure, contamination of drinking water supplies, water-related disease, financial losses
Drought: death of organisms, water sources dry up, decline in crop yields, starvation, increased soil erosion, desertification, decrease in air quality, increased risk of wildfires
6.6 Managing the Impacts of Natural Hazards
Describe and evaluate the strategies for managing the impacts of natural hazards before, during, and after an event:
Tectonic: monitoring and warning, land use zoning, structure of buildings, disaster preparation (plans, drills, emergency supplies, and emergency rescue teams), evacuation, rebuilding of damaged areas, international aid
Tropical cyclones: monitoring and warning, structure of buildings, disaster preparation (plans, drills, emergency supplies, and emergency rescue teams), evacuation, emergency shelters, rebuilding of damaged areas, international aid
Flooding: monitoring and warning, use of storm hydrographs (run-off, through-flow, ground water flow), shelters, rescue, rebuilding of damaged areas, flood management techniques
Drought: monitoring, emergency water supplies, water conservation, increase water supply (dams and reservoirs, wells, use of aquifers, water transfer, desalination, rainwater harvesting), international aid
6.7 Opportunities Presented by Natural Hazards
Describe and explain the opportunities presented by natural hazards to people:
Flooding: deposition of silt on farmland
Volcanoes: fertile soils, extraction of minerals, geothermal energy resources
Case studies:
Compare and contrast the strategies for managing the impacts of tectonic events between a named more economically developed country (MEDC) and a named less economically developed country (LEDC).
Strategies for managing the impacts of a tropical storm, flood, or drought.
7. The Atmosphere and Human Activities
7.1 The Atmosphere
Describe the structure and composition of the atmosphere:
Troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere
Nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide, argon, water vapour
The ozone layer
Describe the natural greenhouse effect.
7.2 Atmospheric Pollution and Its Causes
Describe and explain the causes of atmospheric pollution, with reference to:
Smog: volatile organic compounds (from industrial processes), vehicle emissions, impact of temperature inversion
Acid rain: sulfur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen
Ozone layer depletion: action of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
Enhanced greenhouse effect: greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, water vapour, and methane)
7.3 Impact of Atmospheric Pollution
Describe and explain the impact of atmospheric pollution:
Smog: effects on human health
Acid rain: acidification of bodies of water, effects on fish populations, damage to crops and vegetation, damage to buildings
Ozone depletion: higher levels of ultraviolet radiation reaching the Earth’s surface, increased rates of skin cancer and cataracts, damage to vegetation
Climate change: melting of ice sheets, glaciers, and permafrost; rise of sea-level; flooding and loss of land; forced migration
7.4 Managing Atmospheric Pollution
Describe and explain the strategies used by individuals, governments, and the international community to reduce the effects of atmospheric pollution:
Reduction of carbon footprint
Reduced use of fossil fuels
Energy efficiency
Carbon capture and storage
Transport policies
International agreement and policies
CFC replacement
Catalytic converters
Flue-gas desulfurisation
Taxation
Reforestation and afforestation
Case study: The causes, impact, and management of a specific example of atmospheric pollution.
8. Human Population
8.1 Human Population Distribution and Density
Identify where people live in the world:
Population density
Population distribution
8.2 Changes in Population Size
Describe and explain the growth curve of populations:
Lag, exponential (log), carrying capacity
Describe and explain the changes in human populations:
Birth and death rates
Factors affecting birth and death rates
Factors affecting migration
8.3 Population Structure
Describe population structure in MEDCs and LEDCs:
Population pyramids
8.4 Managing Human Population Size
Evaluate strategies for managing human population size:
Family planning
Improved health and education
National population policies – pronatalist or antinatalist
Case study: The strategies a named country or region has used to manage population size.
9. Natural Ecosystems and Human Activities
9.1 Ecosystems
Define the terms ecosystem, population, community, habitat, and niche.
Describe the biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) components of an ecosystem:
Biotic: producers, primary, secondary, and tertiary consumers, decomposers
Abiotic: temperature, humidity, water, oxygen, salinity, light, pH
Describe biotic interactions:
Competition, predation, and pollination
Describe the process of photosynthesis:
State the word equation and the importance of chlorophyll.
Describe energy flow using food chains, food webs, and trophic levels.
Describe and explain ecological pyramids based on numbers and energy.
Describe the process of respiration:
State the word equation
Describe the carbon cycle.
9.2 Ecosystems Under Threat
Describe and explain causes and impacts of habitat loss:
Causes: the drainage of wetlands, intensive agricultural practices, deforestation
Impacts: loss of biodiversity and genetic depletion, extinction
9.3 Deforestation
Describe and explain the causes and impacts of deforestation:
Causes: timber extraction and logging, subsistence and commercial farming, roads and settlements, rock and mineral extraction
Impacts: habitat loss, soil erosion and desertification, climate change, loss of biodiversity and genetic depletion
9.4 Managing Forests
Describe and explain the need for the sustainable management of forests:
Growing forests act as carbon sinks, and mature forests act as carbon stores
Role in water cycle
Prevention of soil erosion
Biodiversity as a genetic resource
Food, medicine, and industrial raw materials
Ecotourism
9.5 Measuring and Managing Biodiversity
Describe and evaluate methods for estimating biodiversity:
Pitfall traps, pooters, quadrats, and transects
Random and systematic sampling
Apply sampling techniques to unfamiliar situations.
Evaluate national and international strategies for conserving the biodiversity and genetic resources of natural ecosystems:
Sustainable harvesting of wild plant and animal species
Sustainable forestry/agroforestry
National parks, wildlife/ecological reserves, and corridors
Extractive reserves
World biosphere reserves
Seed banks
Role of zoos and captive breeding
Sustainable tourism and ecotourism
Case studies:
The causes and impacts of deforestation in a named area.
The conservation of a named species.
A named biosphere reserve.
Gathering of Data
Formulate aims and hypotheses.
Design questionnaires (oral or written).
Design a simple experiment using suitable controls.
Understand and evaluate random and systematic sampling techniques.
Mathematical Requirements
Calculators may be used in all parts of the examination.
Candidates should be able to:
Add, subtract, multiply, and divide
Use averages, decimals, fractions, percentages, ratios, and reciprocals
Understand the terms mean and range
Use standard notation, including both positive and negative indices
Understand significant figures and use them appropriately
Recognise and use direct and inverse proportion
Draw tables, charts, and graphs from given data
Interpret charts and graphs
Determine the gradient and intercept of a graph
Select suitable scales and axes for graphs
Make approximate evaluations of numerical expressions
Understand the meaning of angle, curve, circle, radius, diameter, area, circumference, square, rectangle, and diagonal
Understand map scale and the use of the scale line.
Details of the Assessment
Paper 2 – Management in context:
1 hour 45 minutes
80 marks
Short, and extended response questions based on source material
Presentation of Data
The solidus (/) is to be used for separating the quantity and the unit in tables, graphs, and charts, e.g., time/s for time in seconds.
(a) Tables: Each column of a table should be headed with the physical quantity and the appropriate unit, e.g., time/s.
(b) Graphs:
Unless instructed otherwise, the independent variable should be plotted on the x-axis (horizontal axis) and the dependent variable plotted on the y-axis (vertical axis).
Each axis should be labelled with the physical quantity and the appropriate unit, e.g., time/s.
The scales for the axes should allow more than half of the graph grid to be used in both directions and be based on sensible ratios, e.g., 2cm on the graph grid representing 1, 2, or 5 units of the variable.
Points on the graph should be clearly marked as crosses (x) or encircled dots ( ). Large ‘dots’ are penalised.
A best-fit line (trend line) should be a single, thin, smooth straight-line or curve.
The gradient of a straight line should be taken using a triangle whose hypotenuse extends over at least half of the length of the best-fit line, and this triangle should be marked on the graph.
(c) Numerical results:
Data should be recorded so as to reflect the precision of the measuring instrument.
The number of significant figures given for calculated quantities should be appropriate to the least number of significant figures in the raw data used.
(d) Pie charts: Should be drawn with the sectors in rank order, largest first, beginning at ‘noon’ and proceeding clockwise. Pie charts should preferably contain no more than six sectors.
(e) Bar charts: These should be drawn when one of the variables is not numerical. They should be made up of narrow blocks of equal width that do not touch.
(f) Histograms: These are drawn when plotting frequency graphs with continuous data. The blocks should be drawn in order of increasing or decreasing magnitude and they should touch.
Glossary of Terms Used in Science Papers
Define (the term(s)…): A formal statement or equivalent paraphrase is required.
What do you understand by/What is meant by (the term(s)…): A definition should be given, together with some relevant comment on the significance or context.
State: A concise answer with little or no supporting argument is implied.
List: A number of points is required, generally each of one word, with no elaboration.
(a) Explain: May imply reasoning or some reference to theory, depending on the context. Give reasons.
Describe: The candidate should state in words (using diagrams where appropriate) the main points.
Discuss: The candidate should give a critical account of the points involved.
Outline: Brevity is implied (i.e., restricting the answer to giving essentials).
Predict: The candidate is expected to make a prediction not by recall but by making a logical connection between other pieces of information.
Deduce: The candidate is not expected to produce the required answer by recall but by making a logical connection between other pieces of information.
Suggest: Used either to imply that there is no unique answer or to imply that candidates are expected to apply their general knowledge of the subject to a ‘novel’ situation.
Find: A general term that may variously be interpreted as calculate, measure, determine, etc.
Calculate: A numerical answer is required. In general, working should be shown, especially where two or more steps are involved.
Measure: The quantity concerned can be directly obtained from a suitable measuring instrument (e.g., length using a rule, or mass using a balance).
Determine: Often implies that the quantity concerned cannot be measured directly but is obtained from a graph or by calculation.
Estimate: Implies a reasoned order of magnitude statement or calculation of the quantity concerned, making such simplifying assumptions as may be necessary about points of principle and about the values of quantities not otherwise included in the question.
Sketch: When applied to graph work, implies that the shape and/or position of the curve need only be qualitatively correct.