Environmental Systems & Societies IA ideas: how do you choose one?
Choose an idea that fits the subject criteria and can be answered with evidence, a method, and resources you can access.
The ESS individual investigation is like a science IA: one focused research question with a clear independent and dependent variable, primary data you collect yourself, and analysis that links back to an environmental system or an environmental value. Fieldwork along a gradient (distance, depth, land use) works especially well.
Which research questions fit Environmental Systems & Societies IA?
The questions below are starting points to adapt to your own variables, evidence, and assessment task.
How does distance from a road affect lichen coverage on tree trunks as a bioindicator of air quality?
Variables · IV: distance from the road. DV: % lichen cover (quadrat on the trunk). Control: tree species, trunk aspect, height, bark type.
How does footpath trampling (soil compaction) affect plant species richness along a transect away from the path?
Variables · IV: distance from path centre / penetrometer reading. DV: species richness per quadrat. Control: slope, aspect, sampling area, time of year.
How does soil pH affect the abundance of a specific indicator plant across a site?
Variables · IV: soil pH. DV: % cover or count of the indicator species. Control: light, drainage, quadrat size, sampling method.
How does light intensity under a woodland canopy affect ground-layer plant cover?
Variables · IV: light intensity (lux). DV: % ground cover per quadrat. Control: soil type, slope, canopy species, time of day for readings.
How does distance downstream from an outfall or confluence affect the freshwater invertebrate biotic index?
Variables · IV: distance downstream. DV: BMWP / biotic index score from a kick sample. Control: sampling effort, substrate type, flow rate, season.
How does water temperature along a stream relate to dissolved oxygen, and what does that mean for fish habitat?
Variables · IV: water temperature. DV: dissolved oxygen (mg/L). Control: time of day, depth of sample, flow, meter calibration.
How does urban surface type (grass, tarmac, gravel) affect near-surface air temperature?
Variables · IV: surface type. DV: air temperature 5 cm above the surface. Control: time, cloud cover, shading, thermometer, height.
How does grazing intensity (dung count as a proxy) affect sward height and plant diversity in grassland?
Variables · IV: dung density per quadrat. DV: sward height and species richness. Control: soil, aspect, quadrat size, sampling date.
How does salinity affect the germination rate of a crop species, as a model of soil salinisation?
Variables · IV: NaCl concentration of the watering solution. DV: % germination after a fixed period. Control: seed batch, temperature, light, substrate.
How does the age of a reclaimed or rewilded plot affect its stage of plant succession and diversity?
Variables · IV: years since reclamation. DV: species richness and % bare ground. Control: soil type, area sampled, surrounding land use.
Is there a relationship between household size and weekly recycling mass in a sampled street?
Variables · IV: household size. DV: recycling mass per week (kg). Control: collection week, sampling method, consent, anonymity.
How does hedgerow width affect bird or invertebrate diversity along it?
Variables · IV: hedgerow width. DV: species count from a timed survey. Control: survey length, weather, time of day, observer.
Find questions that fit your resources
Filter the Environmental Systems & Societies ideas by time and equipment. This is a practical shortlist, not a judgement about the quality of a research question.
12 of 12 starting points match these time/equipment filters
- 01How does distance from a road affect lichen coverage on tree trunks as a bioindicator of air quality?
- 02How does footpath trampling (soil compaction) affect plant species richness along a transect away from the path?
- 03How does soil pH affect the abundance of a specific indicator plant across a site?
- 04How does light intensity under a woodland canopy affect ground-layer plant cover?
- 05How does distance downstream from an outfall or confluence affect the freshwater invertebrate biotic index?
- 06How does water temperature along a stream relate to dissolved oxygen, and what does that mean for fish habitat?
- 07How does urban surface type (grass, tarmac, gravel) affect near-surface air temperature?
- 08How does grazing intensity (dung count as a proxy) affect sward height and plant diversity in grassland?
- 09How does salinity affect the germination rate of a crop species, as a model of soil salinisation?
- 10How does the age of a reclaimed or rewilded plot affect its stage of plant succession and diversity?
- 11Is there a relationship between household size and weekly recycling mass in a sampled street?
- 12How does hedgerow width affect bird or invertebrate diversity along it?
Items with unspecified equipment or time remain visible. Check safety, ethics, available evidence and the current assessment guide before choosing.
Research question feasibility test →Sources & verification
Primary-source references used to verify key assessment facts on this page. Last source check: September 22, 2026.
These Environmental Systems & Societies ideas are original iBacalao starting points, not official IB research questions. Check the current Environmental Systems & Societies subject guide, your assessment session and your school's safety/ethics rules before committing to a question.
- IB: Diploma Programme assessment and examsOfficial overview of criterion-related assessment and internal assessment in the Diploma Programme.
- IB: current curriculum updatesOfficial hub for current and upcoming subject/assessment changes and subject briefs.
Picked a question? Check your draft before you submit.
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