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Flip to reveal answersWhat is the systems approach (systems thinking)?
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All 15 Flashcards — Systems
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Question
What is the systems approach (systems thinking)?
Answer
A method of studying how parts of a system are connected and interact, rather than examining parts in isolation.
💡 Hint
Connections + interactions, not isolated parts
Question
Explain why choosing an appropriate system boundary is important.
Answer
The boundary decides what is included and excluded. If it is too small, important influences are missed; if it is too large, the system becomes too complex to analyse.
💡 Hint
Too small = miss factors; too large = too complex
Question
Finish the sentence: A system is ______ parts forming a whole.
Answer
A system is interacting parts forming a whole.
💡 Hint
Keyword: interacting
Question
What key idea explains why systems can behave unexpectedly?
Answer
Emergent properties: new characteristics arise from interactions between parts.
💡 Hint
Emergence = from interactions
Question
Define a system in ESS.
Answer
A system is a group of interacting parts that form a whole, with components, connections, a function, and emergent properties.
💡 Hint
Parts + connections + function + emergence
Question
Give one example where a boundary that is too small causes a wrong conclusion.
Answer
Studying a lake’s water quality without including upstream farmland can miss fertiliser runoff as the cause of eutrophication.
💡 Hint
Example: lake but exclude catchment
Question
What is a system boundary?
Answer
An imaginary line that defines what is included in the system and what is outside it.
💡 Hint
Boundary = what is included
Question
What are emergent properties?
Answer
Characteristics that appear only when parts of a system interact, not in the parts on their own.
💡 Hint
Only exists because of interactions
Question
What is the main risk of choosing a boundary that is too large?
Answer
The system includes too many variables and interactions, making it hard to identify key drivers or explain cause and effect clearly.
💡 Hint
Too many variables -> hard to analyse
Question
Give one example of an emergent property in ESS.
Answer
Predator-prey cycles: population patterns emerge only when predator and prey interact.
💡 Hint
Example: predator-prey cycles
Question
In exams, how should you justify your chosen boundary?
Answer
State what you included and excluded, and explain why that boundary is useful for answering the question (focuses on the key influences).
💡 Hint
Included/excluded + why useful
Question
Why do system boundaries matter in ESS?
Answer
Boundaries affect what factors you include, so they change how you understand the problem and what conclusions you reach.
💡 Hint
Boundary choice changes conclusions
Question
ESS exam tip: what three words should appear when explaining systems?
Answer
Connections, interactions, and boundaries.
💡 Hint
3 words: connections, interactions, boundaries
Question
Name three system scales used in ESS.
Answer
Small scale (e.g., pond), medium scale (e.g., rainforest), large scale (e.g., Earth system).
💡 Hint
Pond -> rainforest -> Earth
Question
What quick test helps you decide if your boundary is appropriate?
Answer
Ask: Does it include the key inputs, outputs, and interactions that control the system behaviour for this question?
💡 Hint
Inputs + outputs + interactions
Read the notes
Full study notes for Systems
Topic 1.2 hub
Models, Systems and Loops
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