AP Environmental Science

Symbiosis

Interaction between individuals of two species

Mutualism

Two organisms benefit one another by sharing resources and services

Commensalism

Interaction between two species where only one organism benefits

Parasitism

Interaction between two species where one is significantly harmed and the other is benefited

Parasite

An organism that harms another organism

Biome

A community of plants and animals that adapt to a certain climate

Terrestrial

Being land based

Terrestrial biome

Biome that is influenced by temperature and rainfall

Tropical rainforest

Biome near the equator with average temperatures and rainfall year round

Biodiveristy

Uniqueness of organisms in an area

Temperate Forests

Biome between 30 and 60 North and South of the equator with high perception

Temperate Deciduous Forests

A forest with cold and dry winters, and hot humid summers.

Temperate Rainforest

Forest with mild, frost free winters, and even rainfall year round

Taigas/Boreal Forest

Biome between 50 and 60 North and South of the equator with short, warm summers, and long cold winters

Desert

Biome usually 30 North and South of the equator with low rainfall and high temperatures

Grasslands

Biome with seasonal droughts, occasional fire, and grazing by herbivores.

Scrublands/Woodlands/Chapparal

Biome between 30 and 40 North and South of the equator with less than average rainfall

Tundra

Biome that is cold and dry with a short growing season

Permafrost

Layer of permanent frozen soil

Aquatic

Water based

Freshwater Biome

A biome that is water based

Pond/Lake

Biome with natural body of standing water

Littoral Zone

Near top, short layer of a lake with lots of sunlight and nutrients from the nearby shore

Limnetic Zone/Open water Zone

Sunlit layer of the lake where the most photosynthesis occurs

Profundal Zone/Deep-Water Zone

Lake zone with no sunlight or photosynthesis and cold temperatures

Benthic Zone

Soil and soil organisms at the bottom of the lake with lots of decomposers

Streams/Rivers

Flowing bodies of water that drain the landscape

Source Zone

The collection of rainfall or snowmelt at the beginning of a river or stream

Transition zone

Where the source zone meets the river/stream

Floodplain Zone

Where the river/stream overflows on the sides as it flows

Carbon

The base element of all life and matter

Carbon Dioxide

A compound that is absorbed through photosynthesis and released through decomposition and respiration

Photosynthesis

The process where sunlight, water and carbon dioxide convert to glucose to create sugars that fuel plants

Cellular Respiration

The process of breaking down sugars to produce carbon dioxide

Carbon cycle

How carbon interacts with the atmosphere

Reservoir

Where something is stored in large amounts

Carbon Reservoir

Where large amounts of carbon is stored

Biological carbon cycle

How carbon interacts between the atmosphere and Earth’s ecosystems

Photosynthesis →Decomposition or Cellular Respiration

Geological Carbon Cycle

How carbon interacts with Earth’s nonliving carbon reservoirs

Deforestation

The mass removal of trees in a single area

Nitrogen Cycle

How nitrogen interacts with living organisms and the environment

Nitrogen Reservoir

Where nitrogen is stored in large amounts

Nitrogen fixation

When nitrogen gas is converted into ammonium

Ammonification

Converts ammonium into a usable nutrient in soil

Nitrification

Converting ammonium NH4+ to nitrates

Dentrification

Converting nitrates to nitrogen gas

Limiting Nutrient

A nutrient that is in short supply

Phosphorus cycle

How phosphorus interacts between living organisms and Earth's ecosystems

Phosphorus reservoir

The largest amount of stored phosphorus

Weather

When rocks or sediments break down in composition or size

Physical weathering

When rocks or minerals break down into smaller pieces

Chemical weathering

When rocks break down and change their chemical composition

Eutrophication

The runoff of fertilizers into resivors of water

Water reservoir

Large amounts of water stored

Water cycle

How water interacts with the atmosphere and Earth's ecosystems

Groundwater

Water stored underneath the soil

Aquifers

Groundwater reservoirs tapped by wells

Desalination

The removal of salts from water

Residence Time

The amount of time a resource stays in a reservoir

Precipitation

When condensed water falls from the sky as rain, hail, sleet, or snow

Evaporation

When water vapor rises to the atmosphere due to heat

Transpiration

When plants evaporate water

Condensation

When water vapor clumps together to form clouds

Runoff

When a liquid glides off the surface of soil due to heavy saturation

Infiltration

When water vapor is absorbed

Sublimation

The process of solid water becoming a gaseous state

Primary Producers/Autotrophs

Organisms that produce their own sugars from sunlight through photosynthesis

Glucose

Sugar produced by autotrophs

Primary Productivity

The amount of respiration and photosynthesis a plant can have

Biomass

The mass of living organisms

Net Primary Productivity

NPP = Gross Primary Production - amount respired

Primary Consumers

Organisms that eat autotrophs

Secondary Consumers

Organisms that eat primary consumers

Tertiary Consumers

Organisms that eat secondary consumers

Estuary

Where the tide and river meet, mixing fresh and salt water together

10% Rule of energy transfer

10% of the energy from a lower level organism is transferred to another when eaten

Apex Predator

The top of the food chain

Decomposers

Break down nutrients back to the soil

Eutrophic Zone

Layer of the ocean where most photosynthesis occurs

Species Diversity

A measurement of species richness and eveness

Species Richness

Number of different species in an area

Species Evenness

The relative abundance in an area

Ecosystem resilience

When an ecosystem absorbs the disturbances of nature being unaffected

Ecological niche

A species role in an ecosystem

Specialist Speices

Organisms that require specific resources to survive

Generalist Species

Organisms that use a variety of resources

Scavenger

Wats decaying animals

Ecosystem services

How humans benefit from nature

Provisinal Ecosystem Services

Resources provided by nature that people can eat or use

Regulating Ecosystem Services

Keeps the ecosystem in check, healthy and functional

Supporting Ecosystem Services

Natural processes that are foundational to the ecosystem

Cultural Ecosystem Services

The relaxing and meaningful parts of ecosystems that provide inspiration

Biogeography

The study of how life occupies the globe

Phylogenetic Tree

Family tree for organisms

Ecological Sucession

The process of a series of changes to a community after a natural disaster

Primary Succession

The process of ecological succession where it begins when there is no soil and requires pioneer species

Pioneer Species

The first few species within an ecological community that make life suitable for other species

Secondary Succession

When an ecological community has some resilience to a natural disaster and not all the community is destroyed

Adaptations

When a species adjusts to their environment

Survivorship Curves

Graphs that show the success rate of certain types of species