AP Environmental Science - Modules 1-3 Study Guide

Vocabulary practice flashcards generated from AP Environmental Science Modules 1-3 study guide.

Community ecology

The study of interactions among species.

Symbiosis

Two species living in a close, long-term association.

Biosphere

The region of the planet where life resides, consisting of a $20\text{-km}$ thick layer between Earth's surface and the lower atmosphere.

Competition

Interaction between two species that share a limiting resource.

Competitive exclusion principle

Two species competing for the same limiting resource cannot coexist indefinitely.

Resource partitioning

Two species evolve to divide a resource based on differences in behavior or morphology.

Predation

One animal typically kills and consumes another animal.

Parasitoid

A specialized predator that lays eggs inside a host organism.

Parasitism

One organism (parasite) lives on or in another (host).

Pathogen

A parasite that causes disease in its host.

Herbivory

An animal consumes plants or algae.

Mutualism

Interaction between two species that increases the chances of survival or reproduction for both.

Photosynthesis

Process converting $\text{CO}_2 + \text{H}_2\text{O} + \text{sunlight} \rightarrow \text{glucose} + \text{O}_2$

Commensalism

One species benefits, while the other is neither helped nor harmed.

Native species

A species that lives in its historical range.

Exotic (alien) species

A species that lives outside its historical range.

Invasive species

A species that spreads rapidly across large areas and causes harm.

Table of Interaction Effects

A summary chart detailing the positive ($+$), negative ($-$), or neutral ($0$) outcomes for Species 1 and Species 2 across six primary species interactions.

Biome

Plants and animals found in a particular region of the world.

Terrestrial biome

Geographic region defined by average annual temperature, precipitation, and dominant plant growth forms.

Aquatic biome

Aquatic region defined by salinity, depth, and water flow.

Habitat

Specific area a species needs within a biome (smaller than a biome).

Climate diagram

Graph of monthly temperature (line) and precipitation (bars) for a location.

Growing season

Months when temperature stays above $0^\text{o}\text{C}$.

Permafrost

Impermeable, permanently frozen soil layer found in the tundra.

Tundra

Cold, treeless biome with low-growing vegetation.

Taiga (boreal forest)

Cold biome dominated by coniferous evergreen trees.

Temperate grassland/cold desert

Biome characterized by cold harsh winters, grasses, and nonwoody vegetation.

Temperate seasonal forest

Biome with moderate temperature and precipitation, dominated by broadleaf deciduous trees.

Shrubland (woodland/chaparral/matorral/fynbos/maquis)

Biome with hot dry summers and mild rainy winters.

Temperate rainforest

Coastal biome with high precipitation and moderate temperatures.

Tropical rainforest

Warm and wet biome year-round, characterized by high productivity and little seasonal variation.

Savanna (tropical seasonal forest)

Warm biome with distinct wet and dry seasons, dominated by grasses and scattered trees.

Hot desert

Biome with warm temperatures, extremely dry conditions, and sparse vegetation.

Freshwater biome

Low-salinity biome categorized by streams/rivers, lakes/ponds, and freshwater wetlands.

Littoral zone

Shallow zone near shore where rooted and emergent plants grow.

Limnetic zone

Open water zone of a lake with sunlight penetration, inhabited by phytoplankton.

Profundal zone

Deep, open water zone below sunlight penetration.

Benthic zone

Muddy bottom of a lake, pond, or ocean.

Phytoplankton

Floating algae.

Oligotrophic

Lake with low nutrients/fertility and clear water.

Eutrophic

Lake with high nutrients, high algae, and murky/turbid water.

Mesotrophic

Lake with moderate nutrient levels, intermediate between oligotrophic and eutrophic.

Freshwater wetland

Area where soil is saturated or submerged for at least part of the year (e.g., swamps, marshes, bogs).

Estuary

Area where river fresh water mixes with ocean salt water.

Salt marsh

Biotic community featuring nonwoody emergent vegetation in temperate and subtropical estuaries.

Mangrove swamp

Coastal wetland containing salt-tolerant trees along tropical and subtropical coasts.

Intertidal zone

Narrow band of coastline between high and low tide.

Coral reef

Limestone structures built by coral animals in warm, shallow tropical water.

Coral bleaching

Process where algae leave coral due to stress or warming, causing the coral to turn white and potentially die.

Open ocean

Deep marine zone divided into the photic zone (sunlight penetrates, ~$200\text{ m}$) and aphotic zone (no sunlight).

Photic zone

Upper ocean layer receiving enough sunlight for photosynthesis.

Aphotic zone

Deep ocean layer lacking sufficient sunlight for photosynthesis.

Chemosynthesis

Process using energy from methane or hydrogen sulfide (rather than sunlight) to generate energy.