AP Environmental Science Comprehensive Practice Flashcards

A comprehensive set of practice questions and answers covering all units of AP Environmental Science, including ecosystems, biodiversity, populations, Earth systems, land use, and energy.

What is the definition of Ecology?

The study of how living things interact with each other and their environment.

Distinguish between a Community and a Population.

A Population is a group of individuals of the same species living in a particular place, while a Community consists of populations of different species living in a particular place and potentially interacting.

Identify the three types of symbiotic relationships.

Mutualism (both benefit), Commensalism (one benefits, one unaffected), and Parasitism (one benefits, one harmed).

What is Resource Partitioning?

When species avoid competition by dividing the use of resources.

Which terrestrial biome is characterized by the highest land biodiversity and occurs near the equator?

The Tropical Rainforest.

Define the Tundra biome.

A vast treeless plain in the arctic regions with cold temperatures, long winters, high winds, and permafrost (permanently frozen subsoil).

What is the largest non-polar desert on Earth, and what is the largest desert in the United States?

The Sahara Desert in North Africa and the Great Basin Desert in the U.S.

What are the three temperature zones of Earth created by uneven heating?

Tropic Zones (near equator), Polar Zones (least direct sunlight), and Temperate Zones (between tropic and polar).

What is the most biodiverse aquatic biome?

The Coral Reef.

Describe the transition of water characteristics from the source to the mouth of a river.

Near the source, water is cold, low on nutrients, and clear; far from the source, water is warmer, full of nutrients, and murkier.

What is an Estuary, and what type of water does it contain?

A wetland formed where a river meets the ocean, containing brackish water (a mixture of salt and fresh water).

Define the Photic and Aphotic zones by depth.

The Photic Zone is the upper layer where light is available for photosynthesis, and the Aphotic Zone is the layer with no light.

What is the largest reservoir of water in the hydrologic cycle?

The Ocean.

Distinguish between an Unconfined Aquifer and a Confined Aquifer.

An Unconfined Aquifer is made of porous rock covered by soil that water can easily flow out of; a Confined Aquifer is surrounded by an impermeable layer that impedes flow.

How does carbon return to the atmosphere and water?

By cellular respiration, burning, and decay.

What are the products of carbon decay with and without oxygen?

It produces $CO_2$ if oxygen is present and $CH_4$ if oxygen is not present.

What is Nitrification?

The process by which ammonia is converted into nitrate ions ($NO_3^-$) by bacteria in the soil.

State the First Law of Thermodynamics.

Energy can be transferred and transformed, but it cannot be created or destroyed.

Explain the 10% Rule in an Energy Pyramid.

Only $10\%$ of energy flows from one trophic level up to the next; the other $90\%$ is lost as waste heat.

What are the formulas for Net Primary Productivity (NPP) and Gross Primary Productivity (GPP)?

$NPP = GPP - R$ and $GPP = NPP + R$.

Identify the three scales of biodiversity.

Genetic Diversity, Species Diversity, and Ecosystem Diversity.

What is the Bottleneck Effect?

A drastic and sudden reduction in the size of a population leading to a change in the genetic pool.

What is the most common organism on Earth?

The bacterium Pelagibacter ubique, which makes up $1/3^{rd}$ of all single-celled ocean organisms.

Define Provisioning Services in the context of ecosystems.

Goods that humans use directly, such as lumber, food crops, rubber, fur, and medicinal plants like Taxol.

What is the difference between Primary Succession and Secondary Succession?

Primary Succession begins in a place without any soil (e.g., bare rock), while Secondary Succession begins in a place that already has soil and occurs faster.

What are Indicator Species?

Species that give early warning signs of damage or danger to a community, such as birds, butterflies, or amphibians.

Define Keystone Species and provide examples.

A species on which other species largely depend; if removed, the ecosystem changes drastically. Examples include sea otters, American alligators, and beavers.

Explain the difference between Exponential Growth and Logistic Growth.

Exponential Growth (J-shape) occurs with unlimited resources; Logistic Growth (S-shape) occurs when growth slows and stabilizes at the Carrying Capacity.

What are the characteristics of r-Selected species?

Small bodies, early reproduction, many offspring, low survival, little parental care, and Type 3 survivorship curves.

What are the characteristics of K-Selected species?

Larger bodies, late reproduction, fewer offspring, high parental care, predictability in environments, and Type 1 survivorship curves.

Name the soil horizons in order from top to bottom.

O Horizon (Organic), A Horizon (Top Soil), E Horizon (Eluviated), B Horizon (Subsoil), C Horizon (Least weathered), and R Horizon (Bedrock).

Order the three soil particles from biggest to smallest.

Sand > Silt > Clay.

What occurs during an El Niño event?

Tropical trade winds weaken or reverse; warm waters move toward South America, suppressing upwellings and reducing primary productivity.

Name the layers of the atmosphere in order from the surface upward.

Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere, and Exosphere.

Describe the three types of plate boundaries.

Divergent (plates move away), Convergent (plates move toward each other), and Transform (plates move sideways past each other).

What is The Tragedy of the Commons?

The tendency of a shared, limited resource to become depleted because people act from self-interest for short-term gain.

What is Clearcutting and what are its adverse effects?

The process of cutting down all trees in an area at once; it causes reduction in biodiversity, soil erosion, sedimentation, and increased water temperature.

What was the Green Revolution?

A shift to mechanization, fertilization, irrigation, and improved crop varieties over the last 100 years.

Contrast the four types of irrigation.

Furrow (trenches), Flood (soaking field), Spray (sprinklers), and Drip (tubes dripping at plant base; most efficient).

What is Integrated Pest Management (IPM)?

A combination of methods used to control pests while minimizing environmental disruption.

Distinguish between the three types of coal.

Lignite, Bituminous, and Anthracite (formed under differing heat and pressure; peat is not coal).

What is the chemical equation for the complete combustion of methane?

$4CH_4 + 8O_2 \rightarrow 4CO_2 + 8H_2O$.

Describe the 1986 nuclear accident at Chernobyl.

During a test, the cooling system was disconnected and control rods removed, leading to an explosion and fire that released radiation.

What were the consequences of the Exxon Valdez oil spill?

Occurring on March 24, 1989, it spilled 11 million gallons of crude oil into Prince William Sound, killing millions of animals and causing the collapse of fisheries.