ap environmental science semester 1 final

Anthropogenic

derived from human activities

Erosion

The process by which wind, water, ice, or gravity transports soil and sediment from one location to another

Runoff

Part of the water cycle where an excess of water runs down and does not sink into the soil and eventually makes it to the rivers, lakes, and oceans.

Denitrification

process in which fixed nitrogen compounds are converted back into nitrogen gas and returned to the atmosphere

Nitrification

ammonia (NH3) is converted to nitrate ions (NO3)-

Amonification

the part of the decomposition process where nitrogen in inorganic molecules reaction acids and nucleotides is converted to ammonium

Nitrogen Fixation

Process of converting nitrogen gas into ammonia

Abiotic

Non-living things

Biotic

Describes living factors in the environment.

keystone species

a species on which other species in an ecosystem largely depend, such that if it were removed the ecosystem would change drastically.

primary consumer

An organism that eats producers

secondary consumer

A carnivore that eats primary consumers

tertiary consumer

A carnivore that eats secondary consumers

Biodiversity

The amount of biological or living diversity per unit area. It includes the concepts of species diversity, habitat diversity and genetic diversity.

Divergent plates

Two tectonic plates that are moving away from each other

convergent plates

tectonic plates that collide with each other

Transform Plates

Plates that are moving past each other (rubbing next to each other) in opposite directions

primary succession

succession that occurs on surfaces where no soil exists

secondary succession

Succession following a disturbance that destroys a community without destroying the soil

logistic growth

Growth pattern in which a population's growth rate slows or stops following a period of exponential growth

logistic growth model

describes a population whose growth is initially exponential, but slows as the population approaches the carrying capacity of the environment

exponential growth

Population growth that is unhindered because of the abundance of resources for an ever-increasing population.

exponential growth model

tells us that, under ideal conditions, the future size of the population depends on the current size of the population, the intrinsic rate of the population, and the amount of time over which the population grows

intrinsic growth rate

the maximum potential for growth of a population under ideal conditions with unlimited resources

K-selected species

Species that produce a few, often fairly large offspring but invest a great deal of time and energy to ensure that most of those offspring reach reproductive age.

r-selected species

Species that reproduce early in their life span and produce large numbers of usually small and short-lived offspring in a short period.

Generalists species

Species that can live in varying conditions

Specialists species

Species with a narrow ecological niche. They may be able to live in only one type of habitat, tolerate only a narrow range of climatic and other environmental conditions, or use only one type or a few types of food.

Microevolution

Change in allele frequencies in a population over generations.

Macroevolution

Evolutionary change above the species level.

Algal Bloom

an immediate increase in the amount of algae and other producers that results from a large input of a limiting nutrient

Limiting Nutrients

single essential nutrient that limits productivity in an ecosystem; Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium

Hypoxic

low oxygen

Anemia

deficiency of iron

Externality

the impact of one person's actions on the well-being of a bystander

Affluence

abundance; wealth

Leaching

the transportation of dissolved molecules through the soil via groundwater

Resilience

the rate at which an ecosystem returns to its original state after a disturbance

Resistance

a measure of how much a disturbance can affect flows of energy and matter in an ecosystem

Watershed

An ecosystem where all water runoff drains into a single body of water

Specialists

species that have narrow niches

K-selected

Species that produce a few, often fairly large offspring but invest a great deal of time and energy to ensure that most of those offspring reach reproductive age.

Eutrophication

A process by which nutrients, particularly phosphorus and nitrogen, become highly concentrated in a body of water, leading to increased growth of organisms such as algae or cyanobacteria.

Mutualism

A relationship between two species in which both species benefit

Commensalism

A relationship between two organisms in which one organism benefits and the other is unaffected

Parasitism

A relationship between two organisms of different species where one benefits and the other is harmed

Predation

An interaction in which one organism kills another for food.

Herbivory

interaction in which one animal (the herbivore) feeds on producers (such as plants)

Carnivores

Consumers that eat only animals

Omnivores

Consumers that eat both plants and animals.

Detrivore

a scavenger, such as an earthworm, that feeds on dead plant and animal matter

Herbivores

Consumers that eat only plants

Decomposers

organisms that break down wastes and dead organisms and return raw materials to the environment

trophic level

each of several hierarchical levels in an ecosystem, comprising organisms that share the same function in the food chain and the same nutritional relationship to the primary sources of energy.

How much energy is available/consumed at each trophic level

10%

genetic drift

A change in the allele frequency of a population as a result of chance events rather than natural selection.

Founder Effect

genetic drift that occurs after a small number of individuals colonize a new area

Bottleneck Effect

Genetic drift resulting from the reduction of a population, typically by a natural disaster, such that the surviving population is no longer genetically representative of the original population.

Natural Selection

A natural process resulting in the evolution of organisms best adapted to the environment.

intersexual selection

Selection whereby individuals of one sex (usually females) are choosy in selecting their mates from individuals of the other sex; also called mate choice.

Atmosphere

the envelope of gases surrounding the earth or another planet.

Troposphere

0-17 km above Earth's surface, site of weather, organisms, contains most atmospheric water vapor. (temperature decreases with increasing altitude, pressure decreases)

Stratosphere

2nd layer of atmosphere; extends from 10 to 30 miles up; location of ozone layer; absorbs 95% of Ultraviolet radiation; temperature increases with altitude increase.

Mesosphere

3rd layer of the atmosphere, above the stratosphere; most meteors, or space rocks and metal, burn up before they can crash to the ground

Thermosphere

The uppermost layer of the atmosphere, in which temperature increases as altitude increases; contains the ionosphere

fossil fuels

a natural fuel such as coal or gas, formed in the geological past from the remains of living organisms.

nuclear fuel

substance used in nuclear reactors that releases energy due to nuclear fission

subsistence energy sources

those gathered by individuals for their own use such as wood, charcoal, and animal waste

Food security

A condition in which people have access to sufficient, safe, and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs for an active and healthy life.

Famine

a severe shortage of food (as through crop failure) resulting in violent hunger and starvation and death

Food Insecurity

a condition in which people do not have adequate access to food

Undernutrition

The condition in which not enough calories are ingested to maintain health

Overnutrition

ingestion of too many calories and a lack of balance of foods and nutrients

Industrial agriculture

Agriculture that applies the techniques of mechanization and standardization

Energy Subsidy

the fossil fuel energy and human energy input per calorie of food produced

Green Revolution

Agricultural revolution that increased production through improved seeds, fertilizers, and irrigation; helped to support rising Asian populations.

Fertilizer

a substance that provides nutrients to help crops grow better

Synthetic Fertilizer

Fertilizer produced commercially, normally with the use of fossil fuels

Organic Fertilizer

fertilizer composed of organic matter from plants and animals

Monocropping (monoculture)

An agricultural method that utilizes large plantings of a single species or variety

Pesticides

Any one of various substances used to kill harmful insects (insecticide), fungi (fungicide), vermin, or other living organisms that destroy or inhibit plant growth, carry disease, or are otherwise harmful.

Insecticides

A pesticide that targets species of insects and other invertebrates

Herbicides

A pesticide that targets plant species that compete with crops.

Broad Spectrum Pesticides

a pesticide that kills many different types of pests

Selective Pesticides

A pesticide that targets a narrower range of organisms.

Persistent Pesticides

A pesticide that remains in the environment for a long time.

Nonpersistent Pesticides

Pesticides that break down rapidly, usually in weeks or months

Pesticides Resistance

the ability of a life form to develop a tolerance to a pesticide

Fishery

a commercially harvestable population of fish within a particular ecological region

Fishery Collapse

The decline of a fish population by 90 percent or more.

Bycatch

The unintentional catch of nontarget species while fishing

Shifting Agriculture

An agricultural method in which land is cleared and used for a few years until the soil is depleted of nutrients.

Desertification

Degradation of land, especially in semiarid areas, primarily because of human actions like excessive crop planting, animal grazing, and tree cutting.

Sustainable Agriculture

Agriculture that fulfills the need for food and fiber while enhancing the quality of the soil, minimizing the use of nonrenewable resources, and allowing economic viability for the farmer.

Intercropping

An agricultural method in which two or more crop species are planted in the same field at the same time to promote a synergistic interaction.

crop rotation

The practice of rotating use of different fields from crop to crop each year, to avoid exhausting the soil.

Agroforestry

when trees and crops are planted together, creating a mutualistic symbiotic relationship between them.

Contour Plowing

An agricultural technique in which plowing and harvesting are done parallel to the topographic contours of the land

No-Till Agriculture

An agricultural method in which farmers do not turn the soil between seasons, used as a means of reducing erosion

Perennial Plants

A plant that lives for multiple years.