AP Environmental Science Flashcards

A series of flashcards covering key concepts and terminology related to AP Environmental Science.

Predator

An organism that eats another organism.

Prey

An organism that is eaten by a predator.

Symbiosis

A relationship between two species in an ecosystem.

Mutualism

A type of symbiotic relationship where both species benefit.

Commensalism

A type of symbiotic relationship where one species benefits and the other is not affected.

Parasitism

A type of symbiotic relationship where one species benefits (the parasite) and the other is harmed (the host).

Competition

Occurs when resources are limited and species vie for the same resources.

Resource Partitioning

A strategy used by competing species to divide resources to reduce competition.

Biome

An area with characteristic plants and animals, defined by climate (temperature and precipitation).

Taiga

A biome characterized by Northern coniferous forests.

Trophic Levels

The different levels in a food chain, representing feeding positions.

Primary Productivity

The rate at which solar energy is converted into organic compounds through photosynthesis.

GPP

Gross Primary Productivity; the total rate of photosynthesis in an area.

NPP

Net Primary Productivity; NPP = GPP - Respiration.

Carbon Cycle

The cycle through which carbon is exchanged between the atmosphere, land, water, and living organisms.

Nitrogen Fixation

The process of converting nitrogen gas (N2) into ammonia (NH3), nitrites (NO2-), or nitrates (NO3-).

Phosphorus Cycle

The cycle through which phosphorus moves through the environment, crucial for DNA, RNA, and energy transfer.

Hydrologic Cycle

The continuous movement of water on, above, and below the surface of the Earth.

Ecosystem Services

The benefits provided by ecosystems to humans, including provisioning, regulating, cultural, and supporting services.

Island Biogeography

The study of the ecological relationships and distribution of organisms on islands.

Ecological Succession

The process by which ecosystems change and develop over time, including primary and secondary succession.

Keystone Species

A species whose activities have a disproportionately large impact on its ecosystem.

Indicator Species

A species that indicates the health of an ecosystem; their presence, scarcity, or abundance shows the ecosystem's health.

K-Selected Species

Species characterized by low intrinsic growth rate, larger size, and higher parental investment.

r-Selected Species

Species characterized by high growth rates, small size, and low parental investment.

Survivorship Curves

Graphs that depict the number of individuals in a population that will survive to various ages.

Carrying Capacity

The maximum population size that an environment can sustain indefinitely.

Density-Dependent Factors

Factors that have a greater impact as a population's density increases.

Density-Independent Factors

Factors that affect population size regardless of its density.

Total Fertility Rate (TFR)

The average number of children a woman will have during her lifetime.

Demographic Transition

The transition of a country from high birth and death rates to low birth and death rates as it develops economically.