APES Help

Tropical Rainforest

Climate: high temps and abundant rainfall year-round

Biodiversity: lots

Soil: nutrient-poor because hot humid conditions accelerate decomposition and uptake

Temperate Rainforest

Climate: cool temps and significant rainfall

Biodiversity: mosses ferns, large coniferous trees; varied animal diversity

Soil: rich in organic matter, but can be acidic due to conifer needles

Temperate Seasonal Forest

Climate: moderate rainfall, distinct temperatures depending on season

Biodiversity: deciduous trees like oak and maple; variety of mammals, birds, and insects

Soil: nutrient rich from leaf litter decomposition

Taiga (Boreal Forest)

Climate: harsh winters, low rainfall

Biodiversity: coniferous trees; animals adapted to cold

Soil: acidic and nutrient-poor due to slow decomposition and conifer needles

Temperate Grassland

Climate: moderate rainfall, distinct temperatures depending on season

Biodiversity: grass, grazing mammals, burrowing rodents

Soil: fertile, good for agriculture

Savanna

Climate: warm all year, one wet season

Biodiversity: mainly grasses and single trees like acacias; large herbivores (zebras, giraffes)

Soil: generally well-drained (meaning water can percolate through it) but can be nutrient-poor in some areas

Scrubland

Climate: hot, dry summers; mild, rainy winters

Biodiversity: shrubs and drought-resistant plants; animals adapted to fires and dryness

Soil: limited nutrients

Desert

Climate: extremely dry

Biodiversity: sparse plant life (cacti, succulents), animals adapted to conserve water

Soil: sandy/rocky with little organic matter

Tundra

Climate: very cold, short summers w/ minimal rainfall

Biodiversity: low-growing vegetation like mosses and lichens, few animal species adapted to cold

Soil: permafrost under surface layers

Dysentry

Caused by untreated sewage in water

Infectinous disease that inflames intestines, leading to diarrhea and dehydration

Mesothelioma

Form of cancer that develops in the lining of the lungs

Caused by asbestos fibers

Plague

Can get from bite or contaminated fluids

Tuberculosis

Bacterial infection that attacks lungs

Spread by breathing in bacterial fluids from infected person

Malaria + West Nile virus

Parasitic diseases caused by bites from infected mosquitoes

Common in Africa

SARS

• Form of pneumonia

• Transferred by inhaling or touching fluids

Zika

Virus spread through mosquitoes or sexual contact, causing birth defects

Cholera

Bacterial disease from infected water, causing diarrhea and dehydration through major fluid loss

Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS)

Viral respiratory illness transferred from animals to humans

RCRA: Resource Conservation and Recovery Act

• Aka cradle to the grave

• EPA can control hazardous waste at all stages

CERCLA: Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act

• Aka Superfund

• Control abandoned toxic waste sites using a superfund

• Superfund money: taxes on those who produce hazardous waste

• EPA can hold any party responsible for toxic waste release

Clean Air Act

Set limit for criteria air pollutants:

• Sulfur Oxides

• Carbon Monoxide

• Particulate Matter

• Volatile Organic Compounds

• Nitrogen Oxides

• Tropospheric Ozone

• Lead (regulated in fuels)

Clean Water Act

• You cannot dischargee pollutants if you don’t have a permit

Safe Drinking Water Act

• Regulate/protect drinking water sites

CITES: Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora

• International agreement regulating trade of products derived from endangered species

Endangered Species Act

• Identified endangered, threatened, and vulnerable species

• Additionally prevents the killing, important, or export of them

Montreal Protocol

• International agreement to reduce use of ozone depleting substances (ex. CFCs)

Kyoto Protocol

• International agreement to limit greenhouse gas emissions

Delaney Clause of Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act

• Carcinogens (things that cause cancer) banned from food products