AP env sci ch 1-5

Environmental Science

The study of how humans interact with the environment, integrating biology, chemistry, physics, economics, and social sciences.

Environmental Indicators

Measurements that provide information about the health of ecosystems.

Anthropogenic

Human-caused changes in the environment due to human activities.

Ecological Footprint

The measure of land and resources needed to support a person's or population's lifestyle.

Natural Experiment

Observes events in nature to understand their impact.

Controlled Experiment

Conducted under controlled conditions to test specific variables.

First Law of Thermodynamics

Energy cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed.

Second Law of Thermodynamics

Energy transformations increase entropy; energy is lost as heat.

Law of Conservation of Matter

Matter cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed.

Coal Energy Problem

Total efficiency of coal energy calculated as 12.96%, producing light energy from 24,000 MJ.

Background Extinction Rate

Approximately 1 species per million per year.

Current Extinction Rate

Estimated to be 100–1,000 times higher due to human activities.

Water Cycle

Includes stages like evaporation, condensation, precipitation, infiltration, runoff, and transpiration.

Watershed

An area where all water drains into a single river, lake, or ocean.

Nitrogen Cycle

Involves fixation, nitrification, assimilation, ammonification, and denitrification.

Carbon Cycle

Includes photosynthesis, respiration, fossil fuel use, and ocean uptake.

Oxygen Cycle

Linked to the carbon cycle through photosynthesis and respiration.

Sulfur Cycle

Involves processes like volcanic eruptions and coal burning, releasing SO₂.

Phosphorus Cycle

Involves weathering of rocks; lacks a gaseous stage and returns slowly.

Global Warming Effect

Increases CO₂ levels in the atmosphere, affecting the carbon balance.

Biomes

Regions characterized by particular climate conditions, temperature, and precipitation.

Ecological Disturbance

A change that alters the structure of an ecosystem, which can be beneficial or detrimental.

Biodiversity

Variety of life in ecosystems, encompassing genetic, species, and ecosystem diversity.

Limiting Factors

Elements that restrict the growth or distribution of a population, such as resources and space.

Food Web Categories

Producers, consumers, and decomposers representing energy flow in an ecosystem.

Net Primary Productivity (NPP)

The amount of energy available to consumers, highest in tropical regions.

Energy Transfer Efficiency

Approximately 10% of energy is transferred between trophic levels.

Types of Energy

Includes kinetic, potential, and chemical energy.

Biomass

The total mass of organisms, which decreases at higher trophic levels.

Ecological Efficiency

The efficiency of energy transfer in an ecosystem, generally around 10%.

Species Interactions

Different relationships between species, including competition, predation, and symbiosis.

Competition

Occurs when different species vie for the same resource.

Mutualism

A symbiotic relationship where both species benefit.

Commensalism

A relationship where one species benefits without harming the other.

Parasitism

A relationship where the parasite benefits at the host's expense.

Invasive Species

Non-native species that thrive in a new environment and cause harm.

Overharvesting

The excessive hunting or fishing of species, threatening their populations.

Protection Laws

Legislation like the Endangered Species Act and CITES aimed at conserving biodiversity.

Photic Zone

The upper layer of water in a body of water that receives sunlight and supports photosynthesis.

Aphotic Zone

The deeper layer of water that lacks sunlight and presents unique challenges for living organisms.

Decomposers

Organisms that break down dead matter, recycling nutrients back into the ecosystem.

Deciduous Forest Examples

Oak tree (producer), deer (consumer), fungi (decomposer).

Trophic Levels

Different levels in a food chain or web, representing energy flow among organisms.

High Productivity Biomes

Biomes like tropical rainforests and estuaries, which support large amounts of life.

Waste Product of Energy Use

Heat, which is lost during energy transformations in ecosystems.

Energy Flow Direction

One-way flow from sun to producers to consumers to decomposers.

Energy Transfer Methods

Methods include conduction, convection, and radiation.

Species Adaptations

Adaptations such as camouflage, mimicry, and biochemical defenses against predators.