APES Unit 1 - 5 key things

Roles bacteria play in the nitrogen cycle

they are able to fix nitrogen from the atmosphere, thereby making it accessible to plants

What is the process by which plants get nitrogen through their roots thus adding it to their fibers?

Assimilation

Way to decrease carbon cycles

decerase Co2 concetration in the atomosphere by cutting down trees

what would be an example of abiotic component of the environment affecting a biotic component of the environment?

low nitrogen content in soil limiting the growth of vegetation

what is true for both phosphorus and nitrogen

they are limiting nutrients

If someone wants to get rid of run off what would be a good solution?

replacing impermeable surfaces with vegetation

how does decomposed carbon return back to the atmosphere

through the assimilation of plants and their respiration

also bacteria respiration

what process results in the storage of carbon as fossil fuels

decomposition

when going through different biomes what cuases change in vegetation

an increase in both avergae annual temperatures and avergae annual precipitation

Identify one of the elements primarily responsible of these algal blooms and describe why these blooms are detrimental to aquatic ecosystems

Fertilization (made by nitrogen and phosphate) is streaming into bodies of water due to runoff which then creates unnatural algal blooms, a process called eutrophication. When algal blooms decompose that uses up a lot oxygen which then creates dead zones.

explain why spotted lattern fly hs been able to experience massive growth across the eastern us over the past few years?

because species are unable to determine whether or nto they can eat the bug or not which is why the spotted lattern fly is growing so rapidly. It also has no natural predators.

Which terrestrial biome has the highest biodiversity

tropical rainforest

How does the burning of fossil contribute to net increase in atmospheric carbon?

carbon that has been buried underground for millions of years is added to the carbon cycling between the atmosphere and the biosphere

which of the following aquiatic biomes is especially important for migratory birds?

marshes

what is a carbon source?

source release

burning fossil fuels

what is a carbon sink

sinks holds it

sedimentary rock

Biome A and Biome B have the same GPP, but biome A’s producers respire at twice the rate biome B. What could be a reason?

Biome B has a greater net primary productivity

What is true about the phosphorus and nitrogen cycle

phosphorus takes much longer to naturally move through its cycle relative to nitrogen

In what environments does chemosynthesis provide the basis of the food chain?

hydrothermal vents

• ecosystem at the bottom of the ocean

what will NOT affect the distribution of a species

A new food source outside of its range of tolerance

what is true about small populations of species

they are more susceptible to the impacts of genetic drift

How would the introduction of a predator species more likely affect the distribution of a species

the species will change its location, as its realized niche has changed

Individuals from a larger population colonized a previously uninhabited area. What is this an example of?

founder effect

What is a key difference between primary and secondary succession

primary succession requires the development of soil while secondary succession doesn’t

what measures the biodiversity of an ecosystem

the total number of plants species in an area

Species A has a much narrower range of tolerance compared to Species B. What is likely to be true?

Species B has a larger fundamental niche than species A

A group of kangaroos hop across a valley and encounter another population of the same species. What evolutionary process does this represent?

gene flow

A certain tree absorbs about 60 grams of carbon a day. How many kilograms of carbon will this tree absorb over the course of a year?

21. 9 kg of C/year

The great lakes are a group of five major freshwater inland lakes that all share the same watershed. Describe one impact the introduction of Asian Carp could have on an ecosystem service provided by the great lakes region.

The Asian Carp fish would control the algae growth in the Great Lakes, which would ultimately have an increasing effect on the cultural services because it would open more opportunities for fishing.

How do we distinguish one species from another?

We define a species by its ability to mate and provide fertile offspring.

Why is it ecologically beneficial to put a dollar value on nature?

It’s ecologically beneficial to put a dollar value on nature because it quantifies the benefit we get freely from nature and loss if we destroy it

What explains how humans are creating “ecological islands”

we are fragmenting habitat into smaller, more isolated pieces

In 2023, the state of Pennsylvania’s department of agriculture received about 31, 200 reported sitings of lanternflies near farms. In 2024 the number of sitings was 9,800s. Calculate the percent change.

-68.59 %

In 2024, Cuba had a population of 9,748,532. It had 71, 374 births and 128,098 deaths. Calculate the country’s growth rate.

-0.58%

Identify two reproductive strategies of r-selected species

a lot of offspring

early maturity

describe what is happening to the global human population

increasing at a decreasing rate

describe what is happening to the global human population growth rate

decreasing

why do K-selected species tend to be more heavily impacted by invasive species?

because they reproduce slowly, it can take a long time for a population to bounce back from a disturbance

In which DTM phase is population growth zero or near zero?

Phase I and IV

What is true about r selected species?

they tend to overshoot their carrying capacity

Which of the following statements about the global human population is FALSE?

• india is the most populous at a decreasing rate

• the human population is increasing at a decreasing rate

• the population growth is concentrated in developing countries

• there are over 8 billion people on the planet

the population growth is concentrated in developing countries

which best describes the relationship between TFR and women’s education?

They are inversely related

COuntry Z has a population of 800,000 and country XI has a population of 400,000. It took both countries 47 years to double their population. What is true about their growth rates?

They are both equal at ~1.5%

The global TFR has been decreasing over the past 50 years. Which of the following is NOT a reason for this?

• Increased educational opportunities for women

• greater need for children in the workforce

• industrialization of developing countries

• the cost of raising children has substantially

greater need for children in the workforce

Which of the follwing would NOT be considered a density-dependent factor that might influence population size?

• the amount of food available

• disease

• a storm

• competition for mates

a storm

Assume this country’s population is 4,000,000. How many children under the age of 10 years reside in the country?

380,000

Suppose Country’s Replacement Level Fertility was 5.5, and their TFR is 4.6. What does this mean about country B’s population?

The population of Country B would be decreasing

What is the name of the maximum number of individuals that can be supported by a particular ecosystem on a long term basis

carrying capacity

Counry A had 61 births and 30 deaths, while country b has 61 births and 30 deaths. Which country is growing faster?

it is impossible to know without knowing their population size

When do populations typically exhibit exponential growth

when populations numbers are low

Last year country A had a population of 52,189,859. That same year, there were 430,018 births and 370,185 deaths. What is the Crude Birth Rate of Country A?

8.2

The atlantic ocean is expanding at a rate of ~1.5 inches per year as a new rock rises from the asthenosphere and becomes part of the lithosphere. Which of the following is the best explanation why?

Divergent plate boundaries result in seafloor spreading

An example of a hotspot location…

hawaiian islands

As warm air rises, it begins to expand and experiences

adiabatic cooling

According to the theory of plate tectonics, what is responsible for the movement of the continents?

The material below the lithosphere is constantly moving as a result of convection, causing the less dense lithosphere to move well

A farmer is concerned about erosion on her property. What can she do to reduce the rate of erosion?

plant additional trees on her property

What best explains the Deep Freeze of Texas in 2021

A destabilized jet stream bringing cold air down from higher latitudes

Which surface would you expect to have the highest albedo?

ice

What explains why coastal cities often experience fewer temperature extremes than inland cities?

the specific heat capacity of water is greater than that of soil

What is the reason the amount of solar radiation hitting Earth varies?

the angle of solar incidence is perpendicular at the equator, resulting in more solar energy over a smaller area

Which condition is charactristic of a La NIña event?

increased upwelling along the coast of South America

What triggers an ENSO event?

When winds in the tropical pacific stall or reverse direction

What is the source of energy driving air convections currents

solar radiation

What causes air to rise high into the atmosphere?

warm air that is less dense than surrounding air

If the diagram illustrates Earth’s relative position on December 21 of a given year, what would be true then?

The Tropic of cancer has a shorter day and lower solar radiation intensity because there is a direct relationships between day length and radiation intensity

Which of the following condition of an ENSO event is FALSE?

• it typically increases the amount of phytoplankton along the western coast of SA

• It typicallt results in dryer conditions in Australia

• It originates in the eastern tropical Pacific ocean

• it typically begins near december

it typically increases the amount of phytoplankton along the western coast of SA

What is the main driver of the thermohaline circulation

warm water from the equator becomes denser near the poles sinks

What explains why rain shadows occur

adiabatic cooling causes water vapor in rising warm air to precipitate out as rain

Peru’s commerical anchovy industry would most likley be harmed during an ENSO event. What would be an explanation for the decline in anchovy during ENSO

less nutrient rich water reaches surface waters, disrupting the food web

The earth’s tilt leads to what?

Earth’s seasons

What is causing the weakening of the thermohaline circulation

an increase in more cold water near the poles reduces surface water salt concentration so it less likley to sink and circulate around the globe

upwelling zones refer to areas where…

cold nutrient rich water rises up

why does a hotspot tend to create islands chains?

the lithosphere moves in relation to the hotspot, creating new areas for magma to erupt through

Explain how soil is formed on a volcanic landscape that originally has non e

The rock gets weathered down due to physical factors (rain, wind) or chemical (lichen and moss) which eventually creates soil.

ALSO

When lichen and moss die their decomposed bodies create soil as well

Describe why the trade winds in the southern hemisphere are deflected to the east

Trade winds in the SH are deflected to the east due to the coriolis effect, which is caused by the earth’s rotation making it so that trade winds in the SH move in a counter clockwise pattern

Levee are meant to prevent rivers from flooding their bands, which in turn prevents them from picking up sediment. Why might this be problematic?

Areas downstream are no longer able to receive this sediment resulting in possible land loss

Which of the folloiwng is a possible solution to help a local community regulate a shared and limited resource and thereby reduce the tragedy of the commons

allocate certain parts of the resource to different individuals

What is subsidence

It occurs when humans extract groundwater for agricultural, industrial, and manicipal purposes

Eutrophication is most closely associated with area of…

high fertilizer usage

Where is the majority of the earth’s freshwater located?

ice and glaciers

In the absence of regulation, what is LEAST likely to lead to oversuse and degradation of a natural resource

homeowners chopping down trees on private land

What is TRUE about genetically modified crops?

They are more common in highly processed foods

Which of the following best descrives the concept of the tradegy of the commons?

the aim of large logging operation sin tropical rain forests is economic gain, rather than sustainability. therefore, the shared resources in foresr could be depleted

A farmer comes to you, seeking assistance on her crops. She had noticed that her fields have accumulated a high concentration of salt. What advice shoudl you offer her?

switch to a method of irrigation with lower levels of evaporation

What is the best explanation of what is means to make someone “internalize a negative externality”

they are forced to bear the harmful consequences of their actions

What describes an unintended consequences that results from large scale agricultural use of water from an aquifer

the rate of water use likely exceeds the rate of recharge, leading to a lowering of the water table