AP Environmental Science

Community

All living organisms in an area

Ecosystem

All living & nonliving things in an area (plants, animals, rocks, soil, water)

Biome

The plants and animals found in a given region (determined by climate)

Competition

Organisms fighting over a resource like food or shelter; limits population size

Predation

One organism using another for an energy source (hunters, parasites)

Mutualism

Relationship that benefits both organisms (coral reef)

Commensalism

Relationship that benefits one organism & doesn’t impact the other

Herbivores

Plant eaters that eat plants for energy

True predators

Carnivores that kill and eat prey for energy

Parasites

Organisms that use a host organism for energy

Symbiosis

Close and long-term interaction between two organisms of different species

Resource Partitioning

Different species using the same resource in different ways to reduce competition

Latitude

Distance from the equator determining temperature & precipitation

Nutrient Availability

Availability of soil nutrients determining plant survival in a biome

Salinity

Amount of salt in a body of water determining species survival

Depth

Influences sunlight penetration for photosynthesis in aquatic biomes

Flow

Determines plant & organism survival, oxygen levels in water

Temperature

Warmer water holds less dissolved oxygen, affecting aquatic organisms

Wetland

Area with soil submerged in water, supporting specific plant adaptations

Estuaries

Areas where rivers meet the ocean, high productivity due to nutrient-rich sediments

Phosphorus Cycle

Involves assimilation, excretion/decomposition, sedimentation, and geologic uplift to recycle phosphorus in ecosystems.

Eutrophication

Excess nitrogen and phosphorus from sources like fertilizer runoff lead to algae blooms, reducing oxygen levels and harming aquatic life.

Hydrologic Cycle

Movement of water between sources and sinks, driven by solar energy, involving processes like evaporation, transpiration, runoff, and infiltration.

Primary Productivity

Rate of solar energy conversion into organic compounds via photosynthesis, with components like Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) and Net Primary Productivity (NPP).

Trophic Levels

Levels in a food chain/web where organisms occupy based on their position as producers, consumers, or decomposers.

10% Rule

Only about 10% of energy transfers between trophic levels, impacting biomass distribution and energy flow in ecosystems.

Biodiversity

Refers to ecosystem, species, and genetic diversity, influencing ecosystem health and resilience to environmental stressors.

Ecosystem Services

Goods and benefits provided by natural ecosystems to humans, categorized into provisioning, regulating, supporting, and cultural services.

Regulating vs

Overlap in classification depending on context of the process.

Pollination as Regulating Service

Assists plant reproduction, fruit production, fostering biodiversity.

Water Purification as Regulating Service

Ecosystems like wetlands regulate water quality by removing pollutants.

Pollination as Supporting Service

Aids human agriculture and increases productivity.

Water Filtration by Ecosystems as Supporting Service

Reduces the cost of water purification for humans.

Cultural Services

Revenue from recreational activities and profits from scientific discoveries made in ecosystems.

Island Biogeography

Study of ecological relationships and community structure on islands.

Larger Islands Support More Species

Positive correlation between island size and species richness.

Distance to Mainland

Closer islands support more species due to easier colonization.

Ecological Range of Tolerance

Range of conditions an organism can endure before injury or death.

Optimal Range

Conditions where organisms survive, grow, and reproduce.

Zone of Physiological Stress

Range where organisms survive but experience stress.

Zone of Intolerance

Range where organisms will die.

Natural Disturbances

Events disrupting the structure and function of ecosystems.

Natural Climate Change

Variations in Earth's climate over geologic time.

Fitness & Adaptation

Genetic diversity and traits that increase an organism's fitness.

Natural Selection

Organisms better adapted to the environment survive and reproduce.

Ecological Succession

Predictable stages of growth a forest goes through.

Primary Succession

Starts from bare rock with no previous soil formation.

Secondary Succession

Starts from established soil after a disturbance clears plant life.

Carrying Capacity (K)

The maximum number of individuals in a population that an ecosystem can support based on limiting resources.

Overshoot

When a population briefly exceeds the carrying capacity of an ecosystem.

Die-off

A sharp decrease in population size due to resource depletion or overshoot.

Clean Air Act (1970)

Legislation identifying 6 criteria air pollutants that the EPA must regulate, monitor, and enforce limits for.

SO2 (Sulfur Dioxide)

Released from coal combustion, causing respiratory irritation, smog, and acid precipitation.

NOx (Nitrogen Oxides)

Resulting from fossil fuel combustion, leading to O3 formation, photochemical smog, and acid precipitation.

CO (Carbon Monoxide)

Produced by incomplete combustion, lethal to humans, and contributes to O3 formation.

PM (Particulate Matter)

Arises from fossil fuel/biomass combustion, causing respiratory irritation and smog.

O3 (Ozone)

Formed by photochemical oxidation of NO2, causing respiratory irritation, smog, and plant damage.

Pb (Lead)

Found in metal plants and waste incineration, acting as a neurotoxicant.

Primary Air Pollutants

Emitted directly from sources like vehicles, power plants, or natural sources.

Secondary Air Pollutants

Formed from the transformation of primary pollutants in the presence of sunlight, water, or oxygen.

Urban Heat Island Effect

Urban areas having higher temperatures due to lower albedo and less evapotranspiration.

Thermal Inversion

When a cooler air mass is trapped near the earth's surface, preventing the dispersion of air pollutants.

Indoor Air Pollutants

Pollutants found indoors, including those from subsistence fuels in developing countries and chemicals in products in developed nations.

Carbon Monoxide

Produced by incomplete combustion of fuels, binds to hemoglobin causing suffocation.

VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds)

Chemicals in home products that vaporize, irritate eyes/lungs.

Radon Gas

Radioactive gas from uranium decay, seeps into homes, 2nd leading cause of lung cancer.

Reduction of Air Pollutants

Strategies like reducing emissions, using renewable energy, and enforcing laws.

Acid Rain

Caused by Nitrogen Oxides & Sulfur Dioxide, affects soil, water, and organisms.

Point Source

Pollution from identifiable sources like smokestacks or oil spills.

Nonpoint Source

Pollution from multiple diffuse sources like urban runoff or pesticide drift.

Range of Tolerance

Organisms' ability to withstand abiotic conditions and pollutants in their habitat.

Human Impacts on Coral Reef

Disruption via greenhouse gas emissions, overfishing, and pollution.

Endocrine Disruptors

Chemicals interfering with hormonal systems, like Atrazine or DDT.

Teratogen

Chemical harmful to developing fetuses, can accumulate in fetus brain

Methylmercury

Highly toxic neurotoxicant formed from mercury by bacteria, damages central nervous system

Arsenic

Naturally occurring element, can dissolve into drinking water, carcinogenic, endocrine disruptor

Lead

Found in old paint, water pipes, neurotoxicant damaging central nervous system, endocrine disruptor

Wetlands

Areas with saturated soil, provide ecosystem services like habitat, water filtration, cultural benefits

Eutrophication

Excess nutrients like Nitrogen & Phosphorus lead to algae blooms, deplete oxygen, harming aquatic life

Thermal Pollution

Heat released into water reduces oxygen solubility, negatively impacts aquatic organisms

POPs

Persistent Organic Pollutants, synthetic compounds that accumulate in water, soil, and animal fat tissues

Biomagnification

Increasing concentrations of fat-soluble compounds in organisms up the food chain, like methylmercury and POPs

Solid Waste Disposal

Municipal Solid Waste, E-Waste, Sanitary Landfills, decomposition issues, landfill contents, and environmental impacts

Groundwater Contamination

Heavy metals, acids, medications, and bacteria can contaminate groundwater if leachate seeps through soil into the groundwater.

Greenhouse Gases

Carbon Dioxide and Methane are emitted from landfills during decomposition, contributing to global warming and climate change.

NIMBY

Stands for "Not In My Back Yard," representing communities opposing landfills near them due to various concerns like smell, sight, and attracting animals.

Waste Incineration

Burning waste to reduce volume, releasing CO2 and air pollutants, and potentially containing toxic metals like lead and mercury.

Recycling

Process of converting waste materials into new products to reduce demand for new materials, energy consumption, and landfill volume.

Composting

Controlled decomposition of organic matter to reduce landfill volume, produce organic matter, and mitigate methane release.

E-Waste

Waste from electronics containing heavy metals, often recycled in developing nations due to health hazards and lax regulations.

LD50

Lethal Dose 50, the dose or concentration of a chemical that kills 50% of the population being studied.

Dose Response Curve

Graph showing the relationship between dose concentration of a chemical and its effect on organisms, often following an S-shaped curve.

Pathogens

Living organisms causing infectious diseases, adapting to humans as hosts for reproduction and spread.

Plague

Bacterial infection transmitted by fleas that attach to mice and rats, also known as "bubonic" or "black" plague; treatable with modern antibiotics.

Tuberculosis (TB)

Bacterial infection targeting the lungs, transmitted through respiratory droplets; leading cause of death by disease in developing world.

Malaria

Parasitic infection caused by infected mosquitoes, common in tropical regions, especially sub-Saharan Africa; combated with insecticide spraying.

West Nile

Virus infection transmitted by mosquitoes, causing brain inflammation; birds are the main host.

Zika Virus

Virus infection transmitted by mosquitoes and sexual contact, causing birth defects; prevention focuses on eliminating mosquito populations.

SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome)

Coronavirus infection transmitted through respiratory droplets, causing pneumonia; initial outbreak in Southeast Asia.

MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome)

Virus respiratory infection transmitted from animals to humans, originated on the Arabian peninsula.