APES: Populations + Earth Systems

Affluent

to be wealthy or have a high standard of living

Age Structure Diagram

shows the amount of males and females in different age groups in a population

Anthropogenic

caused by human activities (ex: deforestation,pollution,etc.)

Biotic Potential

the maximum rate at which a population can reproduce under ideal conditions + unlimited resources (ex: bacteria reproducing fast when they have plenty of food and space)

Carrying Capacity

the largest population an environment can support with its available resources (ex: forest can only hold up to a certain amount of deer)

Crude Birth Rate (CBR)

the number of births per 1,000 people in a population per year

Crude Death Rate (CDR)

the number of deaths per 1,000 people in a population per year

Demographic transition

model explaining how birth rates, death rates, and population growth typically change as a country develops economically.

Density-Dependent Factors

factors whose effects become stronger as population density increases (ex: competition for food, disease, etc)

Density-Independent Factors

factors that affect populations regardless of density (ex: wildfires, floods, extreme temps,etc.)

Developed Country

country with strong economy, high infrastructure, widespread education + healthcare, often has low birth and death rates (ex: Japan)

Developing Country

country with economic + social development, often limited access to infrastructure, healthcare, and education. Birth and death rates vary widely (ex: India)

Dieback

gradual death of parts of a plant/tree due to disease,pests,pollution, or environmental stress.

Emigration

when individuals leave a population (emmigration=exit)

Exponential growth

population growth that accelerates as the population gets larger (ex: bacteria multiplying fast in a nutrient-rich environment)

Famine

shortage of food in a population

Fecundity

an organisms reproductive capacity (ex: fish species that can reproduce thousands of eggs has high potential fecundity)

Generalist

species that can survive in a broad range of habitats/resources

Gross Domestic Product (GDP)

total money value of final goods + services produced within a country during a specific time period

Growth Rate

rate at which a population increases or decreases over time (note: births + immigration increase population, deaths + emmigration decrease it)

Immigration

when individuals enter a population (Immigration=In)

Infant Mortality Rate

number of deaths of infants per 1,000 births per year

Invasive Species

nonnative species that enters a population, likely causing harm to ecosystem

K-selected species

Species that produce few offspring, mature slowly, and provide good parental care-Most likel(ex: Elephants, humans, orangutangs, etc.)

Logistic Growth

population growth that begins rapidly, slows as resources become limited, and levels off near carrying capacity (ex: a deer population growing in a forest until food + space limit further growth)

Overshoot

when population grows beyond carrying capacity- causes resource depletion, competition for food, disease, etc.

Per Capita

per individual or per person

Population density

number of individuals/organisms living in a specific area

R-Selected Species

species that tend to reproduce quickly, produce many offspring, mature early, and provide little parental care-most likely to be generalists (ex: insects, small rodents, amphibians, most fish)

Replacement Level Fertility

average number of children per woman needed for a population to replace itself from one generation to the next

Rule of 70

shortcut for estimating how long it takes a population to double at a constant growth rate

Specialist

species that depends on specific habitats/diets/conditions to survive, more vulnerable

Survivorship Curves

graphs showing proportion of individuals in a population that survive to different ages

Total Fertility Rate (TFR)

average number of children a woman is expected to have throughout her life based on current age-specific fertility rates

Plate tectonics

theory that Earth’s outer shell is divided into large plates that move slowly over mantle

Convergent Boundary

when two tectonic plates move toward each other-if one plate sinks beneath the other, it can cause volcanoes, earthquakes, or formation of mountains (Convergent=come together)

Divergent Boundary

when two plates move away from each other-causes magma to rise and cool to create new crust (Divergent=divide)

Transform Boundary

when two plates slide horizontally past each other- friction can cause earthquakes, crust is neither created nor destroyed

Weathering

the breaking down of rocks into smaller pieces

Soil Horizon

Soil split into layers, each with their own characteristics (O,A,E,B,C,R)

Erosion

removal and movement of soil or rock by water, wind, ice, etc.

Water-holding capacity

how much water soil can hold for plants to use.

Soil Fertility

soil’s ability to provide plants with the nutrients they need to grow

Land productivity

how land produces useful biological output such as crops, timber, or vegetation. (note: fertile soil, sufficient water, suitable temps can increase productivity)

Irrigation

artificial supply of water to crops when rainfall is insufficient (ex: sprinklers or canals)

Fertilizer

substance added to soil to supply nutrients that help plants grow

Soil Texture

proportions of sand, silt, and clay in soil-affects drainage and water-holding capacity

Soil Triangle

triangular chart used to determine soil type from percentages of sand, silt, and clay-The three percentages must add up to 100%.

Clay

smallest soil particle, microscopic, holds water/nutrients well but drains slowly and has limited air spaces

Sand

largest soil particle, drains quickly, has lots of air spaces, holds fewer nutrients/water

Silt

medium sized soil particle, holds more water/nutrients than sand but less than clay

Trophosphere

lowest atmospheric layer, where we live + almost all weather occurs, contains most of earths water vapor

Stratosphere

layers above troposphere, contains the ozone layer(absorbs sun’s harmful UV), temps generally increase with altitude

Mesosphere

layer above stratosphere, meteors burn up here, temp decreases with altitude

Thermosphere

thin atmospheric layer where temps can become extremely high

Exosphere

outermost layer of the atmosphere, particles are extremly spread out and gradually transition into space

Atmospheric circulation

Large-scale movement of air around Earth-uneven solar heating and Earth’s rotation create patterns of rising and sinking air that redistribute heat + moisture

Global Wind Patterns

winds that blow in predictable directions around the planet because of atmospheric circulation and Earth’s rotation. (3 main types: trade winds, prevailing westerlillies, polar easterlillies)

Solar Radiation

energy emitted by the sun-drives weather, climate, photosynthesis, and the water cycle

Coriolis Effect

the deflection of moving air and water caused by earth’s rotation- northern hemisphere:deflection to the right, southern hemisphere: deflection to the left, helps explain global wind patterns and ocean

Watershed

an area of land where all precipitation + runoff drain to a river, lake, or ocean

Insolation

amount of incoming solar radiation received by a particular area-direct sunlight receives more energy than places receiving angled sunlight

Lattitude

the distance north or south of the equator - effects sunlight intensity, seasons, and climate

Rain Shadow

a dry region on the downwind side of a mountain- can create deserts and dry grasslands

El Niño (warm phase)

East Pacific: wet conditions/flooding, poor fishing, lack of upwelling West Pacific: good fishing, dry/less rain

ENSO (El Niño Southern Oscillation)

a natural, recurring climate pattern across the tropical Pacific Ocean that shifts between warm (El Niño), cold (La Niña),

La Niña (cold phase)

East Pacific: extreme upwelling, good fishing, dry conditions/drought, West Pacific: wetter conditions, flooding, poor fishing

Normal Conditions

East Pacific: cool waters, normal dryer conditions, upwelling off the coast provides good fishing, West Pacific: trade winds pool warm water near West Pacific, normally wet conditions

Ocean Surface Temperature

the temperature of water at/near the ocean’s surface (influenced by solar energy, latitude, currents, winds, and climate patterns

Ocean Circulation

continuous movement of ocean water that redistributes heat, nutrients, and dissolved gases around the world

Upwelling

movement of cold, nutrient-rich deep ocean water toward the surface-caused by winds pushing surface water away from the coast

East vs. West Pacific Areas

East- South + North America, West- Indonesia, Australia, Southeast Asia