APES Review Flashcards

AP Environmental Science Vocabulary Flashcards

Biome

A large region with a specific climate and dominant types of life.

Producer/Autotroph

Makes its own food through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis.

Consumer/Heterotroph

Gets energy by eating other organisms.

Decomposer

Breaks down dead organisms and recycles nutrients.

Trophic Levels

Positions in a food chain, like producers and consumers.

10% Rule

Only 10% of energy moves from one trophic level to the next.

Gross Primary Productivity (GPP)

Total energy made by producers.

Net Primary Productivity (NPP)

Energy left after producers use some (NPP = GPP - respiration).

Food Chain/Web

Diagrams showing how energy and matter flow in ecosystems.

Biogeochemical Cycle

Movement of elements like carbon and nitrogen through Earth.

Nitrogen Fixation

Bacteria change nitrogen gas into usable forms for plants.

Denitrification

Bacteria return nitrogen from soil to the atmosphere.

Carbon Sink

Something that stores carbon, like forests or oceans.

Biodiversity

Variety of life in an area.

Genetic Diversity

Differences in genes within a population.

Species Richness

Number of species in an area.

Species Evenness

How equal species populations are in an area.

Island Biogeography

Study of species on islands and how size/isolation affects biodiversity.

Habitat Fragmentation

Breaking ecosystems into smaller pieces.

Keystone Species

A species that has a big effect on its ecosystem.

Indicator Species

A species that shows if an ecosystem is healthy.

Invasive Species

Non-native species that harm the environment.

Ecological Tolerance

Range of conditions an organism can survive.

Natural Selection

Process where better-adapted organisms survive and reproduce.

Ecological Succession

Natural changes in an ecosystem over time.

Primary Succession

Succession starting from bare rock (no soil).

Secondary Succession

Succession after a disturbance (soil is still present).

Population Density

Number of individuals in a given area.

Carrying Capacity

Maximum population size an environment can support.

Exponential Growth

Rapid population increase with no limits.

Logistic Growth

Growth slows as population reaches carrying capacity.

Survivorship Curve

Graph showing how likely individuals are to survive at different ages.

Age Structure Diagram

Graph of population by age group and sex.

Total Fertility Rate (TFR)

Average number of children a woman has in her lifetime.

Replacement-Level Fertility

TFR needed to keep population stable (about 2.1).

r-Selected Species

Reproduce quickly, many offspring, low survival (e.g., insects).

K-Selected Species

Fewer offspring, more care, stable population (e.g., elephants).

Infant Mortality Rate

Number of infant deaths per 1,000 live births.

Demographic Transition

Model showing population change over time with development.

Tectonic Plates

Large pieces of Earth's crust that move.

Convergent Boundary

Plates move together—can cause mountains or volcanoes.

Divergent Boundary

Plates move apart—creates new crust like mid-ocean ridges.

Transform Boundary

Plates slide past each other—can cause earthquakes.

Earthquake

Sudden movement along a fault that shakes the ground.

Volcano

Opening where magma reaches Earth's surface.

Soil Horizons

Layers of soil (O = organic, A = topsoil, B = subsoil, C = parent rock).

Soil Permeability

How easily water passes through soil.

Soil Texture

Relative amounts of sand, silt, and clay.

Erosion

Movement of soil by wind or water.

Watershed

Area where all water drains to the same place.

Insolation

Solar energy received at Earth's surface.

Monoculture

Farming one crop over a large area.

Green Revolution

Increased food production using technology and chemicals.

Fertilizers

Add nutrients to soil to boost crop growth.

Pesticide Resistance

When pests evolve to survive pesticides.

Irrigation

Watering crops (drip = efficient, flood = wasteful).

Salinization

Build-up of salts in soil from irrigation.

Desertification

Productive land becomes desert-like.

CAFO (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation)

Large animal farms with high waste output.

Aquaculture

Farming fish or aquatic organisms.

Clearcutting

Cutting all trees in an area at once.

Sustainable Forestry

Managing forests to meet current and future needs.

Tragedy of the Commons

When shared resources are overused and depleted.

Renewable Resource

Naturally replenished resource (e.g., wind, solar).

Nonrenewable Resource

Finite resource like coal, oil, or natural gas.

Fossil Fuels

Energy sources from ancient organic matter.

Coal

Solid fossil fuel burned for electricity.

Natural Gas

Cleanest-burning fossil fuel (mainly methane).

Oil/Petroleum

Liquid fossil fuel used for fuel and products.

Nuclear Energy

Energy from splitting atoms (fission).

Biomass

Organic material used for energy (wood, crops).

Hydroelectric Power

Energy from moving water.

Solar Energy

Energy from sunlight.

Wind Energy

Energy from moving air.

Energy Efficiency

How much useful energy you get from a source.

Cogeneration

Using one fuel to make both electricity and heat.

Air Pollutant

Harmful substances in the air.

Primary Pollutant

Directly emitted (e.g., CO, SO₂).

Secondary Pollutant

Forms in the air from reactions (e.g., ozone).

Smog (Photochemical & Industrial)

Pollution from sunlight + chemicals or burning coal.

Thermal Inversion

Warm air traps pollution near Earth’s surface.

Particulate Matter

Tiny solid particles in the air (can cause health problems).

Carbon Monoxide (CO)

Deadly gas from incomplete burning.

Nitrogen Oxides (NOx)

Gases from burning fuel; cause smog and acid rain.

Sulfur Dioxide (SO₂)

Gas from burning coal; causes acid rain.

Tropospheric Ozone (O₃)

Harmful ground-level ozone from pollution.

Clean Air Act

U.S. law that controls air pollution.

Acid Deposition

Acid rain and snow from air pollution.

Point Source

Pollution from a specific spot (like a pipe).

Nonpoint Source

Pollution from many places (like runoff).

Eutrophication

Nutrients cause algae bloom → oxygen loss → dead zones.

Hypoxia

Low oxygen in water; harms aquatic life.

Dead Zone

Area in water with no oxygen.

Biomagnification

Toxins get stronger as they move up the food chain.

Bioaccumulation

Toxins build up in an organism’s body over time.

Municipal Solid Waste

Everyday garbage from homes and businesses.

Sanitary Landfill

Waste buried in layers with protections to prevent pollution.

Leachate

Polluted water from trash that can leak into the ground.

Incineration

Burning waste to reduce volume.

Waste-to-Energy

Burning waste to produce electricity.