AP Environmental Science -

Flashcards for AP Environmental Science full year review

Predator

Organism that eats another organism

Prey

Organism eaten by a predator

Symbiosis

Relationship between two species in an ecosystem

Mutualism

Both species benefit

Commensalism

One benefits/other isn’t affected

Parasitism

One benefits (parasite)/other is harmed (host)

Biome

Area with characteristic plants & animals defined by climate

Freshwater Biomes

Streams, Rivers, Ponds, Lakes -vital resource for drinking water

Marine Biomes

Oceans, coral reefs, marshland, estuaries -Algae supplies large amount of O2 AND removes CO2 from atmosphere

Carbon Cycle Reservoirs

Plants, animals, fossil fuels, atmosphere

Nitrogen Cycle Reservoirs

Atmosphere, plants, animals N2 converted to NH3, NO2-, NO3-

Phosphorus Cycle Reservoirs

Rocks, soil, water, plants

Primary Productivity

rate at which solar energy (sunlight) is converted into organic compounds through Photosynthesis

GPP (Gross Primary Productivity)

TOTAL rate of photosynthesis in an area

NPP (Net Primary Productivity)

NPP = GPP - Respiration

Biodiversity

variety of different species

Species

set of individuals who can mate and produce fertile offspring

Regionally extinct

In areas a species is normally found

Functionally extinct

To the point at which species can no longer play a functional role in the ecosystem

Ecosystem Services

categories of ecosystem services: provisioning, regulating, cultural, and supporting

Island biogeography

island biogeography is the study of the ecological relationships and distribution of organisms on islands, and of these organisms’ community structures

Ecological tolerance

Ecological tolerance refers to the range of conditions that an organism can endure before injury or death results

Primary succession

begins with a lifeless area where there is no soil (ex. bare rock). Soil formation begins with lichens or moss

Keystone species

is a species whose activities have a particularly significant role in determining community structure

Indicator species

is a plant or animal that demonstrates that some distinctive aspect of the character or quality of an ecosystem is present

Pioneer members

commonly move into unoccupied habitat and over time adapt to its particular conditions, which may result in the origin of new species.

Generalists

Generalists can live in a variety of habitats or feed on a variety of species

Specialists

Specialists are specialized to live in a specific habitat or feed on a small group of species

K-Selected Species

have a low intrinsic growth rate and their abundance is determined by the carrying capacity of the environment.

r-Selected Species

have a high intrinsic growth rate and do not remain near their carrying capacity, but exhibit cycles of overshoots and die-offs.

Type I survivorship

high survival rates throughout most of the species’ life spans with large numbers of die-offs as they approach old age (K-selected)

Type II survivorship

relatively constant decline in survivorship throughout the species’ life spans (ex. small birds and mammals)

Type III survivorship

low survivorship early in life with few individuals reaching adulthood (r-selected)

exponential growth model

describes a continuously increasing population that grows at a fixed rate; produces a J-shaped curve when it is graphed

logistic growth model

describes a population whose growth is initially exponential, but slows as the population approaches the carrying capacity of the environment; produces a S-shaped curve when it is graphed.

Density-dependent factors

have a greater effect on the population as its density increases. (ex. food availability, parasites, diseases)

Limiting resource

is a resource that a population cannot live without and which occurs in quantities lower than the population would require to increase in size

Density-independent factors

affect a population’s size regardless of its density. (ex. natural disasters)

Age structure diagrams

are visual aids that show the distribution of males and females in each age group

Total fertility rate (TFR)

an estimated of the average number of children that each woman in a population will bear throughout her reproductive years.

Replacement-level fertility

the TFR required to offset the average number of deaths in a population so that the current population size remains stable.

Infant mortality rate

is the number of babies out of every 1,000 born who die before their first birthday

Doubling time

is the number of years it takes for a population to double, assuming the growth rate is constant

Demographic Transition

states that as a country moves from a subsistence economy to industrialization and increased affluence, it undergoes a predictable shift in population

Clearcutting

removal of all trees from an area

The Green Revolution

use of mechanization, GMOs, fertilization, irrigation, pesticides to INCREASE food production

Waterlogging

excess water in soil, raises water table, inhibits plant root absorption of O2

Salinization

salts in groundwater remain in soil after water evaporates causing soil to become toxic to plants

Aquifers

underground freshwater reservoirs, depleted due to overuse for agricultural irrigation

CAFOs

Confined Animal Feeding Operation produces large amounts of food fast

Urban sprawl

change in population distribution from cities to suburbs

Ecological Footprints

shows resource use and waste production required for individual or group

Sustainability

using resources in ways that don’t deplete amounts available for future use

Sustainable yield

amount of a renewable resource that can be taken without reducing available supply

Integrated Pest Management

pest control methods that minimize environmental damage

Aquaculture

fish and aquatic plants farming, efficient, uses small areas of water & amounts of fuel

Prescribed burns

controlled fires in forests to reduce occurrence of natural fires

Nonrenewable energy sources

Nonrenewable energy sources are those that exist in a fixed amount and involve energy transformation that cannot be easily replaced

Renewable energy sources

Renewable energy sources are those that can be replenished naturally, at or near the rate of consumption, and reused

Peat

partially decomposed organic material that can be burned for fuel

Cogeneration

occurs when a fuel source is used to generate both useful heat and electricity

Methods for conserving energy on a large scale

Improving fuel economy for vehicles, using BEVs (battery electric vehicles) and hybrid vehicles, using public transportation, and implementing green building design features

Joule

basic unit of energy

Gigajoule (GJ)

1 billion joules

Exajoule (EJ)

1 billion gigajoules

1 quad

1 quadrillion BTU = 1.5 EJ

Energy Return on Energy Investment (EROEI)

The amount of energy that can be extracted compared to the amount of energy used to extract it

Hubbert Curve

production of any resource will increase until it reaches peak production

Crude oil

liquid petroleum pumped from the ground

Petroleum Types

oil sands and oil shale: solid petroleum, petroleum mixed with soil. Heavy and viscous form of oil. Also called tar sand.

Energy from fossil fuels is produced by burning those fuels to generate

heat, which then turns water into steam. That steam turns a turbine, which generates electricity

Hydrologic fracturing (fracking)

can cause groundwater contamination and the release of volatile organic compounds

Coal combustion

releases air pollutants including carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, toxic metals, and particulates

Increases in Greenhouse Gases

Global climate change, caused by excess greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, can lead to a variety of environmental problems

Natural Gas

primary ingredient of natural gas is methane (80-95%)

Nuclear power

Generated through fission, where atoms of Uranium-235, which are stored in fuel rods, are split into smaller parts after being struck by a neutron

Radioactivity

occurs when the nucleus of a radioactive isotope loses energy by emitting radiation

Low-Level

is generated from hospitals and industry

High-Level

wastes are generated from the use of uranium in light water nuclear reactors

Sustainable yield

amount of a renewable resource that can be taken without reducing the available supply

Peak Demand

occurs during the day. To reduce energy consumption, electric companies charge higher rates as customers use more energy or charge more during peak demand

Sustainable Designs

Helps to, use passive heating heat and solar designs

Green Roofs

Plants are grown on the roof of a building, The high albedo of the plants absorbs sunlight, keeping the buildings cool, The plants also take up water, reducing rainwater flow

CAFE Standards

Focuses on efficiency of automobiles, raising standards → less dependence on oil and greater economic security

Biofuels

Liquid fuels similar to petroleum but derived from biomass

Hydroelectric Power

Use hydraulic power to convert kinetic energy → electrical energy

Photovoltaic solar cells

Capture light energy from the sun and transform it directly into electrical energy

Active solar energy

Systems use solar energy to heat a liquid through mechanical and electric equipment to collect and store the energy captured from the sun

Passive solar energy

Systems absorb heat directly from the sun without the use of mechanical and electric equipment, and energy cannot be collected or stored

Geothermal Energy

Is obtained by using the heat stored in the Earth’s interior to heat up water, which is brought back to the surface as steam. The steam is used to drive an electric generator

Hydrogen Fuel Cell

An alternate to nonrenewable fuel sources. They use hydrogen as fuel, combining the hydrogen and oxygen in the air to form water and release energy (electricity) in the process

Wind turbines

Use the kinetic energy of moving air to spin a turbine, which in turn converts the mechanical energy of the turbine into electricity

Air pollution

The introduction of chemicals, particulate matter, or microorganisms into the atmosphere at concentrations high enough to harm plants, animals and materials or alter ecosystems

Significant Threats

Significant threats to human well-being, ecosystems, and structures ( identified by the Clean Air Act (1970)

Sulfur Dioxide (SO2)

Corrosive gas that comes primarily from combustion of fuels like coal and oil

Carbon Oxides (CO)

Gas that is formed during incomplete combustion, CO2 is a colorless, odorless gas that is formed during complete combustion (of fossil fuels & biomass)

Photochemical oxidants

Formed as a result of sunlight acting on compounds such as NOx and SO2; Ozone is the most abundant photochemical oxidant in the troposphere

Smog

A mixture of oxidants and particulate matter: Photochemical smog Los Angeles-type smog, brown smog is mostly composed of oxidants like ozone

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs)

Organic compounds that become vapors at typical atmospheric temperatures-gasoline, lighter fluid, dry-cleaning fluid, oil-based paints, perfumes

Primary pollutants

Come directly out of the smoke-stack, exhaust pipe, or natural emission source; include CO, CO2, SO2, NOx, VOCs