AP Environmental Science Unit 2

Consumer (Heterotroph)

An organism that is incapable of photosynthesis and must obtain its energy by consuming other organisms

Trophic Levels

The successive levels of organisms consuming one another

Biosphere

The region of our planet where life resides, the combination of all ecosystems on Earth

Net Primary Productivity

The energy captured by producers in an ecosystem minus the energy producers respire

Food Chain

The sequence of consumption from producers through tertiary consumers

Anaerobic Respiration

The process by which cells convert glucose into energy in the absence of oxygen

Producer (Autotroph)

An organism that uses the energy of the Sun to produce usable forms of energy

Tertiary Consumer

A carnivore that eats secondary consumers

Detritivore

An organism that specializes in breaking down dead tissues and waste products into smaller particles

Biomass

The total mass of all living matter in a specific area

Trophic Pyramid

A representation of the distribution of biomass, numbers, or energy among trophic levels

Ecological Efficiency

The proportion of consumed energy that can be passed from one trophic level to another

Gross Primary Productivity

The total amount of solar energy that producers in an ecosystem capture via photosynthesis over a given amount of time

Photosynthesis

The process by which producers use solar energy to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose

Standing Crop

The amount of biomass present in an ecosystem at a particular time

Cellular Respiration

The process by which cells unlock the energy of chemical compounds

Herbivore

A consumer that eats producers

Secondary Consumer

A carnivore that eats primary consumers

Decomposers

Fungi and bacteria that convert organic matter into small elements and molecules that can be recycled back into the ecosystem

Scavenger

An organism that consumes dead animals

Food Web

A complex model of how energy and matter move between trophic levels

Carnivore

A consumer that eats other consumers

Aerobic Respiration

The process by which cells convert glucose and oxygen into energy, carbon dioxide, and water

Autotrophs

Use photosynthesis.

A zebra is an example of

A primary consumer

10 percent.

The average efficiency of energy transfer between trophic levels is approximately

the total energy captured by photosynthesis.

The gross primary productivity of an ecosystem is

Nitrification

The conversion of ammonium (NH4+) into nitrite (NO2-) and then into nitrate (NO3-)

Denitrification

The conversion of nitrate (NO3-) in a series of steps into the gases nitrous oxide (N2O) and, eventually, nitrogen gas (N2), which is emitted into the atmosphere

Algal Boom

A rapid increase in the algal growth of a waterway

The Phosphorus Cycle

The movement of phosphorus around the biosphere

Assimilation

The process by which producers incorporate elements into their tissues

Run off

Water that moves across the land surface and into streams and rivers

Carbon Cycle

The movement of carbon around the biosphere

Nitrogen Cycle

The movement of nitrogen around the biosphere

Hydrologic Cycle

The movement of water through the biosphere

Limiting Nutrient

A nutrient required for the growth of an organism but available in a lower quantity than other nutrients

Mineralization

The process by which fungal and bacterial decomposers break down the organic matter found in dead bodies and waste products and convert it into inorganic compounds

Transpiration

The release of water from leaves during photosynthesis

Ammonification

The process by which fungal and bacterial decomposers break down the organic nitrogen found in dead bodies and waste products and convert it into inorganic ammonium (NH4+)

Sulfur Cycle

The movement of sulfur around the biosphere

Hypoxic

Low in oxygen

Biogeochemical Cycle

The movement of matter within and between ecosystems

Leaching

The transportation of dissolved molecules through the soil via groundwater

Evapotranspiration

The combined amount of evaporation and transpiration

Nitrogen Fixation

A process by which some organisms can convert nitrogen gas molecules directly into ammonia

Macronutrient

One of six key elements that organisms need in relatively large amounts: nitrogen; phosphorus; potassium; calcium; magnesium; and sulfur

Nitrogen

Which one of the following is fixed from the atmosphere by bacteria?

Phosphorus

is a limiting nutrient in many aquatic systems.

Resistance

A measure of how much disturbance can affect flows of energy and matter in an ecosystem

Intermediate Distribution

The hypothesis that ecosystems experiencing intermediate levels of disturbance are more diverse than those with high or low disturbance levels

Watershed

All land in a given landscape that drains into a particular stream, river, lake, or wetland

Resilience

The rate at which an ecosystem returns to its original state after a disturbance

Disturbance

An event, caused by physical, chemical, or biological agents, resulting in changes in population size or community composition

Restoration Ecology

The study and implementation of restoring damaged ecosystems

Acid Precipitation

U.S. legislation has limited the levels of sulfur that can be present in gasoline. This measure was designed to limit which aspect of the sulfur cycle?

Approximately how much of the potential energy available from the Sun's rays hitting Earth is used in photosynthesis?

1 percent

Which element is the primary component of fossil fuels?

carbon

Water, solar energy, and carbon dioxide

Which of the following are needed for photosynthesis?

Second law of thermodynamics

What law best relates to energy loss within an ecosystem?

Atmospheric nitrogen diffuses into the soil and is converted into ammonia.

What happens during nitrogen fixation?

Phosphorus

Which nutrient is most often limiting in aquatic ecosystems?

Combustion of fossil fuels

Which activity is currently changing the carbon cycle?

Energy captured minus energy lost

Which best describes the concept of net primary production?

I and III

What human activities have affected the phosphorus cycle?
I. Creation of fertilizers
II. Decline of wetland areas
III. Use of dishwashing detergent

Troposphere

A layer of the atmosphere closest to the surface of Earth, extending up to approximately 16 km (10 miles)

Stratosphere

The layer of the atmosphere above the troposphere, extending roughly from 16 to 31 km (10-31 miles) above the surface of Earth

Climate

The average weather that occurs in a given region over a long period of time

Albedo

The percentage of incoming sunlight reflected from a surface

Weather

The short-term conditions of the atmosphere in a local area, which include temperature, humidity, clouds, precipitation, and wind speed

Atmospheric Convection

Global patterns of air movement that are initiated by the unequal heating of Earth

Hadley Cell

A convection current in the atmosphere that cycles between the equator and 30 degrees N and 30 degrees S

Polar Cell

A convection current in the atmosphere, formed by air that rises at 60 degrees N and 60 degrees S and sinks at the poles, 90 degrees N and 90 degrees S

Adiabatic Cooling

The cooling effect of reduced pressure on air as it rises higher in the atmosphere and expands

Latent Heat Release

The release of energy when water vapor in the atmosphere condenses into liquid water

Coriolis Effect

The deflection of an object's path due to the rotation of Earth

Saturation Point

The maximum amount of water vapor in the air at a given temperature

Ferrell Cell

A convection current in the atmosphere that lies between Hadley cells and polar cells

Rain Shadow

A region with dry conditions found on the leeward side of a mountain range as a result of humid winds from the ocean causing precipitation on the windward side

Adiabatic Heating

The heating effect of increased pressure on air as it sinks toward the surface of Earth and decreases in volume

Intertropical Convergence

The latitude that receives the most intense sunlight, which causes the ascending branches of the two Hadley cells to converge

Upwelling

The upward movement of ocean water toward the surface as a result of diverging currents

Gyre

A large-scale pattern of water circulation that moves clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere

El Nino

A reversal of wind and water currents in the South Pacific

Thermohaline Circulation

An oceanic circulation pattern that drives the mixing of surface water and deep water

Troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, exosphere

Which list is in the correct order of atmospheric layers starting from Earth's surface?

Snow

Which of the following has the highest albedo?

the tilt of Earth's axis.

Summer in the Northern Hemisphere is warmer primarily because of

increased atmospheric absorption of solar radiation.
the tilt of Earth's axis.
reduced albedo.

Stratosphere

Which atmospheric layer contains the protective ozone layer?

a pressure increase.

Temperature change in adiabatic heating occurs due to

increases air temperature.

Latent heat release

Gyres

Which of the following does NOT contribute to atmospheric convection currents?

saturation point.

The maximum amount of water vapor air can hold at a given temperature is called the

the deflection of atmospheric currents.

The Coriolis effect is responsible for

Cold polar air

Which of the following does NOT play a role in causing a rain shadow?

Hadley,Ferrell,Polar

Which is the correct order of the convection cells, starting from the equator?

Permafrost

An impermeable, permanently frozen layer of soil

Temperate Rain Forest

A coastal biome typified by moderate temperatures and high precipitation

Tropical Rain Forest

A warm and wet biome found between 20 degrees N and 20 degrees S of the equator, with little seasonal temperature variation and high precipitation

Woodland/Shrubland

A biome characterized by hot, dry summers and mild, rainy winters