AP Environmental Science (1.1 & 1.2)

Individual

One Organism

Population

Group of individuals of same species

Community

All living organisms in one area

Ecosystem

All living and non-living things in an area (plants, animals, rocks, soil, water, air, etc…)

Biome

Large area with similar climate conditions that determine plant & animal species

Competition

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

Predation

One Organism using another for energy source (hunters, parasites, even herbivores)

Symbiosis

A close and long-term interaction between two organisms of different species

Mutualism

Organisms of different species living close together in a way that benefits both (coral and algae)

Commensalism

Relationship that benefits one organism & doesn’t impact the other (birds nest in trees)

Parasites

Using a host organism for energy (one organism benefits, while the other is harmed) often without killing the host: ex-mosquitoes, tapeworms, etc…

Parasitoids

Lay eggs inside host organism (can kill): ex- parasitic wasps, bot fly, etc…

Intraspecific competition

The struggle between individuals of the same species for limited resources

Interspecific Competition

The struggle between individuals of different species for limited resources

Resource Partitioning

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

Temporal Partitioning

Using resources at different times, such as wolves & coyotes hunting at different times (day & night)

Spatial Parititioning

Using different areas of shared habitat

Morphological Partitioning

Using different resources based on different evolved body features

Desert

Annual precipitation low and scattered unevenly throughout the year, vunerable to disruption, slow nutrient cycle, slow plant growth, low species diversity, and threes types (tropical, temperate, cold)

What are 4 desert survival adaptions (2 for plants- 2 for animals)?

Waxy leaves to reduce water loss, deep roots & Hiding in burrows to keep cool, dormancy

Grasslands

Exist in continent interiors, areas too moist for deserts but too dry for forests, & three types (tropical, temperate, arctic tundra (cold))

Tropical Grassland

Savanna, warm temperatures year-round, grazing and browsing animals

Temperate Grassland

Cold winters and hot, dry summers, tallgrass prairies, short-grass prairies, often converted to farmland

Artic Tundra (cold grassland)

Plants close to ground to conserve heat, most growth in short summer, animals have thick fur, permafrost (underground soil that stays frozen)

Alpine Tundra

Above tree line in mountains

Chaparral (dry, temperate biome)

Occur in coastal regions that border deserts, dense growth of low growing (evergreen shrubs), some small trees with leathery leaves, thin soil, and adapted to and maintained by occasional fires

Tropical Rain-forests

Hot, high moisture air, stratification of specialized plant and animal niches, rapid recycling of scarce soil nutrients

Temperate (deciduous) forests

Cooler temperatures, abundant moisture, broadleaf deciduous trees, slow rate of decomposition

Coastal Coniferous forest

Also called temperate rain forests, found in scattered coastal regions, ample rainfall and moisture from fog, evergeen coniferous trees

Cold (northern) coniferous forest

Also known as boreal forests or taigas, south of arctic tundra, cold winters and short summers

Mountains (play important ecological roles)

Steep/high elevation of land, large portion of world’s forest, islands of biodiversity, habitats for endemic species, help regulate the earth’s climate, major storehouses of water (role in hydrologic cycle)

How do mountains help regulate the earth’s climate?

The snow on top of the mountains act as a reflective point for the sun and if there is no snow on the mountains, they will then absorb the heat

What is an endemic species?

A species that is found only in one place

What percent of the world’s major terrestrial ecosystems have been degraded by humans?

60%

Tropical Characteristics

by the equator

Temperate Characteristics

mid lat. 30-60

Tundra & Boreal Characteristics

high lat. 60+

Shifting Biomes

Biomes shift in location on earth as climate changes (ex: warming climate will shift boreal forests further north as tundre permafrost soil melts)