AP Environmental Science Course and Exam Description

Flashcards for reviewing key concepts from the AP Environmental Science Course and Exam Description.

AP® (Advanced Placement)

A program that allows high school students to take college-level courses and exams in various subjects, earning potential college credit.

Inquiry-Based Learning

An educational approach where students pose questions, design experiments, and engage in problem-solving.

Environmental Legislation

Laws and regulations that govern environmental protection, conservation, and resource management.

Tragedy of the Commons

A situation in which individuals acting in their own self-interest deplete shared resources, leading to the detriment of the community.

Eutrophication

A process where water bodies become enriched with nutrients, leading to excessive growth of algae and depletion of oxygen.

Bioaccumulation

The accumulation of substances, such as pesticides or other chemicals, in an organism.

Biomagnification

The process by which the concentration of toxic substances increases in organisms at each successive level of the food chain.

Climate Change

Long-term changes in temperature, precipitation, and other atmospheric conditions on Earth.

Sustainability

Meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Greenhouse Gases

Gases such as carbon dioxide and methane that trap heat in the atmosphere, contributing to global warming.

Photochemical Smog

Air pollution that results from the reaction of sunlight with pollutants such as volatile organic compounds and nitrogen oxides.

Acid Rain

Precipitation that contains high levels of sulfuric or nitric acids, often due to air pollution.

Renewable Resources

Resources that can be replenished naturally over short periods of time, such as solar energy and wind.

Nonrenewable Resources

Resources that are available in limited amounts and cannot be replaced naturally in a short time, such as fossil fuels.

Carbon Cycle

The series of processes by which carbon compounds are interconverted in the environment, including photosynthesis and respiration.

Lithosphere

The rigid outer layer of the Earth, consisting of the crust and upper mantle.