AP Environmental Science Exam Review Flashcards

Anthropocentric

regarding humans as most significant species; human-centered

Tragedy of the Commons

the depletion of shared resources by people acting in individual interest

Triple Bottom Line

approach to sustainability that meets environmental, economic, and social goals (business)

Inorganic Compounds

compounds that lack carbon and hydrogen atoms

Organic Compounds

compounds that contain carbon-based molecules

Positive Feedback Loop

when the response to a stimulus increases the original stimulus

Negative Feedback Loop

when the response to a stimulus decreases the effect of the original stimulus

Overshoot

when a population temporarily exceeds its carrying capacity

Open System

a system that exchanges both energy and matter with its surroundings

Closed System

a system that allows the exchange of energy (not matter)between the system and its surroundings

Holistic

emphasizing the functional relationship between parts and the whole

Hectare

a unit of surface area equal to 100 ares

Ecological Footprint

a way of measuring how much of an impact a person or community has on the earth

Sustainable Development

development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations

Environmental Justice

recognition that access to a clean, healthy environment is a fundamental right

Biodiversity

the variety of species living within an ecosystem

In situ

in the original or natural place or site

Ex situ

off-site conservation; outside location

Inbreeding Depression

the negative consequences in a population when genetically similar parents reproduce weak offspring

Intrinsic Value

worth independent of any human benefit; inherent worth

Invasive Species

species that enter new ecosystems and harm native species and their habitats

Endangered Species Act

identifies/protects threatened and endangered species

Lacey Act

prohibits the trade of illegally sourced plants and wildlife

Species Diversity

the number and relative amount of species in a biological community

Island Biogeography

larger islands closer to the mainland have higher biodiversity than smaller islands further from the mainland

Genetic Diversity

the amount of variation in the genetic material within all members of a population

Biological Wealth

combination of commercial, scientific, and aesthetic values by a regions biota

Ecotourism

a form of tourism that supports the conservation and sustainable development of ecological areas

Instrumental Value

value based on its usefulness to humans

Remediation

containment, treatment or removal of contaminated groundwater

Nitrification

the process where ammonia (NH₃) is converted into nitrates (NO₃⁻), which plants can easily absorb

Denitrification

conversion of nitrates into nitrogen gas

Ammonification

decomposers convert organic waste into ammonia

Niche

the status of an organism within its environment and community

Ecotone

the transition from one type of habitat or ecosystem to another

Autotroph

organism that makes its own food

Heterotroph

an organism that depends on complex organic substances for nutrition; cannot make food

Interspecific Competition

competition between members of different species

Intraspecific Competition

competition between members of the same species

Net Primary Productivity

the rate at which biomass accumulates in an ecosystem

Gross Primary Productivity

the rate at which energy is produced in an ecosystem

Indicator Species

species that serve as early warnings that an ecosystem is being damaged

Keystone Species

a species that influences the survival of many other species in an ecosystem

• plays a critical role

Resource Partitioning

the way different species in the same ecosystem utilize resources to minimize competition and allow multiple species to coexist

Umbrella Species

a species that impacts the survival of many species

Euphotic Zone

the surface layer of water where sunlight is sufficient for photosynthesis to occur

Thermal Stratification

The layering of water/air with different temperatures

• Warmer, less dense fluid rises

• Cooler, denser fluid sinks

Salinization

the buildup of salts in surface soil layers

Oligotrophic

an environment or organism that thrives in conditions with extremely low nutrient levels

Eutrophication

process of a body of water becoming too rich in nutrients, leading to plant growth that depletes oxygen

Trawler Fishing

dragging a net held open at the neck along the ocean bottom to get bottom-dwelling fish

Purse-seine Fishing

a large net is encircled around the targeted catch,then the bottom of the net is drawn tight like the strings of a purse

Drift Net Fishing

catching fish in huge nets that drift in the water

Long Line Fishing

fishing by dragging long lines with baited hooks

Floodplain

a low plain adjacent to a river and subject to flooding

Center-pivot Irrigation

a type of irrigation that waters crops using sprinkler systems on huge turning wheels

Trickle Irrigation

a form of irrigation that saves water by allowing water to drip slowly to the roots of plants

Watershed

an area of land where all water flows into a specific body of water, such as a stream, river, lake, or ocean

Evapotranspiration

the evaporation of water from soil plus the transpiration of water from plants

Xeriscaping

a method of landscaping that uses plants that are well adapted to the local area and are drought resistant

Growth Rate

rate of increase or decrease of a population

Total Fertility Rate

measures the number of children born per woman

Replacement Fertility Rate

the average number of children that couples in a population must have to replace themselves

Zero Population Growth

when the birth rate equals the death rate

Demographic Transition

the general pattern of demographic change from high birth and death rates to low birth and death rates (as it gets industrialized)

Exponential Growth (J-Shaped Curve)

occurs when the individuals in a population reproduce at a constant rate

Biotic Potential

maximum rate at which a population could increase under ideal conditions

Population Density

number of individuals per unit area

Doubling Time

the time required for a population to double in size

Demography

the scientific study of population characteristics

Crude Birth Rate

the number of live births yearly per thousand people in a population

Crude Death Rate

the number of deaths yearly per thousand people in a population

Population Explosion

the rapid growth of the world's human population during the past century

Graying

a term used to indicate that a large amount of a society's population is becoming elderly

Generation Time

the period between the birth of one generation and the birth of the next generation

Igneous Rock

a type of rock that forms from the cooling of molten rock at or below the surface

Sediment Rock

a type of rock formed from sediment is deposited in layers and compacted

Metamorphic Rock

a type of rock that forms from an existing rock that is changed by heat/pressure/reactions

Coreolis Effect

water moves clock wise in the northern hemisphere, counter clockwise in the southern

Intrusive

rocks that form from magma below the surface

Extrusive

rocks that form when lava cools and solidifies on the surface

Divergent Plates

plates moving away from each other in opposite directions

• Seafloor Spreading, Rift Valleys, Volcanoes

Convergent Plates

tectonic plates that collide with each other

• Mountains, Earthquakes

Transform Plates

plates that slide past each other

Lithosphere

the solid part of the earth (crust, outer mantle)

Hydrosphere

the watery layer of the earth's surface

Asthenosphere

the soft layer of the mantle on which the lithosphere floats

Relative Dating

method of determining the age of a fossil (comparing fossil placement)

Convection

the transfer of heat by the movement of a liquid or gas

Conduction

the transfer of thermal energy from one substance to another through direct contact

Topsoil

the layer of soil on the surface

Litter

the layer of dead plant leaves and stems on the surface of the soil

Subsoil

the layer of soil beneath the topsoil that contains mostly clay

Humus

partially decomposed organic matter

Porosity

the percentage of the total volume of a rock or sediment that consists of open spaces

Overgrazing

allowing more animals to graze in an area than the range can support

Organic Fertilizer

a fertilizer that is derived from animal or vegetable matter

Inorganic Fertilizer

an agricultural product applied to the soil (mined or synthetically manufactured material)

Desertification

the degradation of land, particularly in arid, semi-arid, and dry subhumid areas, making it less productive or even turning it into a desert

• excessive crop planting, grazing and tree cutting

Erosion

condition in which the earth's surface is worn away by the action of water and wind