AP Environmental Science Units 1-9 Review

Flashcards covering key concepts from AP Environmental Science Units 1-9, focusing on ecosystem structure, population ecology, Earth systems, land/water use, energy, pollution, and global change.

What are the nonliving components of Earth called?

Abiotic components (e.g., atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere)

What are the living components of Earth called?

Biotic components (e.g., animals, plants, fungi, protists, bacteria)

What defines a population in ecology?

A group of organisms of the same species

What defines a community in ecology?

Populations of different species that occupy the same geographic area

What is an ecological niche?

The role and position a species has in its environment, including the use of biotic and abiotic resources.

What is resource partitioning?

When species coexist and share resources without direct conflict

Describe mutualism.

A symbiotic relationship where both organisms benefit.

Describe commensalism.

A symbiotic relationship where one organism benefits, and the other is neither harmed nor benefited.

Describe parasitism.

A symbiotic relationship where one organism benefits by harming the other.

What are ecotones?

Transitional areas where two biomes meet

What is the role of autotrophs in an ecosystem?

Producers that create complex organic compounds from simple substances, often using energy from light (photoautotrophs).

What is the role of heterotrophs in an ecosystem?

Consumers that obtain nutrients by consuming other organisms

What do food chains illustrate?

The linear flow of energy from producers to consumers.

What is an Energy Pyramid?

A diagram that how much energy is available to each successive trophic level

What is biodiversity?

The number and variety of organisms found in a particular habitat or ecosystem.

Define natural selection.

The process where advantageous traits become more common in a population over time.

What is speciation?

The formation of new species from existing ones.

What is biological extinction?

The extermination of a species, where no individuals of that species remain.

Define ecological extinction.

When so few individuals of a species remain that it no longer fulfills its ecological function.

List some ecosystem services.

Provisioning, cultural, regulating, and support services.

What is a keystone species?

A species that maintains the biotic balance in a community; its extinction would significantly alter the ecosystem.

What is an indicator species?

A species used to evaluate the health of an ecosystem, often sensitive to biological changes.

Differentiate between primary and secondary succession.

Primary succession begins in a lifeless area, while secondary succession occurs where a community has been cleared but soil remains intact.

What is carrying capacity?

The maximum population size that can be supported by available resources.

What are r-selected organisms?

Organisms that reproduce early in life and have a high capacity for reproductive growth with little parental care.

What are K-selected organisms?

Organisms that reproduce later in life, produce fewer offspring, and invest significant energy in offspring nurturing.

How do you calculate population growth rate?

((Birth rate + immigration) - (death rate + emigration)) / 1,000

Define total fertility rate (TFR).

The average number of children a woman will bear in her lifetime based on current data.

What factors affect TFR?

Availability of birth control, demand for children in the labor force, education for women, retirement systems, and cultural/religious beliefs.

Describe the IPAT model.

I = P * A * T, where I is impact, P is population, A is affluence, and T is technology.

What is desertification?

Any human process that turns a vegetated environment into a desert-like landscape.

What is HIPPCO?

An acronym that summarizes the causes of extinction: Habitat Destruction/Fragmentation, Invasives, Population, Pollution, Climate Change, and Overharvesting/Overexploitation.

What are tectonic plates?

Parts of the lithosphere that float on the asthenosphere.

What occurs at a convergent plate boundary?

Two plates are pushed toward and into each other.

What occurs at a divergent plate boundary?

Two plates move away from each other.

What occurs at a transform fault boundary?

Two plates slide against each other in opposite directions.

What is subduction?

When an older and denser plate sinks beneath a younger and lighter plate.

What instrument measures the magnitude of an earthquake?

Seismograph

List the layers of the atmosphere in order (bottom to top).

Troposphere, Stratosphere, Mesosphere, Thermosphere, Exosphere

Where does weather take place?

Troposphere

Name some greenhouse gases.

Water vapor (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2), and methane (CH4).

What is a watershed?

An area of land that collects rainwater and drains it into a particular stream or river.

What are estuaries?

Sites where a sea extends inland to meet the mouth of a river.

Give examples of freshwater biomes.

Deltas, estuaries, and wetlands.

What is water stress?

When water demand exceeds available amount during a certain period, or when poor quality restricts its use.

What is soil?

A complex material consisting of weathered rock, organic matter, air, and water.

Why is soil important?

Links abiotic and biotic components, plays a role in nutrient cycling, and supports plant life.

What is physical weathering?

Rock is weakened and worn down by physical forces, usually wind or water.

What is chemical weathering?

Rock is subjected to chemical alteration through reactions with water, oxygen, or dissolved minerals.

What are the 3 main types of rocks?

Igneous, Sedimentary, Metamorphic

What are the disadvantages of Monoculture?

Leeches soil of specific nutrients and decreases crop genetic diversity

What are the benefits of Polyculture?

Increases sustainability, limits nutrient depletion and increases genetic diversity

Define the term "Tragedy of the Commons".

Foundation for modern conservation, occurs when individuals exploit shared resources to the point of depletion.

What is the difference between conservation and preservation?

Conservation is the management or regulation of a resource, while preservation is the maintenance of a species or ecosystem.

What is vegetative planting?

Where shoots, stems, and roots of existing wild plants are collected and grown together

What is seed agriculture?

Fertilized seed grains and fruits of plants are collected and planted together

What is horticulture?

Domestication of plants by rejecting poorly growing crops and taking seeds from productive ones to grow future generations

Name some negative effects of the Green Revolution.

Suffering small farms, environmental impact, eutrophication, pesticide resistance, and distrust of genetic engineering.

What is strip cropping?

The practice of planting bands of different crops across a hillside

What are POPs?

Persistent organic pollutants; organic compounds resistant to environmental degradation.

Name some types of pesticides

Biological, Carbamates, Chlorinated Hydrocarbons, Fumigants, Inorganic, Organic, and Organophosphates

What is silviculture?

Management of forest plantations for timber harvesting.

What is clear-cutting?

The removal of all trees in an area.

What is selective cutting?

Selective removal of select trees in an area.

What are some fishing techniques?

Drift nets, long-lining, and bottom trawling.

What is aquaculture?

Raising aquatic species in captivity for harvesting.

State the first law of thermodynamics.

Energy can neither be created nor destroyed, only transferred or transformed.

State the second law of thermodynamics.

The entropy (disorder) of the universe is increasing; in most energy transformations, a significant fraction is lost as heat.

List some renewable energy sources.

Hydroelectric, solar, wind, biomass, geothermal, ocean waves/tides, and hydrogen fuel cells.

List some nonrenewable energy sources

Electricity, Nuclear, Fossil Fuels (oil, coal, natural gas), Synfuels

What is Coal?

Mixture of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and other atoms

What are synfuels?

Synthetic fuel obtained from non-petroleum sources such as coal, natural gas, or biomass.

What is nuclear fission?

Energetic splitting of large atoms into two smaller atoms.

What are some factors that affect river flow or nearby habitats due to the production of electrical energy?

Pollutants, water, water consumption, machinery, the geography the plant occupies, and energy needs/requirements

What is water footprint?

The total daily per capita use of freshwater.

Name 4 types of Irrigation

Furrow, flood, spray, drip

Describe hydroponic agriculture.

Cultivation of plants in greenhouse conditions by immersing roots in a nutrient-rich solution.

What is gray water?

Wastewater from baths, showers, bathrooms, and the washing machine

What is contaminated water?

Wastewater from toilets, kitchen sinks, and dishwashers.

Define Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD)

The amount of oxygen a quantity of water uses over a period of time at specific temperatures

What is cultural eutrophication?

The increase in fertility in a body of water that is the result of humna inputs of nutrients

What is an indicator species?

A species that indicates whether or not disease-causing pathogens are likely to be tested.

What are septic systems?

Underground wastewater treatment system where solids are separated from liquids.

What are manure lagoons?

Human-made ponds lined with rubber built to handle large quantities of manure produced by livestock.

Name three Heavy Metals that are of particular concern regarding water pollution

Lead, Arsenic, and Mercury

What is acid deposition?

Acids deposited on Earth as rain or snow or as gases and particles.

What are perchlorates?

Harmful chemicals used for rocket fuel that sometimes contaminate soil.

What are PCBs?

Polychlorinated biphenyls; industrial compounds used to manufacture plastics and insulate electrical transformers.

Give some ways to remediate oil spills

Containment, chemicals and bacteria.

What is thermal shock?

A dramatic change in water temperature that can kill organisms.

What are Primary Pollutants?

A polluting compound that comes directly out from its source.

What are Secondary Pollutants?

A primary pollutant that has undergone transformation in the presence of sunlight, water, oxygen or other compounds.

What are VOCs?

Volatile Organic Compounds; organic compounds that evaporate at typical atmospheric temperatures.

What are baghouse filters and electrostatic precipitators?

Installations, located in industrial plants (ex: cement), that work to prevent pollution by collecting the emitted gas/particluate matter and filtering it

What is Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) role in the breakdown of Stratospheric Ozone

Break down when exposed to UV radiation and release chlorine (Cl) atoms

What are some effects of climate change?

Decreased glaciers/ice sheets, rising sea levels, changes in precipitation patterns, increased storm frequency, changing temperatures

Name some ways to reduce climate change

Carbon sequestration, reducing emissions from engines, legislative and behavioral changes, and promoting sustainable growth.