APES Unit 1 Cumulative Review

This is an in-depth, 85 term, cumulative flashcard review of Unit 1 from AP Environmental Science. All terms are alligned with the college board outline and are closely related to course content.

Population

Group of organisms that are of the same species.

Community

All biotic (living) things in an area.

Ecosystem

All biotic and abiotic (non-living) things in an area.

Biome

Large area with similar climate; determines what species can live there.

Predation

One organism eats another.

Mutualism

Species benefit and help each other.

Commensalism

One organism benefits but the other isn't affected.

Symbiosis

General term for species living together.

Herbivores

Kill plants for energy.

True Predators

Carnivores that eat/hunt for energy.

Parasites

Take advantage of host without killing it.

Parasitoids

Lay eggs in host.

Keystone Species

Species has a large effect and keeps ecosystem intact.

Resource Partitioning

Different species compromising to use the same area and its resources.

Resource Partitioning: Temporal

Use resource at different times.

Resource Partitioning: Spatial

Use resource in different places of the habitat.

Resource Partitioning: Morphological

Use resource because of evolved body features.

Temperature and Precipitation

The two main characteristics of a biome.

Permafrost

A permanent layer of ice beneath the surface that can prevent the growth of plant roots.

X-Axis of a Climate Diagram

Time in months.

Left Y-Axis of a Climate Diagram

Temperature in degrees Celsius.

Right Y-Axis of a Climate Diagram

Precipitation in millimeters.

Tundra

Very cold and dry biome with low-growing vegetation.

Boreal Forest

Composed primarily of cone-shaped evergreens, also called Taiga.

Temperate Rainforest

Coastal biome with mild summers and winters, high precipitation, and tall vegetation.

Temperate Seasonal Forest

Biome with warm summers, cold winters, and lots of precipitation.

Wood/Shrubland

Biome with hot, dry summers and mild, rainy winters.

Temperate Grassland

Biome with cold winters and hot, dry summers.

Tropical Rainforest

Warm and very wet biome located close to the equator.

Savanna

Warm biome with distinct wet and dry seasons.

Subtropical Desert

Extremely hot and dry biome with little vegetation, located close to the equator.

Temperature/Precipitation

The main two qualities of a terrestrial biome

Salinity

The amount of salt in water, which determines which species can live or drink there.

Depth

Influences sunlight level for photosynthesis of aquatic plants.

Flow

Determines who can survive by the oxygen (O2) levels in the water.

Temperature

Warmer —— holds less dissolved O2, determining who can live in that aquatic area.

Littoral Zone

Shallow zone in a body of water with emergent plants.

Limnetic Zone

Zone in a body of water where light can reach, causing photosynthesis in phytoplankton.

Profundal Zone

Deep zone in a body of water where it is too deep for sunlight, so there is no photosynthesis.

Benthic Zone

Murky bottom level, rich in nutrients.

Wetland

Area with soil submerged or saturated in water for at least part of the year, but shallow enough for emergent plants.

Salt Marsh

Found along coasts in temperate climates with nonwoody emergent vegetation, important for spawning fish and shellfish.

Estuary

Area along the coast where freshwater from rivers mixes with saltwater from oceans.

Mangrove Swamp

Found in tropical/subtropical coasts with trees that have roots in water and are salt-tolerant.

Coral Reef

Found in warm, shallow waters beyond the shoreline, consisting of coral animals with a layer of limestone.

Intertidal Zone

The band of coast between high and low tide, where organisms must be able to survive crashing waves and have tough outer skin/shell.

Carbon Cycle

The movement of carbon (CO2, CH4, etc.) between sources and sinks. Some steps are fast, others are slow.

Sink

A reservoir that stores more of a molecule than it releases.

Source

A reservoir that releases more of a molecule than it stores.

Combustion

Converts fossil fuels and plant biomass into CO2.

Nitrogen Cycle

The movement of Nitrogen (N) between sources and sinks. Steps are relatively fast compared to the C cycle and reservoirs don't hold N for long.

Nitrogen Fixation

Turning nitrogen from unusable forms to usable forms (NH3 or NO3).

Bacterial Fixation

Bacteria in the soil or in symbiosis with plant roots convert N2 into ammonia (NH3).

Synthetic Fixation

Humans combust FF's turning N2 into nitrate (NO3).

Assimilation

Plants/Animals taking in N and incorporating it into their body.

Ammonification

Soil bacteria, microbes, and decomposers convert waste and dead biomass back into NH3 and return it to the soil.

Nitrification

Conversion of NH3 into nitrite (NO2) then nitrate (NO3) by bacteria.

Denitrification

Conversion of soil N (NO3) into nitrous oxide (N2O) gas, which returns to the atmosphere.

Phosphorus Cycle

Movement of phosphorus between sources and sinks. Cycle is very slow compared to C and N cycles.

Weathering

Major natural source of phosphorus, wind and rain break P down and release it into nearby soil/water.

Eutrophication

Excess nitrogen and phosphorus that can lead to algae blooms.

Sedimentation

The process by which N particles don’t dissolve and fall to the bottom of the ocean, leading to the accumulation of sediment rock in bodies of water or soil.

Geologic Uplift

The process by which tectonic plates collide, forcing up rock layers that for mountains, which can restart P cycle.

Hydrologic Cycle

Movement of H2O between sources/sinks in different states.

Transpiration

Plants draw up groundwater from roots to leaves, then water evaporates from stomata in leaves.

Evapotranspiration

The combined process of evaporation from land and water surfaces and transpiration from plants through leaf stomata to the atmosphere.

Primary Productivity (PP)

The rate at which solar energy is converted into organic compounds via photosynthesis over a unit of time.

Units of Primary Productivity

kcal/m²/year (energy per area per time)

Net Primary Productivity (NPP) Equation

GPP - RL

Respiration Loss (RL)

Plants use up some of the energy they generate via photosynthesis by doing cellular respiration.

Gross Primary Productivity (GPP)

The total amount of solar energy being converted to glucose via photosynthesis in a given area.

Net Primary Productivity (NPP)

The amount of energy leftover/stored for consumers after plants have used some for respiration/energy storage.

Ecological Efficiency

Portion of solar energy captured by plants and turned into biomass (NPP/total solar energy).

Factors of NPP

Water, temperature, and nutrients.

The Depth of Red Light in Water

1 meter.

The Depth of Blue Light in Water

100 meters.

First Law of Thermodynamics

Matter is never created nor destroyed, only changes forms.

Second Law of Thermodynamics

Each time energy is transferred, some of it is lost as heat.

10% Rule

In trophic pyramids, 10% of energy moves up, 90% lost as heat.

Producers

Plants that convert solar energy (sunlight) into chemical energy (glucose).

Primary Consumers

Animals that eat plants (herbivores).

Secondary Consumers

Animals that eat primary consumers (carnivores/omnivores).

Tertiary Consumers

Animals that eat secondary consumers (top-level predators).

Food Web

A model of an interlocking pattern of food chains that depicts the energy flow and nutrients.

Trophic Cascades

Removal or addition of a top predator has a ripple effect down through lower trophic levels.