Ultimate Guide: AP Environmental Science (copy)

Ecosystem

A community of living organisms interacting with the non-living components of their environment through various cycles.

Organism

A living thing capable of independent function.

Ecosystem

A community of living organisms interacting with the non-living components of their environment through various cycles.

Organism

A living thing capable of independent function.

Species

Organisms with similar genetic makeup, able to interbreed and produce fertile offspring.

Ecological Niche

Area occupied by an organism and its function within the community.

Symbiosis

Close, long-term biological interaction between different species.

Limiting Factor

Abiotic factor restricting population growth.

Predator-Prey Relationship

Interaction where predators hunt and kill prey.

Taiga

Largest terrestrial biome with cold-tolerant evergreen conifers.

Savannas

Grasslands with scattered trees found in warm climates.

Tundra

Biome with low temperatures, limited nutrients, and simple vegetation structure.

Alpine Tundra

Located on mountains at high altitudes where trees cannot grow, characterized by a short growing season and well-drained soil.

Aquatic Biomes

Include Antarctic, marine, lakes, wetlands, rivers, and streams, where organisms get nutrients from water and water's thermal capacity affects temperature regulation.

Corals

Marine invertebrates living in colonies of polyps with an exoskeleton made of calcium carbonate, obtaining energy from photosynthetic dinoflagellates.

Lake Zones

Benthic, Limnetic, Littoral, and Profundal zones, each with distinct characteristics and inhabitants based on light penetration and oxygen levels.

Wetlands

Areas periodically covered with water supporting diverse plant and animal life, providing ecological services like flood control, carbon sequestration, and wildlife habitats.

Hydric Soil

Soil that is permanently or seasonally saturated by water, leading to anaerobic conditions and affecting plant competition.

River Nutrient Content

Determined by terrain, vegetation, adjacent vegetation, weathering of rocks, and soil erosion.

River Zones

Source Zone, Transition Zone, Floodplain Zone - each with distinct characteristics and species diversity.

Riparian Areas

Lands adjacent to water bodies supporting hydrophilic vegetation dependent on free water in the soil.

Carbon Cycle

Exchange of carbon among biosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere, crucial for life and various compounds.

Nitrogen Cycle

Essential for amino acids, proteins, nucleic acids; altered by human activities like fossil fuel combustion and fertilizers.

Phosphorous Cycle

Essential for nucleotides, ATP, bones, and shells; primarily found in sedimentary rocks; impacted by human activities.

Hydrologic Cycle

Driven by solar energy, involving processes like evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and runoff.

Aquifers

Geologic formations holding water, threatened by depletion due to human activities like agriculture and climate change.

Primary Productivity

Process by which plants use sunlight to produce food through photosynthesis, influencing carbon dioxide levels.

Trophic Levels

Position in a food chain, interconnected in food webs, with energy transfer affecting biomass pyramids.

Energy Flow

Energy transfer in ecosystems, following the 10% rule, influenced by factors like carbon dioxide concentration and temperature.

Cellular Respiration

Process in which heterotrophs depend on photosynthetic organisms for energy.

Cellular Respiration

The process where cells oxidize glucose to produce carbon dioxide, water, and ATP.

Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP)

Molecule where energy from cellular respiration is stored.

10% Rule

Only about 10% of energy moves between trophic levels for tissue production.

Primary Productivity

Rate of biomass generation in an ecosystem, with autotrophs having primary productivity.

Secondary Productivity

Biomass generation by heterotrophic consumers through assimilated food.

Biomass Pyramid

Illustrates organic mass distribution across trophic levels.

Energy Pyramids

Show energy transfer between trophic levels in an ecosystem.

Gross Primary Production (GPP)

Rate at which plants convert chemical energy into biomass.

Net Primary Production (NPP)

Rate at which plants produce useful chemical energy after respiration.

Population Bottleneck

Large reduction in population size leading to decreased genetic diversity.

Specialist Species

Organisms requiring specific resources and habitats to survive.

Species Richness

Number of different species in an ecological community.

Island Biogeography

Study of factors influencing species richness on isolated habitats.

Law of Tolerance

Species abundance depends on tolerance to environmental factors.

Ecological Succession

Gradual process of ecosystem development due to community changes.

Inhibition

When one species modifies the environment to an extent that is not suitable for another species.

Tolerance

When species are not affected by the presence of other species.

Pioneer Species

Earlier successional plants, generalists.

Primary Succession

The evolution of a biological community’s ecological structure in which plants and animals first colonize a barren, lifeless habitat.

Secondary Succession

A type of ecological succession in which plants and animals recolonize a habitat after a major disturbance.

Keystone Species

A species whose very presence contributes to a diversity of life and whose extinction would lead to the extinction of other forms of life.

Indicator Species

Organisms whose presence, absence, or abundance reflects a specific environmental condition and can indicate the health of an ecosystem.

Generalists

Species able to use a variety of environmental resources and adaptable to a wide range of environments.

Specialists

Species that use a specific set of resources and have specialized needs.

r-Strategists

Species that mature rapidly, are short-lived, and have a high number of organisms within a species.

K-Strategists

Species that mature slowly, are long-lived, and have a lower number of organisms within a species.

Emigration

The number leaving a population.

Global Population Growth Rate (%)

Calculated as [(CBR – CDR)]/10.

Immigration

The number entering a population.

National Population Growth Rate (%)

Calculated as [(CBR + immigration) – (CDR + emigration)]/10.

Percent Rate of Change

Calculated as [(new # - old #)/old #] × 100.

Population Density

Calculated as total population size/total area.

Population Growth Rate (%)

Represents the change in population size over time.

Biodiversity

The variety of life forms in an ecosystem.

Coastlines and Oceans

Areas where high population densities and urban development stress ecosystems.

Forests

Ecosystems that sustain and contribute economically but are threatened by human activities.

Food Supply and Malnutrition

Concerns related to population growth outpacing food supply in certain regions.

Freshwater

Finite resource facing increasing demand due to population growth.

Global Climate Change

Warming of Earth's surface due to human activities.

Public Health

Issues such as water quality, air pollution, and disease related to population growth.

Age-Structure Diagrams

Representations of population age distribution based on birth and death rates.

Total Fertility Rate (TFR)

Average number of children each woman will have during her lifetime.

Human Population Dynamics

Factors influencing human population growth and historical surges.

Demographic Transition

Transition from high to low birth and death rates as regions develop.

Plate Tectonic Theory

Theory explaining Earth's lithosphere movement and seismic activity.

Soil Formation and Erosion

Processes influencing soil composition and degradation.

Soil Erosion

Poor agricultural techniques like improper plowing, monoculture, overgrazing, and removing crop wastes instead of plowing organic material back into the soil lead to soil erosion.

Landslides

Masses of rock, earth, or debris moving down a slope, often triggered by heavy rains, droughts, earthquakes, or volcanic eruptions.

Mudslides

Fast-moving landslides flowing in channels, often triggered by wildfires, construction, or natural disasters.

Igneous Rocks

Formed by cooling, classified by silica content into intrusive (cool slowly) and extrusive (cool quickly) types.

Metamorphic Rocks

Formed by intense heat and pressure, high quartz content, examples include diamond, marble, and slate.

Sedimentary Rocks

Formed by piling and cementing materials over time, fossils form only in sedimentary rock.

Soil Components

Gravel, sand, loam, silt, clay, and humus contribute to soil composition and properties.

Humus

Dark organic material in soil formed by decaying plant and animal matter, rich in nutrients, aids in root growth and reduces erosion.

Soil Food Web

Community of organisms in the soil interacting with the environment, plants, and animals, forming a complex living system.

Earth's Atmosphere

Composed of nitrogen, oxygen, water vapor, and carbon dioxide, with layers like troposphere and stratosphere influencing weather and climate.

Air Circulation

The movement of air closer to Earth's surface due to various factors like Earth's rotation, revolution around the sun, and tilt.

Low-pressure Systems

Weather systems with lower pressure at their centers compared to their surroundings, causing air to rise.

High-pressure Systems

Weather systems with higher pressure at their centers, associated with fair weather and air sinking down.

Trade Winds

Prevailing easterly surface winds near the equator within the troposphere.

Wind Speed

Determined by pressure differences between air masses, with greater differences leading to higher speeds.

Wind Direction

Based on the origin of the wind, with easterly winds coming from the east and westerly winds from the west.

Coriolis Effect

Earth's rotation causing winds to curve, spiraling clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.

Hadley Cells

Air circulation originating near the equator, rising, spreading out, cooling, sinking, and returning to the equator.

Ferrel Cells

Air circulation between 30° and 60° north and south latitudes, with descending winds and mid-latitude climates.

Polar Cells

Air circulation originating from the poles, descending, cooling, and suppressing precipitation in polar regions.

Polar Vortex

Low-pressure zones with very cold air atop the poles, extending into the stratosphere.

Hurricanes

Intense tropical cyclones with strong winds and storm surges, forming over warm oceans.

Tornadoes

Wirling masses of air with high wind speeds, forming from rotating strong winds in thunderstorms.

Monsoons

Seasonal winds changing direction, blowing from land to sea in winter and from sea to land in summer.

Watershed

Land area draining into a common water body, like the Mississippi River watershed.

Solar Radiation

The angle and intensity of sunlight affecting Earth's climate and seasons.