AP Environmental Science Study Guide

Units 1-2: The Living World

Ecosystem Structure

• Abiotic vs. Biotic Components

  • Abiotic: Non-living components (e.g., atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere).
  • Biotic: Living components (e.g., animals, plants, fungi, bacteria).

• Interactions of Organisms with Environment

  • Population: Group of organisms of the same species.
  • Community: Populations of different species in a geographic area.
  • Habitat: Where an organism lives.
  • Ecological Niche: Role and position of a species in its environment.

• Interactions Among Organisms

  • Competition: Competing for resources.
  • Resource Partitioning: Species coexist by sharing resources.
  • Predation: One species feeding on another, affects population size.
  • Symbiotic Relationships: Close associations between different species (e.g., mutualism, commensalism, parasitism).

Types of Ecosystems

• Classifications
  • Blending: Biomes blend without distinct boundaries.
  • Ecotones: Transitional areas between biomes.

Energy Flow

• Cell Respiration: Conversion of carbohydrates to ATP.
• Photosynthesis: Conversion of solar energy to chemical energy in plants and algae.
  • Light-Dependent Reactions: Convert light energy to chemical energy.
  • Light-Independent Reactions: Use ATP and NADPH to build organic molecules from CO2.
• Cellular Respiration: Series of redox reactions producing ATP.

Classifying Organisms in Ecosystems

• Autotrophs: Produce organic compounds from simple substances. Primary producers.
• Heterotrophs: Consume other organisms. Primary consumers, secondary consumers, decomposers.

Food Chains & Food Webs

• Food Chain: Energy flow from producer to consumer.
• Food Webs: Complex interactions between species.

Ecosystem Diversity

• Biodiversity: Variety of organisms; results from evolution.
• Evolution: Changes in a population's genetic composition.
  • Natural Selection: Advantageous traits become more common over time.
  • Genetic Drift: Random events change population makeup.

Ecosystem Services

• Provisioning Services: Physical items obtained (e.g., food, raw materials).
• Cultural Services: Non-material benefits (e.g., recreation, inspiration).
• Regulating Services: Benefits from ecosystem regulation (e.g., climate regulation).
• Support Services: Facilitate other ecosystem services (e.g., nutrient recycling).

Unit 3: Populations

Population Ecology

• Population Growth & Carrying Capacity
  • Biotic Potential: Growth with unlimited resources.
  • Carrying Capacity: Max population supported by resources.
• Graphing Population Growth: J-Curve (exponential), S-Curve (logistic).
• Reproductive Strategies
  • R-selected: High reproduction rate, little care for offspring.
  • K-selected: Lower reproduction rate, more care for offspring.
• Human Population
  • Growth Rate: Influenced by birth, death, immigration, and emigration rates.
  • Total Fertility Rate: Average number of children per woman.

Human Impact on Earth

• Ecological Footprint: Environmental impact measurement.
• Environmental Problems: Overgrazing, desertification, and deforestation.

Unit 4: Earth Systems and Resources

The Lithosphere

• Tectonic Plates: Plates that float on asthenosphere.
• Types of Plate Boundaries: Convergent, divergent, transform.
• Volcanoes and Earthquakes: Geological events due to plate movements.

The Atmosphere

• Layers of the Atmosphere: Troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, exosphere.
• Greenhouse Gases: Types and effects on temperature and climate.

The Hydrosphere

• Freshwater and Saltwater Biomes: Deltas, estuaries, wetlands.
• Water Problems: Stress, scarcity, conservation efforts.

Soil & Soil Dynamics

• Soil Composition: Rock, organic matter, air, water.
• Types of Rocks: Igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic.

Unit 5: Land and Water Use

Resource Utilization

• The Tragedy of the Commons: Overuse of shared resources.
• Renewable vs. Nonrenewable Resources: Differences and examples.

Agriculture

• Irrigation and Soil Conservation: Methods and their environmental impacts.
• Pesticides: Various types and effects.

Forestry

• Deforestation and Management: Impacts and mitigation strategies.

Mining

• Types of Mining: Strip, mountaintop removal, shaft.

Fishing

• Overfishing and Aquaculture: Sustainability challenges and solutions.

Unit 6: Energy Resources and Consumption

Energy Concepts

• Forms of Energy: Potential, kinetic, thermal, chemical, nuclear.
• Laws of Thermodynamics: Energy transformation and entropy.

Sources of Energy

• Nonrenewable: Fossil fuels, nuclear.
• Renewable: Hydroelectric, solar, wind, biomass, geothermal.

Unit 7-8: Pollution

Types of Pollution

• Air, Water, Noise, Thermal, Light: Sources and impacts.
• Water Pollution: From industrial, agricultural, and domestic sources.

Pollution Control

• Treatment and Remediation: Methods to reduce or manage pollution.

Photochemical Smog and Acid Rain

• Formation and Effects: Components and environmental impacts.

Unit 9: Global Change

Global Warming

• Greenhouse Gas Concentration: Pre-industrial vs. modern levels.
• Effects of Climate Change: Physical changes and adaptations required.
• Reducing Climate Change: Technological, behavioral, and policy measures.