AP Environmental Science Review

Overview

• 9 units covered
  1. Ecosystems
  2. Biodiversity
  3. Populations
  4. Earth Systems and Resources
  5. Land and Water Use
  6. Energy Resources and Consumption
  7. Atmospheric Pollution
  8. Aquatic and Terrestrial Pollution
  9. Global Change

Unit 1: Ecosystems

• Basics: Predators eat prey; symbiosis includes mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism.
  • Competition: Organisms compete for resources; resource partitioning reduces competition.
• Terrestrial Biomes: Taiga, temperate forests, grasslands, deserts, tundra, etc.
  • Distribution changes with climate.
• Aquatic Biomes: Freshwater (rivers, lakes) and marine (oceans, reefs).
  • Algae important for oxygen and CO2 processing.
• Cycles:
  • Carbon Cycle: Movement of carbon atoms; sinks store carbon; sources release it.
  • Nitrogen Cycle: Fast cycle; atmospheric nitrogen converted by bacteria.
  • Phosphorus Cycle: No atmospheric component; often a limiting factor.
  • Hydrologic Cycle: Water moves through solid, liquid, gas forms.
• Productivity: Rate of solar energy conversion to organic compounds.
• Trophic Levels & 10% Rule: Only 10% of energy moves to next level; depicted in food webs.

Unit 2: Biodiversity

• Ecosystem Diversity: More diversity = better stress response.
• Species Richness: Number of distinct species in an ecosystem.
• Ecosystem Services:
  • Provisioning: Direct benefits like wood.
  • Regulating: Climate regulation.
  • Cultural: Recreational benefits.
  • Supporting: Biomass production.
• Island Biogeography: Study of ecological relationships on islands; affected by invasive species.
• Ecological Tolerance: Range of conditions for survival.
• Succession: Primary starts on new land; secondary follows disturbances.
• Species Types: Keystone (crucial) and indicator (show ecosystem health).

Unit 3: Populations

• Generalist vs. Specialist Species: Generalists thrive in varying conditions; specialists need specific environments.
• K-Selected vs. R-Selected:
  • K-selected: Large, few offspring, high parental care.
  • R-selected: Small, many offspring, low parental care.
• Survivorship Curves: Type I (e.g., humans), Type III (e.g., fish), Type II (e.g., birds).
• Carrying Capacity: Max population an ecosystem can support.
• Age Structure Diagrams: Show age distribution; bottom-heavy indicates growth.
• Demographic Transition: Transition to lower birth and death rates with industrialization.

Unit 4: Earth Systems and Resources

• Plate Tectonics: Convergent, divergent, and transform boundaries.
• Soil Formation: Weathered, transported, deposited.
• Soil Properties: Affects porosity, permeability, and fertility.
• Atmosphere Layers: Troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere, exosphere.
• Global Wind Patterns: Hadley cells, Coriolis effect.
• Water Shed Characteristics: Area, slope, soil.

Unit 5: Land and Water Use

• Tragedy of the Commons: Overuse of shared resources.
• Clear Cutting: Efficient but harmful to ecosystems.
• Green Revolution: Agricultural strategies to improve food production.
• Irrigation Methods: Furrow, flood, spray, drip.
• Pest Control Methods: Pesticides, herbicides.
• Meat Production: Less efficient than plant production.
• Sustainable Practices: Reduce, reuse, recycle.

Unit 6: Energy Resources and Consumption

• Non-renewable vs. Renewable: Finite vs. replenishable resources.
• Fossil Fuels: Coal, oil, natural gas; most widely used.
• Energy Sources: Wood, peat, coal (lignite, bituminous, anthracite), natural gas, crude oil.
• Nuclear Power: Uranium fission; non-renewable but less air pollutants.
• Renewable Energies: Solar, hydroelectric, geothermal, wind.

Unit 7: Atmospheric Pollution

• Air Pollutants: CO2, SO2, particulates, NOx.
• Photochemical Smog: Formed by NOx and VOCs.
• Thermal Inversions: Traps pollutants at ground level.
• Indoor Pollutants: CO, radon, asbestos, VOCs.
• Air Pollution Reduction: Scrubbers, catalytic converters.
• Noise Pollution: Interferes with communication and navigation.

Unit 8: Aquatic and Terrestrial Pollution

• Pollution Types: Point source vs. non-point source.
• Oil Spills: Harmful to marine life.
• Eutrophication: Nutrient enrichment causes algae bloom.
• Thermal Pollution: Heat alters aquatic environments.
• Bioaccumulation & Biomagnification: Pollutants increase up food chain.
• Waste Disposal: Landfills, incineration, ocean dumping.
• Sewage Treatment: Primary, secondary, tertiary processes.

Unit 9: Global Change

• Ozone Depletion: CFCs contribute to stratospheric ozone loss.
• Greenhouse Effect: Necessary but enhanced by human activity.
• Climate Change Effects: Rising sea levels, extreme weather.
• Ocean Warming & Acidification: Affects marine life.
• Invasive Species: Outcompete native species.
• Endangered Species: Conservation efforts needed.

These notes provide a high-level overview of the AP Environmental Science topics covered in the lecture. Be sure to review each unit in detail and understand the concepts thoroughly for the exam. Good luck!