AP Environmental Science

Cards (24)

• 1
  Front

  What is an ecosystem?

  Back

  A community of living organisms (biotic factors) interacting with each other and their non-living environment (abiotic factors) as a system.

• 2
  Front

  What is the difference between a food chain and a food web?

  Back

  A food chain shows a single linear sequence of energy transfer between organisms, while a food web shows the complex, interconnected feeding relationships within an ecosystem.

• 3
  Front

  What percentage of energy is typically transferred from one trophic level to the next?

  Back

  Approximately 10%. The remaining 90% is lost as heat through metabolic processes (the 10% rule).

• 4
  Front

  What is biodiversity?

  Back

  The variety of life in a given area, encompassing genetic diversity, species diversity, and ecosystem diversity.

• 5
  Front

  What are the main causes of biodiversity loss, summarized by the acronym HIPPO?

  Back

  Habitat destruction, Invasive species, Pollution, Population growth (human), and Overharvesting.

• 6
  Front

  What is a keystone species?

  Back

  A species that has a disproportionately large effect on its ecosystem relative to its abundance; its removal causes dramatic changes to the ecosystem structure.

• 7
  Front

  What is carrying capacity (K) in population dynamics?

  Back

  The maximum population size that an environment can sustainably support given available resources such as food, water, and space.

• 8
  Front

  What is the difference between exponential (J-curve) and logistic (S-curve) population growth?

  Back

  Exponential growth occurs when resources are unlimited and population increases without bound; logistic growth occurs when population growth slows as it approaches carrying capacity due to limiting factors.

• 9
  Front

  What are r-selected species?

  Back

  Species that reproduce quickly, have many offspring with little parental care, and thrive in unstable environments (e.g., bacteria, insects).

• 10
  Front

  What are K-selected species?

  Back

  Species that reproduce slowly, have few offspring with high parental investment, and are adapted to stable environments near carrying capacity (e.g., elephants, whales).

• 11
  Front

  What is the rock cycle?

  Back

  The continuous process by which rocks are formed, broken down, and reformed through igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic processes driven by heat, pressure, and weathering.

• 12
  Front

  What drives the movement of tectonic plates?

  Back

  Convection currents in the Earth's mantle, caused by heat from the Earth's interior, drive the movement of tectonic plates.

• 13
  Front

  What is the nitrogen cycle?

  Back

  The biogeochemical cycle by which nitrogen moves through the atmosphere, soil, water, and living organisms via fixation, nitrification, assimilation, ammonification, and denitrification.

• 14
  Front

  What is the difference between nonrenewable and renewable energy resources?

  Back

  Nonrenewable resources (e.g., fossil fuels) form over millions of years and are depleted faster than they replenish; renewable resources (e.g., solar, wind) are naturally replenished on human timescales.

• 15
  Front

  What is net energy yield?

  Back

  The total useful energy from a resource minus the energy required to find, extract, process, and deliver that resource to the end user.

• 16
  Front

  What is point source pollution?

  Back

  Pollution that originates from a single, identifiable source, such as a factory pipe or sewage outfall, making it relatively easy to regulate and control.

• 17
  Front

  What is eutrophication?

  Back

  The process by which excessive nutrient input (especially nitrogen and phosphorus) to a water body stimulates algal blooms, which deplete oxygen as they decompose, creating hypoxic dead zones.

• 18
  Front

  What causes stratospheric ozone depletion?

  Back

  Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and other halogenated compounds release chlorine and bromine atoms in the stratosphere, which catalytically destroy ozone (O3) molecules.

• 19
  Front

  What is the greenhouse effect?

  Back

  The process by which greenhouse gases (CO2, CH4, N2O, H2O vapor) in the atmosphere absorb and re-emit infrared radiation, trapping heat and warming Earth's surface.

• 20
  Front

  What are the primary anthropogenic sources of CO2 emissions?

  Back

  Burning fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas), deforestation, and cement production are the primary human-caused sources of atmospheric CO2.

• 21
  Front

  What is the IPAT equation and what does each variable represent?

  Back

  Impact = Population × Affluence × Technology. It expresses how human environmental impact is a product of population size, consumption per person, and the environmental impact of the technology used.

• 22
  Front

  What is the difference between mitigation and adaptation in the context of climate change?

  Back

  Mitigation involves reducing greenhouse gas emissions to limit future climate change; adaptation involves adjusting practices and infrastructure to cope with the effects of climate change that are already occurring.

• 23
  Front

  What is the concept of sustainability in environmental science?

  Back

  Meeting the needs of the present generation without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs, balancing environmental, economic, and social factors.

• 24
  Front

  What is integrated pest management (IPM)?

  Back

  A sustainable pest control strategy that combines biological controls, habitat manipulation, resistant crop varieties, and minimal pesticide use to reduce economic, health, and environmental risks.