AP ENVIROMENTAL SCIENCE PREVIEW EXAM WITH
ACTUAL QUESTIONS AND VERIFIED ANSWERS LATEST
UPDATE RATED A+
First Law of Thermodynamics
Energy is neither created nor destroyed, but may be converted
from one form to another.
El Niño (ENSO)
prevailing winds in the Pacific weaken and change direction
every few years which results in above average warming of
eastern Pacific waters, which changes distribution of plant
nutrients and alters earth's weather for 2-3 years
Reason for seasons on Earth
Tilt of the axis ~23.5°
Second Law of Thermodynamics
When energy is changed from one form to another, some useful
energy is always degraded into lower quality energy (usually
heat).
Nuclear Fission
nuclei of isotopes split apart when struck by neutrons.
Leaching
removal of dissolved materials from soil by water moving
downwards through soil.
Soil Conservation Methods
,conservation tillage, crop rotation, contour plowing, organic
fertilizers.
Soil Salinization
in arid regions, water evaporates leaving salts behind. (ex. Fertile
crescent, southwestern US)
Hydrologic Cycle Components
evaporation, transpiration, runoff, condensation, precipitation,
and infiltration.
Watershed
all of the land that drains into a body of water
Aquifer
any water-bearing layer in the ground.
Salt Water Intrusion
near the coast, overpumping of groundwater causes saltwater to
move into the aquifer.
La Nina
"Normal" year, easterly trade winds and ocean currents pool
warm water in the western Pacific, allowing upwelling of nutrient
rich water off the West coast of South America.
Nitrogen Fixation
because atmospheric N cannot be used directly by plants, it must
first be converted into ammonia by bacteria.
Ammonification
decomposers covert organic waste into ammonia.
Nitrification
,ammonia is converted to nitrate ions (NO -).
Assimilation
inorganic N is converted into organic molecules such as
DNA/amino acids & proteins.
Denitrification
bacteria convert ammonia back into N.
Phosphorus
does not exist as a gas; released by weathering of phosphate
rocks, it is a major limiting factor for plant growth. Phosphorus
cycle is slow, and not atmospheric.
Soil Profile
Photosynthesis
plants convert CO2 (atmospheric C) into complex carbohydrates
(glucose C6H12O6).
Aerobic Respiration
oxygen consuming producers, consumers & decomposers break
down complex organic compounds & convert C back into CO2.
Biotic
living components of an ecosystem.
Abiotic
nonliving components of an ecosystem
Producer/Autotroph
organisms that make their own food—photosynthetic life.
Trophic Levels
, producers → primary consumer → secondary consumer →
tertiary consumer.
Energy Flow through Food Webs
10% of the usable energy is transferred to the next trophic level.
Reason: usable energy lost as heat (2nd law), not all biomass is
digested & absorbed, predators expend energy to catch prey.
Primary succession
development of communities in a lifeless area not previously
inhabited by life (ex. lava).
Secondary succession
life progresses where soil remains (ex. clear-cut forest, old farm).
Mutualism
symbiotic relationship where both organisms benefit (e.g.
clownfish and anemone)
Commensalism
symbiotic relationship where one organism benefits & the other
is unaffected (e.g. epiphytic plants, such as many orchids, that
grow on trees)
Parasitism
relationship in which one organism (the parasite) obtains
nutrients at the expense of the host (e.g. mosquitoes and
humans)
Carrying Capacity
the number of individuals that can be sustained in an area.
r-strategist
ACTUAL QUESTIONS AND VERIFIED ANSWERS LATEST
UPDATE RATED A+
First Law of Thermodynamics
Energy is neither created nor destroyed, but may be converted
from one form to another.
El Niño (ENSO)
prevailing winds in the Pacific weaken and change direction
every few years which results in above average warming of
eastern Pacific waters, which changes distribution of plant
nutrients and alters earth's weather for 2-3 years
Reason for seasons on Earth
Tilt of the axis ~23.5°
Second Law of Thermodynamics
When energy is changed from one form to another, some useful
energy is always degraded into lower quality energy (usually
heat).
Nuclear Fission
nuclei of isotopes split apart when struck by neutrons.
Leaching
removal of dissolved materials from soil by water moving
downwards through soil.
Soil Conservation Methods
,conservation tillage, crop rotation, contour plowing, organic
fertilizers.
Soil Salinization
in arid regions, water evaporates leaving salts behind. (ex. Fertile
crescent, southwestern US)
Hydrologic Cycle Components
evaporation, transpiration, runoff, condensation, precipitation,
and infiltration.
Watershed
all of the land that drains into a body of water
Aquifer
any water-bearing layer in the ground.
Salt Water Intrusion
near the coast, overpumping of groundwater causes saltwater to
move into the aquifer.
La Nina
"Normal" year, easterly trade winds and ocean currents pool
warm water in the western Pacific, allowing upwelling of nutrient
rich water off the West coast of South America.
Nitrogen Fixation
because atmospheric N cannot be used directly by plants, it must
first be converted into ammonia by bacteria.
Ammonification
decomposers covert organic waste into ammonia.
Nitrification
,ammonia is converted to nitrate ions (NO -).
Assimilation
inorganic N is converted into organic molecules such as
DNA/amino acids & proteins.
Denitrification
bacteria convert ammonia back into N.
Phosphorus
does not exist as a gas; released by weathering of phosphate
rocks, it is a major limiting factor for plant growth. Phosphorus
cycle is slow, and not atmospheric.
Soil Profile
Photosynthesis
plants convert CO2 (atmospheric C) into complex carbohydrates
(glucose C6H12O6).
Aerobic Respiration
oxygen consuming producers, consumers & decomposers break
down complex organic compounds & convert C back into CO2.
Biotic
living components of an ecosystem.
Abiotic
nonliving components of an ecosystem
Producer/Autotroph
organisms that make their own food—photosynthetic life.
Trophic Levels
, producers → primary consumer → secondary consumer →
tertiary consumer.
Energy Flow through Food Webs
10% of the usable energy is transferred to the next trophic level.
Reason: usable energy lost as heat (2nd law), not all biomass is
digested & absorbed, predators expend energy to catch prey.
Primary succession
development of communities in a lifeless area not previously
inhabited by life (ex. lava).
Secondary succession
life progresses where soil remains (ex. clear-cut forest, old farm).
Mutualism
symbiotic relationship where both organisms benefit (e.g.
clownfish and anemone)
Commensalism
symbiotic relationship where one organism benefits & the other
is unaffected (e.g. epiphytic plants, such as many orchids, that
grow on trees)
Parasitism
relationship in which one organism (the parasite) obtains
nutrients at the expense of the host (e.g. mosquitoes and
humans)
Carrying Capacity
the number of individuals that can be sustained in an area.
r-strategist
