AP Environmental Science
Fall Final Exam S. Guide 2015
Additional Concepts
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Know all the contributors to environmental science reviewed.
Know key vocabulary terms
Know mathematical unit conversions
Know key legislation reviewed among chapters.
Atmospheric layers
Know how to calculate and assess H, H-max and E values
Nuclear Energy, power plant function, power plant types.
1.
Given that 1 kcal of heat is required to increase the temperature of 1 kg of water by 1°C:
a. How many kcals would be required to heat 100 kg of water by 20°C for a bath?
b. How many joules is this?
c. How many Btus?
d. If your water heater can supply 40 kBtu/h, how long will it take to heat this water?
2.
a. Given that 1 kWh = 3.6 MJ and that 1 Btu = 1055 J, show that 1 kWh = 3412 Btu.
b. Why would it be incorrect to use this conversion factor directly to determine the amount of
coal required to generate electricity in a power plant?
3.
A typical home in the northern U.S. might require 120 MBtu of heat for the average winter.
a. If this heat were supplied by a natural gas furnace operating at 60 percent efficiency, how
many cubic feet of gas would need to be purchased?
b. At a cost of $0.90/ccf, what would it cost to heat this house for one season?
c. If a new 80 percent efficient furnace could be installed at a cost of $4,000, how long would it
take to pay back the cost of this furnace assuming gas prices remained the same?
4. Garrett Hardin was responsible for the idea: _________________________
5. Aldo Leopold was responsible for: __________________________________
6. Rachel Carson was known for her book ______________ where she concentrated on the
pesticide ________________.
7. President Clinton’s platform that relates to environmental issues was:
__________________________
8. President Carter did what: _____________________________
9. President Reagan’s position, was it related to environmental issues was
__________________________.
10. Obama’s platform related to environmental issues concentrates on:
__________________________.
11. Another name for CERCLA is: ____________________________. CERCLA does what?
______________________________________________________________________
12. The Endangered Species Act does what? _____________________________________
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AP Environmental Science
Fall Final Exam S. Guide 2015
13. The EPA, which stands for _______________________________________ was established
in what year?
14. The layers of the atmosphere, from the earth’s surface to space, are:
________________________________________________________________________
15. Do temperature increase or decrease in each layer, from earth’s surface to space?
_______________________________________________________________________
16. Apply the rule of 70. If a population of 200 were to grow at a rate of 4%, how many years
would it take for the population to double?
17. A PWR and BWR are
__________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
18. What are control rods:? _____________________________________________________
19. The OPEC oil embargo and energy crises occurred in the year:
________________________________.
20. Which president tripled the amount of land in the National Wilderness System and
doubled the area administered by the National Park Service?
_______________________________
21. The first Earth Day took place on April 22nd, _____________ (yr).
22. Henry David Thoreau and George Perkins Marsh were
_____________________________________________.
23. Domestication of wild plants and animals occurred about ________________ years ago.
24. The field of environmental science studies:
Chapter 1: Environmental Issues, Their Causes and Sustainability
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Distinguish between ecology and environmental science. Define Earth and solar capital.
Explain the relationship between earth capital and a sustainable society.
Distinguish between living off principal and living off interest. Which would be preferred
and why?
What has happened to the length of doubling time of the human population over the
course of history?
Know the difference between economic development and sustainable development.
Know the criteria for a developed versus a developing country.
Describe the wealth gap and its development since 1960.
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AP Environmental Science
Fall Final Exam S. Guide 2015
1.
Draw an exponential growth curve. Distinguish between exponential, linear and logistic
growth.
2. Distinguish between gross national product and gross domestic product.
______________________________________________
3. List two developed, two moderately developed and two undeveloped countries.
4. List two renewable resources:
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List two perpetual resources:
6. List two nonrenewable resources:
7.
Differentiate between point source and nonpoint source pollution.
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What is tragedy of the commons and provide an example happening today.
9.
Compare the planetary worldview with the environmental wisdom worldview.
10. Is sunlight natural or solar capital? ___________________________
11. How old is agriculture? _____________________________________________
12. How old is the Homo sapiens? __________________________________________
13. What type of growth pattern occurred with the onset of industrialization?
_______________________________________________________________
14. Cultural revolutions are characterized by ___________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
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AP Environmental Science
Fall Final Exam S. Guide 2015
Chapter 2: Science, Systems, Matter and Energy
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Define environmental science, assess strengths and weaknesses.
Define model and be able to distinguish between conceptual, graphic, physical and
mathematical models
Distinguish between a negative and positive feedback loop. Recognize examples.
Define matter
Identify, recognize and manipulate atoms, ions, molecules, isotopes, protons, neutrons,
electrons, atomic number and mass number.
List three physical states of matter.
Distinguish between periods. groups, metals, nonmetals, and metalloids
Distinguish between high quality and low quality matter.
1st, 2nd, 3rd law of thermodynamics
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Frontier science is: _________________
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Accuracy is: ______________________________________
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Precision is:
4.
A thermostat keeping your house within a certain acceptable temperature range is
an example of ________________________________________________
5.
An example of a synergistic effect is:
____________________________________________
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The most common form of energy released from radioisotopes is:
_____________________________________________________________________
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The fuel in a nuclear reactor is element ____________________, isotope #
___________
8.
What particle is a likely product of a fusion reaction? ____________________________
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Earth is an open system for: __________________________
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Earth is, generally, a closed system for _________________________________
_
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AP Environmental Science
Fall Final Exam S. Guide 2015
Chapter 3: Ecosystems, Components, Energy Flow and Matter Cycling
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Define ecology and distinguish among five levels or organization of matter.
List the characteristics of life
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Distinguish between the lithosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere.
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Distinguish between an open and closed system.
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Define abiotic and biotic components of an ecosystem.
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Know physical and chemical factors that have large effects on ecosystems.
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Summarize the law of tolerance
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Compare terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.
Distinguish between food webs and food chains, grazing food web and
detrital food web.
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Apply the second law of energy to food chains and pyramids of energy,
which describe energy flow in ecosystems.
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Understand how there may be exceptions of pyramids of numbers and
biomass but not energy.
1. The number of species already identified by biologists is approximately ____ million.
2. The largest number of species of organisms on the earth are currently ___ and ___.
3. A group of individuals of the same species occupying a given area at the same time is
called a ___.
4. The basic unit of life is _________. The basic unit of matter is ___________.
5. The thin gaseous layer of air around the planet is called the ________________.
6. The ozone layer is found in what layer of the atmosphere? ________________.
7. All physical forms of water make up the ______________.
8. Fossil fuels and minerals are found in the _______________.
9. The lithosphere is made up of the _____ and ______.
10. The biosphere is made up of: __________.
11. The energy of the sun is primarily the result of nuclear ______.
12. Through each transfer is a typical pyramid, there is a ___ % loss from one tropic level to
the next.
13. What is a detritivore? How is a detritivore different from a decomposer?
14. Give one example of high quality energy:
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AP Environmental Science
Fall Final Study Guide
Name: _________________________________
Chapter 4: Evolution & Biodiversity: Origins, Niches and Adaptations
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Distinguish between a prokaryotic and eukaryotic cell.
List the current five kingdoms and give one example each.
Define species and know how organisms are named.
Summarize the role of geographic and reproductive isolation in forming new species.
List major steps which have occurred in Earth’s chemical and biological evolution.
Explain the difference between gradualism and punctuated equilibrium.
Distinguish between macro and micro evolution
Define gene pool and describe the process that increases variability of the gene pool.
Describe connections among mutations, adaptations, differential reproduction and biological
evolution.
Describe biodiversity in terms of speciation and extinction.
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Evidence of evolution comes from _________.
The fossil record is incomplete because of _______.
What methods are used to determine the age of fossils or major events?
What allopatric, sympatric and parapatric speciation?
How is convergent evolution different from divergent evolution?
Species belonging to different taxonomic groups may develop a resemblance resulting from
adaptations to similar environments. This is called: _____.
7. Biologists estimate that over ___% of the species that have ever lived are now extinct.
8. What are pre-zygotic and post-zygotic isolation measures?
Chapter 5: Climate, Biomes and Terrestrial Biodiversity
 Distinguish between weather and climate.
 Describe warm fronts, cold fronts, high and low pressure air masses
 Describe different factors that contribute to global air circulation patterns
 Distinguish between a tornado and a tropical cyclone
 Describe how ocean currents redistribute heat
 Describe an upwelling and how it might be affected by an El Nino Southern Oscillation
 What is the greenhouse effect?
 Describe the general effects of the following microclimates: windward and leeward sides of
mountains.
 How does the climate affect the distribution of plant like on Earth? Draw connections between
biomes and the following plants. Succulent plants, broadleaf evergreen plants, broadleaf
deciduous plants and coniferous evergreen plants.
 Know general characteristics of major biomes.
 Compare the climate and adaptations of plants and animals in deserts, grasslands and forests.
 Distinguish among the three major kinds of forests.
 Know geochemical cycles
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AP Environmental Science
Fall Final Study Guide
Name: _________________________________
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Observation of a giant thunderhead predicts the arrival of a __ front.
Climate is the general pattern of weather over a period of at least __ years.
The formula for methane is____.
Carbon dioxide _____ temperatures
Sulfur oxides ____ temperatures.
What is are doldrums?
The trade winds fall within which latitudes?
What are westerly winds?
What four factors determine global air circulation patterns?
How many convection belts are a result of air circulation patterns, prevailing winds and a
mixture of land mass and ocean water?
11. What is a monsoon?
12. Give an example of microclimate
Chapter 6: Aquatic Biodiversity
 Know basic types of aquatic life zones
 Factors that influence aquatic life zones
 Major types of saltwater life zones
 How do humans impact saltwater life zones?
 Importance of coral reef systems and the association with zooxanthellae (algae
 Knowledge of coral bleaching
 Major types of freshwater life zones.
 Know the importance of dunes.
 Distinguish between an oligotrophic, mesotrophic and eutrophic lake
 What is a watershed?
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Saltwater and freshwater cover about ___ % of the earth’s surface
What are the three types of plankton
Photosynthetic bacteria, like cyanobacteria would fall under which type of plankton?
What are nekton? Give an example
Carbon dioxide increases the _____ (pH) in water
The light zones of the ocean are:
The light zones of a lake are
The temperature zones of an ocean are:
What is an overturn? During what seasons does an overturn occur?
What is floodplain?
The majority of life in an ocean system are found along _____
Why are some marine aquatic animals extremely large?
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AP Environmental Science
Fall Final Study Guide
Name: _________________________________
Chapter 7: Community Ecology
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Distinguish between a fundamental and realized niche
Distinguish between a specialist and a generalist
Examples of native, nonnative, indicator and keystone species
Understand interspecific competition
Define predation
Know types of symbiotic relationships: parasitism, mutualism, and commensalism
What is succession
Distinguish between primary and secondary succession
1. A ___ is a species whose existence contributes to a diversity of life.
2. ____ are recognized as those native species that are natural colonizers that can suppress
specific native communities and decrease species diversity.
3. A common tick is an example of a(n) _____.
4. Rats are examples of ___ because they reproduce and disperse rapidly and produce many
offspring.
5. Many large mammal species that have long generation times and low reproductive rates are
prone to __________.
6. The polar bear and seal would be ___ to cold regions.
7. What is biotic potential?
8. The relationship between a lion and a zebra is to be a ______.
9. ____ are plants and animals that aggressively expand into natural communities where their
abundance disturbs the natural balance of an ecosystem’s structure, evolution and function.
10. ___ is competitive interaction between species for food and space.
11. ___ is competition between two members of the same species.
12. Ecologists would consider all of the following to be natural disturbance EXCEPT
a. Droughts
b. floods
c. deforestation
d. fires
e. frost
Chapter 8: Population Dynamics and Carrying Capacity
 Write an equation that expresses the relationship among four variables that determine change
in a population.
 Define zero population and biotic potential
 List four factors that contribute to biotic potential.
 Define carrying capacity.
 Recognize exponential growth limited by a reproductive time lag.
 Analyze the variables that result in exponential growth and logistic growth
 Distinguish between density dependent and density independent controls (factors) related to
populations.
 Distinguish between r and k strategists and examples of each.
 Know three survivorship curve and associations with r, k strategists, early loss and late loss
 Distinguish between conservation biology and wildlife management
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AP Environmental Science
Fall Final Study Guide
Name: _________________________________
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List four principles that can move human societies toward sustainability.
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What is a limiting factor?
Give two examples of limiting factors?
Four variables that influence population size directly are?
What is crude birth rate?
What is crude death rate?
Exponential growth leads to ___ growth.
Overshooting an environment’s resources is a result of ___.
What is a density dependent factor?
Give an example of a density dependent factor.
What is a density independent factor?
Give an example of a density independent factor?
Illustrate a stable, cyclic, irruptive and irregular population change curve pattern below:
Chapter 9: Human Population
 Define birth rate, death rate, emigration and immigration
 Distinguish between replacement level fertility and total fertility rate.
 Describe how total fertility rate affects population growth
 List five factors that affect birth and fertility rates and five factors that affect death rate.
 Summarize changes over time in the US population growth rate
 Give two reasons for the high rate of teen pregnancy in the US compared to the rate in other
industrialized countries
 Connections between population growth and environmental degradation
 Why is infant mortality rate considered a good indicator of quality of life?
 Familiar with population age structure diagrams. Problems associated with the baby boom and
a declining population.
 Four stages of demographic transition
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Give two examples of countries that exhibit rapid growth.
Give two examples of countries that exhibit slow growth
Give two examples of countries that exhibit zero growth
Give two examples of countries that exhibit negative growth.
When generations do nothing more than replace themselves, the ___ structure is columnar,
a characteristic of stable populations.
___ refers to a process in which an increasing proportion of an entire population lives in
cities and the suburbs of cities.
An advantage of ___ planning is the decrease in birth rates.
In areas of low ___ mortality, people usually have less children because of the increase life
expectancy.
_____ is when the birth rate declines equaling the death rate and population growth is zero.
___ can lower a country’s population size if it is higher than the total fertility rate.
____ have declined because of food supply, better nutrition, advances in medicine and
improved sanitation.
____ is when industrialization begins, food production rises, healthcare improves, death
rates drop and birth rates remain high.
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AP Environmental Science
Fall Final Study Guide
Name: _________________________________
Chapter 12: Sustaining Aquatic Biodiversity
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Importance of aquatic systems and link to environmental and economic benefits
How have humans impacted aquatic systems?
Describe the problems associated with marine environmental protection. Discuss the role of
legislation, regulation and economic pressures.
Distinguish between coastal and inland wetlands.
Lentic versus lotic and examples
What is by catch?
Distinguish between extinction and commercial extinction
What is mitigation?
Cetacean examples?
Understand sustainable yield
1. ______ can lead to commercial extinction, which occurs when it is no longer profitable to
continue fishing the affected species.
2. The CITES Treaty (1975) is: _____________
3. The Endangered Species Act of 1973 does what?
4. ICWW stands for____ and was established in what year? ______
5. The IWCC was established to: _________________
6. The US banned all whaling in what year? _________
7. It takes how many years for the blue whale to mature? _____.
8. What is the difference between trawling and dredging?
9. Integrated coastal management is a community based effort to: _____
10. What is an ITQ system?
Chapter 20: Climate and Ozone
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Describe the greenhouse effect
Know two factors that have contributed to the greenhouse effect.
Describe the origin of stratospheric zone and the role it plays in protecting life on Earth
What impact do CFC’s have upon ozone?
What was the importance of the Montreal Protocol?
What is an ozone hole versus ozone thinning?
Pattern history of climate change
What human activities have contributed to climate change?
Factors that affect the earth’s temperature include
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The projected rise in sea level is about ___ centimeters.
Permafrost is associated with what biome.
Kyoto Protocol did what? ______
_____ is the amount of water in the air measured by a hydrometer.
Ozone found in the troposphere causes what problems?
Is ozone found in the upper or lower stratosphere? ____
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AP Environmental Science
Fall Final Study Guide
Name: _________________________________
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The rain shadow effect is: _______
The biome on the very top of mountains is: _______
Name four greenhouse gases:____
Earth’s mean surface temperature correlates with : _________
_____ is the weight of the atmosphere measured by a barometer
The ____ is an air current found in the upper troposphere traveling from west to east.
____ clouds are thin wispy clouds that form highest in the sky, more than 23,000 feet.
_____ are rain clouds
____ are very tall clouds which produce stormy weather and are middle clouds.
___ is a short term climatic event that happens as a result of abnormal cooling of the Pacific
ocean surface due to oscillation. It occurs every 3-7 years.
Land heats up ____ than water.
The ___ stream is a warm ocean current in the Atlantic Ocean that influences weather along
the east coast of the United States.
Carbon sequestration is:
The process of plants releasing water from stoma is termed: ______
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SOIL
Know how to use a soil pyramid
Know types of soil related to biomes
Know how soil plays a role as a carbon sink
How does soil erosion impact plants, animals and habitat?
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The soil horizon layers, in order are:
Which of the following types of soils holds the most water (water logging)
A perfect mixture of soil is which soil types?
Nitrogen fixation is accomplished by what organisms?
If you were a farmer, which type of soil would you choose for your crops?
What are the steps of the nitrogen cycle?
Alfisols are found in what biome?
Oxisols are found in what biome type?
What are some characteristics of oxisols?
What is a soil profile?
Spodosols are found in which biome?
Which particle type has the smallest size? Clay, silt or sand?
Which particle type has the largest pore size affiliated?
What is leaching?
Which types of ions would be retained in the soil (+ or -)? Why?
Origin of phosphorus?
What is humus?
Aridisols are found in which biome?
The surface litter horizon is described by the letter…
Another name for parent material is____
Soil is created from _____ and ____ processes.
What is sedimentary rock?
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AP Environmental Science
Fall Final Study Guide
Name: _________________________________
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