AP Environmental Science
Midterm Review 11-12
Unit 1: Systems (chapter 1-3)
Chapter 1- Our changing Environment
green architecture
environmental science
pollution
poverty
endocrine disrupters
hormones
synergism
antagonism
commercially extinct
invasive species
subsidy
forest edge
nest parasitism
stratosphere
chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs)
watersheds
bio-prospect
ecotourism
ecology
deforestation
environmental sustainability
sustainable development
ethics
environmental ethics
environmental worldviews
Food Quality Protection Act
Safe Drinking Water Act
Endangered Species Act (ESA)
Kyoto Protocol
Magnuson Fishery Conservation
and Management Act
Chapter Objectives:
1. Define environmental science and explain why environmental sustainability is an important concern of
environmental science.
2. Summarize human population issues, including population size and level of consumption.
3. Describe the three factors that are most important in determining human impact on the environment and
solve a problem using the IPAT equation.
4. Briefly describe some of the data that suggest that certain chemicals used by humans may also function
as endocrine disrupters in animals, including humans.
5. Provide an overview of how human activities have affected the following: the Georges Bank fishery,
tropical migrant birds, wolf populations in Yellowstone National Park, and invasive species such as
comb jellies and zebra mussels.
6. Characterize human impacts on the global atmosphere, including stratospheric ozone depletion and
climate warming.
7. Describe some of the consequences of tropical rainforest destruction.
Questions to think about:
1. Define environmental ethics and discuss distinguishing features of the Western and deep ecology
worldviews.
2. Explain the term green architecture.
3. Define environmental science.
4. What is environmental sustainability, and why is it important?
5. What are endocrine disrupters? List three examples of chemicals that fall into this group.
6. Compare and contrast synergism and antagonism.
7. Explain the term commercial extinction.
8. Briefly, in 3 to 5 sentences, explain the potential relationship between coffee and the decline of some
species of migratory songbirds.
9. What are exotic species? Identify two invasive aquatic species and briefly describe how they were (most
probably) introduced into the U.S..
10. Identify four different consequences that result from the destruction of tropical rain forests.
11. Compare and contrast ecology and environmental science.
12. What is environmental ethics?
13. Define environmental science.
14. Explain what environmental sustainability is, and then discuss three reasons why experts in
environmental science think that human society is not operating sustainably.
15. Compare and contrast ecology and environmental science.
16. Explain why we need to consider both human population and level of consumption in assessing the
impact of humans on their environment.
17. Explain each component of the following equation and then discuss why the equation is not a
completely reliable predictive tool: I = P  A  T.
18. Compare and contrast the Western worldview and the deep ecology worldview of the environment.
Why is neither worldview practical for widespread adoption?
19. What role does excess carbon dioxide play in the atmosphere? What steps are being taken nationally
and internationally to deal with this global problem?
20. What was the topic of the 2002 U.N. World Summit? What progress has been made to date? What are
the challenges facing the implementation of the goals?
Chapter 2- Using Science to Address Environmental Problems
science
data (datum)
scientific method
hypothesis
inductive reasoning
deductive reasoning
variable
control
theory
principles
law
risk
risk assessment
risk management
toxicant
toxicology
acute toxicity
chronic toxicity
dose
response
lethal dose-50% (LD50)
effective dose-50% (ED50)
dose-response curve
threshold
carcinogen
precautionary principle
ecological risk assessment
environmental stressors
watershed
cost-benefit analysis
model
eutrophication
environmental sustainability
global commons
stewardship
Chapter Objectives:
1. Outline the steps of the scientific method.
2. Distinguish between deductive and inductive reasoning.
3. Define risk assessment and explain how it helps determine adverse health effects.
4. Describe how a dose-response curve is used in determining the health effects of environmental pollutants.
5. Discuss the precautionary principle as it relates to the introduction of new technologies or products.
6. Explain how policy makers use cost-benefit analyses to help formulate and evaluate environmental
legislation.
7. List and briefly describe the five stages of solving environmental problems.
8. Briefly describe the history of the Lake Washington pollution problem of the 1950s and how it was
resolved.
Questions to Think about:
1. List two ways in which human alteration of the natural environment is increasing the incidence of malaria
in some parts of the world.
2. List the steps of the scientific method and provide a one-sentence description of each.
3. Compare and contrast the following terms: principle and theory
4. Define the following term: control group. Explain the role of a control group in a scientific experiment.
5. Define acute toxicity. How is this different from chronic toxicity?
6. Compare and contrast the following terms: risk assessment and risk management.
7. Briefly explain what a dose-response curve is and how it is applied in determining the health effects of
environmental pollutants.
8. What is the precautionary principle? Identify one way in which this has impacted legislation affecting the
environment.
9. Briefly explain the term ecological risk assessment.
10. Explain what the term eutrophication means and how it can occur.
11. What is a system? What are the characteristics of one?
12. Explain what a positive feedback loop is and give an example.
13. Explain what a negative feedback loop is and give an example.
14. What is the tragedy of the commons?
15. Compare and contrast the processes of inductive and deductive reasoning, and then carefully explain how
both processes can be successfully used by scientists. Use examples to clarify your explanation.
16. What is risk? How are risk assessment and risk management applied to environmental issues? Identify
the difficulties, if any, in applying risk assessment and risk management to human issues, in particular,
environmental problems.
17. Compare and contrast LD50 and ED50. How are these values used to evaluate and/or regulate chemical
pollutants? How are these applications affected when the chemicals occur in combination, rather than
individually?
18. Explain how risk assessment and cost-benefit analysis are applied to environmental issues. What are the
weaknesses or problems of using this approach to identifying and solving environmental problems?
Chapter 3- Environmental History, Legislation and Economics
unfunded mandates
resources
conservation
preservation
frontier attitude
John James
Audubon
Henry David
Thoreau
George Perkins
Marsh
General Revision Act
Theodore
Roosevelt
Gifford Pinchot
John Muir
Franklin Roosevelt
Aldo Leopold
Rachel Carson
Paul Ehrlich
environmentalists
citizen suits
economics
source vs. sink
natural capital
external cost
marginal cost
sustainably
Northwest Forest
Plan
salvage logging
subsidy
emission charge
cost-benefit diagram
marginal cost of
pollution
marginal cost of pollution abatement
optimum amount of pollution
emission reduction credits (ERCs)
command and control regulation
incentive based regulation
marketable waste-discharge permits
environmental impact statements (EISs)
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
Chapter Objectives:
1. Define conservation and distinguish between conservation and preservation.
2. Briefly outline the environmental history of the United States.
3. Explain why the National Environmental Policy Act is the cornerstone of U.S. environmental law.
4. Relate how environmental impact statements provide such powerful protection of the environment.
5. Sketch a simple diagram that shows how economics is related to natural capital. Make sure you include
sources and sinks.
6. Describe various approaches to pollution control, including command and control regulation and
incentive-based regulation (that is, emissions charges and marketable waste-discharge permits).
7. Give two reasons why the national income accounts are incomplete estimates of national economic
performance.
8. Distinguish among the following economic terms: marginal cost of pollution, marginal cost of pollution
abatement, optimum amount of pollution.
9. Discuss some of the complexities of the "jobs versus the environment" issue in the Pacific Northwest.
Questions to think about:
1. Identify three individuals that have made a significant contribution to the environment and provide a one
sentence explanation of the contribution of each.
2. Explain the frontier attitude and the effect it had on early development of North America.
3. What is an environmental impact statement? Briefly explain.
4. Identify three major environmental laws, addressing three distinctly different aspects of the environment,
that have been passed since 1970.
5. Distinguish between the following terms: marginal cost of pollution and marginal cost of pollution
abatement.
6. List the distinguishing features of the deep ecology worldview.
7. What is the National Environmental Policy Act? Discuss its role in U.S. environmental law
8. What is an external cost? Why is pollution typically considered to be an external cost?
9. Sketch a cost-benefit diagram. Label the marginal cost of pollution, the marginal cost of pollution
abatement, and the economically optimum amount of pollution. Explain what the diagram tells you and
how it can be applied to environmental problems or issues.
10. Describe the optimum amount of pollution concept and identify any weaknesses in this approach. What
is the nature of the conflicts between this economic view of the environment and an environmentalist's
perspective? How can these discrepancies be resolved in a way that benefits the environment?
11. Identify three economic and/or legislative strategies used to control pollution.
12. Discuss the role of economics and government on the status of the environment in Central and Eastern
Europe.
Unit 2: Cycles & Soils (chapters 6,14, 21)
Chapter 6- Ecosystems and the Physical Environment
Gaia hypothesis
geophysiology
negative feedback loop
biogeochemical cycles
carbon cycle
fossil fuels
combustion
nitrogen cycle
nitrogen fixation
nitrogenase
nodules
heterocysts
nitrification
assimilation
ammonification
denitrification
nitrogen oxides
photochemical smog
acid deposition
phosphorus cycle
sulfur cycle
hydrologic cycle
transpiration
estuaries
runoff
watershed
groundwater
aerosols
albedo
troposphere
stratosphere
mesosphere
thermosphere
exosphere
winds
Coriolis effect
prevailing winds
polar easterlies
westerlies
trade winds
currents
gyres
density
upwelling
weather vs. climate
rain shadow
tornado
tropical cyclones
plate tectonics
plate boundaries
subduction
layers of Earth
lithosphere
asthenosphere
hot spot
seismic waves
faults
focus vs. epicenter
Soil
Soil profile
humus
infiltration
leaching
soil texture
loam
soil porosity
soil permeability
soil structure
El Niño—Southern
Oscillation (ENSO)
Chapter Objectives:
1. Diagram the carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, and hydrologic cycles.
2. Describe how humans have influenced the carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, and hydrologic cycles.
3. Summarize the effects of solar energy on Earth's temperature, including the influence of albedos of
various surfaces.
4. Discuss the roles of solar energy and the Coriolis effect in the production of global air and water flow
patterns.
5. Define El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and La Niña and describe some of their effects.
6. Distinguish between weather and climate and give three causes of regional precipitation differences.
7. Contrast tornadoes and tropical cyclones.
8. Define plate tectonics and explain its relationship to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
Questions to think about:
1. Explain the meaning of “nitrogen fixation” and provide an example of organisms capable of conducting
this process.
2. List and briefly explain three ways in which human activities are impacting the carbon cycle.
3. List the major components of the hydrologic cycle and identify the processes involved in the transfer or
exchange of water from one reservoir to another.
4. Bacteria are key participants in the carbon and nitrogen biogeochemical cycles. Briefly describe the role
of bacteria in each.
5. List four ways in which solar radiation makes life on Earth possible.
6. Briefly discuss the role of the Earth’s rotation and inclination on its axis on global temperature
variations.
7. Define “rain shadow” and explain why deserts form in the rain shadows of mountains.
8. What are the specific roles of the troposphere and stratosphere in the overall ecology of the Earth?
9. Briefly explain why earthquakes and volcanoes occur with high frequency at crustal plate boundaries.
10. What is soil? List the major components of soil.
11. List three ways in which human activities can increase the amount of soil erosion.
12. Describe the levels of soil organization known as horizons. Explain the role or significance of each
layer or horizon.
13. Identify and describe three ways in which farmers can conserve soil.
14. Describe the three types of plate interactions in plate tectonic theory.
15. Identify and briefly explain the biological processes involved in the nitrogen cycle.
16. What is an ENSO event and what causes it to occur? What effects does an ENSO event have on the
global environment?
17. Discuss the effect of wind patterns, water density, and the position of land masses on ocean water
circulation. What role, if any, does the Coriolis effect have in determining ocean circulation patterns?
18. Solar radiation influences a wide variety of physical processes, both in the atmosphere and on the
Earth’s surface. Explain the basis for the influence of solar radiation.
19. Distinguish among three main soil textures. Distinguish between soil porosity and soil permeability.
Chapter 14: Soils and their Preservation
soil
weathering processes
topography
humus
soil water
soil air
leaching
illuviation
soil horizons (O, A, E, B, C)
soil profile
ecosystem services
castings
mycorrhizae
nutrient cycling
soil texture
sand, silt, clay
ions
loam
spodosols
alfisols
mollisols
aridisols
oxisols
sustainable soil use
soil erosion
sheet erosion (Miller
354)
gully erosion (Miller 354)
rill erosion (Miller 354)
manure
green manure
organic vs. inorganic fertilizers
desertification (R&B 322, Miller
356)
Dust Bowl
compost
mulch
municipal solid waste composting
Conservation Reserve Program
Grassland Reserve Program
Chapter Objectives
1. Identify the factors involved in soil formation.
2. List the four components of soil and give the ecological significance of each.
3. Briefly describe soil texture and soil acidity.
4. Explain the impacts of soil erosion and mineral depletion on plant growth and on other resources such as
water.
5. Describe the American Dust Bowl and explain how a combination of natural and human-induced factors
caused this disaster.
6. Discuss the basic process of soil reclamation.
7. Briefly describe the provisions of the Farm Bill regarding the Conservation Reserve Program and the
Grasslands Reserve Program.
Questions to think about:
1. Describe the significant characteristics of the each soil groups.
2. Compare/contrast the soil profiles found in 5 different biomes.
3. How does the abiotic composition of soil directly affect the biotic world?
4. If clay holds moisture well, why is it not well suited for crops?
5. How does soil pH affect plant growth and how are humans causing soils to change in pH?
6. What is soil erosion and what are the main causes soil erosion?
7. Describe the three main types of soil erosion caused by water.
8. How does topsoil erosion cause water pollution?
9. Explain how poverty and erosion interact in a destructive positive feedback cycle.
10. What are the main soil problems in the US? How serious is soil erosion in the United States?
11. What is desertification and how can we slow the process?
12. Describe what events led to the Dust Bowl of the 1930’s. Include the actions taken to restore the land.
13. Explain why mineral depletion such a serious problem in the tropical rain forests?
14. What are some of the soil problems the world faces?
15. How do excess salts and water degrade soils?
16. How can we preserve/maintain/restore soil fertility?
soil pollution
salinization
Ch 21: Soil Pollution
soil remediation
vapor extraction
dilution
bioremediation
1. Define soil pollution and briefly discuss the specific problem of salinization.
phytoremediation
Unit 3: Ecosystems (chapters 4, 5, 16)
Chapter 4- Ecosystems and Energy
estuaries
biotic
abiotic
ecology
populations
species
community
ecosystem
landscape
landscape ecology
biosphere
atmosphere
hydrosphere
lithosphere
energy
kilojoules (kJ)
kilocalories (kcal)
potential energy
kinetic energy
thermodynamics
closed system
open system
isolated system
first law of thermodynamics
second law of thermodynamics
entropy
photosynthesis
chlorophyll
cellular respiration
hydrothermal vent
chemosynthesis
energy flow
producers
autotrophs
consumers
heterotrophs
primary consumers
herbivores
secondary consumers
tertiary consumers
carnivores
omnivores
detritus feeders
detritivores
detritus
decomposers
saprotrophs
Chapter Objectives:
1. Define ecology and distinguish among the following ecological levels: population, community,
ecosystem, landscape, and biosphere.
2. Define energy, and explain how it is related to work and to heat.
3. Use examples to contrast potential energy and kinetic energy.
4. State the first and second laws of thermodynamics, and discuss the implications of these laws as they
relate to organisms.
5. Write summary reactions for photosynthesis and respiration, and contrast these two biological processes.
6. Describe the communities around hydrothermal vents and explain the source of energy that sustains
them.
7. Summarize how energy flows through a food web, using the terms producer, consumer, and decomposer.
8. Explain some of the impacts humans have had on the Antarctic food web.
9. Draw and explain typical pyramids of numbers, biomass, and energy.
10. Distinguish between gross primary productivity and net primary productivity, and discuss human impact
on the latter.
Questions to think about:
1. Draw a flow chart to represent the organizational relationships between the following terms: ecosystem,
population, species, community, and biosphere.
2. Define landscape ecology and briefly explain how it relates to individual ecosystems.
3. Compare and contrast potential energy and kinetic energy using biological or ecological examples and
references.
4. Define entropy and briefly explain how it relates to the continual energy needs of organisms.
5. Briefly explain the process of cellular respiration and list three examples of organisms that use it. Your
answer should include the following terms: glucose, water, carbon dioxide, energy, and oxygen.
6. Define detritivore and provide two examples. Which category do these organisms belong in based on
their means of obtaining nourishment?
7. Compare and contrast the following terms: food chain and food web.
8. Briefly explain the meaning of the following phrase, "fishing down the food web."
9. Draw a flow chart to represent the organizational relationships between the following terms: ecosystem,
population, species, community, and biosphere.
10. Compare and contrast potential energy and kinetic energy using biological or ecological examples and
references.
11. Define entropy and briefly explain how it relates to the continual energy needs of organisms.
12. Briefly discuss the role of the following in an ecosystem: autotrophs, heterotrophs, producers, consumers,
detritivores and decomposers.
13. Define and briefly explain the term ecological pyramid.
14. Briefly summarize the first and second laws of thermodynamics and then explain how each is applicable
to the study of ecosystems and energy.
15. Explain why only about 10% of the energy is passed on as energy moves from one trophic level to
another. Use a food chain from an ecosystem of your choice starting with an energy value of 1,000,000
units to support your explanation.
16. Discuss the contributions of saprotrophs, detritivores, and autotrophs to a balanced ecosystem.
17. Compare and contrast two different types of ecological pyramids.
18. Compare and contrast net primary productivity and gross primary productivity. Incorporate at least one
equation in your explanation. What is the ecological significance of NPP?
Chapter 5- Ecosystems and Living Organisms
community
resource
ecosystem
keystone species
predation
directional selection
stabilizing selection
diversifying selection
convergent evolution
divergent evolution
coevolution
warning coloration
mimicry
symbiosis
symbionts
mutualism
zooxanthellae
mycorrhizae
commensalism
epiphytes
parasitism
pathogen
competition
intraspecific competition
interspecific competition
ecological niche
habitat
fundamental niche
realized niche
limiting factor
competitive exclusion
resource partitioning
species richness
ecotone
edge effect
ecosystem services
community stability
evolution
adaptation
natural selection
succession
primary vs. secondary succession
pioneer community/species
climax community
Chapter Objectives
1. Explain the four premises of evolution by natural selection as proposed by Charles Darwin.
2. Describe ecological succession and distinguish between primary and secondary succession.
3. Discuss an example of a keystone species.
4. Explain symbiosis and distinguish among mutualism, commensalism, and parasitism.
5. Define predation and describe the effects of natural selection on predator-prey relationships.
6. Define competition and distinguish between intraspecific and interspecific competition.
7. Describe the factors that contribute to an organism's ecological niche and distinguish between
fundamental niche and realized niche.
8. Give several examples of limiting factors and discuss how they might affect an organism's ecological niche.
9. Relate the concepts of competitive exclusion and resource partitioning.
10. Summarize the main determinants of species richness in a community and describe factors associated
with high species richness.
11. Give several examples of ecosystem services.
Things to think about:
1. What are the basic requirements for natural selection?
2. Define keystone species and list two examples of organisms that are keystone species.
3. Define coevolution and give an example.
4. Define symbiosis. Identify and briefly describe two different types of symbiotic relationships.
5. List and describe three plant defenses against herbivores.
6. Compare and contrast the following terms: warning coloration and camouflage.
7. List and describe three animal prey defenses against predators.
8. Compare and contrast the following terms: intraspecific competition and interspecific competition.
9. Define limiting factors. Briefly explain the role of limiting factors in the determination of an organism's
ecological niche.
10. Compare and contrast the processes of primary and secondary succession.
11. Define ecological niche. What role, if any, does competition play in determining an organism's
ecological niche?
12. Identify and discuss three conditions that lead to high species richness in a given community.
13. Explain how keystone species affect an ecosystem. Include two examples in your explanation.
14. Discuss the role of coevolution on the structure, behavior, and niche of a given species. What role, if
any, does natural selection play?
Chapter 16- Preserving Earth’s Biological Diversity
species
biodiversity
species richness
genetic diversity
ecosystem diversity
ecosystem services
evolution
extinction
background extinction
mass extinction
endangered species
threatened species
range vs. territory
endemic species
habitat fragmentation
adaptive radiation
biodiversity hotspots
biotic pollution
invasive species
commercial harvest
bellwether species
sentinel species
conservation biology
in-situ conservation
ex-situ conservation
restoration ecology
artificial insemination
embryo transfer
seed banks
World Conservation Strategy
national conservation strategy
wildlife management
flyways
commercial extinction
bioaccumulate
Endangered Species Act (ESA)
Chapter Objectives:
1. Define biological diversity and distinguish among genetic diversity, species richness, and ecosystem diversity.
2. Discuss five important ecosystem services provided by biological diversity.
3. Contrast threatened, endangered, and extinct species.
4. Define biodiversity hotspots and explain where most of the world’s biodiversity hotspots are located.
5. Describe four human causes of species endangerment and extinction and tell which cause is the most imp.
6. Define biotic pollution and explain how invasive species endanger native species.
7. Define conservation biology and compare in situ conservation and ex situ conservation.
8. Distinguish between conservation biology and wildlife management.
9. Discuss steps that can be taken to slow down or stop the decline in biological diversity.
Things to think about:
1. List three characteristics that increase the susceptibility of a given species to extinction.
2. What is biotic pollution? Discuss one specific example of this type of pollution.
3. What does commercial extinction mean? Give two examples of species that are commercially extinct.
4. What are bellwether species? Why they are important?
5. Identify the major provisions of the U.S. Endangered Species Act of 1973.
6. What is the mission of the U.S. Biological Resources Discipline?
7. List four actions that can be taken to reduce the current decline in biological diversity.
8. Explain the potential importance or value of having a "broad base of genetic diversity". How does this
apply to natural populations? How does this apply to cultivated or domesticated organisms?
9. Discuss why endemic species living on islands are particularly vulnerable to extinction.
10. Compare and contrast the designations of threatened, endangered, and extinct species.
11. What is the goal of conservation biology? What are in situ and ex situ conservation practices?
12. Why is sport hunting of deer and other herbivores important for their populations? For their ecosystem?
13. Compare and contrast the goals for wildlife management as compared to conservation biology.
14. Identify four actions that can be taken to slow or prevent the current decline in biological diversity.
Ch 7: Biomes
ONLY AQUATIC BIOMES ON MIDTERM
biome
plankton
phytoplankton
zooplankton
nekton
benthos
littoral zone
limnetic zone
profundal zone
thermal stratification
thermocline
fall turnover
spring turnover
blooms
freshwater wetlands
ecosystem services
estuary
salt marshes
mangrove forests
intertidal zone
benthic environment
abyssal benthic zone
sea grasses
kelps
coral reefs
zooxanthellae
fringing reef
atoll
barrier reef
neritic province
euphotic zone
oceanic province
marine snow
1. Define biome and discuss how biomes are related to climate.
2. Explain the similarities and the changes in vegetation with increasing elevation and increasing latitude.
3. Relate at least one human effect on each of the biomes discussed.
4. Summarize the important environmental factors that affect aquatic ecosystems.
5. Briefly describe the various freshwater, estuarine, and marine ecosystems, giving attention to the
environmental characteristics and representative organisms of each.
6. Relate at least one human effect on each of the aquatic ecosystems discussed.
7. Outline the environmental history of the Florida Everglades.