Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

SRHS AP Environmental Science 2024-2025 > Unit 1 > Flashcards

Unit 1 Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
Biology 101 flashcards
1
Q

Abiotic

A

Nonliving.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Accuracy

A

How close a measured value is to the actual or true value.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

Biotic

A

Living.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

Control group

A

In a scientific investigation, a group that experiences exactly the same conditions as the experimental group, except for the single variable under study.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Deductive reasoning

A

The process of applying a general statement to specific facts or situations.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

Dependent variable

A

A variable that is dependent on other factors.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

Ecosystem

A

A particular location on Earth with interacting biotic and abiotic components.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Environment

A

The sum of all the conditions surrounding us that influence life.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Environmental science

A

The field of study that looks at interactions among human systems and those found in nature.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

Environmental studies

A

The field of study that includes environmental science and additional subjects such as environmental policy, economics, literature, and ethics.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Environmentalism

A

A social movement that seeks to protect the environment through lobbying, activism, and education.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

First law of thermodynamics

A

A theory with no known exception that states that energy is neither created nor destroyed but it can change from one form to another.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

Hypothesis

A

A testable conjecture about how something works.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Independent variable

A

A variable that is not dependent on other factors.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Inductive reasoning

A

The process of making general statements from specific facts or examples.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Natural experiment

A

A natural event that acts as an experimental treatment in an ecosystem.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

Null hypothesis

A

A prediction that there is no difference between the groups or conditions that are being compared.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Precision

A

How close the repeated measurements of a sample are to one another.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

Replication

A

The data collection procedure of taking repeated measurements.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

Sample size (n)

A

The number of times a measurement is replicated in data collection.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

Scientific method

A

An objective method to explore the natural world, draw inferences from it, and predict the outcome of certain events, processes, or changes.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

Second law of thermodynamics

A

The physical law stating that when energy is transformed, the quantity of energy remains the same, but its ability to do work diminishes.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

Sustainability

A

Living on Earth in a way that allows humans to use its resources without depriving future generations of those resources.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

Theory

A

A hypothesis that has been repeatedly tested and confirmed by multiple groups of researchers and has reached wide acceptance.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

Uncertainty

A

An estimate of how much a measured or calculated value differs from a true value.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

Variable

A

Any categories, conditions, factors, or traits that differ in the natural world or in experimental situations.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

Aerobic

A

An environment with abundant oxygen.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

Aerobic respiration

A

The process by which cells convert glucose and oxygen into energy, carbon dioxide, and water.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

Algal bloom

A

A rapid increase in the algal population of a waterway.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

Anaerobic

A

An environment that lacks oxygen.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

Anaerobic respiration

A

The process by which cells convert glucose into energy in the absence of oxygen.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
32
Q

Aphotic zone

A

The deeper layer of ocean water that lacks sufficient sunlight for photosynthesis.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
33
Q

Aquatic biome

A

An aquatic region characterized by a particular combination of salinity, depth, and water flow.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
34
Q

Assimilation

A

A process by which plants and algae incorporate nitrogen into their tissues.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
35
Q

Benthic zone

A

The muddy bottom of a lake, pond, or ocean beneath the limnetic and profundal zones.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
36
Q

Biogeochemical cycle

A

The movements of matter within and between ecosystems involving cycles of biological, geological, and chemical processes.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
37
Q

Biomass

A

Biological material that has mass.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
38
Q

Biome

A

The plants and animals that are found in a particular region of the world.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
39
Q

Biosphere

A

The region of our planet where life resides.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
40
Q

Carbon cycle

A

The movement of carbon around the biosphere among reservoir sources and sinks.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
41
Q

Carnivore

A

A consumer that eats other consumers.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
42
Q

Cellular respiration

A

The process by which cells unlock the energy of chemical compounds.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
43
Q

Chemosynthesis

A

A process used by some bacteria to generate energy with methane and hydrogen sulfide.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
44
Q

Climate

A

The average weather that occurs in a given region over a long period of time.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
45
Q

Commensalism

A

An interaction between two species in which one species benefits and the other species is neither harmed nor helped.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
46
Q

Community ecology

A

The study of interactions among species.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
47
Q

Competition

A

The struggle of individuals, either within or between species, to obtain a shared limiting resource.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
48
Q

Competitive exclusion principle

A

The principle stating that two species competing for the same limiting resource cannot coexist.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
49
Q

Consumer (Heterotroph)

A

An organism that is incapable of photosynthesis and must therefore obtain its energy by consuming other organisms.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
50
Q

Coral bleaching

A

A phenomenon in which algae inside corals die, causing the corals to turn white.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
51
Q

Coral reef

A

Represents Earth’s most diverse marine biome, and are found in warm, shallow waters beyond the shoreline in tropical regions.

52
Q

Dead zone

A

When oxygen concentrations become so low that it kills fish and other aquatic animals.

53
Q

Decomposers

A

Fungi and bacteria that complete the breakdown process by converting organic matter into small elements and molecules that can be recycled back into the ecosystem.

54
Q

Denitrification

A

The conversion of nitrate (NO3) in a series of steps into the gases nitrous oxide (N2O) and, eventually, nitrogen gas (N2O), which is emitted into the atmosphere.

55
Q

Detritivore

A

An organism that specializes in breaking down dead tissues and waste products into smaller particles.

56
Q

Ecological efficiency

A

The proportion of consumed energy that can be passed from one trophic level to another.

57
Q

Estuary

A

An area along the coast where the fresh water of rivers mixes with salt water from the ocean.

58
Q

Eutrophic

A

Describes a lake with a high level of fertility.

59
Q

Evapotranspiration

A

The combined amount of evaporation and transpiration.

60
Q

Exotic species (Alien species)

A

A species living outside its historical range.

61
Q

Food chain

A

The sequence of consumption from producers through tertiary consumers.

62
Q

Food web

A

A model of how energy and matter move through two or more interconnected food chains.

63
Q

Freshwater biomes

A

Categorized as streams and rivers, lakes and ponds, or freshwater wetlands.

64
Q

Freshwater wetland

A

An aquatic biome that is submerged or saturated by water for at least part of each year, but shallow enough to support emergent vegetation.

65
Q

Global warming

A

The increase in global temperatures due to humans producing more greenhouse gases.

66
Q

Greenhouse gases

A

Gases in Earth’s atmosphere that trap heat near the surface.

67
Q

Gross primary productivity (GPP)

A

The total amount of solar energy that producers in an ecosystem capture via photosynthesis over a given amount of time.

68
Q

Habitat

A

An area where a particular species lives in nature.

69
Q

Herbivore (Primary consumer)

A

A consumer that eats producers.

70
Q

Herbivory

A

An interaction in which an animal consumes plants or algae.

71
Q

Hot desert

A

A biome located at roughly 30° N and 30° S, and characterized by hot temperatures, extremely dry conditions, and sparse vegetation.

72
Q

Hydrologic cycle

A

The movement of water around the biosphere among reservoir sources and sinks.

73
Q

Hypoxic

A

Low in oxygen.

74
Q

Intertidal zone

A

The narrow band of coastline that exists between the levels of high tide and low tide.

75
Q

Invasive species

A

A species that spreads rapidly across large areas and causes harm.

76
Q

Leaching

A

A process in which dissolved molecules are transported through the soil via groundwater.

77
Q

Limiting nutrient

A

A nutrient required for the growth of an organism but available in a lower quantity than other nutrients.

78
Q

Limnetic zone

A

A zone of open water in lakes and ponds as deep as the sunlight can penetrate.

79
Q

Littoral zone

A

The shallow zone of soil and water in lakes and ponds near the shore where most algae and emergent plants such as cattails grow.

80
Q

Mangrove swamp

A

A swamp that occurs along tropical and subtropical coasts, and contains salt-tolerant trees with roots submerged in water.

81
Q

Mesotrophic

A

Describes a lake with a moderate level of fertility.

82
Q

Mineralization (Ammonification)

A

The process by which fungal and bacterial decomposers break down the organic matter found in dead bodies and waste products and convert it into inorganic compounds, such as inorganic ammonium (NH4+).

83
Q

Mutualism

A

An interaction between two species that increases the chances of survival or reproduction for both species.

84
Q

Native species

A

A species that lives in its historical range, typically where it has lived for thousands or millions of years.

85
Q

Net primary productivity (NPP)

A

The energy captured by producers in an ecosystem minus the energy producers respire.

86
Q

Nitrification

A

The conversion of ammonia (NH4+) into nitrite (NO2−) and then into nitrate (NO3−).

87
Q

Nitrogen cycle

A

The movement of nitrogen around the biosphere among reservoir sources and sinks.

88
Q

Nitrogen fixation

A

The process that converts nitrogen gas in the atmosphere (N2) into forms of nitrogen that plants and algae can use.

89
Q

Oligotrophic

A

Describes a lake with a low level of phytoplankton due to low amounts of nutrients in the water.

90
Q

Open ocean

A

Deep-ocean water, located away from the shoreline where sunlight can no longer reach the ocean bottom.

91
Q

Parasitism

A

An interaction in which one organism lives on or in another organism, referred to as the host.

92
Q

Parasitoid

A

A specialized type of predator that lays eggs inside other organisms—referred to as its host.

93
Q

Pathogen

A

A parasite that causes disease in its host.

94
Q

Permafrost

A

An impermeable, permanently frozen layer of soil.

95
Q

Phosphorus cycle

A

The movement of phosphorus around the biosphere among reservoir sources and sinks.

96
Q

Photic zone

A

The upper layer of ocean water in the ocean that receives enough sunlight for photosynthesis.

97
Q

Photosynthesis

A

The process by which plants and algae use solar energy to convert carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O) into glucose (C6H12O6) and oxygen (O2).

98
Q

Phytoplankton

A

Floating algae.

99
Q

Predation

A

An interaction in which one animal typically kills and consumes another animal.

100
Q

Primary productivity

A

The rate of converting solar energy into organic compounds over a period of time.

101
Q

Producers (Autotrophs)

A

Plants, algae, and some bacteria that use the Sun’s energy to produce usable forms of energy, such as sugars.

102
Q

Profundal zone

A

A region of water where sunlight does not reach, below the limnetic zone in very deep lakes.

103
Q

Reservoirs

A

The components of the biogeochemical cycle that contain matter, including air, water, and organisms.

104
Q

Resource partitioning

A

When two species divide a resource based on differences in their behavior or morphology.

105
Q

Runoff

A

Water that moves across the land surface and into streams and rivers.

106
Q

Salt marsh

A

Found along the coast in temperate climates, a marsh containing nonwoody emergent vegetation.

107
Q

Savanna (Tropical seasonal forest)

A

A biome marked by warm temperatures and distinct wet and dry seasons.

108
Q

Scavenger

A

An organism that consumes dead animals.

109
Q

Secondary consumer

A

A carnivore that eats primary consumers.

110
Q

Shrubland (Woodland)

A

A biome characterized by hot, dry summers and mild, rainy winters.

111
Q

Standing crop

A

The amount of biomass present in an ecosystem at a particular time.

112
Q

Steady state

A

When a system’s inputs equal outputs, so that the system is not changing over time.

113
Q

Symbiosis

A

Two species living in close and long-term association with one another in an ecosystem.

114
Q

Taiga (Boreal forest)

A

A forest biome made up primarily of coniferous evergreen trees that can tolerate cold winters and short growing seasons.

115
Q

Temperate grassland (Cold desert)

A

A biome characterized by cold, harsh winters, and hot, dry summers.

116
Q

Temperate rainforest

A

A coastal biome typified by moderate temperatures and high precipitation.

117
Q

Temperate seasonal forest

A

A biome with warm summers and cold winters with over 1 m (39 inches) of annual precipitation.

118
Q

Terrestrial biome

A

A geographic region of land categorized by a particular combination of average annual temperature, annual precipitation, and distinctive plant growth forms.

119
Q

Tertiary consumer

A

A carnivore that eats secondary consumers.

120
Q

The 10% rule

A

Of the total biomass available at a given trophic level, only about 10 percent can be converted into energy at the next highest trophic level.

121
Q

Transpiration

A

The release of water from leaves into the atmosphere during photosynthesis.

122
Q

Trophic levels

A

The successive levels of organisms consuming one another.

123
Q

Trophic pyramid

A

A representation of the distribution of biomass, numbers, or energy among trophic levels.

124
Q

Tropical rainforest

A

A warm and wet biome found between 20°N and 20°S of the equator, with little seasonal temperature variation and high precipitation.

125
Q

Tundra

A

A cold and treeless biome with low-growing vegetation.

126
Q

Weather

A

The short-term conditions of the atmosphere in a local area, which include temperature, humidity, clouds, precipitation, and wind speed.

SRHS AP Environmental Science 2024-2025 (4 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions