🌋 AP ENV SCI CRAM CHART // ​@thinkfiveable​ ​//​ ​http://fiveable.me   

Living World: Ecosystems  Living World: Biodiversity  Populations  Earth Systems and Resources  Land and Water Use 
Unit 1 ​↓  Unit 2 ​↓  Unit 3 ↓
​   Unit 4 ↓
​   Unit 5 ↓
​  

Tragedy of the Commons - S ​ hared resources 

are overused by individuals 
Ecological Relationships - ​Predator-prey,  Plate Tectonics 
Clearcutting - ​Greatest profit, leads to soil 
mutualism, commensalism, parasitism, and  Biodiversity​ (Genetic, species, & habitat diversity)  Types of Species  ● Convergent (→|←), Divergent (←|→), 
erosion, ↑ water temps., flooding 
competition  ● Richness & evenness  ● Generalist (general niche) and  Transform (↑|↓) 
The Green Revolution 
Ecosystem Services​ - Supporting, provisioning,  Specialist (specific niche)  Soil Formation: ​Weathered → Transported → 
Terrestrial Biomes - T ​ undra, Taiga, Temperate  ● New ways to increase food supply 
regulation, and cultural  ● K- and R-Strategists  Deposited 
Rainforests, Tropical Rainforests, Grasslands,  ● GMO, Mechanization, Fertilization, 
Island Biogeography ​(islands & biodiversity)  Survivorship Curve- ​Type I, II, and III  Soil Horizons​: Hummus → Topsoil → Horizon E 
Savanna, and Desert  Irrigation, Pesticides- destroys pests 
● Larger island = more species  Carrying Capacity​- The population of a  → Subsoil → Parent Material → Bedrock 
Aquatic Biomes​ - Coral reefs, estuaries, ponds,  Impact of Agricultural Practices 
● closer to mainland = more species  specific organism that an environment can  Properties of Soil - ​Water-Holding Capacity, 
lakes, rivers, and oceans  ● Tilling, Slash-and-Burn farming, 
● emigration and immigration  support  Particle Size, pH, Aeration & Compaction 
Carbon Cycle​ - Photosynthesis, carbon exchange,  Fertilizers 
Ecological Tolerance  Age Structure Diagram​ - shows the  Earth’s Atmosphere - M ​ ajor Gases (Nitrogen 
fossil fuels, respiration  Irrigation Methods 
● Ability of species to tolerate certain  percentage of a population in different age  and Oxygen) 
Nitrogen Cycle - ​Nitrogen Fixation, Nitrification,  ● 70% of freshwater is for irrigation 
conditions  groups  ● Troposphere → Stratosphere (​Ozone 
Assimilation, Ammonification, and Denitrification  ● Drip, Spray, Flood, Furrow, 
Natural Disruptions to Ecosystems - H ​ abitat changes,  Growth​- Exponential (J-curve) & Logistic  Layer​) → Mesosphere → Thermosphere 
Phosphorus Cycle - ​major reservoirs are rocks  Waterlogging, Salinization 
sea level, climate changes, & migrations  (S-Curve)  (aka i​ onosphere​) 
Pest Control Methods​- Pesticides, GMOs 
Hydrologic Cycle​ - precipitation, evaporation,  ● Resistance & Resilience of Ecosystems  Total Fertility Rate- a
​ vg # of kids born to a  Global Wind Patterns 
Meat Production 
condensation, transpiration  Adaptations  woman  ● Convection Currents​- warm air to 
● 20x more land than crops (CAFOs, 
Primary Productivity​→ energy from sun used by  ● Survival of the Fittest - best traits survive  Infant Mortality Rate-​ # of kids that die  poles and cool air to equator 
free-range) 
plants (GPP and NPP)  ● Reproductive Isolation - population is  before 5 yrs old  ● Coriolis Effect​- winds curve 
Mining 
Trophic Levels - ​autotrophs, heterotrophs,  separated  Rule of 70- ​time to double population is 70/(%  Watersheds - ​Channel that brings runoff 
● Soil must be replaced, habitat 
primary producers, primary, secondary, and  Ecological Succession  population growth)  together to main discharge point 
fragmentation, must dig deeper = 
tertiary consumers  ● Primary (starts w/ rock) & Secondary  Population Growth Formula Climate​ - mountain rain effect, volcanic 
more expense 
Energy Flow (10% Rule)​ - approx. 10% of energy  (starts w/ some soil)  activity, human interaction, pollution,  
Urbanization- ​Urban Sprawl increases FF use, 
moves to next trophic level  ● Keystone Species (LARGE role in  El Niño and La Niña 
more impervious surfaces = lots of runoff 
Food Web - s ​ hows the flow of energy and  ecosystem) & Indicator Species (reflect  ● El Niño- warming of ocean surface  
Sustainability 
nutrients through different food chains  health of ecosystem)  ● La Niña- cooling of ocean surface 
● Reduce-reuse-recycle & energy 
 
efficiency 
●  

Energy Resources & Consumption  Air Pollution  Aquatic and Terrestrial Pollution  Global Change 
FRQ Tips + Tricks 
Unit 6 ↓
​   Unit 7 ​↓  Unit 8​↓  Unit 9​↓ 

Point source of pollution-​ a single pollutant  Tropical Ozone Cycle-  

source, like a smokestack or walgal bloom  Step 1: O3 + electromagnetic radiation -> O  ● Do not use flowery words/phrases 
● When algal bloom dies, microbes  + O2  ● like “Bad for the environment”  
digest algae and O2 in the water,  Step 2: O + O2 -> O3  ● Label your sections (A, Ai, Aii, B) 
Nonrenewable-​ finite supply and can’t be 
-> decrease in dissolved O2   Ozone Depletion with CFCs-  ● Ecological/environmental does NOT 
replenished (Oil, Coal, Natural Gas, Petroleum)  ● Primary are from the source, then altered into 
● Lack of dissolved O2 -> large of  Step 1: CFCl3 + electromagnetic radiation →  mean people (economic does) 
Renewable-​ can be replenished (wind,  secondary with + UV +H​2​O (sometime) 
die-off of aquatic organisms  Cl + CFCl2   
hydroelectric, solar, biomass)  ● Combustion of fossil fuels creates: NO​,​ SO​x​ CO​x​, 
Hypoxia Zones-​ bodies of water with low  Step 2: Cl + O3 → ClO + O2  Experimental design 
Industrialization = more energy demand  PM 
dissolved O2  Step 3: ClO + O3 → Cl· + 2 O2  ● Independent variable​ (IV) is one that 
Biomass​- from organic material  Photochemical Smog​- VOCs + O​3​, irritates eyes and 
D.O - d​ issolved O2  Montreal Protocol- ​1987 created to phase  you CHOOSE to change 
Fossil Fuels- O
​ il (compressed organic material),  lungs 
B.O.D- B ​ iological Oxygen demand  out production of chemicals that  ● Dependent variable​ (DV) is the result 
Coal (Carbon, hydrogen, & Oxygen), Natural Gas  Thermal Inversion​ warm air blankets cool air, traps 
(D.O. Increase, B.O.D. Decrease)  deplete the ozone. Use HFCs, not  of that change, data that is collected 
● Releases CO2, greenhouse gases, etc.  pollution, forms easily in valleys 
Oligatrophic- ​ very low nutrients, stable algae  CFCs  ● Constants ​factors that do not change 
Hydraulic Fracking- ​drilling through rock for oil  Indoor Air Pollutants​ - CO, VOCs, Radon, PM 
population, and high dissolved O2  Greenhouse Gase sources- ​volcanic  ● Control -​ the experiment done 
Nuclear Energy- g ​ etting power from nuclear rxn  Reducing Air Pollutants - ​conservation of FF, 
Clean Water Act- ​1948 (established) 1972  eruptions, carbon dioxide, methane,  without IV 
(Nuclear Fission)  scrubbers in smokestacks, catalytic convertor in cars 
(expanded) Sets maximum permissible  nitrous oxide, CFCs.  ● Hypothesis format​: If ​IV​ then ​DV​ will 
Renewable-​ supply able to be replenished  Acid Rain​ - NO​x​, SO​x​ combine with water in air, fall as 
amounts of water pollution in waterways  Changes to The Environment- r​ ise in global  occur. 
Geothermal-​ power from using heat stored in  rain; negatively impacts plants, animals, statues 
Safe Drinking Water Act- ​1974 set maximum  temp -> rising sea levels, melting ice  ● Must be r​ epeatable (​ run experiment 
earth  Noise Pollution​ - volume that causes stress and 
containment level for pollutants in drinking  sheets, disease vectors spreading,  at least three times) 
Hydrogen Fuel Cell- ​powered by the sun,  hearing loss (transportation, construction, music) 
water that hurt human health  extreme weather   
hydrogen and water  ● Interferes with mating, hunting, migration 
ater discharge pipe  Biodiversity- v
​ ariety of life in a given area  Analysis 
Wind-​ captures kinetic energy of wind  Catalytic Converter - ​Cars use it to reduce very 
Nonpoint source of pollution-​ diffused, and  Factors causing a decrease in biodiversity:  ● Graphical trends are + (line goes up) 
Energy Conservation- ​can be done through  harmful pollutants, 2NO + 2CO → 1N​2​ + 2CO​2 
therefore are difficult to identify, like the  HIPPCO- ​habitat destruction, invasive  or - (goes down), may go up, then 
regulations and personal actions 
spraying of a pesticide or urban runoff.  species, population growth, pollution,  down, then up. . .  
Eutrophication-​ occurs when a body of water  climate change, over exploitation   ● Describe trend using the data, 
is enriched in nutrients.    ALWAYS include numbers / % 
● Increase in nutrients causes