Practice AP Environmental Science Unit 1 questions on energy flow, biogeochemical cycles, productivity, trophic levels, food webs and ecosystem change.
Habitat destruction and fragmentation can have many different effects on species.
Identify the symbiotic relationship between the wood thrush and the cowbird.
There is a natural climate phenomenon that occurs in the equatorial Pacific Ocean because of periodic fluctuations in sea surface conditions and atmospheric circulation. This phenomenon happens every few years, resulting in shifts in temperature and precipitation in many parts of the world.
Figure 1 shows temperature and precipitation patterns associated with one phase of this phenomenon in the equatorial Pacific Ocean. Figure 2 shows the associated temperature and precipitation patterns that occur over North America.
Figure 1. Effects of Changes in Sea Surface Conditions in Equatorial Pacific Ocean
Figure 2. Polar Jet Stream and Climate Conditions in North America
Respond to parts A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, and J.
Terrestrial biomes are primarily determined by temperature and precipitation patterns.
Describe one difference between the climate of a temperate seasonal forest and that of a savanna.
Asian carp were first introduced in the southern United States in the 1970s by fish farmers wanting to control algal growth in fish ponds. Asian carp can eat up to 40\% of their body weight in algae each day, and a female carp can produce up to 1 million eggs every year.
Distribution of the Asian Carp in the United States
Based on the information given, identify a body of water invaded by Asian carp that is labeled on the map.
Identify the primary consumer in the Great Lakes food chain.
Describe what the arrows in the aquatic food chain represent.
Biogeochemical cycles describe the movement of certain elements (typically bound with other elements in compounds) through Earth's atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and lithosphere. These elements and their compounds are necessary components of all life, and because they cycle, they can be used repeatedly by new generations of organisms. Each biogeochemical cycle has different pathways with various reservoirs (sources and sinks) where elements may reside for days or millions of years.
The atmosphere is one important carbon reservoir.
Describe a biological process by which carbon is removed from the atmosphere and converted to organic molecules.
Describe a biological process by which carbon is converted from organic molecules to a gas and returned to the atmosphere.
Oceans and terrestrial systems are also important carbon reservoirs.
Explain how atmospheric carbon is incorporated into two oceanic sinks.
Identify one terrestrial sink, other than fossil fuels, that stores carbon for thousands to millions of years.
The burning of fossil fuels has been shown to increase the concentration of carbon in the atmosphere. Discuss TWO other human activities that increase the concentration of carbon in the atmosphere.
Phosphorus is another element important to all organisms.
Describe one major way in which the phosphorus cycle differs from the carbon cycle.
Identify one reason that phosphorus is necessary for organisms.