AP Environmental Science: Unit 2 (Chapters 2-3) Vocabulary

Gross Primary Productivity (GPP)

Rate at which an ecosystem's producers capture and store a given amount of chemical energy as biomass in a given length of time. GPP is the amount of chemical energy saved by producers to be consumed and fluctuate the amount of biomass produced after its consumption in a certain amount of time.

Unreliable Science

Scientific results or hypotheses presented as reliable science without having undergone the rigors of the peer review process. If I were to say that it is 100% true that aspirin is not a solution to headache symptoms, it would be considered unreliable without all of the experimentation to prove my case.

Stratosphere

Second layer of the atmosphere. extending about 27-48 kilometers (11-30 miles) above the earth's surface. It contains small amounts of gaseous ozone which filters out about 95% of the incoming harmful ultraviolet radiation emitted by the sun. Stratosphere contains ozone and sits right above the troposphere to protect the earth from harmful UV rays.

System

Set of components that function and interact in some regular and theoretically predictable manner. A system of schoolwork would be to pay attention/take notes in class and do any and all homework/studying in order to prepare for tests/ quizzes and pass advanced on the course.

Greenhouse Gases

Gases in the earth's lower atmosphere (troposphere) that cause the greenhouse effect. Cows from livestocks release a lot of methane gas, which further the greenhouse effect by trapping even more heat into the atmosphere under the ozone layer in the stratosphere.

Natural Greenhouse Effect

Natural effect that releases heat in the atmosphere near the earth's surface. Water vapor, carbon dioxide, ozone, and other gases in the lower atmosphere (troposphere) absorb some of the infrared radiation (heat) radiated by the earth's surface. Their molecules vibrate and transform the absorbed energy into longer-wavelength infrared radiation in the troposphere. If the atmospheric concentrations of these greenhouse gases increase and other natural processes do not remove them, the average temperature of the lower atmosphere will increase. By burning fuels containing methane, carbon dioxide, sulfur oxide, etc., we add an unnatural effect to the greenhouse effect which majorly increases the planet's overall temperature at a surprising rate.

Biogeochemical (nutrient) Cycle

Natural processes that recycle nutrients in various chemical forms from the nonliving environment to living organisms and then back to the nonliving environment. The hydrologic, sulfur, phosphorus, nitrogen, and carbon cycles are biogeechemical cycles where these molecules are cycled and recycled through the biosphere, geosphere, and, except for phosphorus, the atmosphere.

pH

Numeric value that indicates relative acidity or alkalinity of a substance on a scale of 0 to 14, with the neutral point at 7. Acid solutions have pH values lower than 7; basic or alkaline solutions have pH values greater than 7. Lemon juice would be acidic; pH less than 7. Laundry detergent is basic, with a pH of about 11.

Communtiy

Populations of all species living and interacting in an area at a particular time. Populations of squirrels, deer, and frogs in a forest make up a community.

Tentative (Frontier) Science

Preliminary scientific data, hypotheses, and models that have not been widely accepted and tested. If I were to propose a simple hypothesis on how acidity affects the water cycle that was not already being studied in the field, but is considerable, it would be considered tentative science.

Chemosynthesis

Process in which certain organisms (mostly specialized bacteria) extract inorganic compounds from their environment and convert them into organic nutrient compounds without the presence of sunlight. Many micro organisms deep under the ocean use chemosynthesis to extract their necessary compounds/nutrients without the use of sunlight.

Peer Review

Process of scientists reporting details of the methods and models the used, the results of their experiments, and the reasoning behind their hypotheses for other scientists working in the same field (their peers) to examine and criticize. Peer review is when multiple scientists judge, re-experiment, and re-calculate results of their peers experiments for further research and review.

Net Primary Productivity (NPP)

Rate at which all the plants in an ecosystem produce net useful chemical energy; equal to the difference between the rate at which the plants in an ecosystem produce useful chemical energy (gross primary productivity) and the rate at which they use some of that energy through cellular respiration. The rate at which producers produce net useful chemical energy in which is not for themselves but for the consumption of other organisms in the environment.

Scientific Theory

A well-tested and widely accepted scientific hypothesis. Evolution, the Big-Bang, and the Atomic are all theories in question around the world constantly being studied to determine a straight answer.

Inorganic Compounds

All compounds not classified as organic compounds. Inorganic Compounds (with the exception of methane) include at least 2 carbon atoms to be named organic.

Trophic Level

All organisms that are the same number of energy transfer away from the original source of energy. For example, all producers belong to the first trophic level and all herbivores belong to the second trophic level in a food chain or web. Humans would be mostly on the 2nd or 3rd trophic levels, as omnivores, as opposed to first (producers) or fourth (mostly carnivores).

Scientific Hypothesis

An educated guess that attempts to explain a scientific law or certain scientific observations. An educated guess made mostly by scientists in investigation of a solution to an irritating question to try to explain events is a hypothesis.

Matter

Anything that has mass (the amount of material in an object) and takes up space. On the earth, where gravity is present, we weigh an object to determine its mass. Gases, solids, liquids, plasma, and BAC are all forms of matter; everything on our earth is made up of one of the five forms of matter.

Science

Attempts to discover order in nature and use that knowledge to make predictions about what is likely to happen in nature. All branches of the natural world in which we study in order to gain a better understanding of is the broad subject of science.

Hydrologic (Water) Cycle

Biogeochemical cycle that collects, purifies, and distributes the earth's fixed supply of water from the environment to living organisms and then back to the environment. The evaporation, precipitation, and transpiration of water help in the water cycle as well as aquifers naturally purifying drinking water.

Ecology

Biological science that studies the relationships between living organisms and their environment; study of the structure and functions of nature. Biogeochemical cycles, food chains/webs, population trends, and biomes are all included in ecology.

Geosphere

Earth's intensely hot core, thick mantle composed mostly of rock, and thin outer crust that contains most of the earth's rock, soil, and sediment. Basically, any rock, soil, and formation caused by plate tectonics attached to the structure of the earth is within the geosphere.

Aerobic Respiration

Complex process that occurs in the cells of most living organisms, in which nutrient organic molecules such as glucose combine with oxygen to produce carbon dioxide, water, and energy. In order for you and I to use energy, we breathe air (oxygen) and use carbohydrates through food (glucose) during aerobic respiration, in which we also breathe out carbon dioxide and sweat water.

Photosynthesis

Complex process that takes place in cells of green plants. Radiant energy from the sun is used to combine carbon dioxide and water to produce oxygen, carbohydrates (glucose), and other nutrient molecules. Plant cells combine water, carbon dioxide, and sunlight to produce glucose and oxygen for the consumption of other organisms in the environment.

Organic Compounds

Compounds containing carbon atoms combined with each other and with atoms of one or more other elements such as hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorus, chlorine, and fluorine. Organic compounds include proteins, carbohydrates, and other carbon compounds in which are combined with two or more carbon atoms.

Reliable Science

Concepts and ideas that are widely accepted by experts in a particular field of the natural or social sciences. Most theories, laws, and common concepts of nature are constantly studied reliable science.

Carbon Cycle

Cyclic movement of carbon in different chemical forms from the environment to organisms and then back to the environment. We affect the carbon cycle by emitting carbon dioxide form burning fossil fuels in amounts to large to eliminate naturally.

Nitrogen Cycle

Cyclic movement of nitrogen in different chemical forms from the environment to organisms and then back to the environment. In the nitrogen cycle, nitrous oxide must be fixed by bacteria or lightning in order to be used by plants.

Phosphorus Cycle

Cyclic movement of phosphorus in different chemical forms from the environment to organisms and then back to the environment. Phosphorus moves through the biosphere and geosphere, but not the atmosphere, and then decomposers break down what has been consumed back to the soil.

Sulfur Cycle

Cyclic movement of sulfur in various chemical forms from the environment to organisms and then back to the environment. Burning sulfur containing fossil fuels causes acid rain, which damages both the hydrologic and sulfur cycles in production.

Scientific Law (Law of Nature)

Description of what scientists find happening in nature repeatedly in the same way, without known exception. Scientific law only exists to explain events happening in a repetitive order until a such event occurs to negate the repetition of events.

High-quality Energy

Energy that is concentrated and has great ability to perform useful work. Natural sources of matter (fossil fuels), solar energy, and extremely hot temperatures are high-quality energy.

Low-quality Energy

Energy that is dispersed and has little ability to do useful work. Low temperature heat is low-quality energy and too disperse therefore not very useful to carry out work.

Data

Factual information collected by scientists. Quantities and qualities of any measurable aspect of nature by collected by scientists is data.

Positive Feedback Loop

Feedback loop that causes a system to change further in the same direction. Cutting down trees allows water and nutrients to flow more freely, which continually degrades the environment even further mostly without pausing.

Negative Feedback Loop

Feedback loop that causes a system to change in the opposite direction from which it is moving. A negative feedback loop would be represented by a thermostat kicking on to lower the temperature when it is set on 70 degres and the house is currently 75 degrees in order to stop the system's flow.

Anaerobic Respiration (Fermentation)

Form of cellular respiration in which some decomposers get the energy they need through the breakdown of glucose (or other nutrients) in the absence of oxygen. When their is not enough oxygen content in soil, bacteria get their energy from the breakdown of glucose into its carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen atoms to get their energy.

Population

Group of individual organisms of the same species living in a particular area. 20 turtles on the side of the road make up a population.

Atomic Theory

Idea that all elements are made up of atoms; the most widely accepted scientific theory in chemistry. Demonstrating that everything around us is made up of atoms with different charges to make up our environment demonstrates atomic theory.

Law of Conservation of Matter

In any physical or chemical change, matter is neither created nor destroyed but merely changed from one form to another; in physical and chemical changes, existing atoms are rearranged into different spacial patterns (physical changes) or different combinations (chemical changes). When I tear paper, all of the matter is still there in a solid form; when I burn the paper, it turns to flame into gas as matter; therefore I have neither created nor destroyed any matter, according to the Law of Conservation of Matter.

Troposphere

Innermost layer of the atmosphere. It contains about 75% of the mass of earth's air and extends about 17 kilometers (11 miles) above sea level. We breath and can visibly see the blue reflection of the seas in/on the troposphere.

Synergistic Interaction (Synergy)

Interaction of two or more factors or processes so that the combined effect is greater than the sum of their separate effects. Studying with a friend for a test or running with a partner to test your speed/endurance represents a synergistic interaction.

High-quality Matter

Matter that is concentrated and contains a high concentration of a useful resource. Fossil fuels, which are burned for mass production and release heat in the form of carbon dioxide, are high-quality matter.

Low-quality Matter

Matter that is dilute or dispersed or contains a low concentration of a useful resource. Carbon dioxide is way too dispersed and common in the atmosphere, but is no where near to being anymore useful, therefore it is low-quality matter.

Ecosystem

One or more communities of different species interacting with one another and with the chemical and physical factors making up their nonliving environment. A pile of rocks, carp, sea grass, crabs, and water on a continental shelf is an ecosystem.

Biomass

Organic matter produced by plants and other photosynthetic producers; total dry weight of all living organisms that can be supported at each trophic level in a food chain or web; dry weight of all organic matter in plants and animals in an ecosystem; plant materials and animal wastes used as fuel. Farmers often use biomass as fertilizer for its high content of nutrients from decomposed and dried matter.

1st Law of Thermodynamics

Whenever energy is converted from one form to another in a physical or chemical change, no energy is created or destroyed, but energy can be changed from one form to another; you cannot get more energy out of something than you put in; in terms of energy quantity, you cannot get something for nothing. This law does not apply to nuclear changes, in which large amounts of energy can be produced from small amounts of matter. Also known as the Law of Conservation of Matter. When I burn firewood for heat, I neither create nor destroy energy but merrily convert energy from thermal to heat.

2nd Law of Thermodynamics

Whenever energy is converted from one form to another in a physical or chemical change, we end up with lower-quality or less usable energy than we started with. In any conversion of heat energy to useful work, some of the initial energy input is always degraded to lower-quality, more dispersed, less useful energy-usually low-temperature heat that flows into the environment; you cannot break even in terms of energy quality. When I burn firewood for heat, I am burning high-quality matter and turning it to low-quality energy which will become dispersed in the environment.

Atmosphere

Whole mass of air surrounding the earth. All the levels of air mass surrounding the crust of the earth up to space.

Biosphere

Zone of the earth where life is found. It consists of parts of the atmosphere (the troposphere), hydrosphere (mostly surface water and groundwater), and lithosphere (mostly soil and surface rocks and sediments at the bottoms of oceans and other bodies of water) where life is found. All organisms and forms of life found in the atmosphere and geosphere.