Important Vocabulary
Note: All the vocabulary is from my AP Textbook (Friedland & Relyea, Environmental Science for the AP® Course, 3rd edition). It has all the AP content, but some of the units aren't categorized exactly like Collegeboard's. I labelled the sections as the textbook does it. The "unit" notes in the other pages of this website are all categorized as Collegeboard does it.
Unit 1, "Introduction"
Chapter 1: Environmental Science - Studying the State of Our Earth
- Fossil fuel
- Fracking
- Environment
- Environmental science
- Ecosystem
- Biotic
- Abiotic
- Environmentalism
- Environmental studies
- Ecosystem services
- Environmental indicator
- Biodiversity
- Genetic diversity
- Species
- Species diversity
- Speciation
- Background extinction rate
- Greenhouse gases
- Anthropogenic
- Per capita
- Development
- Sustainability
- Sustainable development
- Biophilia
- Ecological footprint
- Scientific method
- Hypothesis
- Variable
- Independent variable
- Dependent variable
- Null hypothesis
- Replication
- Sample size (n)
- Accuracy
- Precision
- Uncertainty
- Theory
- Control group
- Natural experiment
Chapter 2: Environmental Systems
- Matter
- Mass
- Atom
- Element
- Periodic table
- Molecule
- Compound
- Atomic number
- Mass number
- Isotopes
- Radioactive decay
- Half-life
- Covalent bond
- Ionic bond
- Hydrogen bond
- Polar molecule
- Surface tension
- Capillary action
- Acid
- Base
- pH
- Ocean acidification
- Chemical reaction
- Law of conservation of matter
- Inorganic compound
- Organic compound
- Carbohydrate
- Protein
- Nucleic acid
- DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid)
- RNA (ribonucleic acid)
- Lipid
- Cell
- Energy
- Joule (J)
- Power
- Electromagnetic radiation
- Photon
- Potential energy
- Chemical energy
- Kinetic energy
- Temperature
- First law of thermodynamics
- Second law of thermodynamics
- Energy efficiency
- Energy quality
- Entropy
- Open system
- Closed system
- Input
- Output
- Systems analysis
- Steady state
- Negative feedback loop
- Positive feedback loop
- Adaptive management plan
Unit 2, "The Living World: Ecosystems and Biodiversity"
Chapter 3: Ecosystem Ecology
- Biosphere
- Producer
- Autotroph
- Photosynthesis
- Cellular respiration
- Aerobic respiration
- Anaerobic respiration
- Consumer
- Heterotroph
- Herbivore
- Primary consumer
- Carnivore
- Secondary consumer
- Tertiary consumer
- Trophic levels
- Food chain
- Food web
- Scavenger
- Detritivore
- Decomposers
- Gross primary productivity (GPP)
- Net primary productivity (NPP)
- Biomass
- Standing crop
- Ecological efficiency
- Trophic pyramid
- Biogeochemical cycle
- Hydrologic cycle
- Transpiration
- Evapotranspiration
- Runoff
- Carbon cycle
- Macronutrient
- Limiting nutrient
- Nitrogen cycle
- Nitrogen fixation
- Nitrification
- Assimilation
- Mineralization
- Ammonification
- Denitrification
- Leaching
- Phosphorus cycle
- Algal bloom
- Hypoxic
- Dead zone
- Sulfur cycle
- Disturbance
- Resistance
- Resilience
- Restoration ecology
- Watershed
- Intermediate disturbance hypothesis
Chapter 4: Global Climates and Biomes
- Climate
- Weather
- Troposphere
- Stratosphere
- Albedo
- Saturation point
- Adiabatic cooling
- Adiabatic heating
- Latent heat release
- Atmospheric convection current
- Hadley cell
- Intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ)
- Polar cell
- Ferrell cell
- Coriolis effect
- Rain shadow
- Gyres
- Upwelling
- Thermohaline circulation
- El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO)
- Terrestrial biome
- Aquatic biome
- Habitat
- Tundra
- Permafrost
- Boreal forest
- Temperate rainforest
- Temperate seasonal forest
- Woodland/shrubland
- Temperate grassland/cold desert
- Tropical rainforest
- Tropical seasonal forest/savanna
- Subtropical desert
- Littoral zone
- Limnetic zone
- Phytoplankton
- Profundal zone
- Benthic zone
- Oligotrophic
- Mesotrophic
- Eutrophic
- Freshwater wetland
- Salt marsh
- Estuary
- Mangrove swamp
- Intertidal zone
- Coral reef
- Coral bleaching
- Open ocean
- Photic zone
- Aphotic zone
- Chemosynthesis
Chapter 5: Evolution of Biodiversity
- Species richness
- Species evenness
- Phylogeny
- Evolution
- Microevolution
- Macroevolution
- Gene
- Genotype
- Phenotype
- Mutation
- Recombination
- Evolution by artificial selection
- Evolution by natural selection
- Fitness
- Adaptation
- Gene flow
- Genetic drift
- Bottleneck effect
- Extinction
- Founder effect
- Geographic isolation
- Allopatric speciation
- Reproductive isolation
- Sympatric speciation
- Genetically modified organism
- Range of tolerance
- Fundamental niche
- Realized niche
- Distribution
- Niche generalist
- Niche specialist
- Mass extinction
Unit 3, "Biological and Human Populations"
Chapter 6: Population and Community Ecology
- Population
- Community
- Population ecology
- Population size (N)
- Population density
- Population distribution
- Sex ratio
- Age structure
- Limiting resource
- Density-dependent factor
- Carrying capacity (K)
- Density-independent factor
- Population growth model
- Population growth rate
- Intrinsic growth rate (r)
- Exponential growth model (Nt = N0ert)
- J-shaped curve
- Logistic growth model
- S-shaped curve
- Overshoot
- Die-off
- K-selected species
- r-selected species
- Survivorship curve
- Type I survivorship curve
- Type II survivorship curve
- Type III survivorship curve
- Corridor
- Metapopulation
- Inbreeding depression
- Community ecology
- Symbiotic relationship
- Competition
- Competitive exclusion principle
- Resource partitioning
- Predation
- Parasitoid
- Parasitism
- Pathogen
- Herbivory
- Mutualism
- Commensalism
- Keystone species
- Ecosystem engineer
- Ecological succession
- Primary succession
- Secondary succession
- Pioneer species
- Climax community
- Theory of island biogeography
Chapter 7: The Human Population
- Demography
- Demographer
- Immigration
- Emigration
- Crude birth rate (CBR)
- Crude death rate (CDR)
- Doubling time
- Total fertility rate (TFR)
- Replacement-level fertility
- Developed country
- Developing country
- Life expectancy
- Infant mortality
- Child mortality
- Net migration rate
- Age structure diagram
- Population pyramid
- Population momentum
- Theory of demographic transition
- Affluence
- Family planning
- IPAT equation
- Gross domestic product (GDP)
- Urban area
Unit 4, "Earth Systems And Resources"
Chapter 8: Earth Systems
- Core
- Mantle
- Magma
- Asthenosphere
- Lithosphere
- Crust
- Hot spot
- Plate tectonics
- Tectonic cycle
- Subduction
- Volcano
- Divergent plate boundary
- Seafloor spreading
- Convergent plate boundary
- Transform fault boundary
- Fault
- Seismic activity
- Fault zone
- Earthquake
- Epicenter
- Richter scale
- Tsunami
- Rock cycle
- Igneous rock
- Intrusive igneous rock
- Extrusive igneous rock
- Fracture
- Sedimentary rock
- Metamorphic rock
- Physical weathering
- Chemical weathering
- Acid precipitation
- Acid rain
- Erosion
- Parent material
- Soil degradation
- Horizon
- O horizon
- Humus
- A horizon
- Topsoil
- E horizon
- B horizon
- C horizon
- Cation exchange capacity (CEC)
- Base saturation
- Crustal abundance
- Ore
- Metal
- Reserve
- Strip mining
- Mine tailings
- Open-pit mining
- Mountaintop removal
- Placer mining
- Subsurface mining
Chapter 9: Water Resources and Water Use
- Aquifer
- Unconfined aquifer
- Confined aquifer
- Water table
- Groundwater recharge
- Spring
- Artesian well
- Cone of depression
- Saltwater intrusion
- Floodplain
- Impermeable surface
- Levee
- Dike
- Dam
- Reservoir
- Fish ladder
- Aqueduct
- Desalination
- Desalinization
- Distillation
- Reverse osmosis
- Water footprint
- Hydroponic agriculture
- Tiered water-pricing system
- Xeriscaping
- Gray water
- Contaminated water
Unit 5, "Land Use"
Chapter 10: Land, Public, and Private
- Tragedy of the commons
- Externality
- Maximum sustainable yield (MSY)
- Resource conservation ethic
- Multiple-use lands
- Rangeland
- Forest
- Clear-cutting
- Selective cutting
- Ecologically sustainable forestry
- Tree plantation
- Prescribed burn
- National wildlife refuge
- National wilderness area
- National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)
- Environmental impact statement (EIS)
- Environmental mitigation plan
- Endangered Species Act
- Suburb
- Exurb
- Urban sprawl
- Urban blight
- Highway Trust Fund
- Induced demand
- Zoning
- Multi-use zoning
- Smart growth
- Stakeholder
- Sense of place
- Transit-oriented development (TOD)
- Infill
- Urban growth boundary
- Eminent domain
Chapter 11: Feeding the World
- Undernutrition
- Malnourished
- Food security
- Food insecurity
- Famine
- Anemia
- Overnutrition
- Meat
- Industrial agriculture
- Agribusiness
- Energy subsidy
- Green Revolution
- Economies of scale
- Waterlogging
- Salinization
- Organic fertilizer
- Synthetic fertilizer
- Inorganic fertilizer
- Monocropping
- Pesticides
- Insecticide
- Herbicide
- Broad-spectrum pesticide
- Selective pesticide
- Narrow-spectrum pesticide
- Persistent pesticide
- Nonpersistent pesticide
- Pesticide resistance
- Pesticide treadmill
- Concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO)
- Aquaculture
- Fishery
- Fishery collapse
- Bycatch
- Shifting agriculture
- Soil compaction
- Desertification
- Nomadic grazing
- Sustainable agriculture
- Intercropping
- Crop rotation
- Agroforestry
- Contour plowing
- Perennial plant
- Annual plant
- No-till agriculture
- Integrated pest management (IPM)
- Organic agriculture
- Individual transferable quota (ITQ)
Unit 6, "Energy Resources and Consumption"
Chapter 12: Nonrenewable Energy Resources
- Fossil fuel
- Nonrenewable energy resource
- Nuclear fuel
- Commercial energy source
- Subsistence energy source
- Energy carrier
- Turbine
- Electrical grid
- Combined cycle
- Capacity
- Capacity factor
- Cogeneration
- Combined heat and power
- Coal
- Petroleum
- Crude oil
- Oil sands
- Bitumen
- CTL (coal to liquid)
- Energy intensity
- Hubbert curve
- Peak oil
- Fission
- Fuel rod
- Control rod
- Radioactive waste
- Becquerel (Bq)
- Curie
- Nuclear fusion
Chapter 13: Achieving Energy Sustainability
- Energy conservation
- Tiered rate system
- Peak demand
- Passive solar design
- Thermal mass
- Potentially renewable
- Nondepletable
- Renewable
- Biofuel
- Modern carbon
- Fossil carbon
- Carbon neutral
- Net removal
- Ethanol
- Biodiesel
- Flex-fuel vehicle
- Hydroelectricity
- Run-of-the-river
- Water impoundment
- Tidal energy
- Siltation
- Active solar energy
- Photovoltaic solar cell
- Wind energy
- Wind turbine
- Geothermal energy
- Ground source heat pump
- Fuel cell
- Electrolysis
- Smart grid
Unit 7, "Pollution: Aquatic, Atmospheric, and Terrestrial"
Chapter 14: Aquatic Pollution
- Water pollution
- Wastewater
- Point source
- Nonpoint source
- Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD)
- Dead zone
- Eutrophication
- Cultural eutrophication
- Indicator species
- Fecal coliform bacteria
- Septic system
- Septic tank
- Sludge
- Septage
- Leach field
- Manure lagoon
- Acid deposition
- Perchlorates
- Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
- Thermal pollution
- Thermal shock
- Clean Water Act
- Safe Drinking Water Act
- Maximum contaminant level (MCL)
Chapter 15: Atmospheric Pollution and Stratospheric Ozone Depletion
- Air pollution
- Particulate matter (PM)
- Particulates
- Particles
- Haze
- Photochemical oxidant
- Ozone (O3)
- Smog
- Photochemical smog
- Los Angeles-type smog
- Brown smog
- Sulfurous smog
- London-type smog
- Gray smog
- Industrial smog
- Volatile organic compound (VOC)
- Primary pollutant
- Secondary pollutant
- Thermal inversion
- Inversion layer
- Asbestos
- Sick building syndrome
Chapter 16: Waste Generation, Terrestrial Pollution, and Waste Disposal
- Waste
- Planned obsolescence
- Municipal solid waste (MSW)
- Waste stream
- Reduce, reuse, recycle
- The three Rs
- Source reduction
- Reuse
- Recycling
- Closed-loop recycling
- Open-loop recycling
- Composting
- Leachate
- Sanitary landfill
- Tipping fee
- Siting
- Incineration
- Ash
- Bottom ash
- Fly ash
- Waste-to-energy
- Hazardous waste
- Superfund Act
- Brownfields
- Life-cycle analysis
- Cradle-to-grave analysis
- Integrated waste management
Chapter 17: Human Health and Environmental Risks
- Disease
- Infectious disease
- Acute disease
- Chronic disease
- Epidemic
- Pandemic
- Plague
- Malaria
- Tuberculosis
- Emergent infectious disease
- Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)
- Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
- Ebola hemorrhagic fever
- Mad cow disease
- Prion
- Swine flu
- Bird flu
- Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)
- West Nile virus
- Lyme disease
- Zika virus disease
- Neurotoxin
- Carcinogen
- Mutagen
- Teratogen
- Allergen
- Endocrine disruptor
- Dose-response study
- Acute study
- Chronic study
- LD50
- Sublethal effect
- ED50
- No-observed-effect level (NOEL)
- Retrospective study
- Prospective study
- Synergistic interaction
- Route of exposure
- Solubility
- Bioaccumulation
- Biomagnification
- Persistence
- Environmental hazard
- Innocent-until-proven-guilty principle
- Precautionary principle
- Stockholm Convention
- REACH
Unit 8, "Global Change and a Sustainable Future"
Chapter 18: Conservation of Biodiversity
- Threatened species (IUCN)
- Near-threatened species
- Least-concern species
- Intrinsic value
- Instrumental value
- Provision
- Native species
- Exotic species
- Alien species
- Invasive species
- Lacey Act
- Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES)
- Red Listv
- Marine Mammal Protection Act
- Endangered species
- Threatened species (U.S.)
- Convention on Biological Diversity
- Edge habitat
- Biosphere reserve
Chapter 19: Global Change
- Global change
- Global climate change
- Global warming
- Greenhouse effect
- Greenhouse warming potential
- Kyoto Protocol
- Carbon sequestration
- Paris Climate Agreement
- Paris Climate Accord
Chapter 20: Sustainability, Economics, and Equity
- Well-being
- Economics
- Genuine progress indicator (GPI)
- Technology transfer
- Leapfrogging
- Natural capital
- Human capital
- Manufactured capital
- Market failure
- Environmental economics
- Ecological economics
- Valuation
- Environmental worldview
- Anthropocentric worldview
- Stewardship
- Biocentric worldview
- Ecocentric worldview
- United Nations (UN)
- United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)
- World Bank
- World Health Organization (WHO)
- United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
- Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
- Department of Energy (DOE)
- Human development index (HDI)
- Global multidimensional poverty index (MPI)
- Command-and-control approach
- Incentive-based approach
- Green tax
- Triple bottom line