Cross-unit AP Environmental Science vocabulary spanning ecosystems, resources, and pollution used across the exam. Front: the term. Back: a plain-language definition.
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- Ecosystem
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A community of living organisms interacting with each other and their physical environment, including soil, water, and atmosphere.- Biome
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A large geographic area with similar climate, vegetation, and wildlife; examples include rainforests, deserts, and tundra.- Niche
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The specific role or function of an organism in its environment, including what it eats, where it lives, and how it interacts with other species.- Habitat
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The physical place where an organism or population lives, characterized by specific environmental conditions.- Population
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All the individuals of one species living in the same geographic area at the same time.- Community
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All the different populations of species living and interacting together in the same area.- Succession
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The gradual change in species composition of a community over time, following a disturbance or on bare land.- Primary succession
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The process of community development starting on bare rock or soil with no previous life, such as after a volcanic eruption.- Secondary succession
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The process of community recovery and change on land that was previously inhabited but has been disturbed, such as after a forest fire.- Climax community
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The final, stable community that develops after succession is complete and remains relatively unchanged without major disturbance.- Pioneer species
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The first organisms to colonize bare or disturbed areas, typically hardy species like lichens and mosses that help build soil.- Limiting factor
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Any resource or condition that restricts the growth or survival of a population, such as water, food, or space.- Trophic level
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A feeding level in an ecosystem, such as producer, primary consumer, secondary consumer, or decomposer.- Primary productivity
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The rate at which producers convert solar energy into organic matter through photosynthesis.- Biomass
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The total mass of living matter in an organism, population, or ecosystem, usually expressed in dry weight.
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