Get the AP college credits you've worked so hard for... Our savvy test experts show you the way to master the test and score higher. This new and fully expanded edition examines all AP Environmental Science topics including in-depth coverage of conservation, environmental health hazards, and biodiversity. The comprehensive review covers every possible exam topic: earth systems, population dynamics, human health, planetary resources and more. Features 4 full-length practice exams with all answers thoroughly explained. Follow up your study with REA's test-taking strategies, powerhouse drills and study schedule that get you ready for test day. DETAILS - Comprehensive, up-to-date subject review of every AP Environmental Science area used in the AP exam - Study schedule tailored to your needs - Packed with proven key exam tips, insights and advice - 4 full-length practice exams. All exam answers are fully detailed with easy-to-follow, easy-to-grasp explanations. TABLE OF CONTENTS About Our Author Independent Study Schedule Chapter 1: EXCELLING ON THE AP ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE EXAM About this Book About the Advanced Placement Program About the AP Environmental Science Exam AP Environmental Science Exam Content About Our AP Course Review Scoring REA's Practice Exams Scoring the Official Exams Studying for Your AP Exam Test-Taking Tips What You'll Face on Test Day Chapter 2: MATTER AND ENERGY IN THE ENVIRONMENT Organization of Matter Conservation of Matter Conservation of Energy Case Summaries Chapter 3: EARTH SYSTEMS AND GLOBAL CHANGES Properties That Drive Global Processes Earth Atmosphere CaseSummaries Chapter 4: THE BIOSPHERE Productivity and Food Chains Population Interactions Traits of Biological Communities Biomes Biodiversity Case Summaries Chapter 5: POPULATION DYNAMICS Fundamentals of Population Biology Human Populations Case Summary Chapter 6: HUMAN HEALTH Morbidity and Mortality Environmental Health Hazards Identifying Health Risks Factors That Affect Toxicity Case Summaries Chapter 7: ATMOSPHERE RESOURCES Composition of the Atmosphere Air Pollution: Sources and Solutions Effects of Air Pollution Case Summaries Chapter 8: WATER RESOURCES Water Compartments and the Water Cycle Trends in Water Use Water Pollution Wastewater Treatment Case Summaries Chapter 9: LAND RESOURCES Principles of Land Use Management of Specific Land Uses Case Summaries Chapter 10: ENERGY RESOURCES Understanding Energy Non-Renewable Energy Sources Renewable Energy Sources Patterns of Human Energy Use Case Summaries Chapter 11: ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIETY Economic Forces Environmental Ethics Environmental History, Laws, and Regulations Environmental Laws Environmental Policy and Management Case Summaries PRACTICE EXAMS AP ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE EXAM I Answer Key Detailed Explanations of Answers AP ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE EXAM II Answer Key Detailed Explanations of Answers AP ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE EXAM III Answer Key Detailed Explanations of Answers AP ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE EXAM IV Answer Key Detailed Explanations of Answers ANSWER SHEETS GLOSSARY INDEX EXCERPT About Research & EducationAssociation Research & Education Association (REA) is an organization of educators, scientists, and engineers specializing in various academic fields. Founded in 1959 with the purpose of disseminating the most recently developed scientific information to groups in industry, government, high schools, and universities, REA has since become a successful and highly respected publisher of study aids, test preps, handbooks, and reference works. REA's Test Preparation series includes study guides for all academic levels in almost all disciplines. Research & Education Association publishes test preps for students who have not yet completed high school, as well as high school students preparing to enter college. Students from countries around the world seeking to attend college in the United States will find the assistance they need in REA's publications. For college students seeking advanced degrees, REA publishes test preps for many major graduate school admission examinations in a wide variety of disciplines, including engineering, law, and medicine. 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EXCELLING ON THE AP ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE EXAM ABOUT THIS BOOK This book provides a thorough review for the Advanced Placement Environmental Science Examination written in a way that high school students will readily grasp and appreciate. REA's mission is to translate environmental science into terms the student can understand and benefit from. Four full-length practice exams are included to get you ready for the actual exam. Use them, along with the detailed explanations of answers, to help determine your strengths and weaknesses, and to prepare you to score well on exam day. ABOUT THE ADVANCED PLACEMENT PROGRAM The Advanced Placement program is designed to provide high school students with the opportunity to pursue college-level studies. The program consists of two components: an AP course and an AP exam. Students are expected to gain college-level skills and acquire college-level knowledge of environmental science through the AP course. Upon completion of the course, students take the AP exam. Test results are used to grant course credit and/or determine placement level in the subject when entering college. AP exams are administered every May. Additional information can be requested from the following source: AP Services Educational Testing Service P.O. Box 6671 Princeton, New Jersey 08541-6671 Phone: (609) 771-7300 Fax: (609) 530-0482 E-mail: apexams@ets.org Web site: http: //www.collegeboard.com ABOUT THE AP ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE EXAM The AP Environmental Science exam is three hours long. Each section in each exam is completed separately. You will have 90 minutes to answer 100 multiple-choice questions, which are worth 60% of your final grade. Each correct answer is worth one point, and each incorrect answer takes away 1/4 point. The free response section is 90 minutes long and has four questions. The first question will ask you to make conclusions based on a set of data, the second question will be document-based, and the third and fourth questions are synthesis and evaluation questions. All four questions are weighted equally. AP ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE EXAM CONTENT I. Interdependence of Earth's Systems: Fundamental Principles and Concepts (25%) A. The Flow of Energy 1. forms and quality of energy 2. energy units and measurements 3. sources and sinks, conversions B. The Cycling of Matter 1. water 2. carbon 3. major nutrients a. nitrogen b. phosphorus 4. differences between cycling of major and trace elements C. The Solid Earth 1. Earth history and the geologic time scale 2. Earth dynamics: plate tectonics, volcanism, the rock cycle, soil formation D. The Atmosphere 1. atmospheric history: origin, evolution, composition, and structure 2. atmospheric dynamics: weather, climate E. The Biosphere 1. organisms: adaptations to their environments 2. populations and communities: exponential growth, carrying capacity 3. ecosystems and change: biomass, energy transfer, succession 4. evolution of life: natural selection, extinction II. Human Population Dynamics (10%) A. History and Global Distribution 1. numbers 2. demographics, such as birth and death rates 3. patterns of resource utilization B. Carrying Capacity - Local, Regional, Global C.Cultural and Economic Influences III. Renewable and Nonrenewable Resources: Distribution, Ownership, Use, Degradation (15%) A. Water 1. fresh: agricultural, industrial, domestic 2. oceans: fisheries, industrial B. Minerals C. Soils 1. soil types 2. erosion and conservation D. Biological 1. natural areas 2. genetic diversity 3. food and other agricultural products E. Energy 1. conventional sources 2. alternative sources F. Land 1. residential and commercial 2. agricultural and forestry 3. recreational and wilderness IV. Environmental Quality (20-25%) A. Air/Water/Soil 1. major pollutants a. types, such as SO2, NO2, and pesticides b. thermal pollution c. measurement and units of measure such as ppm, pH, pg/L d. point and nonpoint sources (domestic, industrial, agricultural) 2. effects of pollutants on: a. aquatic systems b. vegetation c. natural features, buildings and structures d. wildlife 3. pollution reduction, remediation, and control C. Impact on Human Health 1. agents: chemical and biological 2. effects: acute and chronic, dose-response rel