Hi guys, I'm planning on self-studying for the AP Environmental Science exam. Could someone give me a breakdown of what's covered in each unit? I want to make sure I've got everything covered.
Absolutely, here's a brief breakdown of the topics and themes covered within each unit in AP Environmental Science:
1. Unit 1 - The Living World: Ecosystems: This unit delves into the flow of energy and matter, photosynthesis and respiration, food webs, ecological pyramids, cycles of matter, and responses to environmental changes.
2. Unit 2 - The Living World: Biodiversity: The focus here is on importance of biodiversity, threats to biodiversity, and conservation biology. You'll study different ecosystems and habitats globally and the systems of classification.
3. Unit 3 - Populations: This unit examines characteristics of populations, influences on population size, human population dynamics, and challenges presented by overpopulation.
4. Unit 4 - Earth Systems and Resources: This covers plate tectonics, the rock cycle, atmosphere, soil and soil dynamics, and solar radiation and Earth’s seasons.
5. Unit 5 - Land and Water Use: You'll explore farming, fishing, forestry, rangelands, urban land use, and resource management, including the impacts of human use on these systems.
6. Unit 6 - Energy Resources and Consumption: As the name suggests, you'll cover fossil fuels, nuclear power, hydroelectric power, energy from biomass, wind power, solar power, hydrogen fuel cells, and energy conservation.
7. Unit 7 - Atmospheric Pollution: It discusses air pollution and its effects, air pollution and the atmosphere, and reducing air pollution.
8. Unit 8 - Aquatic and Terrestrial Pollution: In this unit, you'll study water pollution, waste management, and the impacts and mitigation of environmental hazards.
9. Unit 9 - Global Change: And finally, this unit covers stratospheric ozone depletion, climate change, and loss of biodiversity.
Remember, this is just a broad overview. Each unit covers these concepts and more in depth. You'll also need to practice with sample problems and exam-style questions to get a good understanding of the material. The CollegeBoard provides a detailed AP Environmental Science Course and Exam Description document that you can refer to for a comprehensive breakdown of each unit. Happy studying!
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