Environmental
Science Study Library.

Ecosystem types and structure · Terrestrial biomes (tropical rainforest, temperate deciduous forest, grassland, desert, tundra, taiga) · Aquatic biomes (freshwater, marine, estuaries, wetlands) · Biogeochemical cycles: carbon cycle · Biogeochemical cycles: nitrogen cycle · Biogeochemical cycles: phosphorus cycle · Biogeochemical cycles: hydrologic (water) cycle · Gross primary productivity (GPP) and net primary productivity (NPP) · Trophic levels and energy flow · Food chains and food webs · Energy transfer efficiency (10% rule)

Types of biodiversity: genetic, species, and ecosystem diversity · Ecosystem services (provisioning, regulating, cultural, supporting) · Island biogeography theory (species-area relationship, immigration and extinction rates) · Ecological tolerance and range of tolerance · Natural disruptions to ecosystems (fire, flood, disease, drought) · Ecological succession: primary succession · Ecological succession: secondary succession · Pioneer species and climax communities

Generalist vs. specialist species · K-selected vs. r-selected species · Survivorship curves: Type I, Type II, and Type III · Carrying capacity (K) and limiting factors · Exponential population growth model · Logistic population growth model · Density-dependent and density-independent limiting factors · Age structure diagrams and their interpretation · Total fertility rate (TFR) and replacement fertility · Human population demographics · Demographic transition model (stages 1–4) · Rule of 70 and doubling time calculations · Population growth rate calculations

Tectonic plates and their role in soil and landform formation · Soil formation processes and soil horizons (O, A, B, C, R horizons) · Soil erosion causes and consequences · Atmospheric layers (troposphere, stratosphere, mesosphere, thermosphere) · Atmospheric composition and greenhouse gas properties · Global wind patterns and the Coriolis effect · Watersheds and their role in hydrology · Solar radiation, Earth's energy budget, and seasonal variation · El Niño and La Niña (ENSO) and their global climate impacts · Geography's influence on climate (rain shadows, latitude, altitude)

Tragedy of the commons · Deforestation: clearcutting vs. selective cutting vs. sustainable forestry · Green Revolution: methods, benefits, and environmental costs · Agricultural impacts on soil and water quality · Irrigation methods (flood, drip, center-pivot) and salinization · Integrated pest management (IPM) · Impacts of meat production and animal agriculture · Overfishing, bycatch, and aquaculture · Mining impacts: surface mining, subsurface mining, acid mine drainage · Urbanization, impervious surfaces, and ecological footprint · Urban runoff and stormwater management

Renewable vs. nonrenewable energy sources · Global energy consumption patterns and trends · Fossil fuels: coal formation, extraction methods, and environmental impacts · Fossil fuels: oil (petroleum) extraction, refining, and spill impacts · Fossil fuels: natural gas extraction (conventional and fracking) and impacts · Nuclear power: fission process, uranium fuel cycle, waste storage, and safety · Biomass energy: types and combustion impacts · Solar energy: photovoltaic and concentrated solar power · Hydroelectric power: conventional dams and run-of-river systems · Geothermal energy: sources and applications · Wind energy: turbine operation and siting considerations · Hydrogen fuel cells: operation and environmental profile · Energy return on investment (EROI) · Energy conservation and efficiency strategies · Fuel efficiency calculations

Primary air pollutants (CO, SO2, NOx, VOCs, particulate matter, lead) · Secondary air pollutants (tropospheric ozone, sulfuric acid, nitric acid) · Photochemical smog formation: NOx + VOCs + sunlight → tropospheric ozone · Thermal inversions and their effect on pollution concentration · Atmospheric CO2 trends and sources · Indoor air pollutants: radon, asbestos, VOCs, carbon monoxide · Clean Air Act (1970, amended 1990): criteria pollutants and NAAQS · Acid deposition: formation, transport, and ecological effects · Noise pollution and its health impacts

Point source vs. nonpoint source pollution · Ecosystem impacts of pollutants on aquatic and terrestrial systems · Endocrine disruptors and their effects on wildlife and humans · Wetland and mangrove destruction: causes and consequences · Eutrophication: nutrient loading, algal blooms, hypoxic dead zones · Thermal pollution and its effects on dissolved oxygen levels · Persistent organic pollutants (POPs): DDT, PCBs, dioxins · Bioaccumulation (concentration increase within a single organism) · Biomagnification (concentration increase up the food chain) · Solid waste management: landfills, incineration, recycling, composting · Sewage treatment: primary, secondary, and tertiary processes · Toxicology: LD50 interpretation and dose-response relationships · Pathogens and waterborne diseases

Stratospheric ozone depletion: CFCs as catalytic destroyers of ozone · Ozone depletion chemistry: CFC photolysis and halogen chain reactions · Montreal Protocol (1987): international response to ozone depletion · Greenhouse effect mechanism: solar radiation absorption and infrared re-emission · Major greenhouse gases: CO2, CH4, N2O, water vapor, CFCs · Anthropogenic sources of greenhouse gas emissions · Climate change impacts: sea level rise, glacial retreat, extreme weather · Ocean warming and coral bleaching · Ocean acidification: CO2 + H2O → H2CO3 chemistry and impacts on marine organisms · Climate feedback loops (ice-albedo feedback, permafrost methane release) · Invasive species: pathways, ecological impacts, and management · Endangered species and extinction drivers (HIPPO framework) · CITES (1973): international wildlife trade regulation · Endangered Species Act (ESA, 1973): US domestic protections · Human impacts on biodiversity: habitat loss, overexploitation, pollution, climate change