APES Midterm Review

Front

What is exponential growth?

Back

A rapid increase in a population where the growth rate is proportional to the current population size, leading to a J-shaped curve on a graph.

Front

What is an estuary?

Back

A wetland area where freshwater from rivers meets and mixes with saltwater from the ocean.

Front

How do animals obtain nitrogen?

Back

Animals get nitrogen from the food they eat, which contains proteins and nucleic acids.

Front

What is nitrogen fixation?

Back

The process of converting nitrogen gas (N2) from the atmosphere into a usable form for plants, primarily through the action of bacteria and lightning.

Front

What role do bacteria play in the nitrogen cycle?

Back

Bacteria convert nitrogen gas into ammonia, which can be used by plants, and also help in the process of nitrification and denitrification.

Front

What is logistic growth?

Back

A model of population growth that describes how a population grows rapidly at first and then slows as it approaches the carrying capacity of its environment, resulting in an S-shaped curve.

Front

What is the carrying capacity?

Back

The maximum number of individuals of a species that an environment can sustainably support.

Front

What is the difference between emigration and immigration?

Back

Emigration is the act of leaving one area to live in another, while immigration is the act of coming into a new area to live.

Front

What is a swamp?

Back

A wetland that is dominated by woody plants and is often flooded for part of the year.

Front

What is a marsh?

Back

A wetland that is dominated by herbaceous plants, such as grasses and reeds, and is usually flooded with water.